Shadow of the Twin Blades
Zazame's vision went totally red as Saikyō's hand hit the side of his neck hard. The strong force sent Zazame flying backward like a rock. His heavy body crashed through three stone walls before hitting the dirt near the main hall. The fall made a big hole in the ground, and a lot of dust went up in the air.
Still, Zazame did not die right away. His body was very strong like iron, and even though his neck was broken, he dragged himself up on his knees. Black blood came out of his mouth and nose, dripping onto the ground.
"You bastard... do you think... a hit like that can kill me?" Zazame coughed blood all over his chest. Even while dying, he could not stop thinking too much. He did not use all his power in that hit. Why? Was he testing me, or is he saving his energy for Lucifer? If he moves left next time, I must dodge right... Why did Momonoshuke die first? If I just stayed quiet, he would still be alive... Even with blood in his throat, Zazame kept overthinking everything.
Saikyō slowly walked out of the dust cloud. He made no sound as he walked. In his left hand, he was holding Momonoshuke's cut head by the hair, letting the black blood fall on the dirt. Saikyō's black eyes had no feelings—no anger, no happiness, just cold emptiness.
"You think too much," Saikyō said in a cold voice. "That is why you are slow. That is why your friend died."
Before Zazame could lift his arms, Saikyō vanished and appeared right in front of him. Saikyō threw Momonoshuke's head into Zazame's lap and raised his right hand to push his fingers into Zazame's chest to crush his heart. Zazame closed his eyes, waiting to die. He knew he could not escape this 15-year-old monster.
But right before Saikyō's fingers touched Zazame's skin, a sharp black sword came out from Saikyō's own shadow on the ground!
The black sword came up fast, targeting Saikyō's throat. Saikyō moved his head back quickly. The blade missed his neck, but made a small red cut on his cheek. Saikyō jumped backward and landed ten feet away, looking down at his shadow.
From inside Saikyō's shadow, two figures came up like liquid turning into people. They were two twin shadow soldiers wearing black masks and black clothes. They both held curved swords with purple poison on them.
"Looks like we saved this useless guy just in time," one twin said with a double voice. "Master Lucifer knew you could not do this alone, Zazame."
Zazame looked up in surprise, holding Momonoshuke's head. "You two... the Twin Shadow Executioners... why are you here?"
The second twin laughed. "Because Master Lucifer found out something about this boy's Boron. Saikyō is not just using his Boron for free—his Boron is eating his life every time he uses 100 percent of his aura! Every second he fights, he loses his life."
When they said this, Saikyō did not get scared at all. Instead, a scary smile came on Saikyō's face. It was the first time he smiled in the whole fight.
"You think you know my secret?" Saikyō said softly, his voice full of madness. "I know my Boron is eating my life. I gave it my life on purpose... so that when I die, my Boron will destroy this whole world, including your Master Lucifer."
The twin shadow soldiers froze in fear as Saikyō's dark aura suddenly exploded from his body, turning the sky into a dark blood-red color.