Blood Blades & Demon Dogs

In the quiet garden, Kaminari stood alone, practicing aura control with deep concentration. He extended his hand, releasing a vivid red aura that flickered briefly before vanishing completely. Kaminari clenched his fists in frustration.

"Tch! This time it's red. What's with my aura?!"

A voice echoed from within him, rich with mocking amusement. "Look at you, whining because your aura is 'too many colors.' Humans would kill just to awaken aura at all!"

"Well, I'd kill for some stability!" Kaminari retorted. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow with rainbow-colored aura!"

"I hope you do. Then I'll gladly call you the Unicorn Slayer."

Kaminari growled, clearly irritated. "Stop trash-talking, King. Just teach me how to use aura."

The Devil King sighed deeply. "As I said, my aura isn't something everyone can handle."

Kaminari gave him a threatening look. "I said teach me my aura."

The Devil King hesitated slightly, backing up. "O-okay, fine. Let's figure this out. What's the current color of your aura?"

"Red," Kaminari replied uncertainly. "But sometimes it's black."

"Ah!" the Devil King exclaimed, realization dawning on him. "I remember now—a friend of mine had this aura centuries ago. It grants blood-manipulation powers."

Kaminari raised an eyebrow. "Wait, centuries? Exactly how old are you?"

"About 1750 years old," the Devil King replied casually.

"But didn't you say 500 earlier—"

"Enough questions! Move to a secluded place where no one will see you."

Kaminari soon found himself deep within a dense, shadowy forest. The Devil King instructed patiently, "First, try releasing your aura. Imagine it flowing like gas into your palm."

Kaminari closed his eyes tightly, concentrating with every fiber of his being. Gradually, a crimson glow appeared around his palm before disappearing. Encouraged, he tried again, this time more confidently. The aura ignited and stabilized.

"Ha! It's simple," Kaminari said proudly.

"Simple enough even for you," the Devil King teased. "Now let's test it in real conditions."

With a sharp clap from the Devil King, Kaminari found himself transported to Vareth, an eerie abandoned village bathed in a sinister crimson sky. Trees stood dead and lifeless, casting long, eerie shadows across the landscape.

"Creepy," Kaminari muttered nervously.

"Punch that rock without using aura," instructed the Devil King, indicating a massive stone nearby.

"Are you serious? My bones will shatter like glass!"

"Stop complaining and do it."

Reluctantly, Kaminari punched the rock, causing only the faintest crack. He sighed heavily.

"Amazing. I gave the rock a paper cut."

"Now use your aura," the Devil King insisted.

Gathering his aura again, Kaminari punched forcefully this time. The rock exploded into rubble, dust clouding the air. Before he could celebrate, a chilling growl resonated from behind. Kaminari spun around to see a two-headed demon dog approaching menacingly.

"Fight it," commanded the Devil King calmly.

"Wait, what?! Shoo! Go away!" Kaminari yelled desperately, waving his hands.

The demon dog sprinted away, disappearing into a shadowy building. Kaminari smirked briefly in relief—until countless glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.

"Not a good decision," he whispered fearfully.

The pack lunged forward, snarling and snapping. Kaminari quickly charged his aura, engaging them head-on. His fists blurred with raw power, slicing through demon flesh and bone with explosive punches and kicks. Blood splattered everywhere as each defeated dog multiplied, becoming an ever-growing swarm.

One dog leaped, fangs bared, but Kaminari twisted mid-air, driving his elbow downward, crushing it. Another bit his shoulder, injecting venomous saliva. Pain surged through him, fueling a fiery rage.

"I've had worse!" Kaminari shouted defiantly, gripping the creature and tearing it apart with brutal strength.

"Now," the Devil King urged, "imagine all that blood as your weapon. Pour your aura into it!"

Focusing fiercely, Kaminari envisioned the blood forming into a deadly blade. The blood shimmered and solidified into a crimson sword, dripping ominously.

"What kind of black magic is this?!" Kaminari gasped, amazed.

"That's your aura, fool," replied the Devil King dryly.

"I've wasted years suffering paper cuts when I could've done this?!"

"I already regret choosing you as my vessel."

Kaminari grinned wickedly, embracing the adrenaline. He launched himself into the swarm of demon dogs, spinning gracefully as his sword sliced through enemies effortlessly. Every movement was precise and lethal, leaving a trail of blood and carnage.

One dog managed to catch him off-guard, but Kaminari crushed it without mercy, ignoring his injuries. He charged a massive amount of aura into his fists, slamming them into the ground with such force it triggered an earthquake, burying countless demons beneath rubble.

"Drink their blood to heal," the Devil King advised.

"Drink demon dog blood? Really?" Kaminari grimaced.

"Trust me—it's sweet."

Kaminari hesitantly drank, immediately gagging in disgust. "This tastes like rotten eggs and toilet water!"

"Stop whining; it's healing you."

Despite the foul taste, Kaminari felt his wounds knitting closed.
"I don't feel like a human." said Kaminari regrettably.
Rising to his feet, he climbed a ruined building, sitting atop its edge, surveying the chaos he'd unleashed.

"What a view," Kaminari sighed peacefully. "The smell of blood, demons screaming… strangely relaxing."

"You're disturbingly comfortable," noted the Devil King.

"I bet I'd sense any threat instantly," Kaminari boasted confidently.

Just then, a blazing beam of energy fired from behind.

"OH SHI—!" Kaminari leaped away at the last second, barely dodging.

He turned quickly, finding nothing but unsettling silence.

—To be continued