"What did you do!?"
A man in a white yukata yelled at a young man, who was younger than the angry older male.
"What do you mean?"
"My research materials, you discarded them. Why would you-"
"Oh, is it about that?"
"How dare you treat it with such absent-mindedness, do you realize how long the Hifumi clan has been trying to perfect that?"
"About 129 years now, right?"
"If you understood that, then why did you do such a thing?"
"Because what it focused on."
"You mean the concept?"
"Exactly, Demonification, the process of turning into a demon. The mere idea of the concept was disgusting to me. However, it wasn't the art of demonification that your ancestors were going for, it was the application of giving people demonic strength and abilities. The only reason my family allowed it was solely for the fact that it was just ability enhancement and nothing more."
"I would never perform such an act!"
"No, then tell me about the people you experimented on?"
Hifumi's breath ceased. He didn't know how he found out since he was doing these experiments in Osaka and Kyoto.
"They were small-time criminals, surely it matters not!?"
"On a level, you're right, however, we are not the law; we do not judge humans, that is for the police. We are to not bring them harm, it defeats the purpose of our existence."
The young man faces away from him and onto the sky.
"Honestly, if you experimented on animals or yourself I wouldn't have cared in the slightest. Not only did you break my clan's code of conduct but you also personally disgust me."
"But I only wish to further human capability. Imagine it, what it would be like if we were to reach the same height of demons and-"
His knees buckled as the young man's hand was put out forward. Hifumi allowed a cry of pain to leave his mouth. It felt as if gravity was pushing itself down on him.
"Height...? You forget the place of a demon, they are below us humans, and you wish to turn us into them? How laughable!"
The young man's anger was heard, Hifumi felt it as his back was about to give out, his leg felt as if it was about to break any second. That was until the young man released him.
"...I'm done with you, leave this place." "What?"
"You heard me right, as of now, the Hifumi family is expelled from the Sakaki clan."
"You can't!"
"As head of the clan, I most certainly can. From this moment forward you are no longer a part of the clan's tree, which means you are no longer considered a Devil Summoner. As a part of the hospitality the Hifumi clan has contributed towards ours we'll ensure that you can live comfortably in everyday society. Please do not participate in any demon, Devil summoner, or supernatural activities. If you do partake in any such activities then that is at your own risk, however, if you are to experiment with supernatural-related subjects then we'll have no choice but to deal with you. Is this understood?"
"I can't, this was my life's work, what makes it so wrong, our ancestors used demons as well, so why is it so wrong for-"
"Do you know why we use demons?"
"Why?"
"Long ago, humans did battle with demons. Some were bigger than humans, some were smaller but deadly. However, what they had in common was their need to kill, to slaughter humans. We, humans, were defenseless against them. That was until we summoners began controlling the demons. We made them fight their fellow demons, using their power to destroy our foes and defend our race. Do you get what I'm saying here, the reason we are here, the reason we use demons is that we are superior to them. We outdid them, we drove them back, we claimed the Earth for ourselves; we humans won the right to be above them. So answer me this, why would I, or anyone else, wish to be a demon when they're lower than dirt?" Two burly men began to take Hifumi away. "I'm done with you now, just go and do whatever you like, just never show your face to me again."
With that, Hifumi was dragged off in humiliation as the young man watched. The rage in Hifumi fueled him, however, he knew that the young man was right about becoming demonic. It was nothing too special, after all, they control them like dogs are by their masters. So what was the point of becoming one he asked himself? This question would have an answer a year after he met Nyarlathotep. What was the answer? Simple
BECOME A GOD!
...
Kazuki moved his body, slumping as he made his way to his enemy. The raging God who was fighting Shizuka. He marched towards the enemy as their battle raged on. Stopping in front of them. Shizuka shifted her attention to Kazuki.
"Kazuki, are you...?"
"You live still!?"
Hifumj didn't waste time charging off after Kazuki. His speed was something Shizuka could see and react to, but he was far too powerful to block. If the attack makes an impact on Kazuki he would surely lose his life. What would happen if he wasn't going to go all out the moment Hifumi came a foot close. Kazuki suddenly unleashed a gust of energy. It pushes back the mad beast. He sneered at the immense power the young man was displaying. Black energy came out of him, resembling a whirlpool forming in an ocean. It began to center around Kazuki, imprinting itself onto his body. Black markings appeared on the right side of his face, and his right arm.
"RAGGHHHH!"
The young man let out a roared, as this new power invigorated him. His power now rivaled that of Hifumi, who took a Magatama, a demonic parasite.
"Do you think you can step into the realm of God!? Unacceptable!"
Hifumi charged for Kazuki, as he was done transforming. With all his power, he was going to smash in Kazuki's head. However, this did not transpire, Kazuki caught the blow. The punch alone was strong enough to punch through a 20 story building with ease, but this boy, someone who was nearly killed by this mad man, stopped his attack.
"Now, it's my turn to kick your ass!"
Kazuki swung Hifumi into the wall with all his new-found might. He kicks off the ground, making his way toward Hifumi, with his foot forward. He struck Hifumi in the gut. A punch zoned toward Hifumi's head. The mad god deflected the attack by unleashing his energy. Immediately he lunged at Kazuki, but Kazuki managed to stave off his onslaught of attack. Each attack is fast, destructive, and wild, but yet, this young man can keep up with the mad God. Each attack from both of them was changing, in power and speed. It got to the point where both of them were going beyond human. The mad god covered his fist in his demonic energy. It was driven towards Kazuki's chest, however, he deflected the attack. It was sent to the wall behind Kazuki.
"Impossible, how can this be, I am a god!"
"A god, you're not a god, you're just a wild monster!"
The revelation was a shock to Hifumi, to him, he reached godhood. To hear someone call him anything less was a crime, in his eyes. He put even more energy into his fists, hoping to obliterate the boy in one go. Like before however, Kazuki deflected the attacks.
"Let's stop messing around!"
Kazuki punches Hifumi once, sending him flying past Shizuka. Kazuki reappeared behind him, attacking him with a kick. Hifumi was skipping toward Shizuka, she prepared to hit him on arrival. Her fist, embedded with lightning, smashes her fist into his stomach, shooting him forward with the lightning.
"You fools, dare challenge me, a god!?"
"You are no god!" Shizuka bit back with scorn.
"You're just a monster!" Kazuki added on.
The two of them stood behind and in front of Hifumi. The false god growled as he was faced with these truths. He was no god beyond humans, he was not a being beyond comprehension, he was simply a man who grew desperate to prove he was beyond humans, beyond demons, but most importantly, to prove he was beyond the clan that discredited his name!
"You pests, you blight, you shall all die!"
The false god unleashed all he had, he no longer wanted them to grovel, he wanted them to die before his power, before the power only a god can demonstrate. Like a fighter jet, he flew over to Shizuka, who was able to dodge the attack. He then kicked off the ground and went for Kazuki, who took the attack head-on. Kazuki kept his feet onto the ground as Hifumi rammed him like a crashing jet. The attack would've killed Kazuki before, leaving him with a shattered body. But now, he was able to take it on. Kazuki decided to fling him to the other side of the room. Briefly after, Kazuki regrouped with Shizuka.
"Kazuki, your face."
"What about it?"
Shizuka had a sickening feeling that the markings on his face and arm were not a good sign, however, she did not have the time to think about the implications of these markings.
"Kazuki, that last attack..." "I'm fine, in fact, I feel much stronger than before." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I'm ready for round 2!" Before he was beaten badly, most of his bones were broken and probably had ruptured something. But thanks to her healing him, he was back at 100%, maybe more...
"I don't think I need to tell you this, but he's much stronger than before," Shizuka warned him. "...He's not holding back anymore, so we need to go all-out as well."
"I know!"
"But we need to work together as well, just one of us isn't enough to beat him."
"Fine by me, think you can keep up?"
"I was going to ask you the same."
The two were in proper synch, both of them readying themselves to follow the other's lead. As the two got ready, Hifumi was coming closer at an alarming rate. As he reached them, going for an attack, the two of them vanished. He suddenly felt two forces slamming his head to the ground. The teens had connected their attacks in near-perfect sync. Hifumi reached for their legs but they got away before he reached them. Kazuki reappeared, kicking Hifumi in the side while Shizuka punched his back. The two teens kept striking him in succession, their punches and kicks are harder than steel. Tiring of these attacks, the fake god pushed them back with his energy. He was swelling it up to keep them away.
"You dare to touch me, you lowly being!"
The energy began to form in his hand, but not around it. It was making something, turning into a blade of pure energy. He was charging more and more energy into it.
"Die, you vermin!"
He slashed the blade once, Shizuka blocks with her Persona, only for it to be destroyed in one blow and striking her arms. They were cut open, blood leaking out like a bucket of water being poured. Kazuki was blocked as well. He was able to come out with a cut against his forearm, blood pouring out of his arm. Both their bodies suffered more damage but they ignored their smaller wounds. The fake god swung his sword around as his foes closed in. They narrowly dodged his blade of energy. The two were separated, so he went after Kazuki; the source of his anger. With an angered battle cry, he swung his blade across Kazuki's chest, ripping his shirt and cutting open his torso by a fraction. The fake god and Kazuki were not powerful, nor no weaker than the other, so their difference in speed, strength, and endurance is gone. Kazuki quickly backed up from the fake god as he made his energy blade grow even bigger and powerful.
"Perish, fall, die, and then realize you are nothing before a god!"
He brought down his sword. Shizuka made a break for it but wasn't going to make it. However, Kazuki was not going to take the attack. In fact, he was going to cancel it. With a sudden burst of power, Kazuki focused all his power into the form of a sword as well, matching the scale of the mad gods' blade. The two powers clashed, it was like a whirlwind had fought another. The attacks were canceled, Kazuki and the fake god stood opposite from the other, unscathed.
"Like I told you: you are not a god, you're just a fraud!"
Shizuka's words destroyed the last of the false god's nerves.
"You children dare oppose a god, you dare mock a god, you dare contest with a god! INEXCUSABLE!"
With madness in its heart, it summoned all its power from within. The display of strength is not to intimidate but to destroy them. Kazuki moves forward, seeming to have disappeared, only for him to reappear in front of the false god.
"Just fight."
He punches him in the face with his energy backing his fist. The false god skips against the ground until it digs its claws into the ground.
"How dare-"
"Shut it, I don't care if you are a god or not. You are in my way, so just be quiet and get out of my way."
Kazuki zooms towards his enemy. The false god smashes the ground, his energy explodes from the ground. Kazuki stops short of it, but his enemy jumps through the explosion. Shizuka darts at him like lightning, blocking his attack as she intercepts him. Shocking him with her lightning. He pushes her off him but Kazuki was ready to stop him from getting away. As Kazuki swings his fist, the false god kicks up into the air. He forms a ball of energy and throws it at the two. Kazuki uses his own to intercept it, creating a wave of clashing energy in the sky.
"Kazuki, we need to create an opening, one for a finale blow."
"Who's gonna do it?"
"Me."
"Why?"
"I'm the best one to do it. Besides, I'd like to be the one to do it. Even without a weapon, I can stab through his chest with my hands."
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
The beast lands on the ground, his rage still unquelled.
"...Fine, what do I do?"
"Weaken him, make sure he isn't able to move so he doesn't resist when I go in."
"Got it, I'll make that opening."
"I'm counting on you."
"Right!"
Kazuki marches over to the false god. The beast's steps are louder, shattering the floor below it. Both of them come face-to-face, their eyes meet with disgust for the other. Kazuki is disgusted because of all the terrible deeds Hifumi has done. Hifumi is disgusted at the idea that Kazuki is on a level that rivals him.
"How do you wish to die?"
"I'm not dying...you are!"
Quick note: I am currently re-working the previous chapters and making them better.