Dark Exorcist

Part 2

Kasuke made his way to the exosagin arena where the exams were taken place. Naiomi watched from the sidelines s Kasuke stood on the left side of the arena. Where one of the exosagains sitting next to the others on a balcony above him began to explain the exam. "Alright Kasuke, your captain and a fellow exorcist suggested you be promoted to a B-rank exorcist. In order to be promoted, you must beat a B-rank or higher in a duel to prove yourself. Hisoko has requested to be your opponent"

Kasuke watched as Hisoko stepped up onto the stage facing him with a smirk on her face. The man looked at his arm and hand that was still bandaged hiding the corroding. "Alright then, let's go Hisoko" She blew a kiss towards him that formed into a violet bubble with a mist of spiritual energy within it. Instead of going back, the exorcist charged towards the projectile swiftly moving straight ahead when he suddenly slid across the bubble, evading it by mere inches.

His opponent was taken by surprise when Kasuke side-flipped over her pulling out a kunai in mid-air, filling it with Akunomi's energy. "You think you're so skilled?" With another smirk she quickly pulled out a dagger turning around only to see the shinobi throw the kunai right for her. She evaded it just in time as it struck the stage, but didn't explode. "Come on Akunomi, where was all that power you had when going up the demons? Are you afraid of hurting me? As much as I find that cute, you should be fighting as if I were a demon"

"Very well, I'll show you just how strong I can be when I'm serious" Everyone watched as Akunomi's demonic aura swarmed around Kasuke's body like dark-red flames as he disappeared from everyone's view except the exosagins. (Where did he-" Just then she felt an immense force of pain in her gut as she was launched back. Just as she caught her balance, she realized the kunai he had thrown was right between her legs. That's when it abruptly erupted in a fierce burst of red light.

The exosagins were getting suspicious of the young exorcist. How could a mere C-rank ninja be this strong and powerful. One of them thought about stopping the match but decided to let it proceed for the time being. Hisoko was on her hands and knees covered in bruises and shaking in pain but knew she shouldn't give up so easily.

"Hehe, alright Kasuke...you want to get serious? Fine, I'll get serious too!" She stretched both arms out in opposite directions as she focused her energy. Secret Art: Seishin blades!" Large violet circular spinning blades formed by her hands as she made a crossing motion with her hands sending them right for the ninja. Mashida let Akunomi's power flow through his body as he side flipped in between the coming blades just missing them by a mere inch. All stared in shock as the two seishin blew up behind him with a fierce explosion causing his hair to blow in the wind.

"Any other tricks up your sleeve Hisoko? I don't want to make this longer than it needs to be"

(Damn it, he really is strong, what is it...what makes him so strong? Either way, I only know one last technique that could give me the advantage I need to win this duel)

"Spiritual thread bines!" She focused her energy into her fingers shooting thread-like energy right for Kasuke from each finger. The target managed to catch the threads as it wrapped around his palm. She prepared to send a wave of electricity through her treads when they randomly wrapped around her instead with Mashida still grasping the other end.

"What the hell!? Why are my own threads putting me in a bind!?"

"It's simple, I'm capable of manipulating your thread so long as I keep physical contact on it. So in the end, you didn't have a chance in beating me" He let go off the flow of energy as it shattered into wisps of violet light as she landed on her back out of breath.

"Seems as though Kasuke Mashida has won the examination duel, therefore he will be promoted to B-rank exorcist"

"Yaay! Way to go Kasuke!" Naiomi cheered clapping excitedly. He gave her a smile before leaving the stage. One of the exosagains stood up, they were dressed in a white hooded robe. "All of you leave, we must speak with the exorcist alone" Naiomi looked at him but he gave her a nod waiting for her and Hisoko to leave. Just then the exosagain in white launched a chain made of green energy right for him attempting to trap him. The young shinobi threw his arm up as the chain wrapped around his left and uncorroded arm.

"Kasuke Mashida, do not take us for fools, we can sense demonic energy coming from you. Tell us why that is, or be destroyed here" Kasuke focused Akunomi's power into his bound arm, causing the chains to break apart freeing him.

"I don't have to tell you anything, exosagains or not"

"Very well, you've made your choice, a foolish one at that" The three other exosagains stood up, each wearing a different color; blue, gold and green. "We gave you a chance, but seems you wish death upon yourself" All four of them vanished before reappearing around him on every corner of the arena.

(Kasuke, you can't handle them all by yourself, let me take control) Akunomi said within the ninja's mind. (Only if you promise not to kill anyone in the process) Kasuke responded still not trusting the demon king but seeing no other way out of the situation. His eyes lit up, glowing red as a fierce surge of demonic power erupted from his body.

"Contain the boy now!" The white robed exosagain cried out as he aimed both palms out towards the possessed exorcist, trapping him within a cube-shaped barrier of green spiritual energy. A sadistic grin grew on Kasuke's face as Akunomi took over and the symbol on his neck appeared. The others created a 2nd barrier around the cube, the green cube was now floating inside a large ball of blue energy.

"Give it up Mashida, no devil could escape such a prison!" One of them cried out. "Hehe, I'm no mere devil...I'm the demon king!" The green cube began to turn red as it cracked apart as if made of glass before the blue ball of light began to c***k apart as well.

"This can't be, no mere demon has been capable of such power! We may need to have him exorcist of his demon before we can stop him!"

"Stop me? Don't make me laugh, I've lived longer than any other demon of my era, what makes you think it'll be that easy?" The white part of his eye became purple. "Demonic eye!" He became absorbing the energy of the barrier inside himself until it finally shattered. "Thanks for your immense power, I might not be near my full power, but with all this spiritual energy you supplied me, I'm capable of using this! Forbidden art: Void Replication!"

His eye began to bleed as if a tear as all four assailants were struck in the gut by an invisible force, sending them all staggering back. "Void replication!? What is that technique? I've studied dozens of skills of both devils and exorcists but have never heard of such a technique!" The white robe one commented in shock. The others were also unsure of the ability.

"Think of it as a duplication of me, but you can't hear or see it, it's in a void that can't be sensed or perceived by any mere mortal. However, being in a mortal vessel and not as strong as I could be, it takes a large toll on this body to use it for just one void duplication. Though...it should be enough to stall you four. It may be a copy, but it's equal to my power. Since Kasuke said not to kill you, then I'll be on my way, have fun trying to survive one mere void clone" Akunomi controlling Kasuke ascended into the air soaring through the air like a shooting star. It didn't take him long to be miles from the village.

He landed in the middle of the forest sitting down up against a tree with his left eye closed with blood still running down his face like a tear. "Ugh, to think it took that much out of me to summon avoid duplication. In my prime I'd just be a little drained but not noticeable. In this state I feel like I've been fighting for hours and my left eye is blurred so I can't see out of it for the time being and don't have enough power to heal it"

Meanwhile...

The exosagains were struggling against the void duplication. The white robed exorcist ordered two of the others to search for Kasuke while he and one other fought off the void clone. "Alright, we'll find him quickly" The blue exorcist responded as he and the green exosagain took off into the forest at immense speed.

"This is ridiculous, to think a demon has the capability of such an overpowered ability! We're the exosagain! We should be able to counter all things demonic! Forgive me Arther...Eye of the demon!" The white robed exorcist's face came into view beneath the hood as his aqua-blue eye slowly became red as if corrupted. His veins in his eyes could be seen as blood ran down his face. That's when the clone's silhouette came into view. "Stay back, I'll face this mere shadow head on"

"That's foolish! What makes you think you can handle it alone!? The gold hooded man responded. "Only I can see it Arther, so either stay back or risk being killed in the process" The exosagain removed his white robe tossing it aside reveling a black sleeveless shirt, black pants, wrist guards and strange marks on his wrists. "Forgive me, though this is a mere clone, I'd rather stop it then let it run loose"

The man had short-brown hair with one red eye and an aqua-blue eye. "If I don't take this seriously...how can I call myself an exosagain!" The clone came into view knowing it could be seen, it looked like Kasuke but pale-like a ghost. Both eyes were red with a sadistic grin on it's face. Hisoko and Naiomi came rushing in the moment the duplication charged the high-ranked exorcist.

"Get out of here it isn't safe!" The golden hooded man shouted moving right for the pair at instantaneous speed, the moment his palms made contact with their shoulders they were transported in a flash of gold light far away from the fight. While the clone threw his palm forward like a dagger right for his target's face missing by an inch. The warrior could feel such power brushing across his face just from the sheer force of the strike.

(Something off, the clone doesn't seem as level-headed anymore, it's not acting calm like it's user, could the link between it and the user have been broken? But if that's the case, then why hasn't it vanished!? Does it have so much power it can maintain itself!?)

"Either way, I won't let your creator have his way!" Throwing his palm up into the air with his fingers close together he shouted: "Holy art: Light of hope!" Golden lightning struck his body as it surged around his body. "If I don't survive this battle...then I'm not fit to be an exorcist any longer!"

Advancing near light speed, he focused the holy power into his fist preparing to end it in one strike. The clone watched as the exosagain moved at speeds far greater than any mortal, preparing to end it when the clone jumped back as a purple aura swarmed around his index and middle fingers.

His target caught up with the fake, striking it with overwhelming power. At the same time, the clone struck the man in the center of his skull with his index and middle finger before both were sent soaring in opposite directions. The clone was sent soaring as the wall surrounding the arena was completely destroyed by the attack before the clone faded, meanwhile the exosagain landed in the center of what was left of the arena. He slowly stood up looking around.

"Good, this fight may've been quick, but I'm glad I was strong enough to stop that shadow of that so called: "Demon king" However, if a clone was that strong even for a few minutes, I can't imagine just how strong he's going to be in person when he's actually trying" His bleeding demon eye faded back to blue before he hit the ground out cold...

Chapter 2 My Humanity

Naiomi and Hisoko found themselves in a large cave with crystals illuminating the area. "Where are we!? Where's Kasuke!?" She cried out in both confusion and worry. Hisoko put her hand on Naiomi's shoulder telling her this was a secret location that was normally used to keep certain people safe from demons. "Think of this place like a protection facility, I've only been here once a few years ago, people aren't normally sent here unless there's a world threat demon the exosagains weren't sure about defeating. Which could only mean that's the case"

The gold exosist looked at then still only his mouth visible beneath his hood as he responded: "That's right, sadly we've found that your ally Kasuke Mashida has a demon sealed inside him and because of this, he must be located and killed. The evil spirit within him is just too dangerous to have in this world. We will do all we can to stop him before he can do any traumatic damage. But he's far stronger than any demon we've seen before. He could be even stronger than a world-tier demon...one that could endanger all life You both are to remain here until we capture him"

"Yes sir" Hisoko answered. Naiomi tried to rebel but Hisoko covered her mouth as the exosagain took off out into the night sky. The girl let go of her teammate's mouth when Naiomi cried out: "Why aren't we helping Kasuke!? I won't let them kill him!" Tears ran down her face as she shook clinching her fist. Her friend wiped the tears from her eyes telling her: "We will help him, we just had to wait for him to leave. We're no match for someone like the exosagains. Now that he's gone, we need to find Kasuke before any of them do"

Both of them made it outside the cave looking out over the dark forest before gliding across the sky in search of their friend...

Meanwhile Kasuke awoke still in great pain unable to see out of his damaged eye and could barely move so remained up against the tree. "W-what happened? How did I get like this? Was it the elder exorcists? No...if it was, I'm sure I would've been killed or at least taken somewhere secure" He closed his eyes focusing what little strength he had as he entered his subconscious where Akunomi sat on his throne with an annoyed look on his face.

"We're running out of time Kasuke, we must either heal and summon the demon world heart in this world by using the demonic eye or find a way into the demon realm. There's not much time until someone finds us. Unless we can regain more energy I won't be able to heal our wounds"

"Fine, how do we create the demon heart?" Just then a figure stepped into view. It was a man dressed in white with a samurai sword and long white hair. He slowly pulled his katana out pointing it towards the injured exorcist as Kasuke snapped back to reality.

"I can sense demonic power within you. It's my sworn duty to kill evil unholy creatures like you" Kasuke pulled himself up with the tree barley able to stand, looking his assailant in the eye with his one opened eye. "If you think I'm nothing more than a mere devil, than go ahead and kill me" The man gripped his blade tightly with a swift movement of his sword.

Kasuke waited for the pain of death when he realized his attacker had halted his blade mere inches from his throat. "You...I can sense more than one life force within you. One filled with good and the other, with dark demonic power. Just who are you? Never have I sensed two life forces within one body"

"M-my name is Kasuke Mashida, B-rank exorcist. I made a promise to myself...no matter what happens to me, I will eliminate all demons of this world...even if I had to seal a powerful demon within me to give me the power I need to accomplish my goal"

The swordsmen pointed his blade towards the exorcist's chest with one hand responding: "So that's why you give off such demonic power, you're keeping a demon inside you. Although it is my goal as well to kill all demons, you seem sincere with your explanation, so I'll allow you to live and keep the demon inside you, but once this is all over...I'm extracting your demon and erasing him from existence. Now then, since you've told me your name, it's only fair I introduce myself as well. My name is Tenkai Sinoku, one of the holy white swordsmen of the seinshin. From your immense level of power I can tell you are also a seinshin"

Kasuke looked at him with a confused look. Seinshin? What is that?" Tenkai put his blade away telling him: "A seinshin are humans or beings with high spiritual energy. As I've said I'm a holy seinshin since my spiritual energy is filled with holy energy, I have a great advantage over most demons while you're a semi-demonic seinshin which you rely on the sheer force of your power and strength to surpass your opponent. Observe"

A large buff demon lunged out of the trees when Tenkai spun around, striking the devil with his gloved palm surging with golden holy power sending the creature soaring back as it began to decay into ashes from the holy power. "As you can see, holy power is more effective than sheer force. Think of it like the elements, fire can't really affect other fire, but water can either slow it down or put it completely"

Just then Tenkai side stepped in front of the exorcist as the area erupted in a burst of green light. Kasuke looked to see his new ally defending him as Tenaki held his blade sideways with his left hand while his right palm was near the tip of his sword. Both looked to see the green exosagain crouched down on a tree branch looking down at them.

"Hmph, a new face. Leave while you still can boy, this is between Mashida and the exosagain"

"Ah, the exosagain, I've heard of you. You created the organization of exorcists. Though, if you're all so powerful, then why not go out and rid this flawed world of the demons yourselves instead of sitting on your asses all day telling others to do your jobs for you? There are four of you in total, correct? Then why not send two of your exosagains out on missions?"

"You little bastard" The green robed man clapped his hands together manifesting shurikens made of green spiritual energy all around them keeping them in place. "One last chance boy...stand down"

Tenkai filled his katana with golden power, launching it straight for the hooded man at fierce speed, at the same time, their foe sent the dozens of spiritual shurikens right for them while ascending into the air with Tenkai's blade locked onto his spiritual source. "Holy barrier!" Throwing his hand up a golden dome of light manifested around the pair, protecting them from the incoming projectiles. They were all coming from all directions at high-velocity leaving cracks on the barrier but unable to actually break through.

"Impossible, we exosagain were unsurpassed by all for years until now. Where are all these powerful beings coming from!?" He soared through the bright sky with his robe blowing in the wind but unable to escape the sword's trace.

Tenkai looked up in the direction of his blade. "...Sword split" His blade lit up brighter as multiple duplications of his blade made of spiritual energy manifested aligned beside the flying blade. The three duplications launched faster than the real sword going in different routes to distract the target as he attempted to move in random directions in order to shake them off but was useless.

Just as he was planning to just use a teleportation technique, one of the blades slashed through his shoulder as blood gushed from his right shoulder, causing him to fall from the sky towards an old abanded village where roots and vines had taken over. The green exorcist hit a stone house before landing on his face on an old worn-out stone path.

Meanwhile Tenkai called his katana back before walking over to his injured ally. "Forgive me for not doing this before. "Essence Of Healing" Aiming his white-gloved palm towards his friend while holding his weapon in his opposite hand, a green light emanated from his palm as Kasuke's eye and injuries were healed. "There, I've healed your injuries, now let's go, these may be a tough battle"

The swordsmen dressed in white put his hand on Mashida's shoulder as they teleported in a ray of yellow light. The pair reappeared on the roof of a church in the old village where the green exosagain had landed. Just then a massive sphere of blue energy descended down upon them. Sinoku abruptly struck the ball of blue light with the tip of his blade as the entire village began to shake violently from it's fierce power.

"Don't worry...you don't have to be alone in this now, Tenkai...Demonic eye!" Activating his ability his began syphoning all the spiritual power of the massive sphere through his eye converting it into extra power. Tenkai could feel it become smaller and weaker before finally getting sent into the sky before erupting in a blinding ray of light.

He looked over at Kasuke who breathed heavily, blue surges of electricity swarming around his eye. That's when the blue exorcist landed beside his fellow hooded-exorcist. "This game of cat and mouse has gone on long enough, we should've used this ability from before, but most of thought we could handle you Kasuke, but now that someone has stepped in, we no longer have a choice. Behold, you'll be the first ones to see this forbidden technique"

(Akunomi, do you know what they're talking about?)

(Unfortunately no, but from hat it sounds like, I know what they plan to do...)

Both exosagain stood beside each other as their auras manifested around their bodies like flames. "Forbidden Art: Souls As One!" Both shouted simultaneously. Tenkai and Kasuke watched as both exorcists were pulled together as light filled the dusk sky. As the light cleared, there stood a single man dressed in a cyan-colored robe. The pair could feel tremendous spiritual energy radiating from him.

"So then...shall we begin?" The fused being said before moving at new levels of speed. Tenkai and Kasuke could barely keep up with the merged exosagain as Tenkai quicky raised his blade up to deflect the coming attack before getting sent staggering back by the immense force of their target kicking his blade.

"Looks like I'll have to use both the store power and my demonic power together if I'm going to have any chance at defeating this guy" Mashida's eyes glistened with red light as his body surged with blue electricity. "Let's go!" Using both sources of power he launched himself right for the fused being attempting to throw an all-out blow to their face when their foe moved so fast, it was as if time slowed down.

He moved over to Kasuke, sending a quick but powerful strike to his gut. The blow was so strong a fierce burst of wind was sent through his body, out his back blowing everything I that direction away. The boy spat out blood before crashing through the weakened roof of a small house laying in the vine covered floor.

"E-enough...Akunomi...I don't care the risk, step in and kill the exosagain" The white in his eyes became black as the symbol on his neck manifested. Akunomi now in control, wiped the blood from his face, bursting out from the house, going straight for his assailant.

"I can sense pure evil coming from you now, have you lost your humanity along with your mind Kasuke?" The fused exorcist created a dome of pure darkness around him and the possessed exorcist. On the outside Tenkai just saw a massive ball of darkness. "Damn, I need to help him somehow. I know I can sense demonic power coming from him, but I promised to keep him alive"

Meanwhile inside the sphere of darkness, "So then, what will you do demon? Inside this dome you're at a great disadvantage, an attack could come from anywhere"

"I'm not worried, I'm the demon lord...even if you kill me, I will always find a way back. How else did I survive for 5,000 years!" Akunomi focused his demonic power into his palms before clapping them together, sending a powerful shockwave of red energy throughout the dome. "You're stronger than I thought...very well, seems I have no choice but to play my backup card in case things go wrong"

The purple aura manifested on his fingers as he snapped them activating his technique. "Yet another pointless ability I see" The possessed warior smirked ripping off his torso reveling his muscular body. "If I can just reach it, I may be able to win this fight" He moved full speed right for his powerful target.

Back outside Tenkai was slashing the barrier with all his might but couldn't even scratch it. "Damn it! How could I let this happen, my ally is fighting inside without help and I'm too weak to do anything. Just then Hisoko and Naiomi landed nearby looking up at the massive ball of darkness.

"There, Kasuke's in there, I can sense his power! But...there's someone with even more power in there with him!" Naiomi shouted pointing up at it. Tenkai noticed them and dropped down. "You two, I need your help, transfer your energy to me, maybe it'll be enough to break the sphere and free Kasuke"

"Why should we trust you?" Hisoko commented. Tenkai gripped his blade in frustration. "We have to help Kasuke! Will you help me or not!?"

"The girls looked at one another before placing their hands on the swordsmen's shoulders as his body began to manifest blue spiritual energy. Gripping his blade tightly, the seinshin ascended back into the air towards the sphere of darkness. "Sword art: 1,000 spiritual slashes!" As his katana was engulfed by a blue flame-like aura, he unleashed dozens of slashes in mere seconds before sliding his sword back to it's side with a small flash.