Mortal's Curse (定命の者の呪い)

Chapter 10: Showdown

Another day of Yuna's training with the exorcist, she asked Hikari, "Hikari...I am curious, if you are an exorcist, how about those people at the temple where everyone prays, are they exorcists too?" Hikari explained, "Those people are not all exorcist, there is only one stationed at each temple, the rest are monks who are just believers, they are just people who prays to the gods that they believe in, the only special thing about them is that they will release the least amount of cursed mana to be transformed into extremely weak spirits when they die, that's all."

Yuna nodded, "I see...interesting, so people who have supernatural problems go specifically for that exorcist in that temple for help?" Hikari nodded, "But...those exorcists inside the temple are usually all very weak, they need a large ritual to even perform a simple spell, I have never fought against a strong exorcist that comes from a temple."

Yuna giggled, "Well...maybe it is because you are extremely strong." Hikari shrugged his shoulders, "I guess so but once in a while, there will be a strong exorcist from the temple specifically coming to challenge me to a showdown." Yuna was interested, "Oh I see...but they are all pretty much the same right?" Hikari nodded, "Yeah...they just possess a slightly more cursed mana than others, due to their pureness, they do not have much negative emotions inside them to produce a lot of cursed mana, I bet even you can defeat most of the exorcists there." Yuna scratched her head, "You overestimated me..."

Xenon wriggled her tail, "Well, Master is getting bored fighting those exorcists, so right now if anyone he thinks is not strong enough to fight him, he will just finish them in one shot without even trying to extend the duel." Yuna giggled, "So this is how it feels to be the strongest." Suddenly, a letter slipped under Hikari's doorstep, Hikari picked it up and opened it, "Haiz...another exorcist is challenging me again." Xenon leaned on his shoulder, "Is he strong?" A smirk appeared on Hikari's face, he shouted, scaring both Xenon and Yuna, "FINALLY SOMEONE STRONG TO FIGHT WITH!"

Yuna's eyes widened, "Jeez...is fighting someone strong really gets you that hyped?" Hikari made a sinister laugh, "You bet it does...that feeling where you finally crushed someone that is strong, that satisfaction you will never understand..." Xenon rolled her eyes, "Don't mind him...this is just a bad habit of Master...didn't you see when he was fighting Hel? He was also hyped, he doesn't care if he is being thrown around and in a losing position, he enjoys the fight because Hel is strong." Yuna's eyebrows lifted a little, "Damn..."

Hikari then got ready, "You guys wanna come and watch?" Xenon's ears perked up, "Of course I am coming to watch." Yuna also tagged along, "I also want to go!" The three of them then headed to the place where Hikari is going to duel with another exorcist.

They arrived at the temple where Hikari will meet the exorcist, it was a middle-aged man wearing an exorcist clothing, his name is Fu Ling, Hikari greeted him, "Good afternoon, Mr Fu." Fu Ling bowed to Hikari, "Good afternoon, Hikari, I supposed that you are the one that I will be facing for this duel?" Hikari nodded, "Yeah, hope that this will be a pleasant fight."

Fu Ling chuckled, "Same goes for me, doesn't mean that you are young means that I will go easy on you." Hikari smirked, "Don't worry...I will be fine." Fu Ling then turned to Xenon and Yuna, "Prepare a seat for the young lady and a litter box for this fox spirit." That agitated Xenon, "HEY! I WANT TO SIT IN A CHAIR LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN OKAY!" Fu Ling laughed, "But you are not, you are a fox spirit..." Xenon growled, "Grrrrr..."

Hikari glared at Fu Ling, "I would not duel if my companions are not well treated here..." Fu Ling raised his hands, "Alright, anything you say kid..." Xenon walked over to Hikari pouting, "He is already looking down on us..." Hikari smirked, "That makes me want to fight him even more..."

The monks prepared two large chairs for Yuna and Xenon to sit on as they prepared the duelling area, it is large empty field that is surrounded by brick walls, Hikari quickly analysed the area, "No traps...this man is indeed confident, let's see what tricks he have in store for me..."

The gong then rang, meaning that Fu Ling is ready for the duel, Yuna looked at Hikari with hopeful eyes, "Wish you good luck!" Xenon's fox ears flapped, "Mhm mhm! Our Master will definitely show who's boss here." Hikari chuckled, "Alright, wish myself good luck."

Hikari and Fu Ling walked down to the duelling area, Fu Ling taunted, "Listen kid, I don't want to hurt you but this duel is here to settle between who is stronger, the head of the exorcist organisation placed us here so we just have to follow it alright?" Hikari smirked, "Thanks for your care but I don't need it."

Fu Ling laughed, "You are an interesting one, I hope your fighting style doesn't disappoint me." The gong then rang again, marking the start of the duel. Fu Ling prayed, "May the power of the gods be blessed upon me..." Hikari rolled his eyes, "God's power? Funny how they label things they don't understand..."

Fu Ling chanted, "God Gust!" He blasted one powerful whirlwind at Hikari, Hikari chanted, " Cursed dark arts, Cursed Smoke." Hikari created a smoke field, the whirlwind entered it and disappeared, Fu Ling was surprised, "What?" Hikari smirked, "Any curse mana that enters this smoke field will be immediately absorbed." Fu Ling was even more confused, "So doesn't that mean you also can't use your own skill?" Hikari nodded, "So why can't I fight you in a physical fight? There are no rules to that right?" Fu Ling panicked, "Darn it..."

Hikari chanted, "Cursed dark weapon, Oni Katana." Hikari's blue katana appeared in his hands, he pointed it at Fu Ling, "I believed that exorcists all have a sword right?" Fu Ling then pulled out his sword, "Listen up kid...I am also not bad with a sword." Hikari smirked, "You may be good but your body is the limiting factor..." Hikari then dashed towards Fu Ling, which caught him off guard, "He is fast..."

Fu Ling barely blocked Hikari's attack, he got a scratch on his face, "How did I get hit? I blocked it..." Hikari flexed his katana, "You may have blocked the main attack, but not the aftershock..." Fu Ling doesn't understand what Hikari is talking about, "How is it possible..." Hikari smirked, "Every strike of the katana must be swift and powerful..." Xenon chuckled watching them, "That's right, Master does know how to use a katana well."

The smoke field then cleared, Fu Ling smirked, "But now it is my turn to attack..." Hikari quickly dashed back as Fu Ling summoned lightning to strike Hikari, "Where are you running now kid?" Fu Ling chanted, "God's palm!" A large golden hand appeared above Hikari and was about to crush him, Yuna shouted, "HIKARI!"

Hikari's violet eyes glowed, a smirk appeared on his face, Xenon sighed, "Master is doing it again..." Yuna was confused, "What?" Hikari chanted, "Cursed dark arts, Eternal Void." Hikari floated in the air, a violet beam of light emitted from his chest, the light slowly turned into a violet spiral void, the god's hand then crumbled into million pieces and got sucked into the void. Fu Ling was shocked, "Impossible...that was one of the strongest techniques..." Xenon giggled, "That's Master's specialty spell, Eternal Void, the strongest curse neutralising spell."

Hikari cracked his neck, "If you try to beat me with your strongest, then I shall beat your strongest with my strongest..." Fu Ling hissed, "Kid...how are you this strong?" Hikari's violet eyes gazed at Fu Ling, "Because...I am the descendant of the strongest exorcist..." Fu Ling shouted, "WHAT STRONGEST EXORCIST! EVERYONE'S THE SAME!" He tried to cast another spell on Hikari but he ran out of cursed mana, he fell to his knees and was exhausted, Hikari sighed, "If that's what you think then let me tell you...you are wrong."

Yuna looked at Hikari, there is a silhouette of another man in exorcist clothes behind him, "Just who is Hikari?" Xenon winked at her, "He is this generation's most powerful exorcist..." Hikari chanted, " Cursed dark arts, Light Of Hades." Hikari fired a powerful blue beam of light at Fu Ling, completely knocking him out, the referee then declared Hikari to be the victor, Yuna and Xenon clapped for him, "LET'S GO HIKARI!" Hikari turned to Yuna and smiled, Yuna blushed, "He...finally smiled at me."

Xenon then turned into her fox form, leaped down and wrapped herself around Hikari's neck, "Good job Master of beating that guy! That's what he gets for discriminating against me!" Hikari stroked Xenon's fur, "Mhm.... I do not tolerate anyone who discriminates against my companions." Xenon chuckled, "Hehe, let's go home." Yuna looked at Hikari and Xenon, she placed one hand on her heart area, "If only...I can be as close as Xenon to Hikari." Hikari then gave Yuna a hand gesture, telling her to come, she nodded and quickly went to join them.

On their way back, Yuna asked Hikari, "So...what do you think of today's duel?" Hikari shrugged his shoulders, "To be honest...he kind of disappointed me, I thought he would be stronger..." Xenon's eyes narrowed, "Bruh...this guy." Both Yuna and Xenon laughed as they slowly walked off under the sunset...