The Curse of Malysora

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Surpass Your Limits

Ghaib’s eyes froze, while his complexion gradually paled.

Thoughts were racing through his head like mad.

What had he done...? Was this a technique?

We, the members of the Six Heretics Clan, possess the ability to summon invincible demons... so how did this fool stop the demon’s rebirth?

His features suddenly hardened, and his voice rose in anger:

“Don’t gloat as if you’ve achieved some great feat... that demon is nothing but a tool in the hands of its master!”

Shikar’s mouth curled up coldly, and he said without hesitation:

“It doesn’t matter... I’ll kill you and your demon.”

Then he muttered to himself with heavy calm:

This technique...

allows me to strip my opponent of their energy with a single touch of my blade.

Any wound I inflict, they will be unable to heal or regenerate, because the energy itself is being stripped from them.

But...

I won’t be able to use it for more than ten minutes.

Because it consumes my soul as fuel.

It is the most powerful secret technique of the Soul Slayers clan...

In other words—

It is a double-edged sword.

I must end this fight as quickly as possible.

And suddenly—

Ghaib’s laughter rang out in the darkness, as he said with twisted sarcasm:

“You are nothing but an arrogant fool...”

“And now you will meet your fate.”

A black vortex appeared swirling beneath the demon’s feet, and his body began to sink into it gradually until he vanished completely.

A moment later—

The same vortex appeared behind Ghaib.

The demon emerged from it slowly, approaching his master, while a viscous liquid dripped from his body onto the ground with a disgusting sound.

Shikar slowly raised his sword, the veins in his arms visibly bulging.

Then he whispered in a low voice:

“The One-Sword Style... Moon Split.”

A wave shot forward at terrifying speed, tearing through the air before it.

But Ghaib raised his hand immediately, as black and blue sparks formed violently around his fingers.

He pointed his index finger at the attack, and his lips moved slowly:

“Boom.”

A terrifying projectile shot from the tip of his finger and collided directly with the wave.

Energy exploded between the two attacks, generating shockwaves that swept debris and wrecked cars from the entire area.

Ghaib ran quickly toward Shikar, while the demon followed him from the other side.

The two circled around him from different directions.

The demon attacked with its monstrous horns.

But Shikar parried it with lightning speed, slicing the horns into tiny pieces that scattered through the air.

But...

At that very moment, Ghaib had already circled behind Shikar.

He aimed a punch wrapped in a terrifying glow straight at his ribs.

Shikar spun around quickly.

A cold smile curled his lips as he whispered:

“I’ve got you.”

He blocked the blow with his bare hand.

The energy of the impact exploded, cracking the skin on Shikar’s arm under the crushing pressure.

But he didn’t care.

With his other hand—

he slowly raised his sword.

Silence fell between them.

And in that moment, Ghaib saw his own reflection in the blade of the sword descending toward him.

His eyes widened gradually...

as if he were staring at his impending death.

But at the last moment, he raised his other hand.

Energy gathered within his palm, before he unleashed it directly at the blade.

A shockwave exploded between them.

The two were violently hurled in opposite directions,

thoughts swirling inside Ghaib’s head as he plummeted through the air.

The corners of his mouth gradually turned up into a twisted smile.

He raised his hands.

Dozens of terrifying waves surged toward Shikar all at once, tearing through the air in their path.

At that very moment, Ghaib enveloped his feet in a terrifying aura that restored his balance, allowing him to land on top of a building for just a brief moment.

Then he sprang back like an arrow, charging straight toward Shikar.

Shikar looked up quickly.

The waves were swirling through the air toward him like a devastating storm.

He raised his sword immediately and began parrying them one by one.

But the pressure of the successive explosions was pushing him backward, while his balance began to falter gradually amid the turbulent air.

And suddenly.

Ghaib appeared before him in the blink of an eye.

He was plunging straight toward him, his fist hurtling toward Shikar’s chest.

The blow struck his chest with crushing force.

Blood spurted from his mouth as his skin split under the immense pressure.

His body plummeted downward like a shattered meteor.

He crashed into the ground, and the entire area shook the moment he fell.

Dust and debris rose into the air as Ghaib slowly descended to the ground.

He raised his hands calmly before him... black and blue sparks danced around his fingers.

Then he said: This is the end for you.

On the other side...

Shikar’s grip tightened on the shattered ground as his body lay amidst the debris.

He dug his fingers into the cracked asphalt, the veins of his hand protruding beneath his torn skin.

He raised his head with difficulty.

His eyes were completely red... like two whirlpools of blood spinning with terrifying slowness.

He clenched his teeth so hard they ground together, while he repeated in a broken voice:

“Not... yet.”

Then he repeated it again.

“Not... yet...”

He kept repeating it.

And suddenly—

The demon noticed him.

It lunged at him with absolute force, raising its bone blade in preparation to end it all with a single strike.

Shikar struggled to his feet.

His body was trembling, and his raised hand was covered in blood and cracks.

And beside him—

his sword was stuck in the ground.

The blade suddenly trembled.

Then it shot forward with force, somersaulting through the air before landing in Shikar’s trembling palm.

The veins in his palm bulged violently the moment he grasped it.

And in the next instant—

The demon arrived right in front of him.

The bone blade swung toward him at a terrifying speed.

Shikar raised his sword immediately.

The two blades clashed.

The bone blade began to melt gradually...

But at the same time, it was regenerating brutally.

The pressure intensified more and more.

Blood gushed from Shikar’s mouth as he screamed madly:

“Not yet...!”

“Aaaaaaaah!!”

And very slowly...

The melting of the bone blade began to outpace its regeneration.

Shikar’s sword gradually pierced through the bone weapon.

Shikar’s eyes widened, and he raised his voice even higher:

“This isn’t enough...! Push past your limits... right here, right now!”

Shikar’s blade pierced completely through the bone sword.

But the attack didn’t stop.

A dark purple glow burst forth from the blade—

Another strike severed the demon’s arm.

Another ripped through its chest.

Another split it in half.

Then—

Attack after attack.

Strikes came in rapid succession, so fast it seemed as though dozens of blades were raining down on it all at once.

The demon’s body was torn into small pieces that scattered through the air.

Silence reigned for a moment...

Then those pieces began to gradually evaporate, turning into ash scattered by the wind.

He didn’t stop.

Shikar charged toward Ghaib

at a maddening speed, repeating over and over:

“Not... yet...”

Ghaib froze in place as his eyes darted from side to side, tracking Shikar.

Shikar was hurtling toward him at breakneck speed, tearing through the air behind him.

Ghaib quickly raised his palms, unleashing dozens of black waves all at once.

But—

Shikar pierced right through them.

He sliced some with his sword and took the others head-on with his body without stopping.

And with every wave he shattered, he chanted in a voice growing increasingly frenzied:

“This... isn’t enough.”

Ghaib’s eyes widened gradually, and he took a step back.

But it was too late.

Shikar appeared directly above him.

His lips moved slowly, while the violet aura around his body trembled.

“The One-Sword Style... a secret technique.”

And deep within his mind—

a single voice echoed incessantly:

Surpass your limits... here and now.

Time froze between them for a moment.

Then—

the sword descended, slicing through the air before him with terrifying force.

Ghaib’s eyes went wide as he stared at the blade descending toward him.

As Shikar’s scream echoed throughout the area:

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!”

Then he screamed wildly: This isn’t enough...!

The veins on his face bulged, and a flame swirled around the blade like a whirlwind

“Push your limits...!”

“Now!!!”