2240 The Black Swordsman

Entering the market square where intense fighting was going off still in all locations, there was what looked like a new person who had entered the battlefield. Those watching from behind buildings and on top of rooftops were left confused.

For they had seen the two that had been hit and fell into the building, but now a different man had come out, and was holding onto the black sword that Layla once used.

The man had long black hair that was thick and went all the way down, almost scraping the ground. It was freely moving about in the air. Meanwhile, there was what looked like a type of cloak on his body.

Yet, the cloak itself didn't look to be made of clothing, and instead was made of the same black energy that was surrounding the sword. It covered his entire arms and his pectorals but revealed a clear solid midsection.

It was hard to say if what they were looking at was a human or not, and the strangest thing was, no energy could be felt from this person whatsoever. Although looking at the figure, he looked powerful and they physically could see the aura.

Unlike other powers, they were unable to feel the pressure coming off it, and in a sense that was a very frightening thing for all of them looking at this person.

'It worked.' Russ said. 'It actually worked. Going into the memories of the sword, I was able to find an image of what the person originally looked like. I was worried though because I had no sense of what his powers could do, and if holding onto the sword would break the form, but I'm holding onto the sword just fine.'

'That's because you are what I once was.' The sword stated. 'Why would my own powers affect me? With your power like this, right now, I believe you are the only person who can use me to my full potential.'

The worrying thing was, for how long? Russ had the option of summoning the Black Swordsman, but doing so he used more MC cells, which was why he had decided to change his body into this form.

'I doubt that the hit from before would have killed him, we still have more work to do.' Russ said.

'Yes… just let the power of the sword consume you, let me take charge of the body for a bit, and I promise you, we will win this.'

Russ hesitated for a moment before, looking at the black sword in his hands. He felt a strange connection with it, as if their powers were resonating with each other. Yet the image of Layla kept appearing in his head, he couldn't feel anything now, but what side effect could it have? He took a deep breath and decided to trust the sword.

"As long as you don't consume me like you did to Layla," Russ said, gripping the sword tightly.

'I promise,' the sword replied in his mind.

With newfound determination, Russ stood up, his body shrouded in a black aura. The energy radiating from him was unlike anything he had experienced before. This feeling of nothingness. He felt invigorated, powerful, and even a bit sinister. He glanced at his reflection in a broken piece of glass and barely recognized himself. His features were dark and menacing, but he liked it, this suited him well, more so than any of the others he took on.

Pine slowly got up from the ground. The wound was still spilling blood, yet he was able to stand up strong. Standing in the middle of the battlefield, he looked at Russ with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Give me more power!" Pine shouted, raising his hands.

As usual, all abilities from one side of the city were shot at Pine. The energy, rather than using it outward, started to spread around his body and his skin was glowing even more than before.

Russ didn't waste any time, rushing toward Pine with his sword held high. The black aura surrounding the blade seemed to grow stronger, as if feeding off Russ' determination. The sword was swung down from above, while Pine had finished charging up the energy and swung both of his hands together to meet the sword. As they clashed, their blows were powerful and precise, each strike leaving a trail of black energy in its wake.

Every time the sword touched the skin of Pine, it would cut through leaving deeper cuts, but this was also only making Pine himself feel stronger.

'I should be getting stronger, the power in me should be faster… so why… why does it feel like everything I do is useless against this person!' Pine thought.

Pine, already injured and bleeding, was struggling to keep up with Russ' newfound strength and agility. Russ' sword seemed to have a life of its own, deflecting and blocking Pine's attacks with ease. At times the side of the sword would be used to block attacks rather than the sharp edge. Yet, the power would disappear from Pine's hands when landing on the sword.

The two combatants were locked in a fierce battle, their powers colliding with a force that shook the very ground beneath them. Around them, the fighting between the rescue team and the attackers continued, but all eyes were on Russ and Pine. They were unable to concentrate on their own fight, and once in a while they were getting knocked back by the shockwaves of the fight taking place in the centre.

They continued to clash and as the battle raged on, it became clear that Russ had the upper hand. His sword, imbued with the mysterious black energy, seemed to be the key to defeating Pine. It practically made his ability useless, and with the current way Russ was, he was one of the most skilled swordsmen in existence right now, it was only a matter of time.

'Keep striking, hurry it up, I can feel my MC cells, there about to give. This guy is so resilient we have to finish him off!' Russ shouted.

'Don't worry, I was just guaranteeing our victory.' The sword replied.

With each successful strike, Pine's strength seemed to wane, his injuries taking their toll on his once indomitable power.

In a desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle, Pine gathered all his remaining strength and launched a powerful attack aimed at Russ' heart. But Russ was ready, and with a swift movement of his sword, he blocked Pine's attack, the black aura absorbing the force of the blow.

The black aura swirled out from the sword, from where it was hit in a circle, completely defusing the hit. Even a shockwave hadn't been produced from this hit.

Pine was gritting his teeth, his hand still stretched out, blood had filled his mouth and was pouring out from the sides, he had been holding in for a while.

With Pine momentarily stunned, Russ saw his chance. He leaped into the air, his sword glowing with an intense black light. He brought the sword down on Pine, striking him with a devastating blow that sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.

As Pine's body crumpled to the ground, defeated and battered and his head sliced off, rolling on the floor. Russ stood victorious. He looked at the black sword in his hands, now quiet and still, its energy receding, and his body was turning back to what it once was. He knew that he had taken a risk in trusting the sword, but it had paid off.

His hair was reverting back to what it once was, and just as the sword promised, there seemed to be no side effects. Almost instantly he dropped the sword onto the ground.

'The two of us made a good team.'

During the fight, Layla had managed to somewhat recover, she propped herself against a wall in the building and she had seen the form Russ was able to take on.

'The sword… I never once even took out the full potential of its power. Would I ever be able to withstand something like that, to use it as Russ did, is that possible?' Layla thought.

Russ looked around at the destruction and chaos that the battle had wrought, knowing that there would be a long road ahead for them all. The fact was, there were still a few finishing up their fights, the Blades, the two Mermerial sisters, and Jake had just defeated his Five spike as well.

This was a big victory for them all.

"Arghhh!" Russ shouted drained as he looked up, only to see a ship approaching them all.

Little did they all know, the worst was arriving.

*****

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