God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Chapter 148: Pitch Black and Bone White.

The three different forms of energy flowed alongside each other in a smooth and steady path, transferring all the devil essence from one blade to the other. The Ki acted as the boat and the mana as the navigator as the right-hand blade turned whiter and the left blade became darker.

This continued for some time until a drastic change had come over the two weapons. One looked so dark, it consumed the light around it, while the other was as white as bleached bones. Its slight curvature made it look like the fang of an extraordinarily dangerous beast.

The eye on the hilt of the black blade snapped open and the malevolent aura of a thousand devils filled the air as even more of the devil essence from Cain's body poured into it. Meanwhile, the white blade had the eye on its hit shut, the blade giving off no aura at all.

The White Claw was also a little bit longer than the Black Claw.

***

{Congratulations to the host... You have acquired a Deadly grade dual weapon set equipment from the Devil Series...}

{White Claw}: (Deadly).

Strength: 100.

Agility: 100.

Control: 1.0.

Defense: -20.

Weight: 100.

Durability: 200/200.

Skills: Charge, Pure Energy Strike.

Description: Previous {Devil's Broken Claw} is now completely devoid of any devil essence and malevolence. This new form completely refuses all forms of devil essence.

{Charge}: Absorb any energy within the host to fill the capacity of the {White Claw}. The energy within can be released in the form of {Pure Energy Strike}, or kept in the blade to increase the potency of physical attacks. It can only absorb the host's power.

{Pure Energy Strike}: Release the power stored within to produce a devastating attack that can destroy mountains. This attack can make use of any energy within the {White Claw}. The {Pure Energy Strike} can only make use of the host's personal energy.

***

{Black Claw}: (Deadly).

Strength: 100.

Agility: 100.

Control: 1.0.

Defense: -20.

Weight: 100.

Durability: 200/200.

Skills: Evil Devouring.

Description: The personification of the devil nature itself. Created by transferring all the devil power previously in the other {Devil's Broken Claw} to the {Black Claw}, creating the special skill, {Evil Devouring}.

{Evil Devouring}: Absorb the power of the slain with more potency than before. For every enemy at the first tier killed and absorbed, the host gains 1 free attribute point. For enemies at the second tier killed and absorbed, the host gains 10 free attribute points. For enemies at the third tier, the host gains 100 free attribute points.

***

Cain stared at the weapons in his hands for a while before he remembered what he was up to...

He wanted to expel the dangerous devil essence that was building up within his body. However, when he tried to force it out, he realized there was nothing to force out.

The devil's essence, rather than fighting with the mana and Ki within his body, flowed together with them, even increasing the harmony of the energy in his body as it stayed in between the Ki and mana like a dividing line that didn't allow them to mix.

Cain turned his attention back to his weapons. The blades felt heavier than before, and their design seemed to abandon all thoughts of security. They were shaped like weapons created solely to kill...

'The design of these blades is anything but barbaric and crude like these devils. Where do they come from?' Cain thought to himself.

Cain decided to test the two blades out...

'Which reminds me...' Cain sat down to the ground, then pulled out a rune he had kept for a while in his inventory as he hadn't figured out a use for it yet.

***

{Cross-blade}: Increase proficiency when dual-wielding weapons.

***

With the use of the {Cross-blade} rune, he would be able to increase his level of proficiency with two blades.

'Although using two blades is still a method of fighting, it is still much more powerful and sophisticated than using one blade.'

Cain remembered something from his past;

'To use two blades, one must first understand that when holding a blade, one must not have many thoughts. There are only two things to be in the mind, one being the opponent, and the other being everything but the opponent...'

'One must also realize that holding a blade is for one thing only. To kill... Is to be killed... Fight like your very life is on the line because it is. All forms of the dying dragon technique are centered around these core principles and...'

According to this martial arts manual he had read, He had to fight to kill every time he raised his blade. Violence and killing...

The way of the blade...

He clung to his blades for dear life before stabbing them into the ground. Despite his acts, he was incredibly tense over the future. He knew that the weakest of the enemies he would ever have to face would be the one he faced yesterday.

Stabbing the blades into the ground beside him, he stretched the Cross-blade rune that was filled with various straight and powerful runes. Placing it onto his flesh, he was able to see the lines melt onto his flesh, followed by immense pain that struck at both his flesh and head. However, he bore with it as he was already used to the pain by now.

A few seconds later, a rune depicting two blades stacked upon one another in such a way it was difficult to tell just exactly how many blades there were was formed.

Cain let out a grunt, as he felt his body become lighter and his tendons, as well as his muscles, became firmer as well as rigid at the same time. He could feel a bit of power circulate through his body as the aura he gave off reduced by a reasonable amount.

{Your affinity with blades has increased greatly... You have also become more in tune with the metal attribute...}

A golden light glimmered through Cain's eyes as he stretched his hands to pick his blades...

BOOM!

Thick devil essence erupted from his {Black Claw} like a pillar of darkness...

Looking at the {White Claw} in his hand, Cain willed the elements of metal within his body to gravitate towards the blade, causing the blade to turn from white to a lustrous gold that gave off a piercing light like no other.

BOOM!

A pillar of pure golden rays danced from the weapon's surface to Cain's hands.

Cain placed the blades diagonally against one another. He shifted his right leg whilst keeping his left completely stationary until his right leg was nearly horizontal with the ground. How blades were curved around his body while he was in this crouching position.

Cain didn't move for a few seconds as he emptied his mind. He could feel the physical strength pulsing through his body, as well as the magical ones racing through his bloodstream. His body was as calm as a lake, as the waited like a dragon beneath the waves.

"Abyssal Dragon Blade, evolution: Dark Dragon orbiting the Sun."

Cain could feel the energy wash over his body as he breathed new life into the technique he had just mastered. The phantom image of a menacing black dragon was created by the devil essence surrounding his blade, with a light move of his body, the {Black Claw} moved along with it, which in turn meant that the black dragon followed his every move.

The Golden Sun was like a celestial entity against the evil atmosphere created by the phantom black dragon. The {White Claw} wasn't the center, now pointed vertically. This gave off the illusion that the black dragon was orbiting the sun, which was an incredible site to see...

Once Cain had gotten a hang of the move by moving extremely slowly at first, he immediately burst into action.

BOOM!

Cain performed all sorts of twists and turns with the {Black Claw}, causing the black dragon to completely cover the golden sun. Even though, the black dragon was unable to completely conceal the gracious light.

.

'A target...' To release all the built-up energy, Cain decided to release all the energy on the largest target he could find.

With a foot pressed against the earth beneath him, Cain launched forward like a dragon breaking through the waves and towards the sun in an attempt to devour it.

The {White Claw} was stretched out before him, but it had changed color and was now a deep gold. This was the sun the black dragon so fervently chased after.

There was a brief flash of light, then a dark shadow that stole all that light away. The ground turned molten due to the heat, and the air stirred up with violence.

A steaming hot breath of air seeped out of Cain's mouth as he stretched his muscles back to their original positions even as a lot of steam gently floated out of his body due to the heat. Cain held onto the blades with a solid grip that wouldn't shake even when faced with anything.

Behind him, was the completely chopped-up corpse of the slain {Flame Devil}. The corpse had been separated into head, torso, legs arms, and eyes. The {Black Dragon Orbiting} was supposed to be a majorly defensive technique that didn't mix well with an attacking posture. However, with the introduction of the {Black Claw} and {White Claw}, the skill has been changed a bit.

Although it was still a majorly defensive technique, its attacking capabilities were greatly increased.

Cain stretched his arms out and dropped blades into their sheaths. The sheaths in turn disappeared into his inventory.

'What else needs to be done?' Cain wanted to achieve a decent amount of accomplishments on this Island before stepping outside and facing the stronger ones fully equipped.

Cain thought about it for a moment, before he made a decision...

'It is about time I created my first rune...'

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