The Arnsberg Forest, a sprawling wilderness in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany, was bathed in the soft, lunar glow of a midnight sky. Towering beech trees, their trunks robust and gnarled, stood sentinel, their canopies a dark, velvety expanse that seemed to swallow the stars. The forest floor, a tapestry of ferns, wildflowers, and rust-hued leaves, was shrouded in shadow, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves and the distant hooting of owls. Shafts of moonlight, piercing the canopy above, cast eerie, silver shadows on the forest floor, creating an otherworldly landscape of darkness and light.
A black car screeched to a halt at the forest's entrance, sending dust swirling from its tires. The driver's door creaked open, and Van stepped out, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for something. His gaze settled on three black cars parked in the distance, their sleek silhouettes barely visible in the moonlight. "Good grief... Why did they have to park so far away?" Van muttered, as he ventured into the forest.
As Van got deeper into the forest, the murmur of hushed voices grew louder. He pushed through the underbrush, his eyes scanning the darkness until he spotted three men clad in black suits, their faces obscured by black glasses. They spoke in urgent whispers, their words barely audible.
"It isn't here," one of them hissed, his voice laced with frustration.
The man on the far left turned to the others, his expression grim. "We came all the way from Poland for nothing. What do we tell Sir Zoldrak?"
The middle man shook his head, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "We tell him the truth - it is not in Germany."
A tense silence fell over the group, the only sound the distant hooting of owls. Finally, the man on the far left spoke up. "Let's head back."
As the trio turned to leave, they were met with a sudden, unsettling presence. Van stepped out of the shadows, his eyes fixed intently on the group.
The men froze, their faces pale and startled in the moonlight.
The sudden silence was oppressive, heavy with unspoken menace.
The man in the middle, his face a mask of tension, gulped. "Van Ackerman," he thought to himself, "of all people to be here right now."
Van's booming voice shattered the silence. "Yo! What's going on here?"
The man on the right stuttered, "V-Van Ackerman. What's brings you here?"
"Just taking a walk" Van replied, his gaze piercing. "But what about you three? What brings you to this place, in the dead of the night?"
The man in the middle hesitated, but before he could respond, his counterpart on the far left intervened. "We're just... admiring the view," he said, his tone laced with tension.
Van's gaze narrowed. "At midnight? In the middle of nowhere?"
The three men exchanged nervous glances. "We would be going," the man on the far left said abruptly, gesturing to his companions.
As they turned to leave, their hearts pounded in unison, and the air crackled with tension. Van's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Wait!"
The three men froze, their hearts pounding in unison. They didn't dare turn back, their minds racing with worst-case scenarios.
Van's next words sent a chill down their spines. "One of you left something behind. Something that might be... important."
"What is it?" the man in the middle replied, as he turned to face Van, his eyes scanning the ground frantically.
"One of you left your handkerchief behind," Van said holding up a red handkerchief. "You wouldn't want to leave that behind."
The three men exchanged stunned glances. None of them had brought a handkerchief. The man in the middle forced a smile, and walked back towards Van.
"You know, the moon looks pretty beautiful in Germany, don't you think?" Van said, his tone deceptively casual.
"Yeah, haha," the man replied, his laughter forced.
"I mean, so beautiful that three men came all the way from Poland to... appreciate the view." Van added, his tone dripping with menace.
As the man's eyes met Van's, he recoiled, his face etched with terror. The other two men spun around, their faces ashen.
"How did he know?" the man on the left whispered, his voice trembling.
Van's tone was triumphant. "Reverse psychology really works. Thank God I read that book."
As Van closed in, the men backed away, their eyes wide with fear.
"Now, let's make this easy for ourselves," Van said, his voice dripping with malevolence. "No one has to get hurt. All I want are answers to my questions, and we can all walk out of here... happy men."
Van's gaze seemed to bore into their souls. "I might even buy you guys a drink to celebrate our newfound friendship. I mean, it won't be nice to celebrate with one or two broken limbs... or will it?"
The man in the middle sneered, his hand slipping into his pocket. "Tch..." he hissed, as he and his companions produced pistols from their pockets. The guns gleamed menacingly in the moonlight.
Van's masked face seemed to gleam with anticipation in the moonlight. "Oh, then I guess it will," he said, his tone dripping with excitement.
The man on the left sneered, taking a step forward. "You think you can take us down? Even as a first-grade sorcerer, you're no match for us. It's three-on-one, Van. You're outnumbered and outgunned."
Van's masked gaze seemed to bore into the men as he raised his hand, his fingers splayed in a counting gesture. "Let's see... six limbs in total. Code's dinner is served," he chuckled, his voice low and menacing.
As the three men heard this, their hearts sank in fear. "Who was Code?", they thought to themselves, their minds reeling with questions, as they stared at Van in trepidation.
. . .
As Van conversed with the three men, Code, Nara, and Hina clashed with the demon in a maelstrom of steel, flames, and blood. The air reverberated with the force of their blows, the ground shuddering beneath their feet.
Hina, who had noticed the demon a split second earlier, dodged the attack by a hair's breadth. She landed beside Code, and together they stared at the demon in horror. Its massive form towered over them, its body a twisted mass of hands, each one ending in razor-sharp claws.
The demon loomed over them, its eyes fixed on Nara's prone form. Code felt a chill run down his spine as the demon began to circle around them, its hands flexing with an unnatural hunger.
Without hesitation, Hina and Code sprinted towards Nara, their hearts racing in fear. They found him badly wounded, his left hand twisted at an unnatural angle. But he was still alive.
Code breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Nara was okay, as he helped him to his feet.
As Nara struggled to stand, Hina sniffed the air. "Yokata," she muttered. Code helped him up, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Nara nodded, his eyes flashing with determination. "Yeah." He dusted the debris off his clothes, his movements steady despite his injury.
Hina turned to Code, nodding. "He never backs down." Nara's gaze locked onto the demon, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let's teach this thing a lesson."
Hina grinned, tightening the grip on her sword. "Yeah." Code stared at his friends in awe, inspired by their bravery. He gritted his teeth, ready to face the demon alongside them.
"This must be the demon Van warned us about," Hina exclaimed, her eyes blazing with determination as she charged forward.
"It's probably possessed by Aidra," Nara replied, wiping blood from his mouth. "Makes it more interesting."
Code's eyes burned with anticipation. "Let's beat it to a pulp!"
Hina sprinted forward with inhuman speed, her sword flashing in the moonlight like a streak of silver. "Let's go!"
Nara followed, clapping his hands together in a sharp, crisp motion. "Fire style... Inferno Fist!" A trail of flames erupted behind him, casting flickering shadows on the surrounding trees as he sprinted toward the demon.
The demon swung its massive hand at Hina, the blow sending shockwaves through the air. But Hina dodged with incredible agility, landing on the demon's hand and sprinting toward its head with a fierce battle cry.
As the demon counterattacked, Hina leapt into the air, raising her sword high overhead. "Death Cleaver!" Her blade sliced through the demon's arm, severing it instantly in a shower of blood and gore.
Nara, meanwhile, clashed with the demon's swirling arms, his fists flying in a blur of motion. As a fist hurtled toward him, he unleashed a maelstrom of flames, the fire erupting from his hands like a volcano. "Hell Thrust!" His fiery punch exploded the demon's arm, showering the area in blood and gore.
Code watched, determination burning within him. "I won't lose to them."
But as he focused, the demon's fist sailed toward him, the blow sending shockwaves through the air. Nara's warning scream pierced the air, shattering Code's concentration. "Code!"
Code snapped back to reality, his eyes widening as the demon's fist loomed. "Arrgh... perfect timing...", he thought to himself.
Assuming a kamae stance, Code's hands began to bleed, his eyes turning red as his veins bulged with exertion. "Blood Scythe!" His blood coalesced into a scythe, the blade shimmering with a malevolent energy.
With a battle cry, Code unleashed a devastating slash, the scythe slicing through the air with a deafening roar. The demon's fist disintegrated upon impact, the blow sending shockwaves through the ground.
Code sprinted forward, his scythe flashing in the moonlight like a specter of death. Before the demon could react, he landed a crushing thrust, the scythe exploding the demon's fist in a shower of blood and gore, sending tremors through the air. Hina and Nara stared at Code, their eyes gleaming with surprise, as the trio clashed with the demon.
The battle raged on, the four combatants exchanging blows in a frenzy of steel, flames, and blood. The air reverberated with the force of their blows, the ground shuddering beneath their feet.
The trio fought in flawless sync, their movements razor-sharp and deadly precise. However, despite their valiant efforts, they struggled to overpower the demon.
Its regenerative abilities allowed it to heal at an alarming rate, and its massive attacks threatened to overwhelm them at every turn. The demon swung its colossal fists, unleashing a barrage of blows that shook the earth. Code dodged and weaved, his scythe flashing in the moonlight as he struck at the demon's arms.
Hina leapt into the air, her sword slicing through the demon's defenses in a blur of motion. "Death Cleaver!" she exclaimed, as her blade bit deep into the demon's shoulder. However, the demon simply roared with laughter, its wounds healing instantly.
Nara unleashed a maelstrom of flames, his fire raging against the demon's massive arms like a tempest. "Hell Thrust!" he shouted, as his flames engulfed the demon's fists. Yet, the demon merely stumbled back, its arms regenerating before their very eyes.
Code's breathing grew ragged, his exhaustion evident as he dashed toward the demon. The demon swung its massive arm at Code, but he dodged by a hair's breadth. However, as he dodged the punch, he lost his balance, leaving him vulnerable to the demon's next attack.
The demon seized the opportunity, unleashing a devastating combination of blows. It slammed its fists into the ground, creating shockwaves that sent Code stumbling back. Then, it launched a barrage of rapid-fire punches, each blow aimed at Code's chest.
Code crossed his arms, bracing for impact. However, the demon's blows were too powerful, and its punches shattered Code's arms like twigs. "Uh?" Code exclaimed, his voice cut short as he was sent flying into the air.
His body rammed into a nearby tree with a sickening thud, shattering its trunk instantly as it crashed to the ground. "Code!" Hina screamed, her voice laced with desperation as she struggled to reach her fallen comrade.
The demon turned its attention to Hina, unleashing a wave of flames that threatened to engulf her. Nara leapt to her defense, his flames clashing with the demon's in a spectacular display of fire and fury. However, the demon's sheer power began to overwhelm them, its attacks growing stronger with each passing moments.
After a few moments, Code struggled to his feet, his body screaming in agony as blood gushed from his mouth. His ragged breathing and violent heartbeat echoed through the forest. But then, a spark of determination ignited within him. His eyes widened, and he assumed a judo stance.
"Yeah... ," he whispered, a plan unfolding in his mind. With a fierce battle cry, Code charged forward. "Hina! Nara! Shift its balance! I have a plan!"
Hina and Nara exchanged a hopeful glance, relieved to see Code alive. They sprang into action, eager to execute Code's plan. Hina sprinted toward the demon's massive foot at an otherworldly velocity.
"Dark sorcery..." she muttered, her sword dripping with a mysterious black substance. The blade elongated, and with a battle cry, Hina flung her sword into the air. A wave of dark energy hurtled toward the demon's foot.
The demon anticipated the attack, swinging its colossal fist at Hina. She dodged with incredible agility, avoiding the blow by mere inches. The demon's fist crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Hina's slash connected with the demon's foot, ripping it off in a shower of blood and gore. The demon stumbled, its balance wavering. Before it could regenerate, Nara appeared in the air, his palm connecting with the demon's torso.
With a fierce battle cry, flames erupted from Nara's hand, engulfing the demon's torso and sending it stumbling backward. The demon retaliated with a wave of flames, but Nara countered with an even more intense blast of fire, overpowering the demon's flames.
"Code! Now!" Hina and Nara screamed in unison, retreating from the demon.
Code's eyes gleamed with malevolent intent. "Yeah...just perfect." Code's hands stretched forward, and blood began to flow from his palms. The blood coalesced into a single, glistening drop, which dripped from his palm. Code's eyes blazed with determination as he focused his energy.
"Pressurized Blood bullet!" he exclaimed, his voice low and menacing. The drop of blood began to glow with a faint, eerie light. Code's hands trembled with exertion as he compressed the blood, infusing it with his energy.
The air around the blood drop seemed to distort, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate the intense pressure. The drop began to take shape, forming a sleek, crimson bullet that pulsed with energy.
With a swift, precise motion, Code launched the blood bullet toward the demon. The bullet shot forward like a rocket, its trajectory unwavering as it tore through the air. The demon, sensing the attack, raised its massive arms, combining them into a single, colossal fist.
But the blood bullet was unstoppable. It pierced the demon's palm, then its neck, and continued to rip through its body with devastating force.
The demon retaliated with a deafening shockwave, but Code countered by twisting his body, altering the blood bullet's trajectory. The demon's eyes widened in shock as its body began to disintegrate, its cells shattered by the sheer pressure of the blood bullet.
The demon's body exploded in a shower of blood and gore, pulverizing instantly. The forest echoed with the sound of the demon's destruction, the ground shaking beneath their feet, as it fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
Code stood tall, his chest heaving with exhaustion, as Hina and Nara approached him. Their faces etched with relief and admiration.
"Code, that was totally epic!" Nara exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe. Hina's tone was laced with surprise as she asked, "Oh my God, were you always this strong?"
Code, still breathing intensely, raised his head. "No, it's my first time doing it." he said, resting his back against the tree beside him.
Code remembered how Van taught him to maintain the balance between his tenzen and Aidra's anti-tenzen. However, he did the opposite. When he coalesced his blood into a tiny drop, he simultaneously increased the concentration of his tenzen, causing an imbalance. As a result of the imbalance, the blood bullet exploded instantly upon contact with the demon, pulverizing it in the process.
As they prepared to leave, Nara complained, "Arrgh, can we go home already? My body's aching all over."
Hina playfully tapped Code's arm. "Yeah, let's go home. We can celebrate your epic win later."
As they walked towards the exit, Nara exclaimed, "I'm going to jump into a hot bath the moment I get home!"
The trio left the forest, chatting and laughing together. But as they left, a sense of unease settled over the clearing. The trees seemed to loom closer, casting long, ominous shadows on the ground.
A figure emerged from the darkness, its presence seeming to draw the very light out of the air. It was tall and gaunt, with eyes that glowed like embers in the dark. Its ears were long and pointed, and its canines protruded from its mouth like razor-sharp fangs.
The figure's hand closed around a ruby cube, the gemstone pulsing with a malevolent energy. Its gaze was fixed on the demon's carcass, its eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity. It reached out its other hand and picked up a strand of hair near the demon's body. The hair wriggled and twisted like a snake, as if alive.
The figure's grin was a thin, cruel line, its lips pulling back to reveal razor-sharp teeth. "They forgot this," it hissed, its voice like a rusty gate. "I see... Aidra was here...", it said, as it looked in the direction of where the trio left.
The figure's eyes seemed to gleam with malevolent intent, its gaze burning with an inner fire. It raised the hair strand towards the sky, its movements slow and deliberate. The ruby cube pulsed with energy, as if fueling the figure's dark powers.
The air seemed to vibrate with tension as the figure's eyes flashed with energy. The trees seemed to lean in, as if listening to its words. The very atmosphere seemed to grow heavier, more oppressive, as if the figure's presence was drawing the darkness closer.
"This is getting interesting," the figure hissed, its voice dripping with malice. And with that, it turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a sense of foreboding and unease.
***
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