"We'll have to take down the Hunters before we can reach Lucian. Kill them if you must." Kaminari said.
Yamikuro blocked Kaminari with his hand and slightly shook his head.
"We won't kill anyone here."
Kaminari squinted his eyes, thinking Yamikuro didn't mean it.
But Yamikuro's expression remained the same, the serious one he always had.
"...Alright, I'll try."
Yamikuro jumped down, and the lines under his eyes grew visible again.
But before he could do anything.
He froze mid-step.
The promise of not using his power, not using the Darkness.
Not after what happened last time against Sphairos.
But Lucian's taunting smirk pushed him over the edge.
Yamikuro charged up his power, and—
Clash!
In a flash, Yamikuro was face to face with Lucian, his punch blocked by him.
Lucian started to squeeze Yamikuro's fist.
But that's when Yamikuro threw another punch with his left hand.
Lucian was fast, too fast; he also blocked that like it was nothing.
"Do you hate me, Yamikuro Asaki?! Kill me then, show me your full power that you leak of."
Rye had mentioned something similar once. Yamikuro didn't know how to suppress his powers. He leaked of it, unable to control the Darkness.
As they were still in front of each other, Yamikuro was stuck in his mind.
He wanted to kill Lucian, he wanted to see him beg for forgiveness, and finish him off with his own hand.
But it would end like it did with Sphairos. In the heat of the moment, Yamikuro felt like he had to die no matter what. But he didn't. Sphairos could've, and should've lived.
Lucian couldn't be redeemed, but he could be captured alive. Beg for forgiveness that way.
"If you don't show me your true strength, you will end up just like your parents! Potential, but no will to kill."
Yamikuro broke free from both his mind and Lucian's grasp. He jumped backwards, his eyebrows closed in.
"What?!"
Lucian smiled, knowing Yamikuro is emotionally broken and could be provoked easily.
"They died, begging for forgiveness, and I'll do the same as I destroy you. Before I do that, I want a challenge. Go all out against me, you filthy Resonant!"
The Darkness' power started to get more intense within Yamikuro. It was almost like it reacted to his hatred.
Meanwhile, as Yamikuro dealt with Lucian, Kaminari took down countless Hunters.
When they split apart, after jumping from the platform, Kaminari charged up two lightning bolts.
"I know I made a promise not to use my powers until I killed him... But this is for Yamikuro. I'll use my powers as much as needed for him!"
Kaminari threw the lightning bolts at the Hunter's who seemed to just quaver, not wanting to attack.
"G-get yourselves together... Lord Lucian needs us!" One of them yelled and came at Kaminari.
He tried to use his artificial powers, but Kaminari kicked him down.
And just like that, more of them started attacking.
One of the Hunters loaded their weapon and shot fire out of his hand.
Kaminari evaded it, charged a lightning bolt, and threw it from the side.
Another one lunged at Kaminari, his hand in a fist.
Kaminari smiled, ducked down, and threw an upper cut. The punch made the Hunter slam into a wall behind.
Kaminari didn't care for the lives of Hunters. To him, they were just obstacles to getting to Lucian.
But Yamikuro was serious about it and made it clear not to kill anyone.
It was harder to fight, having to focus on dealing just significant damage without life-threatening injuries.
But as the Hunters started circling him and slowly closed in, Kaminari had to make a decision.
A little electricity wouldn't hurt, right?
He clapped his hands together and put them on the ground.
An electric attack took down all the Hunters surrounding him.
With that, there were just a few left around him, and the others started surrounding Yamikuro and Lucian.
Kaminari charged up another lightning bolt, and he threw it in their direction.
But just then, someone jumped into the building.
Thick dust filled the area.
And Kaminari's attack got blocked.
As the dust cleared, a figure appeared.
A man stood in front of him, holding out his hand.
It was Jacinto.
Someone Kaminari hadn't met yet.
"Who are you?!" Kaminari yelled after seeing he wasn't one of the Hunters.
"Just a passer-by."
A few minutes before, Yamikuro heard voices again. The same deep raspy voice.
"Let me take control... I will kill Lucian."
Yamikuro grabbed his onto his head.
"No..." He whispered.
The voice laughed. Their communication has gotten easier. Just a few days ago, the voice could barely form a sentence.
"The hatred within you is strong. I can feel it, kill Lucian with my power. Entertain me."
With a blink, Yamikuro's eyes turned purple.
"I'll take down Lucian... Make him beg for mercy... And make sure he never sees the world outside his cell."
Lucian heard it and chuckled.
"I'm in control. What makes you think I can be imprisoned?"
Yamikuro ignored it.
He tried to recall the words he said to Sphairos as he activated his power.
"Ascension... Gluttonous Realm!"
The area around them turned purple, just like before.
But since they were inside this time, arms broke out of the floor, vines covered the walls, and Lucian took a step back.
"Ascension...? I didn't think someone like you could pull this off!" He raised his tone.
Yamikuro didn't respond.
Not because he wasn't in control, in fact, he fought back against the Darkness trying to take him over.
And he was still set on not killing.
He raised his arm like before, and as he suspected, a wave of arms flew towards Lucian.
Lucian evaded it, without taking his eyes off Yamikuro.
"Incredible... But this ascension is just for show, isn't it?"
Yamikuro squinted his eyes. What did Lucian mean by that?
But that's when he realized.
The ascension started to fade in and out of reality.
It wasn't feeding off of Lucian's power.
Yamikuro's eyes widened as he realized it.
Lucian didn't have powers.
Meaning this ascension was useless.
And not long after, the ascension disappeared. Yamikuro didn't feel any side effects either, it was like he genuinely did put this up for show.
Lucian smiled.
"...Very interesting. Your ascension was based around the deadly sin gluttony, meaning you would've fed off of someone's power, correct? How lucky of me for not having any powers."
"I would've been finished if that was the case."
Yamikuro clenched his fists. Partly because of Lucian, but the voice inside his head laughed. It mocked Yamikuro.
But he couldn't focus on the laughing for long because an explosion split apart Lucian and him.
It was Jacinto.
When he first encountered Kaminari, he mimicked the movements of shooting an arrow. And a red glowing huge bow-like object appeared in his hand.
He started shooting arrows towards Kaminari, who ran, dodging them.
"We're both Resonants... So why are you attacking me?!" Kaminari yelled.
Jacinto kept shooting. "Can't you see? You're fighting the impossible. The faster I put you out, the better. So die!"
Kaminari charged up his power and tried to throw it, but Jacinto was fast. Almost as fast as Lucian, even.
He appeared next to Kaminari and kicked him away.
Then, Jacinto jumped into the air, and the same bow appeared.
He aimed it at Kaminari, who was on the ground.
But that's when Kaminari smirked, and electricity shot up towards him.
Due to Kaminari having his hand on the ground, he manipulated his power to move towards Jacinto that way.
And just like that, he missed, shooting in between Lucian and Yamikuro.
Lucian appeared next to Jacinto, and they stood against the wounded Kaminari and Yamikuro, whose power was useless.
"Who are you?" Lucian asked.
Jacinto smirked.
"Resonant filth like that deserves to die for opposing the government."
Lucian was amused. "Fine then, work alongside me for now."
Kaminari got up and stood next to Yamikuro.
A two-on-two fight, Yamikuro and Kaminari against Lucian and Jacinto, was about to begin.