C250: End of the Beginning Pt2.
Alt title Teaser: Skilled Swordsman
Date published: 8/18/2025.
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The figure soon points a pale finger at Axel and says one word,
"Cero"
Rapidly, a bright red color bordering neon pink, a ball of energy gathers on his finger before shooting towards Axel.
For the first time in years does Axel feel a sense of pressure in his guts as he dodges out of the way. He does so by shrinking the space to the side of him and stepping over that boundary before reverting it to its original state again.
An enormous nuke like orb explodes out as the pink gives way to red and black with what feels like hints of silver tearing the lands apart. Yet as the dust settles, the figure gains an amused expression as they then turn around to find another change.
The first being that Axel had set up a barrier around them, containing the nuke by shrinking the space where it landed so it's actual damage was far more minor.
The second detail was that Axel had, at some point whilst dodging, made a clone that took Luna away to be healed.
"I admire your work but your actions will only lead to your downfall. You will run out of energy far faster than me as we battle." A gruff voice emanates from the figure as they take hold of the twin swords at their waist.
Axel can't offer any sort of rebuttal to allow his opponent to drown in any form of self doubt for his personal enjoyment at disrupting his opponents logic. The reason he is blocked is due to the twin hooked blades, which when put over each other give the impression of being a spear rush to stab him.
Axel summons his own twin blades which he swings upwards to disrupt the position of the overlaid blades, sending the opposing swing over his starry hair.
"You're gonna look great in a buzz cut" The figure offhandedly comments as they instead attempt to cut off his leg. Axel is confused but he pays it no mind as he retracts his energy from the limb, making it worthless but he spots a shift in his enemy.
The shift comes in the form of a single eye holding a red cross like pattern. They eye his leg but what turned from both blades swinging at it, turns into one blade which rips the leg off with its hook while the other lunges higher up at his thigh.
Fwoosh
Axel is forced to create a barrier and separate himself from the enemy as what he sees is quite demoralizing. The glowing eye glows as he sucks up the sliced appendage. The leg splits into small rivers of slime that just enter said eye as their energy signature returns to how it was from the beginning, even before firing the beam at him.
'They can see my soul, but they can also regain their energy by feasting on my body. I can't let myself be harmed throughout this fight.'
'From the bit of feedback I got from gluttony, their energy signature is also similar or rather the source of the hollow variant one eyed black dragon. That means they're a Hollow but they seem to copy the soul society style very closely.'
Axel takes a deep breath as his body aged by inaction gradually shakes off the dust. The duo begin to exchange blade strikes. The experience that a soul reaper poses in terms of skill is made evident as he occasionally outmaneuvers Axel in terms of sword play.
Axel chooses to switch up his style from time to time: hammers, great swords, a simple sword and shield, spears, halberds, archery. While a few work well, it is only for a bit as the reaper grows adjusted to Axel's style.
This forces Axel to keep swapping as he holds to find a hole inside his opponents walls but his inexperience in terms of age and skill obviously show. He soon reverts to the dual blades to at least remain even with him. Afterall, Axel had noticed that while his enemy is proficient with the twin blades, it's akin to a secondary profession. There is always a hint of awkwardness, like he is channeling another type of weapon through his twin blades.
Seeing that Axel noticed something about him, he chooses to change up his style a tiny bit by unleashing something new.
"What I seek are the ethereal lights, Blynand"
The hollow reaper flash steps behind Axel as they wave their finger at him where a magic formula forms. From the formula, a gathering of colorful needle-like beams of light shoot at him which he follows up to by rushing in amidst the beams to slash at him across his gut.
Axel spots the light beams and he summons a wave of shadow to act as his barrier which both sides easily see through as their blades meet in the middle with a resounding clang and to Axel's surprise, it is his swords which are imbued with the essence of metal and his mana that crack from the collision.
"Delicious energy, overflowing with flavor…but lacking depth" The reaper states as from the previous attack, they did not in fact back off but lunged forward to try biting Axel. The closer they got, the more a strange white substance flows out of their mouth and reforms around their jaws to create a larger stronger mouth over his regular one.
If his repertoire of various powers couldn't shake off the hollow then he would return to his base features ... .His physical power that he had honed for many years, elevating his body many times over his original child adventurer state.
As the jaw moves forward, Axel morphs his leg. The area below the knee becomes a clone that pushes the upper half of his leg which transforms into a bulky but short foot into the jawline as the hollow is knocked upward. The clone had externally started the kicking motion, adding its meagre power to the kick before the two parts reform back into one leg.
"Well aint that a kick in the head, hehe" A slightly more childish voice pitches in this time around. It's still the same voice, it's just it's mannerism of speaking is different. The hollow reaper himself seems baffled by what he said. By the clench of his fists and minor shudder that flowed through his leg, Axel could tell that he is embarrassed by what he just said. Though Axel has no idea why until it pops into his head a proper response.
"Yes, it is, cause I kicked you in the head" An awkward silence reigns as the enemy lets his sword float in the air while he grabs his knees with frustration.
"Please don't humor him" He retakes his sword and charges at Axel once more.
From this exchange, Axel realizes that the other person might have something akin to split personality disorder but it's weird as one primarily talks and fights but the other can pitch in when it feels like it. The buzz cut mention was likely also made by this second personality. It had spouted some random things like explosion sounds but Axel had originally treated it as some strange maneuver to distract Axel by repeating these onomatopeia.
The duo exchange multiple attacks yet this time Axel is unarmed as Axel unleashes the martial arts he had been taught in his youth mixed with his own style that mixes in elemental or law based infusion strikes.
There is only one problem with the situation is that with every attack there is something growing out of the hollow's back, forming into something that looks like spider appendages (Tom holland spider claws style) yet these spikes don't do anything yet.
The enemy also has not been casting their strange spells which Axel feels is similar to what he knows from his former fragments' memories yet also different as that spell was not amongst their listings.
"I offer up this contract to unleash the great shadows which lie below the earth" Axel realizes that his conclusion was correct but that his opponent is likely some sort of anomaly as well as their swordsmanship is from the world of Bleach while their magic originates from a world known by a special name.
Legend of the Legendary Heroes.
An older medieval setting based anime focused around a man by the name of Ryner Lute who bears a special type of eye known as the Alpha Stigma.
'Now that I think about it, his cross type eye is also from that world' Axel thinks this as black stone birds, that bear shadowy feathers on their wings as well as around their neck like plumage, rise up from the ground and one charges at him while the rest fly up into the sky.
"Lino Doue" Axel speaks out as his fist smacks through the first raven. A hint of ice lines Axel's fist, The bird is tough but not unbreakable. The reaper pauses at Axel's words as he seems to smile yet his words offer two contrasts.
"Ah we've been caught"/ "So what if you know, It's not as if you have resolved its effectiveness against you. I've made my own spells over so long. That also isn't all that I know"
"Hado #73: Soren Sokatsui" He quickly follows up as he points his finger to shoot blue flames at Axel. He blocks the strike with his personal black flames that devour the blue flames.
He then sends out the black flames like a wave at the reaper who only casts another spell.
"Not bad, Hado #4 Jugeki Byakurai" unlike the typical lightning strike released by Byakurai, this is a modified form that shoots a condensed beam of red lightning at Axel. The beam flows through the wave, as if striking a vital point in the wave that makes licks of flame scatter from the impact. It then continues onwards at Axel.
Bang
Axel shatters the attack by punching out to create a shockwave that hits the condensed lightning. Axel then responds by expanding the barrier around them to be much larger as he reaches out with his hand.
"Go kill a few beasts, it's good for you" Axel's words are akin to a chant as the space around them becomes darker and murkier. Soon a red shade covers Axel and his enemy as the hollow looks up to spot a newly formed blood moon.
"Time to party"/ "hmm, i guess you're right. If you're being more serious, then I can only respond in kind….for as long as I can"
The reaper speaks to himself as if treating the other one like a separate person. He then seems to mutter under his breath something as the spider-like legs finally stretch, becoming a pair of 4 additional blades along with his original arms. The two blades remain like normal as instead a single drop of what looks like blood drips from the blade. The reaper places one blade over the other as the back side of one blade is sharpened by the front of the other blade spouting sparks.
"Ignite the cursed flames forged through blood bonds, Knave"
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Word count: 1907
Drop a comment if you wanna judge my writing or the story. I'll try to respond, especially if you're confused or anything.