The throne room trembled as Varuk, the 8th strongest demon of the Demon Lord's army, raised his hand coated with crimson energy. The walls cracked from the pressure, and the air turned thick with tension.
"You've grown, brat. But you're not ready to face a demon like me,"
Varuk smirked, his demonic aura swirling wildly around him.
Renji stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly. His eyes glared with determination.
"I'll show you how wrong you are,"
he muttered, his black coat flapping with the surging mana.
—The ground split as they clashed.
Renji vanished from sight with a sudden shadow step, reappearing behind Varuk mid-swing.
Varuk reacted instantly, blocking the strike with his spiked gauntlet, sending a shockwave through the castle walls.
BOOM!
The floor shattered beneath them, and both fighters were launched backward. Dust and debris swirled.
"You've improved,"
Varuk growled, licking the blood from his lips.
"But you'll need more than speed."
Renji charged again, this time weaving through Varuk's spells — fireballs, shadow lances, wind blades — each one barely missing. Renji deflected a dark blade with a parry, twisted mid-air, and slashed downward.
Varuk grunted as the blade grazed his arm.
"Tch!"
Renji then launched his combo:
—Fireball. Shadow Step. Blink Slash. Aerial Strike.
Each move hit with deadly precision. Varuk staggered.
"Still standing?"
Renji taunted, panting.
Varuk roared, his body morphing slightly, taking on a more demonic form. His muscles bulged, fangs lengthened, and a dark, magical circle spun behind him.
"Hellstorm Cannon!"
he bellowed.
The room lit up in crimson as a massive energy beam fired at Renji.
With wide eyes, Renji yelled,
"Shadow Cloak!"
and blurred just in time, narrowly dodging the attack.
BOOOOOOM!
The throne behind him was reduced to ash.
Varuk turned but saw nothing—Renji had vanished.
Suddenly, he felt a chill. A whisper.
"Too slow."
Renji appeared in an instant, his sword engulfed in burning mana.
"Demon Slayer Slash!"
He brought it down.
CRAAACK!
Varuk's body was launched across the room, smashing through pillars and landing in rubble, smoke rising from his wounds. His demonic form flickered, unstable.
Renji walked forward, battered and bruised, but unshaken.
He pointed his sword at the downed Varuk, who coughed, defeated.
Renji's voice was cold but steady.
"It's your loss Varuk."
Silence followed, broken only by the crumbling stones around them.