The battle was brutal. Gotier fought with every fragment of strength he had, his priestly techniques put to the test. He invoked seals and barriers, trying to contain the fierce attacks of the Kugutsu.
Zeke, still under control, charged at Yuzuki, his face marked by the pain of an internal struggle to reclaim his freedom. "Yuzuki... I don't want this..." he whispered between devastating blows. Despite being unarmed, Zeke was a force of nature, each movement calculated and lethal.
Yuzuki barely had time to process Zeke's words. He knew he could not retreat. Every strike he dodged or blocked was one that might have hit Paige, Akari, or Fryr as they fled.
"Yuzuki, no!" Gotier shouted, seeing Yuzuki leap in front of a combined attack from Zeke and Kubo's Kugutsu. The impact threw Yuzuki against the wall, blood trickling from his mouth as he struggled to stand.
"You're persistent, boy," Kubo mocked. "But persistence isn't enough."
Mao, inside Yuzuki, watched it all with cruel delight. "You're at your limit, Yuzuki. Why not let me take over? With me, this would be over in seconds."
"I don't need you," Yuzuki murmured, spitting blood and rising once more. His eyes were determined, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Meanwhile, Paige watched the fight with wide eyes. Seeing Yuzuki, Gotier, and even Zeke fight so fiercely filled her with guilt and despair. "This is all because of me..." she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Noticing Paige's expression, Gotier shouted, "Paige, it's not your fault! You are stronger than he made you believe. Don't let his lies define you."
The battle reached its apex when Kubo, in an unexpected move, revealed that it had all been a game. His Kugutsu withdrew momentarily as he laughed, watching the group, battered and exhausted.
"You think you achieved anything here today? How foolish," he said, as the chamber began to tremble.
Yuzuki, barely able to stand, glared at Kubo. "This is far from over," he declared.
Indeed, the fight was far from finished. Kubo, still on his feet, was about to show that his true power had not even been revealed.
Darkness Unleashed: Revelation and Despair
The combat in Kubo's castle gained a suffocating intensity. The time-darkened walls seemed to pulse with the malice emanating from the scientist and his Kugutsu. Noticing the group's unexpected resistance, Kubo revealed a twisted smile—part satisfaction, part cruel anticipation—while the fight continued at full throttle. Darkness flooded the chamber as Kubo, more threatening than ever, unveiled his devastating techniques. "The All-Devouring Shadow" turned the surrounding space into an impenetrable abyss, sucking away all light and thwarting any counterattack attempts. Gravity itself shifted, making every movement of the group a colossal effort. The air was thick, heavy with tension and despair.
"You really think you can stop me?" Kubo's voice echoed through the hall, filling every corner with an oppressive aura. "Behold true darkness!" Yuzuki stood at the front lines, panting, as he protected Gotier and Akari from Kubo and his Kugutsu's relentless onslaught. Each blocked blow pushed him closer to his physical limits, yet he refused to yield.
With a gesture, Kubo's Kugutsu manifested fully. It took on an amorphous form of pure shadow, its contours drifting like living smoke. The creature's glowing eyes stared at Yuzuki, Gotier, and Akari with a menacing presence.
"You are persistent, boy," Kubo taunted, his voice echoing as if coming from every direction at once. "But no matter how hard you fight, your light will be consumed."
At his command, the creature expanded its nebulous body, engulfing the surrounding light. Everything within its influence lost color and form. Akari, Fryr, and Paige ran toward the exit as Yuzuki had ordered, but the atmosphere grew ever heavier. Gotier hesitated—using his power was a line he had vowed never to cross, but the situation was spiraling out of control.
Yuzuki felt his body grow heavier as the Kugutsu's gravity-altering ability took effect. His knees buckled for a moment, but he forced himself to stand, shielding Gotier from a frontal strike by the creature. A shadowy tentacle lashed toward them, and Yuzuki blocked it with his sword, staggering back from the impact. Zeke paused, his expression hardened, but his eyes revealed inner conflict.
"Yuzuki..." he murmured, as if trying to say something before Kubo's control yanked him back.
"Yuzuki!!" Gotier shouted, but the young man only raised a hand in a calming gesture.
Mao, observing everything, smiled darkly. "Interesting. That seal on Zeke is more fragile than it appears. A bit more pressure and perhaps..."
"I'm fine," Yuzuki responded, despite blood trickling from his brow. He faced Kubo and his creation with unwavering resolve. "I can't protect everyone if you all stand still!"
Kubo seized on the group's hesitation to intensify his assault. Shadows wrapped around Yuzuki and Gotier as if they were helpless prey. Sensing the danger, Akari cried out, "Yuzuki! Gotier! Do something!"
Gotier used his Dankai technique to erect a barrier around himself and Yuzuki. He managed to hold it for a few minutes, but knew it wouldn't last.
Meanwhile, Mao continued to study Zeke's seal. He finally discovered a significant weakness and decided to act.
"Yuzuki, I'll need your help with this. Will you trust me?"
Yuzuki hesitated, but there was no time to argue.
"Just do it!"
With Yuzuki's permission, Mao channeled his energy to try to shatter the seal. Zeke cried out in pain as his internal struggle intensified. For a moment, his eyes cleared and Kubo's influence vanished— but only until the next wave of control submerged him again
The Release of the Demon
The atmosphere in the castle was suffocating. The warped gravity made the floor tremble and bodies feel as if the earth itself were trying to devour everything. Akari, Paige, and Fryr were near the exit, their faces tense as they fought against the force pulling them backward. The darkness seemed alive, swallowing light and dreams of freedom.
Zeke, still staggering after Mao's seal freed him, clenched his fists. He felt freedom returning to his body, but an unknown price hung over his mind. Mao whispered in the depths of Yuzuki's consciousness:
"Interesting... He's free, but at what cost? Will he survive the price he's paid, Yuzuki? Or have we merely traded one prison for another?"
Meanwhile, at the heart of the castle, Kubo laughed in triumph. He seemed to grow with the darkness, each step a macabre echo reverberating like thunder.
"You cannot escape. This place is my domain. Light does not exist here—only shadow and gravity!"
Yuzuki, sweaty and exhausted, stood beside Gotier. His face was pale, pain seeping from the deep wounds in his body. One eye was shut, bleeding profusely.
"I will not let you win, Kubo..." Yuzuki growled, staggering.
Kubo smiled, raising his hand. The darkness around him twisted into a devouring whirlpool.
"Dark Vessel!"
In the blink of an eye, Kubo vanished, only to reappear behind Yuzuki. The gravity around the young man intensified, forcing him to drop to his knees. A precise strike hit his chest, opening a deep wound. Yuzuki let out a cry of pain, but found the strength to rise, shielding Gotier from another devastating attack.
Gotier watched in silence, his eyes somber as he evaluated the battlefield. He knew he had no choice. The power he had sworn never to use would now be necessary. His fingers trembled as they gripped the rosary around his neck.
"Yuzuki... I'm sorry for this."
Yuzuki turned to the priest, trying to speak, but the blood in his throat stopped him. Gotier inhaled deeply, his expression hardening as he released the internal seal that had bound him for so long.
"Don'yoku..." Gotier murmured, his voice cold as a death sentence.
The energy around the priest shifted. The presence of his Kugutsu—the demon of envy—was overwhelming. A monstrous figure emerged behind Gotier, lanky and hunched, its glowing eyes seeming to see through the soul. Its voice was hissing and cruel:
"Finally, you gave in, priest. Let the show begin."
For the first time, Kubo hesitated, stepping back a little.
"Don'yoku... So you have finally revealed your true face, Gotier. This will be interesting."
Yuzuki, wounded, watched the demon's form, hope and fear mingling in his heart. Mao, by contrast, laughed in ecstasy inside Yuzuki's mind.
"Oh, the priest is broken! This will be fun. Yuzuki, do you see this? They all have their dirty secrets. Now it's time to survive... if you can."
The battle was only beginning, and the group's strength was at its limit. But Gotier knew there was no room for hesitation. Don'yoku was free, and everyone's fate depended on the price he would have to pay.