Chapter 4: An Emperor's Mercy, A Commander's Resolve
The air thrummed with a menacing energy as Julius held the blood-bolstered bone bullets poised. Darui knew he couldn't afford to be a stationary target. The black sparks dancing along his Cleaver Sword intensified, coalescing into a visible, crackling aura of pure, raven-hued lightning. Black Lightning. This was the legacy of the Third Raikage, a power few could wield, and it was Darui's most potent offensive force.
"So, you can offer something beyond the standard repertoire," Julius observed, a hint of genuine interest in his purple eyes as he noted the transformation of Darui's chakra. "Intriguing."
Without another word, Julius unleashed his macabre projectiles. The blood-slicked bone bullets shot forth with terrifying velocity, dozens of them screaming through the air like a swarm of vampiric hornets, each one a pinprick of lethal force aimed to shred and maim.
Darui exploded into motion. He didn't try to block the widespread barrage head-on; instead, he moved with a deceptive languid grace that suddenly snapped into blurring speed. His Cleaver Sword, now wreathed in black lightning, became an extension of his will.
Clang! Screech! Thwack!
Each swing of his sword wasn't just a block, but a precision intercept. The black lightning arcing from his blade met the incoming bone bullets, sometimes shattering them mid-air with concussive force, other times deflecting them wildly. He spun, ducked, and weaved, his movements a whirlwind of defensive kenjutsu, his black lightning a shield against the crimson rain. A few bullets grazed him, tearing shallow furrows in his skin, the blood enhancement making them sting with an unnatural cold, but his mastery of the blade kept the worst of the assault at bay.
"Impressive, Commander," Julius commented, his hands still outstretched, though no more bullets were currently forming. "Your swordsmanship, augmented by that unique lightning, is truly a cut above. Most would be overwhelmed by sheer volume."
"Just warming up, Emperor," Darui retorted, his breath coming a little faster now. He knew he couldn't maintain such a defense indefinitely. He needed to go on the offensive, to disrupt Julius's rhythm.
With a powerful downward slash, Darui sent a wave of black lightning arcing towards Julius. "Black Lightning: Panther's Claw!"
Julius merely sidestepped, the dark energy tearing a gouge in the earth where he'd stood. "Too direct. Too easily anticipated."
But Darui had used the attack as a feint. As Julius sidestepped, Darui was already moving, using the momentum of his swing to close the distance. He brought his Cleaver Sword up in a powerful uppercut, aiming to cleave Julius in two.
This time, Julius didn't use Gravity Magic to stop the blade. Instead, his body shifted. Body Magic. His torso seemed to flow and contort like liquid metal, the black lightning-infused blade passing through the space where his vitals should have been, only to meet with an unnatural resilience as his form solidified again almost instantly, unharmed.
Darui's eyes widened. This was beyond any regeneration he'd ever witnessed.
"The flesh is but a canvas, Commander," Julius said, his voice echoing slightly as his form settled. "It can be reshaped, reformed, perfected." He then countered with blinding speed, a bone spike, sharper and longer than any before, erupting from his forearm, aimed straight at Darui's exposed chest. "Bone Magic: Fatal Thrust."
Darui, still slightly off-balance from his attack passing through Julius, reacted on pure instinct. He twisted, pulling his sword back in a desperate parry. The bone spike met his black lightning-charged Cleaver Sword with a deafening CRACK. Sparks flew, a shockwave pulsed outwards, and Darui felt his arms scream from the impact, but his blade held. Barely.
"You are proving… surprisingly resilient," Julius noted, applying more pressure to his bone spike.
"Kumo shinobi are… stubborn," Darui grunted, pushing back. He knew he couldn't win a contest of pure strength against this monstrous bone. He needed a game-changer.
With a sudden yell, Darui channeled a massive surge of chakra. "Lightning Release: Black Panther!"
From his body, a roaring panther composed entirely of crackling black lightning erupted, its form distinct and savage. It lunged past Darui, straight at Julius, aiming to engulf him in its dark, destructive energy.
Julius, momentarily surprised by the scale and ferocity of the technique, was forced to retract his bone spike and leap back to avoid the brunt of the attack. The Black Panther slammed into the ground where he'd stood, leaving a smoldering crater.
"Now that," Julius mused, reappearing a short distance away, his red robe fluttering, "has a certain… aesthetic flair."
Darui didn't give him a chance to recover. He slammed his Cleaver Sword into the ground, then clapsed his hands. "Storm Style: Black Leviathan Dragon!"
The earth trembled. Water chakra surged from Darui, mingling with an immense outpouring of black lightning. The ground before him split open, and from the churning maelstrom of elemental energy, a colossal dragon began to form. It was a terrifying spectacle – scales like polished obsidian, veins of black lightning pulsing across its serpentine body, its eyes glowing with raw voltage. Its roar was a symphony of thunder and crashing waves as it towered over the battlefield.
Julius watched its formation with what might have been genuine curiosity, his head tilted. "A creature of pure, destructive elemental fusion. Ambitious, Commander. Very ambitious indeed."
The Black Leviathan Dragon lunged, its massive jaws agape, aiming to swallow Julius whole. It moved with surprising speed for its size, a living tidal wave of electrified destruction.
Julius raised a single hand. "Gravity Magic: Absolute Dominion."
The air around the charging Black Leviathan Dragon warped. An invisible, irresistible force slammed down upon the colossal construct. The dragon, for all its power and mass, faltered. Its charge slowed, its form visibly compressing under the immense gravitational pressure. It roared in what sounded like agony, black lightning flaring erratically as it fought against the unseen chains.
"Your creation is impressive, Darui," Julius stated, his voice cutting through the dragon's struggles. "But it is still bound by the fundamental laws of this universe. Laws that I now command."
With a clench of his fist, Julius intensified the gravity. The Black Leviathan Dragon groaned, its form cracking, before it imploded violently upon itself in a deafening shockwave of steam, water, and dissipated black lightning. The attack, Darui's most powerful, had been snuffed out with a gesture.
Darui stared, aghast. The sheer chakra drain from that technique was immense, and to see it nullified so contemptuously…
Before he could react, Julius was upon him. Not with a jutsu, but with pure, gravity-enhanced speed. A fist, wreathed in a subtle gravitational distortion, slammed into Darui's stomach. The Kumo commander doubled over, air exploding from his lungs, stars bursting behind his eyes.
Julius followed with a precise chop to the back of Darui's neck. Darkness encroached on Darui's vision. He felt his Cleaver Sword slip from his numb fingers. His consciousness was fading.
So this is it… Dull way to go out… Sorry, Boss… C… Mabui…
As Darui crumpled, Julius caught him gently before he hit the ground, his movements surprisingly devoid of malice. He laid the unconscious Kumo commander down with a care that seemed out of place given the brutality of their fight.
Julius looked down at Darui's prone form, then towards the distant sounds of his clone still engaging the Kumo remnants. A thoughtful expression crossed his eyes, yet the cold calculation of Lucius was evident in their depths.
"You fought with honor, Commander Darui," Julius murmured, almost to himself. "You possess loyalty, skill, and a certain… admirable tenacity. These are not entirely flaws. Misguided, perhaps, when placed in service of a flawed system, but not inherently evil."
He could easily end Darui's life. He could turn him into a Paladin. He could do a great many things.
Instead, he raised a hand. A faint, golden light enveloped Darui. It wasn't healing magic in the traditional sense, but something akin to it via Body Magic, stabilizing his condition, ensuring his injuries, while severe, wouldn't be immediately fatal. It also seemed to place him in a deeper state of unconsciousness.
"Consider this a warning, Commander," Julius said softly, though Darui could not hear. "And perhaps… an invitation. The world is changing. True peace requires a stronger hand, a clearer vision."
With a final look at Darui, Julius Novachrono turned. He had made his point. He had demonstrated a fraction of his power. He had judged this particular commander and found him… potentially useful, or at least, not immediately requiring elimination. Mercy, in Lucius's calculus, could sometimes be a more potent weapon than death, a seed of doubt or future consideration planted in the mind of an enemy.
The Land of Serenity needed to be respected. And the world needed to understand that its old ways were drawing to a close. Darui, upon waking, would be a living testament to that truth.