The Crimson Oni Mask: The System Blood

The wind sliced the skin like icy blades, stirred by the clash of powers that shook the clouds as if they were overflowing oceans. Josuke Hachimizu flew at full speed, his wounded and still bleeding body clinging to the back of the Shadow Eagle, which now burned with a crimson glow.

The creature, summoned from the depths of his soul, streaked across the sky like a blazing trail amidst an unleashed storm.

But behind him, like the very roar of heaven's wrath, Raikon approached.

Lightning marked his steps. Fury was his breath. No cloud or current could stop him. His white silhouette, like a celestial tiger incarnated by the storm, appeared and disappeared among the flashes as if the world itself couldn't contain his speed.

Josuke panted. Each breath was a stab. Each heartbeat, a scream of alarm within him. The system still vibrated in his mind, repeating over and over data he could barely register.

On his interface, while trying to devise an escape plan, his eyes locked on a name he had never summoned before. A name that resonated with power, with danger, with a darkness so absolute even the sky seemed to tremble at its mere mention.

[Summon: – King of Darkness]

Josuke swallowed hard. His heart quivered.

—He's stronger than me… —he whispered with dry lips, his voice trembling from fear and the overwhelming pressure of what he was about to do—. I won't stand a chance against him, but...

Without thinking further, without questioning if it was wise, if it was right, or if he'd even survive the consequences of what he was about to do, he pressed the option.

[Blood System: Special Summon – King of Darkness: -199,000 blood points invested.]

A roar tore through the world.

A summoning circle formed above the sky, as large as a floating city, etched with ancient symbols and crimson lines that flickered like spiritual fire. The air grew denser. The temperature dropped to freezing. And then, from the heavens, he emerged.

An imposing figure, clad in red armor forged from pure darkness, with curved horns and a shadowy cape that expanded like a raven's wings. His face was not visible, but his eyes blazed like infernal beacons, and each step cracked the very sky.

The King of Darkness had arrived.

—You have called me, bearer of the mask —he said in a deep, grave voice that seemed to echo directly in the soul—.

—Who would've thought, he can speak—

Raikon, from afar, paused midair for a moment. For the first time, the White Tiger seemed to truly study the threat before him. His body crackled more fiercely, as if the storm itself tried to roar louder than that darkness.

And then, the clash.

Raikon launched forward with impossible speed, leaving a trail of light in his wake. But the King of Darkness raised his arm, and a wall of souls rose in the sky, blocking the impact with ethereal screams and black energy. The souls wailed like the laments of an eternal battlefield.

Josuke descended from atop the Shadow Eagle, now by his side, sword in hand, his body still trembling, but with a fire of determination burning within.

—King of Darkness, cover me! —he shouted as he unleashed a barrage of spinning slashes.

The white tiger dodged the attacks with feline grace, barely touched by the enchanted blade, and with a whip of air discharged bolts of lightning that struck the Dark King. But the crimson armor absorbed the impact and channeled the energy into a dark wave that exploded outward, wounding the heavens.

—Summon: Legion of the Undead! —the King proclaimed.

From the cracks in the sky emerged skeletal figures, specters, faceless warriors, all with glowing red eyes. They swarmed Raikon like an abyssal swarm, trying to trap him from every direction.

Raikon roared fiercely, unleashing an electric wave that vaporized dozens in a single blow, his body spinning like a whirlwind of lightning and fangs. But each destroyed soul was replaced by another, and another, and another.

Meanwhile, Josuke shifted his stance. His eye glowed crimson. He used the Blood Duplication technique, creating replicas made from condensed blood that attacked from multiple angles. His sword clashed against Raikon's claw, and the resulting shockwave split the clouds apart.

—Pollen Explosion! —he shouted, releasing a red cloud that momentarily blinded the tiger as he dove downward with his sword wrapped in dark fire.

—I hate these damn cheap tricks —Raikon responded, thunder surging around him as his three tails lashed.

The King of Darkness seized the distraction and placed his hand on his chest, summoning a floating black throne from which emerged a Spear of Condemnation. He hurled it with all his might.

Raikon dodged with ease, but the spear pierced part of his side, causing a burst of blood to splatter. The creature roared, his eyes sparking with fury. And with a thunderclap, he vanished.

In an instant, he reappeared above Josuke, striking him with a kick that sent him spiraling straight into a mass of electric clouds. Josuke screamed in pain, his body spinning out of control, but the Shadow Eagle caught him before he could fall.

—I can't… die here —he whispered as his mind was flooded with images of war. He saw the battlefield. He saw fire. He saw his comrades. He saw blood on his hands. His body trembled, the same images again and again.

That instinct… that fear…

It wasn't just physical pain. It was fear of not being enough. Of failure. Of dying before finding answers. Of dying without ever truly being free.

But the King's voice, calm like a verdict, rose:

—Do you intend to surrender here, host? Don't cower now. Do you want to die at the hands of a pompous feline?

—No —Josuke whispered, gripping the hilt of his sword.

—What did you say!? —shouted the King of Darkness, encouraging him with confidence.

—I said NO! —he roared, his red energy erupting.

His eyes lit up again, this time with a mix of rage, determination, and fear. With the Crimson Mask on his face, the red jaw locking in place with a demonic growl.

And yet, in the eyes of Josuke Hachimizu, there was still worry. There was no way… they could defeat Raikon so easily, that tiger of thunder and lightning.

...

The roar of Mount Rakkurai felt like an ancient lament, as if the earth itself knew that something greater than the fury of the elements was about to be unleashed. Josuke Hachimizu still stood atop the Shadow Eagle's back, his breathing ragged, his battered body covered in open wounds and scars.

Beside him, the King of Darkness, that colossal spiritual figure in red and black armor cracked by the violence of Raikon's attacks, remained upright with pride, though every fracture in his chest was a ringing warning bell.

Raikon, suspended in the sky, walking among thunderclaps as if they were solid ground, watched with contempt. His magical energy was so dense, so immense, that even the air bent before his presence. That White Thunder Tiger was not just a beast — he was a storm given form and will. Level 550. An almost divine entity.

And before him, Josuke Hachimizu, a level 9 adventurer. Human. Fragile. In pain.

But not defeated.

The King of Darkness spoke calmly, his voice like a symphony of screams muffled by centuries.

—You look worried, master... You should stay calm. For now, we need a plan.

Josuke clenched his fists, feeling his chest burn not only from the wounds, but from the impotence of being inferior. His mind worked frantically, searching for a solution, an escape, any crack in the mountain that was Raikon.

Then, the Blood System spoke:

[Blood System: For your safety, analyzing the volcano. It contains a great force of condensed energy. This could help boost your abilities.]

...

—Are you telling me to throw myself into Mount Rakkurai...? —said Josuke in disbelief.

[Blood System: Exactly. But don't worry. You possess the abilities of the Magma Slime, you're immune to fire and lava. In fact, this will benefit you.]

...

Josuke nodded, a different light in his eyes. There was a chance. His mind put the pieces together.

—You're right... system.

[Blood System: Could you please stop calling me that...?]

...

—We'll talk about that later —Josuke replied with a half-smile.

An orange substance began bubbling in his hands, a living liquid mass of magma. His skin absorbed it as if it were part of his DNA, and soon a dense, glowing layer covered his body. His form was now protected. A new shape, more like an igneous creature than a human.

Below, the earth trembled.

Josuke summoned the Shadow Eagle again, which emerged from the air, now made of red shadows fused with ash particles. He mounted it and looked at the King of Darkness.

—You're right, King... We can use a plan... and I already know what it is. Follow me!

Josuke pulled a new sword from his inventory.

[Weapons: Dark Blade acquired.]

The Eagle dove toward the horizon, through clouds and lightning, its wings of shadow creating a tunnel through the storm. In seconds, Josuke was directly above the crater of Mount Rakkurai, whose red caldera bubbled like a furious beating heart.

Raikon watched from the skies.

—You think you'll defeat me by using the volcano's magma? Not even the power of the earth will be enough for you!

The moon was eclipsed. The sky turned scarlet, then white, and suddenly dawn broke with a sunlight that illuminated every corner. Raikon, in a display of supremacy, controlled the atmosphere at will. The sunrise erased the shadows, eliminating all of Josuke's hiding places.

But Josuke was no longer in the sky. He had leapt into the volcano.

The crater roared. The lava churned.

Deep within, submerged in the magma chamber, Josuke's body sank but did not burn. On the contrary, he felt his body absorb the living essence of the planet. The lava entered his skin, reinforced his skeleton, fed his muscles.

[Notification: Great energy increase. Host's wounds will be healed.] [Notification: Magma Slime Suit evolving]

A new transformation began. Josuke screamed, but not from pain — from release. His skin hardened, turning into molten stone fused with living tissue. Plates grew from his back like shields, and from his chest, an intense light emerged like the core of a volcano.

[Notification: Mystic Magma Armor acquired.]

A sword emerged from his arm as an extension of his will, long, blazing, with volcanic runes glowing along its blade.

[Weapons: New sword acquired – Magma Blade.]

A buzz echoed through the system.

[Notification: High solar energy proteins being absorbed. Photosynthesis ability activated.]

Josuke felt every fiber of his body regenerate. The fatigue vanished. The pain dissolved. He was full, whole, reborn.

He rose from the volcano like an ascending star, his glittering armor shining in the morning light. His sword roared as if it had a soul of its own.

Raikon scoffed from the sky, his voice a mighty thunderclap.

—You think you'll defeat me like that? With your ridiculous armor and your little sword? You're nothing but an insect playing warrior.

The King of Darkness, watching from afar, smiled beneath his thick helmet before vanishing into the shadows.

—It has been an honor, my master. The rest... is yours.

Josuke, now bathed in magma and light, with his mystical armor and his living flaming sword, looked up with determination.

—Thank you, King... Now... it's my turn.

[Blood System: Probability of winning this battle has increased to 73%.]

—I can do this. I swear I'll kill you, Raikon.

Josuke Hachimizu was ready to give it everything, even with only a 73% chance of victory. Everything was in his hands.