Chapter
The six-armed Oni general raised his weapons.
“Too late.”
The ancient temple trembled as his voice echoed through the chamber.
Six blades gleamed under the dim spirit flames.
Each one radiated terrifying pressure.
Rin stepped forward instantly.
Lightning crackled across her sword.
CRACK.
“Mckell, get back.”
“You think running will save him?”
In the next second—
The hunter vanished.
WHOOSH.
A spear of condensed spirit energy shot toward Mckell’s chest.
“WATCH OUT!”
CLANG!
Rin intercepted it just in time.
Lightning exploded across the chamber as the spear clashed with her blade.
The impact sent Rin sliding backward across the stone floor.
The Oni general chuckled.
“Impressive reflexes.”
Two more arms lifted.
Then three.
Then all six.
“Let’s see how long you survive.”
He lunged forward.
The ground shattered beneath his step.
Rin met him head-on.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Six swords rained down like a storm.
Sparks and lightning erupted as Rin blocked strike after strike.
But the sheer force behind each blow pushed her back.
CRACK.
One blade sliced across her shoulder.
Blood scattered across the temple floor.
“Mckell… RUN!”
But Mckell couldn’t move.
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The rhythm in his chest was getting louder.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The skeleton behind him suddenly glowed brighter.
“…the seal weakens…”
“What?”
The skeletal Vessel slowly lifted its head.
Ancient spirit energy filled the air like a rising storm.
“…my time… has ended…”
The masked hunter rushed toward Mckell again.
This time the spear aimed straight for his heart.
“You die first, Vessel.”
But suddenly—
The skeleton moved.
CRACK.
The chains binding it snapped apart.
A surge of crimson energy exploded through the chamber.
BOOOOOOM.
Everyone froze.
Even the Oni general stopped mid-attack.
“…so it begins…”
The skeleton stood slowly from the throne.
Centuries of dust fell from its bones.
Its glowing eyes looked directly at Mckell.
“…the next Vessel…”
Mckell felt the mark on his chest burn.
“Agh—!”
He dropped to his knees.
The masked hunter lunged again.
But the skeleton stepped forward and caught the spear with its bare hand.
CRACK.
The weapon shattered instantly.
The Oni general narrowed his glowing eyes.
“…annoying relic.”
All six blades moved at once.
SLASH.
The attack cut straight through the skeleton’s ribcage.
But it didn’t fall.
Instead—
It reached out.
Its glowing hand touched Mckell’s chest.
The crimson mark ignited.
BOOOOOM.
Spirit energy erupted from Mckell’s body like a volcanic explosion.
The temple began collapsing.
Stone pillars cracked.
The throne shattered.
“…become… what I never could…”
Its entire body dissolved into pure crimson light.
The energy poured into Mckell.
“AHHHHHHHHHH!”
His scream shook the underground shrine.
Power surged through his veins like wildfire.
The mark across his chest spread like glowing cracks of energy.
The air trembled violently.
Rin forced herself up from the ground.
Her eyes widened.
“Mckell…?”
The dust slowly settled.
At the center of the ruined shrine—
Mckell stood.
Crimson spirit energy flowed around him like living flames.
His eyes glowed faint red.
The ground beneath his feet fractured.
The Oni general stared at him in silence.
“…impossible.”
Mckell slowly raised his head.
His voice sounded different.
Deeper.
Older.
“…you came… to kill the Vessel.”
The crimson aura around him surged violently.
The chamber trembled.
“So try.”
The Oni general grinned again.
All six blades lifted.
“Now this…”
Spirit pressure exploded across the temple.
“…is interesting.”
Behind Mckell, Rin wiped blood from her mouth.
A small smile appeared on her face.
“Looks like…”
Lightning crackled across her sword again.
“…you finally woke up.”
