Mutagen



Day 342 - 1:32 PM - Aftermath Zone, Chuo City, Ruins of Tokyo

ROOOOOARRR!!!

A ferocious roar echoed inside Mark's head while the sword he held in its hands shook violently.

Mark could not help but frown. That roar echoing inside his head brought a worse feeling than having dogs bark loudly beside both his ears at the same time.

"Shut up."

Mark grumbled as his eyes glowed red, sending his suppressing thoughts onto the resisting sword.

ROOOOOOARR!!!

However, instead of going quiet after Mark's words, the sword roared even louder as it resisted Mark's suppression.

"This is one tough worm, isn't it?"

Mark said, insulting the sword and riling it up even more.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Thirteenth asked Mark. "You had just experienced what it is like to be influenced by something and almost lose control. Now, you're trying to subdue a sword with an aggressive consciousness. I think you are pushing yourself too much. Don't blame me if you actually lose control of yourself."

"This one's fine," Mark replied, knocking his left hand on the handguard of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. "I'm not completely sure, but the problem before might be because I absorbed the soul of that Sealed Demon Deity. It caused me to be more vulnerable to the residue of his soul and the nature of [Miasma], which came from him. I also absorbed too much [Miasma]. If  I keep it in check, I should be fine."

It was not wrong to say that Mark let his guard down. He entered a state of epiphany in the middle of the battle and let the true nature of [Miasma] take over.

The difference this time was that the spirit inside the sword, while being just a fragment, was intact. If it tried to possess Mark's body, they would end up in a standoff inside Mark's own subconscious world. In that case, it would be Mark's automatic win. After all, a Sealed Demon Deity and an Elder Cultivator all lost against Mark in the same circumstances.

Even Ignis could only submit to Mark after experiencing the same thing.

And now, Mark was trying to make the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi submit and become his sword.

Though Mark really had no confidence in this one. Ignis was easy since his spirit was born from human resentment, thus creating a humanoid spirit capable of human thoughts and emotions. On the other hand, the spirit inside the Kusanagi-no-Tsurigi was of a beast's spirit, not to mention it was a fragment from a Godly Beast. It had the arrogance and pride of a Godly Being while having the ferociousness and instincts of a beast. Unfortunately, it did not seem to inherit an intellect on the level of a human's. It was likely because it was just a fragment, and a fragment clearly did not have everything of its original soul.

In any case, Mark wanted to try.

"Stand back a bit," Mark told Thirteenth. "I'm going to force this worm, so it might go wild."

"No, don't mind me," Thirteenth replied mockingly, with her eyes staring at the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. "I'm not weak to be thrown away by the futile resistance of a worm."

It looked like Thirteenth caught on to what Mark was doing and decided to jump in.

And it was working.

RUMBLE!

Being mocked by lower beings was definitely not something an arrogant God would endure. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi began shaking even more. Furthermore, it was not only the sword but the surroundings too. It was like there was a mini-earthquake centered around Mark.

But to the anger of the sword, Mark scoffed. His eyes continued to glow, applying pressure to the spirit inside the sword.

Ignis, hanging on Mark's back, shivered in fear. It knew what Mark was doing. If Ignis did not submit to Mark, he might also have experienced this kind of thing. And the past Ignis would definitely get its spirit destroyed by this much pressure.

ROOOOOARRR!!!

The spirit of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was struggling in pain. However, submitting was the last in its thoughts as it continued to resist.

As the contention between Mark and the sword continued, the magical pressure around them produced by their fight increased. It was to the point that those with heightened senses felt something was happening somewhere.

Mark glared at the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his hand. He was waiting for it to try to possess him. However, it was not doing so for some reason.

"This is annoying," Mark grumbled, not minding the violent shaking around him. "If it's resisting this much, how did that guy Amaterasu give this to manage to use it?"

Mark's question was on point. Several people owned this sword in the past. The two first owners might be Gods, but the last to use this sword's power was human.

"Because in that past, the spirit in this sword is sealed."

A familiar voice answered Mark's question.

When Mark glanced to the side, there was a woman with a white robe and golden ornaments.

With a Godly glow around her visage, it was clear who it was.

"So, the seal got broken?"

Mark asked.

"It dissipated, to be exact," Amaterasu replied. "After all, it had been a very long time since the seal was applied to this sword. Furthermore, it did not seem to be stored within the scabbard we made to make sure its seal would not easily be undone. It was to no surprise for the seal to finally lose its effectiveness."

Nothing lasts forever, as they had said. Even something created by a Godly Being would vanish someday. It just happened to be just the right time for the seal on the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to dissipate, bringing forth such a devastating amount of destruction.

"Can you seal this again?"

Mark asked Amaterasu.

However, the Goddess of Light could only shake her head.

"There is very little I could do with this avatar, and resealing that sword is not one of those."

Just like Magwayen, who was also using an avatar to exist in this foreign world, Amaterasu was the same.

"What about the Priestess?"

Mark asked. After all, the Priestess should have some sealing techniques since she was an Onmyouji.

"There is no point in letting her try," Amaterasu stopped Mark. "A Godly Creature can only be sealed by another Godly Creature. It is unless you want to resort to sacrificing lives to create the seal. And even if you do, you will still need an appropriate sealing method. That is something outside my expertise."

The kind Goddess of Light. It was no surprise that she barely had any knowledge of brutal methods to do things.

But then, Mark turned his eyes to Thirteenth.

"Don't look at me," Thirteenth grumbled. "You know there is no way I can do that even if I know how to. Unless you want me to destroy it, I can if that is the case."

The [Eyes] had such restrictions, after all. Of course, destroying the sword was possible for Thirteenth. After all, it was their job to rid this world of such influence left by foreign Gods of the past.

Well, Mark would not let her destroy it.

"What can we do then?" It was Mark's turn to grumble. "I have another method, only if this tries to possess me, but it's not trying to."

Amaterasu seemed curious about Mark's methods. However, as she opened her mouth, she decided not to ask. Instead, she explained the answer.

"It can't possess you."

That statement made Mark turn his head.

"The spirit in this sword had the ability to amplify anger. It will amplify that anger to the point the user gets drowned in it. Only then will it be able to possess its user and turn it into a beastly being."

Mark remembered Spera's reports while Ren and Sayuri fought Keiji. It was clearly the same symptoms.

And here, Amaterasu stared straight at Mark.

"But a [Broken Empath] like you had no such emotions. And even if there is, it is too little to be amplified."

A [Broken Empath]. It was an [Empath] who had lost his own emotions due to the influence of the absorbed emotions accumulating over the years. Mark might have overcome the chance of becoming crazy and possibly became the strongest [Empath] on Earth. However, he was still left with such side effects, and now, such a title.

Mark's eyes fell on the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. So, this was why the sword was not trying to possess him.

"This sword is a lost cause, isn't it?"

Mark frowned. The spirit inside the sword was resisting too much. Unless Mark wanted to destroy the spirit, there was no way he would be able to use this sword. And if the spirit got destroyed, it was likely that this sword would become an ordinary sword.

But this time, a different voice entered their ears.

"Why don't you let your Demon Sword eat it then?"

It was a woman with a bluish-black gradient dress, the Visayan Goddess of the Underworld, Magwayen.

"They just keep popping out everywhere."

Thirteenth said in a hostile grumble.

Not paying attention to Thirteenth, Mark asked Magwayen.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant just exactly what I had said. Let your Demon Sword eat this sword. Don't lump these swords with logic from normal swords. The swords you have on your back and in your hand are not just swords. They are also living beings. Furthermore, your Demon Sword held some of the abilities from your [Miasma]. If it is your Demon Sword, it should be possible."

"Is that really possible?" Amaterasu asked. "A Demon Sword's spirit should have no strength to absorb a spirit within a sword from a God's body."

"It surely won't," Magwayen agreed. "But only if the Demon Sword's owner did not interfere."

This time, everyone's eyes fell on Mark, who was confused.

Here, Magwayen continued.

"You wanted that sword's spirit to enter your subconscious, but it would not due to the circumstances explained before. On the other hand, your Demon Sword's spirit can enter and exit at your command. Then, as the two spirits began to absorb each other, why don't you make your Demon Sword's spirit drag the enemy into your subconscious? That will work while they are in the middle of absorbing each other."

Amaterasu and Thirteenth were looking at Magwayen. What she was saying was just unbelievable and beyond the knowledge of the two. Was it really possible?

"Oh, and with this method, you can't stop the fusion. So, can't really have two swords."

Magwayen added, knowing what Mark really wanted when he tried subduing the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

The shaking in the surroundings continued. Mark was still putting pressure on the sword's spirit, but the stalemate did not change at all. Subduing the Kusagi-no-Tsurugi was impossible. In this case, Mark only had three options.

First, keep the sword for now. However, it came with the risk of someone becoming influenced by it before turning into another disaster.

Second, it was to destroy the sword, as Thirteenth had said.

And lastly, what Magwayen suggested. Mark would lose the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, but Ignis would get a power-up.

Then, there was only one thing Mark would choose.

"Ignis, are you up to the task?"

Mark asked, causing the sword on his back to fly out of its scabbard and hover in front of him.

Inside Mark's mind, Ignis answered.

"I don't really know, Master. But if you want to, I have no choice."

That was right. Ignis had no other choice but to obey Mark.

Ignis looked at Mark's eyes and could only sigh.

Mark then turned to Magwayen.

"How should I start?"

Seeing Mark accept her suggestion, Magwayen smiled as she instructed Mark how to do it.

After receiving the instructions, Mark held Ignis in his right hand and the resisting Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his left.

Then, Mark began to slowly cross the blades of the two swords.

Mark could move Ignis without problems. However, the other sword was doing its best to resist.

Without hesitation, Mark put more pressure on the spirit of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and more strength into his hands.

However, it was not enough.

Thus, Mark began to transform into his demonic form, unleashing more of his power.

The ground shook even more. It was the same for the space around Mark, making Thirteenth and the two Goddesses take a few steps back.

Finally, the blades of the two swords in Mark's hands crossed. At the same time, the spirits of the two swords clashed as they tried to devour each other.

Mark's eyes focused. It was time to drag this battle into his own world.

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