The black mud that enveloped Shioko's body carried the red-haired girl in the presence of Ogai. The substance moved like a wave on the cave floor, holding the girl in mid-air in front of the stranger.
As it had yet done before, the black mud changed its aggregation state again, turning into rock. Stuck in a shapeless rocky mass, Shioko remained helpless in front of Ogai, who still had the Blackblood's sphere on his other hand.
"Don't you dare touch me with those filthy hands! You... you don't know who I am! You don't know what I'm capable of! You talked about honour, and yet you refuse to fight me! Face me evenly!" Shioko yelled, twisting her neck and trying to look away from the hooded man.
"How long does the regeneration process take?!" – as a drop of sweat descended from his forehead, Yoichi spoke, interrupting the enemy and attracting his attention.
Ogai's eyes framed the young tamer, and the hand containing the black mud sphere traced that same direction. "Well, well... at last, you showed a little bit of intelligence, brat. You realized that fighting against the dark power is not possible," he affirmed.
"Tell me what will happen to my body and soul. I'm listening," Yoichi continued. Knowing that his teammate's life was in grave danger, he realized he had to intervene immediately.
"The Blackblood is the material manifestation of the spirit of the Dark Emperor, the only, ancient ruler of Lumya. It has the power to modify matter and bend every living being to its own will. When his blood enters your body, your soul will be erased forever and replaced by a new ego, more powerful and faithful to our cause", Ogai explained.
"Your cause? Do you mean... conquering Tentochu? Is this the sole objective of the ruler of Kamakiri?" Yoichi asked. As he perceived that man's gaze on him, the young tamer communicated something to his oracle.
Kenji was still standing next to Rokuro, as if the two demons knew they were part of the same team. The scales of the little dragon's back stood up, and it made ready to strengthen its master's body.
Despite seeing the transformation of my arms, this guy overlooked Kenji's anomalous power. Probably, the Nekage are not easy demons to find in Kamakiri, and he's never seen one, Yoichi pondered.
Calculating every detail helpful in dealing with that mysterious enemy, the young tamer thought that not activating Kenji's draconic ability as soon as they entered the room had been a clever move. That way, Ogai wouldn't be able to sense its true, ancient power.
However, the only fact that the three tamers had arrived there would have made the void summoner realize that any of them had been able to defeat his immortal beasts.
If it is true that the dragon flame is the only power capable of countering Gonshiro's, then my body cannot be vulnerable to the Blackblood. I can't be sure, but... the hope that I'm immune to that black sludge is the only way we can kill Ogai.
A strong sense of responsibility shook Yoichi's chest, who once again knew he had to drag that heavy burden on his shoulders. In addition to his own life, that of his companions and the thousands of people who populated the south of Tentochu depended on his choices.
Any slightest miscalculation would have been fatal. When would the sleeping demon wake up? What was its skill? Judging by its deep sleep, it seemed to be under the control of the evil Ogai.
"I don't have to explain anything to you, brat. When I'm done with your friend, you'll have the answer to all your questions and..."
"No! Stop for a second!" Yoichi interrupted. Raising his voice, he stopped the Void Summoner while he was approaching the dark mud to Shioko's face. The archer had closed her eyes for an instant, failing to move her body: in her mind's eye, the control she was exerting on Nobu was as thin as a nylon thread.
If Shioko had broken that thin thread, the butterfly demon would have gone on the offensive and died with her, crushed by the dark powers of the Kamakiri's warlock.
"What is it now?" Ogai growled, turning once again towards Yoichi.
"Please, let me be the first to submit to this process. I don't want to witness the death of my friend's soul. I... I want to remember her as she is," Yoichi gulped, coming up with an excuse to look more convincing.
Muttering incomprehensible words, Ogai moved an arm towards Shioko. The rock mass that blocked her arms and legs moved quickly across the room, swaying on the ground and returning liquid.
Once in the previous position, it solidified again, leaving the archer no room to free herself.
Step by step, the dark warlock approached Yoichi, stopping less than a meter from him. The young tamer was still kneeling in the same position he was in when he tried to tear the muddy arms off his ankles.
Ogai lowered himself towards him, continuing to approach his faceless head to the Nightblades warrior. A glacial cold struck Yoichi's face, forcing him to close his eyes so as not to dry them like in the middle of a blizzard.
When the Void Summoner got closer to him, from the neckline of his coat, on his neck, Yoichi was able to see the details of his physique. Ogai's chest was tattooed like the rest of his body and his muscles were those of a strapping and trained young man.
Even if, often, the most powerful wizards were old-aged people who had devoted their whole lives to the study of the occult arts, Ogai was different. Yoichi had the perception that his youth, the lightest moment of his life, had been ripped by Gonshiro's evil energy.
The Immortal Emperor of Kamakiri had fed on that man and who knows how many other people, creating an army of men and women forced to obey him like dogs. The so-called 'regeneration' process would forever erase his soul, thus eliminating his new life in the magical world of Lumya.
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