what if I'm an undead! then so what?-Chapter 43: Solstice Spring underground event (4): Shougo Vs Phorcion; a shadow lurking within

Chapter 43: Solstice Spring underground event (4): Shougo Vs Phorcion; a shadow lurking within

A dim light flickered overhead, casting shifting shadows across the walls of the hidden chamber. The air was thick with incense and the iron scent of blood—stale, but ever present. At the heart of the room sat a figure cloaked in a regal black coat, his face obscured behind a menacing oni mask etched with crimson fangs. He exuded authority like a furnace exuded heat—silently, but with terrifying presence.

Before him, kneeling low to the ground, was another man garbed entirely in black. His mask was plain, utilitarian, and he dared not raise his gaze.

"So, you’re saying an event is currently underway in Shibuya?" the masked figure asked. His voice was smooth, but laced with a dangerous edge—as if every syllable was a blade drawn halfway from its scabbard. "An underground tournament for Supernaturals?"

"Yes, Lord Kuroshi," the kneeling man responded quickly, his words sharp and hurried. "According to our network, it’s not a one-time occurrence. It’s an annual gathering—a long-standing secret among rogue factions."

Kuroshi leaned back slightly in his chair, gloved fingers steepling. "How disappointing. I would’ve enjoyed the spectacle of destruction as I send them to hell. But I have a more pressing engagement—a journey that cannot be delayed." His voice dropped to a whisper, tinged with longing and venom. "Pity."

The kneeling operative hesitated for only a moment before speaking again. "What about Miss Vermillion? She’s already in Japan. It might be... efficient to send her. She’s more than capable of handling the situation."

A beat of silence passed.

Then Kuroshi’s fingers curled into fists.

"No," he said curtly, the word cracking like a whip. "Her assignment takes precedence. She’s watching him, and that outweighs any entertainment this tournament might provide. But..."

He paused, a chuckle vibrating beneath his mask.

"...I do believe it’s time we put another piece in play. Contact the Akihabara research facility. Those desperate little scientists have been clawing for a chance to prove themselves. Let them send their latest creation—something fierce. Something unforgettable."

The masked figure stood slowly, the shadows wrapping around him like a cape.

"Tell them to enter their project into the Solstice Spring tournament. And make it clear—I expect them to burn that celebration to the ground."

"Yes, Lord Kuroshi," the agent said, bowing deeply before vanishing into the darkness, his presence erased in an instant.

Kuroshi remained still for a moment, gazing into nothingness. The silence was almost sacred.

"These creatures," he murmured, voice heavy with contemplation, "they’re becoming more than inconvenient. Soon, the curtain shielding the public from our world will fall. And when that day comes..."

He stepped toward the chamber doors, the floor creaking under his weightless stride.

"...I will not be powerless. I will become the wall that holds back the storm. Humanity must be preserved—at all costs."

---

Solstice Spring Tournament Grounds, Shibuya Underground

The subterranean coliseum throbbed with raw energy. Five hours had passed, and yet the excitement only seemed to climb. Walls of enchanted stone pulsed faintly with life, containing the roars and cheers of a thousand onlookers packed into the viewing dome. Glowing runes circled the arena like restless fireflies, drifting up and down as they scanned for interference or cheating.

The tournament had already reached its climax—the semi-finals.

And as expected, only the strongest remained: To no one’s surprise they’re the four who had become the hot topic from the beginning

Phorcion, the Mysterious Gorgon

Shougo, the Enlightened Blind Swordsman

Masaru, the Charismatic Vampire

Vaelion, the Prideful Ryukar

Each name had earned its place through blood, brilliance, or brutality.

The arena buzzed with murmurs and speculation. Despite the wide range of combat styles, most bets had been placed on either Shougo or Vaelion. The vampire, while undeniably charming, hadn’t yet faced a true threat. Phorcion’s mysteries had already begun to unravel, and many dismissed him as a dark horse no longer.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" boomed the voice of the announcer, whose face floated magically above the coliseum like a digital ghost. "We’ve seen warriors rise and legends fall—but now, we stand on the edge of greatness! Only four remain! But tonight, only one will walk away as champion!"

The crowd erupted.

"For our first semi-final... it’s the Blind Swordsman versus the not-so-mysterious-anymore Gorgon!"

Two gates groaned open on opposite sides of the circular stage, and the contenders stepped into view.

Shougo’s bare feet whispered across the stone, his every motion like water in motion—elegant, fluid, calm. Despite his lack of sight, he moved with an ease that suggested perfect awareness. His eyes were covered by a white cloth, wrapped carefully around his head. In his left hand, he held a simple katana, its blade humming faintly.

Across from him, Phorcion entered with far less subtlety. Every step he took sent a faint tremor through the floor. His cloak billowed behind him like a storm cloud. Atop his head writhed several serpents of varying colors—hissing, swaying, alive.

Each snake bore a unique power:

The white snakes delivered paralyzing venom or temporary petrification through a single bite.

The red snake contained a deadly neurotoxin.

The black snake was also a little bit mysterious, it’s abilities were not fully known it either slowed its target or enhanced Phorcion’s reflexes.

The green snake, however, was his ace—it could heal him instantly, restoring him even from mortal wounds or completely bring him back to life.

And now, one more coiled silently beneath his hair, its color obscured.

Shougo exhaled calmly, sensing the deadly pressure radiating from his opponent.

A smile etched across Shougo’s face, he has been given the best and not so best opponent this time around. The major advantage of the Gorgon was useless against him, he could only petrify a target who has met with his eyes for atleast two seconds and in his case that condition can never be fulfilled.

Now his disadvantage would be the fact he wouldn’t be able to predict which snake was which and do he had to find a way to deal with all of them equally.

"You’re smiling," Phorcion observed, his voice low and gravelly. "Is it because you think your blindness makes you immune to me?"

Shougo tilted his head, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

"Let’s just say I’m not easily impressed. And I don’t plan to look at you long enough for it to matter."

The crowd gasped as he suddenly dropped his scabbard, gripping his sword tightly in a reverse stance.

In that heartbeat, time shattered.

"FIVE THOUSAND LIGHT-SPEED EDGES!"

Shougo vanished from view.

A thousand flashes illuminated the arena as steel danced through the air—blades splitting stone, flesh, and serpent alike. Within seconds, Phorcion’s cloak was reduced to ribbons. The snakes atop his head burst into red mist and meat, falling to the floor like discarded skins.

In a single breath Phorcion’s snakes had been reduced to nothingness and soon enough he himself followed suite as he was sliced into tiny bits in a matter of seconds, all it took was three seconds to decide the victor, the snakes and the Gorgon himself were nothing but lumps of blood.

The arena’s defense systems scanned for signs of life.

Nothing.

Shougo stepped back, breathing slow and steady.

But then... a whisper tickled the edge of his perception. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Movement. Faint, almost imperceptible.

A serpent—tiny, silent—slithered on the far side of the arena. Shougo turned toward it, his senses alert. Its color was unknowable to him.

But the crowd could see it clearly:

Yellow.

A snake that had not appeared in the prior battles.

Before the stunned audience’s eyes, the snake elongated and transformed, its body reshaping into a humanoid form his head adorned with snakes of different colours.

Phorcion stood once again.

Unscathed.

"I’ll hand it to you," he said, brushing ash from his shoulder, "I didn’t expect you to force me to use that one."

He removed his glasses slowly, revealing eyes unlike before—eyes gleaming with malice and understanding.

"You destroyed my body," he continued, "but not me. The yellow serpent... it’s my contingency."

The crowd murmured in disbelief. No one had anticipated such a transformation—no one had even seen the yellow snake until now.

Shougo narrowed his eyes behind the blindfold. His lips curved downward.

"I see," he muttered. "So there’s still more to you."

Phorcion cracked his neck, the sound echoing unnaturally loud.

"Indeed. The true battle starts now."

---

And in the shadows, far from the cheering and blood-soaked sand... a new player was already en route.

A living weapon, designed to kill.

And it was hungry.

At the research Facility in Akihabara, two men could be seen discussing over a glass of wine as they were a wide smile on his face.

"To think the organization actually requested our help this time around, ow amazing. I just hope everything goes according to plan!"one of the men said with a smile etched on his face as he sipped from his cup his eyes fixated on the screen in front of him revealing an arena where two people were currently fighting.

"Of course things would go as planned, after all, it was the Chimera we sent, not to mention we also used the DNA of the Blight Sovereign in creating the abomination."