[ Newly-Discovered Shuuki Hive — Deep Within Mato ]
DOOOOM—!!!
A thunderous detonation erupted within the crater. The blast wave cracked the earth like a thunder god's hammer, shattering boulders and kicking up an immense cloud of dust and fire. Massive Shuukis, easily twice the height of a man, were hurled like ragdolls. Their grotesque bodies twisted midair before crashing to the ground with wet, crunching DOKA! sounds.
It was a scene of complete domination.
("Tch… Pathetic.")
From within the fading smoke, a gigantic fist slowly retracted—each finger the size of a car. The knuckles were stained with blood and ichor, remnants of the Shuuki horde that had dared to defend this hive.
The crater's center was a field of corpses.
No, not even that—because one by one, the Shuuki bodies combusted.
FWOOSH.
Blue flames consumed their remains, leaving behind only ash, then nothing at all.
This was the signature effect of the Peach Blessing—when a holder kills a Shuuki, their body ignites and is cleansed. Despite years of Anti-Demon Corps research, no one yet understood what fuelled the flames, only that it left no trace.
Above the crater rim, the remaining Shuukis had already begun to panic. The survivors limped, crawled, or sprinted away—howling in disorganized terror.
And then, death followed them.
RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!
Muzzle flashes lit the air.
Bullets—heavy, reinforced anti-Shuuki rounds—rained from above with machine-like precision. One. Two. Three. The Shuukis were dropped mid-sprint, riddled with holes, their shrieks silenced in an instant.
ZUZUUN! ZUZUUN! ZUZUUN!
A rhythmic percussion echoed behind the barrage.
At the edge of the crater, her long green hair fluttering in the smoke, stood Himari Azuma. The Vice-Commander of the Seventh Unit. One arm had transformed into a fully-functional Gatling gun, its barrel still glowing red-hot from overuse.
Her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield. Every squeeze of her trigger resulted in exact headshots, chest shots—every bullet with purpose.
"I've got the stragglers. Don't let the core escape," she muttered, adjusting her stance.
Her Peach Blessing—Learning—allowed her to replicate any ability she had seen, and today, she was a walking weapons platform.
From below, the ground shook again.
GOGOGO…
The source of that tremor was a titanic figure—Shushu Suruga—now towering over the battlefield in her giant form.
Still grinning like a mischief-loving goddess, she raised her foot and SLAM!—crushed a cluster of emerging Shuukis in a single stomp. The ground caved in. The air reverberated with her raw strength.
DOOON!
ZUN!
MERI-MERI… (Crack crack crack…!)
Her Peach Blessing—Paradigm Shift—allowed her to freely enlarge her body, trading time for raw power. At this size, her strength could rival a tank battalion—but she wouldn't stay this way long.
"Oi! How many waves is this now?" she called out, playful even as she wiped blood off her fist.
Further behind, watching it all unfold, was Yuuki Wakura—still crouched in his transformed Slave form. His sharp claws gripped the earth. His breathing was steady… but his heart raced.
Kyouka Uzen stood beside him, her gaze calm, unreadable.
"You want to join, don't you?" she asked, without looking.
He nodded slightly.
"…Not yet," she ordered. "Observe them. This is what coordinated combat looks like."
(That's... coordination?)
Yuuki kept watching—though a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.
(This is just Shushu going full Godzilla and Himari cosplaying a Gundam. Where's the strategy?)
Still, he couldn't deny it—he was getting excited.
His body was buzzing with that strange energy—the one that only came in this form. His senses sharpened. His grip tightened.
(Something's coming… I can feel it.)
And then—
The remaining Shuukis began to scream.
Their bodies twisted unnaturally, flesh merging, bones fusing. A horrible gurgling echoed across the field. And from that mass of terror, a colossal Shuuki emerged—easily five times taller than the last. Tentacles. Eyes. Armor. Everything about it screamed boss fight.
Yuuki rose. His claws sank into the earth. Kyouka leapt onto his back, drawing her blade.
"They're afraid. When pushed too hard, they unify. It's inconvenient… but faster for us," she said coldly.
(Here we go.)
But just before he could launch—
Something moved. A blur.
A shadow zipped across the crater, moving at breakneck speed. Straight toward Shushu.
Yuuki's instincts flared like lightning.
He changed direction instantly, shocking even Kyouka.
"Yuuki, what are you—!?"
But he was already moving.
GAKIIIIIIN!!
Yuuki's punch collided with an invisible force mid-air. A blinding shockwave exploded outward. The sheer impact sent tremors through the entire battlefield.
Shushu rolled away just in time, her eyes wide.
Kyouka's mouth opened to yell—then stopped.
Silence fell.
Because standing before them, having blocked Yuuki's full-power punch… was a single figure.
A horn. A twisted, obsidian spiral.
A skeleton in Flesh like armor. A predator made from nightmare.
Kyouka's cap fluttered from her head, landing at her feet.
"…It can't be…"
Her pink eyes dilated.
Her breath hitched.
Then her voice, trembling with rage, pierced the quiet:
"UNI HORN!!"
Shushu gasped. Himari's mouth fell open.
Even Yuuki felt a chill rise up his back.
The legendary Shuuki—an aberration responsible for countless massacres.
The one that led the attack on Gassan Oisawa.
The one that orphaned Kyouka.
Kyouka's eyes glowed like a blade unsheathed.
Her face contorted—not with fear, but righteous wrath. Her katana shimmered with a killing aura even in the dark realm of Mato.
She stepped forward atop Yuuki's back. Took her stance.
Her blade gleamed. Her grip tightened. Smoke curled from her lips as she exhaled slowly, like a beast ready to strike.
And then—barely louder than the wind—came her voice:
"…Die."
The blade came down like divine judgment.
SHIIIIIIING!
•••