Chapter 25: Switched again.

Chapter 25: Switched again. The woman handed over twenty-four pieces of tofu to Gojin in a paper bag. He instantly took one out and began munching on it as he walked away from the stall. He decided to head to the prison where Sakura and Kenji were.

A few moments later, he arrived at the front gate and noticed a field had been cast. "Who knew Sakura could cast a field? Well, that means they must be doing just..." He paused, sensing the aura of a radiant soul inside the prison.

Taking out the fifth piece of tofu, he continued eating while contemplating his next move:

"So they must have come across a radiant soul instead of an Exile. That's epic. I shall leave them to their fate, as I need to finish all of my tofu before going in there. Or maybe I'll keep some for them, because it's tradition that when someone is leaving the prison grounds, tofu is to be given to that person. I'll give them two pieces."

Gojin knew it was impossible for them to defeat a radiant soul, but he was curious to see what would happen. He also sensed that a special cast had been used, thanks to one of his techniques, "Kankaku" - Sense, which allowed him to perceive everything within a 300-meter radius.

He turned around, looking for a nice place to wait and enjoy his tofu. He would wait for one hour, and if they hadn't escaped by then, he would help them out.

"I hope they don't die."

***

Sakura plummeted down the seemingly bottomless, the wind whipped past her aggressively. Her expression was a mix of determination and fear, thoughts swirled in her mind:

"What is happening?!"

She instantly summoned another shikigami in mid air, "Hikōryū" (Flight Dragon). The dragon appeared, shimmering with ethereal scales, its wings were expansive and powerful, ready to lift her from the abyss.

The Flight Dragon soared deeper into the pit, and eventually it found a landing. She got down and dismissed the dragon instantly, scanning her surroundings with urgency.

"Where am I? My location was switched and I..." Before she could finish, a Grade 1 Exile soul appeared, sprinting towards her like a frenzied specter. Instinctively, she formed a shadow chain blade, bracing herself to confront the oncoming threat with all her might.

***

Kenji lunged forward at the radiant soul, which wore a smile that seemed locked in place. Just as he was about to land a cut, his arm—holding the dagger—suddenly fell away. Blood sprayed out in an instant, and his eyes widened in shock. He was so stunned that he couldn't even feel the pain. But that didn't mean he was going to give up; he refused to lose to the soul.

"Let's switch; I'll help you defeat it. You might die here, though I wouldn't mind that—but I don't want it to be at the hands of a maggot like you. Switch with me, and you can escape to meet those other brats!" Kurozai bargained, attempting to trick Kenji into exchanging consciousness with him.

"You think I'm a fool? I won't let you take over my body just so you can try to kill everyone! Shut up!! If I die, you will also die." Kenji shouted, gripping the spot where his arm had been severed.

Kurozai cackled madly inside his head, taunting Kenji with the certainty of his impending death while the radiant soul reveled in the chaos it had created, mocking Kenji for his weakness. And deep down, Kenji understood this all too well. Now he was trapped with two monsters in the same place—a living hell.

"You know that even if this part of me dies, I still have other pieces around. It's only a matter of time before I find another vessel. So I'm not like you. You might really need my help, don't you?" Kurozai bargained, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Kenji grumbled, thinking of what to do next. He wouldn't be able to battle well with one of his arms sliced off.

Suddenly, the soul launched an energy ball at him. He managed to dodge it just in time, and the energy ball collided with the ground, creating a massive crater and sending up a cloud of dust and smoke. If that energy ball had hit him, he would have been turned into a Kenji confetti explosion—pieces of him flying everywhere!

Funny thought: Imagine if Kenji became a legend, sliced into bits and pieces! If someone found his remains and decided to snack on them, they'd be in for a surprise—"Mmm, tastes like chicken!" But really, who wants to be known as the guy who became a human charcuterie board?

'Talk about a grave mistake!'

Kenji looked at the crater, he realized a shocking thing. "That isn't Ki; he had just unleashed pure Shinkai energy.

Shinkai is a unique energy source that embodies the essence of transformation and fluidity. Shinkai is drawn from the interconnectedness of all living things and the ebb and flow of emotions, much like the tides of the ocean.

This energy can shift its form based on the user's intent and emotional state, allowing for versatile applications. It can create protective barriers, manipulate water and air, or even enhance the user's agility and adaptability in battle.

However, harnessing Shinkai requires a deep understanding of one's own emotions and the ability to synchronize with the surrounding environment. If misused, it can lead to chaotic whirlpools of energy that disrupt the balance of nature itself. Well, right now it's being misused.

Also, how did this soul manage to understand its surroundings? A question that will be kept for later.

Kenji realised that he had no other choice than to switch with Kurozai. He gritted his teeth, while Kurozai let out a menacing laughter. Actually, Kurozai had another agenda unbeknownst to Kenji.

The soul began to gather a swirling mass of fiery energy, crackling with raw power, into its outstretched hands. With a sudden, violent thrust, the soul hurled the blazing energy ball toward Kenji, the projectile streaking through the air like a comet, leaving a trail of shimmering embers in its wake.

"Fine, let's switch!!!" Kenji shouted, his voice barely rising above the roar of the impending blast as it hurtled toward him at an alarming speed.

...

As the dust and smoke cleared, many would have thought that was the end of Kenji. Dark veins snaked across his body, and his eyes glowed a menacing red, while his fingernails darkened to black.

In a shocking display of power, Kurozai effortlessly intercepted the destructive energy ball with one hand, Kenji arm—previously severed—regenerating before their eyes.

He turned to the soul with a devilish grin, a glint of malice in his eyes. It was clear the soul had underestimated the force standing before it, momentarily stunned by Kenji's survival of the blast.

"Fool," Kurozai sneered, "I'm going to kill all those cheesy brats. This soul here seems a mere 2% worthy of being my weakest minion. Let's go hunt some children, minion." S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Then, with a hint of surprise, he added, "Uhhn, I seem to have unconsciously reversed the damage to this arm." He flexed the newly restored limb.