Jin II : Fire and Ice - Part 2

A dreaded wind drifted through the decimated Temple of the Dragon, carrying traces of snow and ember. The fires and patches of ice remained, along with the corpses of the slain innocents.

On the temple grounds, Jin stood, holding his sheathed sword. His thumb rested on the guard, ready to draw. His teeth gnashed, and he set his sights on Entei and Shimotora, who stared back at him. He watched Shimotora flex the claws of his humanoid tiger form. He then switched his attention to Entei, who held his sheathed sword.

Shimotora breathed. With a faint growl, a cold fog passed from his fanged jaws. His left eye glowed, surrounded by its signature icy blue energy. The muscles of his large body bulged with every growled breath.

Entei pressed his thumb on the guard of his sword, revealing red markings on the blade. The markings stretched throughout both sides of the blade, connecting as a single line of text. The sword left the sheath and shone in the moonlight.

Jin narrowed his eyes at the red markings. “What kind of language is that?” He said under his breath.

“Lost, in thought, human?” Entei’s voice said.

Jin snapped from his thoughts and faced Entei.

Entei smiled at Jin’s attention and placed his sheath under the sash of his pants. “You’re wondering what’s written on this sword, aren’t you?” he laughed. “The inscriptions are written in divine characters beyond what your apish mind can understand, so allow me to translate.” Entei brought the sword and held the base to his face. “It reads, ‘All submit to the purgatory of the dreaded flames.’”

Jin tensed at the words. His fingers wrapped tight around his sword, following Entei’s laugh.

“Ghastly, isn’t it?” Entei sneered. “Some of us stronger demons are fortunate enough to wield a Magu, demonic arms of the Makai. You’ll find that my weapon, Rekka, is far superior to any piece of tin and wood.”

Shimotora snickered and stepped toward Jin. “And you’ll find my claws more lethal than a mere blade. They’ll tear the flesh from your bones like paper!”

Jin scoffed, “Hmph! You won’t know that unless you kill me, demons!”

Shimotora growled, baring his fangs as he flexed his claws. “Your voice grows irksome, fly spec! Although, you won’t have a voice once I tear out your throat!”

Shimotora widened his stance. He placed one leg behind the other, lowered his body, and set his hand on the ground. Facing Jin, his left eye glowed brighter with wispy energy. He dashed and disappeared.

Jin stood firm and held his damaged sword. A frigid wind brushed past his cheek, and he faced the right. His eyes looked around yet saw nothing except Entei, who gripped his sword with both hands.

Another chill surged throughout his body, and a force struck his body. The wind left his lungs in a loud cough, and he hunched over from the strike. Jin’s eyes strained to see Shimotora with his knee rammed into his chest.

Shimotora pressed his knee hard into Jin’s body and launched him away. Jin flew back from the force of the kick. He hit and tumbled to the ground hard. Rolling on his chest, Jin clutched the pain throbbing in his body. He sucked whatever air he could back into his lungs, catching his breath, and his eyes flickered open.

A loud cry and fire roared above, and Jin’s eyes snapped open. He saw Entei plummeting toward him, holding his cursed sword over his head. Gnashing his teeth, Jin raised his body. He groaned with the pain in his chest sharpening from the change in position and leaped to the side. Entei swung hard, missing Jin by a hair’s length and slashing his cloak.

Jin rolled to the ground and kicked himself up. He placed his sword into his sheath and faced Entei.

Entei sneered at Jin and readied his sword. He flapped his draconic wings and flew straight at Jin, who jolted at the demon’s speed. Grabbing his sword’s hilt and sheath, Jin removed it from his sash and raised it. Entei swung and clashed his sword against Jin’s sheath. He stomped forward and forced Jin back with his blade, cutting into the wood.

Entei smirked and pushed, leaving Jin to stumble. He charged and jabbed his elbow into Jin’s body. Jin gnashed his teeth, leaning from the strike, and Entei focused his strength and shoved Jin away to stagger again. He raised his sword. Facing the bladed edge from his body, Entei raised his left hand. It glowed with bright orange light that moved in wisps. The wisps flicked faster by the second and erupted into flames around his hand. Drawing his hand, he ran it over his sword, coating it in the fire.

“Human!” Entei called. He saw Jin hold where Shimotora struck him. His eyes widened with his sinister smile when he noticed Jin’s eyes widen at his flaming sword. “Let us see how you fare against this!”

Entei gripped his sword with both hands and drew it back. Further tightening his grip, he swung with great strength, and a large wave of flames rushed from the blade toward Jin. Jin bared his teeth and jumped to the side, escaping the fires. The burning wave passed Jin and collided with a wall behind in a blast of fire. The explosion thundered, echoing throughout the temple with pieces of stone scattering and hitting the ground as Jin covered his face from the light and debris.

Jin bared his teeth at the rising heat, and the light died. He looked at where the wave of fire hit, and his eyes went round upon seeing the hole blasted into the wall. The fire burned on the edges, and charred pieces littered the ground.

Entei held his fire-cloaked sword as he said, “There’s more!” He swung his sword and unleashed another wave of fire from the blade. Drawing his sword again, he swayed with greater force, sending another wave bigger than the last that traveled over the ground.

Jin saw the flames fast approaching, and he bent to his knees. He sprinted ahead and jumped to the side, leaving it to hit the wall behind in a sound blast. He continued running to the larger wave. His skin itched at the approaching heat, and his eyes narrowed at its light. Crouching in his run, leg muscles tensing, Jin jumped high over the fire. The end of his cloak waved, and its edges crisped into cinders over the roaring flames.

Descending fast, Jin pulled back his sheathed sword into his hands and struck Entei in his face. Entei cried out from the blow and staggered to the side. Upon landing, Jin pursued Entei and jabbed his sheath into his body. He swung again, clashing his sheath against Entei’s chin, knocking him back.

Jin charged at Entei, and a loud tiger roar bellowed in the distance. He faced the direction of the cry and witnessed Shimotora stampede toward him.

Shimotora’s large feet pounded against the stone stiles as he ran. He moved faster and disappeared in a sudden burst. Jin squinted and looked around to find him. A growl sounded, and he turned his head, catching a glimpse of a pale blue blur before it vanished.

Everywhere Jin looked, the blur disappeared with dust kicked off the ground. A pawed fist struck him across his face at another turn of his head. His head reeled with spit and blood flying from his jaw. His eye snapped open and saw Shimotora close in with another furious charge.

Shimotora swiped his claws and slashed Jin’s side. Jin released a gnarled cry at the tearing of his flesh. A hard cough choked out of him as Shimotora dashed and hammered his fist into his chest. Jin clicked his teeth together with the air leaving his body, and Shimotora held him in the air by his fist.

He glared at Jin as he raised him higher. Growling, he pulled back and struck his palm onto Jin’s chest. Jin flew, hit the ground, and rolled onto the floor. He stopped in front of a temple wall.

Jin’s long, dark hair rested over his face. Trembling, he raised himself. His legs shook. He hissed at the sharp sting in his sides, gripping where the demon’s claws cut him. Touching the open wounds, he shuddered and opened his hand. The blood painted his palm red and dripped onto the tiles below. He diverted his attention and witnessed the three streaks of cut flesh. He winced at the warmth of his blood trickling over his skin and staining a spot of his tunic.

His wound throbbed, forcing another hiss through his clenched teeth, and he dropped to his knee.

Shimotora stood before him, and he bared his teeth. He smiled with a growled laugh while flexing his claws. “No, little swordsman!” he said, drawing his claws back. “I am not through with you yet!”

A cold fog emerged around his paw, and a sheet of ice grew around his claws. The mist rose around his paw and became brighter until it warped into a freezing aura. Shimotora bent his knees and lowered his chilled paw to the ground. A small icy patch formed in the presence of his power. He flexed his paw, and the patch of ice pulsed with a cold gale, with jagged spikes of ice growing and increasing in size.

Jin locked his stance with his hair and cloak swaying in the icy winds. Shimotora focused on Jin. Stomping forward, he swiped his arm and unleashed a wave of ice in large, jagged spikes.

Still holding his wound, Jin leaped away as the wave morphed into a massive ridge and crashed into the wall behind him. The rigged wall of ice crushed through the stone, breaking it into chunks and scattering them onto the ground.

Jin skidded on his feet in his landing. He panted, clutching his wound, and clenched his teeth with a wince at the pain. Hot breaths left his body, and sweat rolled down his head.

“On the brink already, human?” Shimotora’s voice called. Jin raised his head and saw the demon step toward him. “As I told you, I’m not through you. NOT YET!” he shouted.

Shimotora clutched his claws and opened his fanged maw. He inhaled, and streams of freezing air entered his body. His muscular chest expanded with his breath, and he closed his mouth. Aiming at Jin, he opened his mouth with a thunderous roar, unleashing a massive blizzard of violent icy gales.

The winds twisted, spiraling at Jin, who crouched to his knee. He jumped high, evading it. The twisted gales hit the floor below, exploding in a flurry of cold, dreadful winds. Giant, jagged spikes grew from where his breath hit. The winds blew fiercely, carrying bits of ice and snow, and Jin flew from the force over Shimotora and across the temple grounds. He crashed and rolled on the ground, and his body smacked the stone wall of a building. His eyes closed, teeth gnashed upon his hitting wall, and he collapsed onto the floor.

Jin’s long, dark hair whipped over his head and face as he rested on his side. His teeth clicked together, and he shivered from a chill that rushed throughout his body. Jin trembled and rose to his knees. His hair dangled over his head.

“Dammit…!” He growled. A great sting burned from his injured side, and he gripped his wound. He panted, shaking with the cold and the pain overtaking his body. “Their mastery over the elements is monstrous!” he said. “They manage them with extreme control…,” he looked over the massive wall of ice carved in the temple walls, “and with the raw power to match it!”

Jin’s eyelids grew heavy. They lowered and closed while he continued to catch his breath.

“Swordsman!” Entei’s voice shouted.

Jin’s eyes snapped open at the call. He looked around, eye scanning the grounds, but couldn’t find him. A flapping noise sounded, and Jin shot up. The flapping sound was steady but bared force behind them, the sound beating wings.

“Above!” Jin looked to the sky. He saw Entei high in the air, flapping his draconic wings to stay airborne.

Entei looked down at Jin. He held his sword in his hand, with the edge of its demonic blade gleaming in the moonlight.

“I hate to admit it, but you certainly have an annoying talent for narrow escapes. Few have been able to avoid my flames or Shimotora’s ice for so long. I suppose even animals can find ways to survive if their lives are at stake.”

Jin sneered. “That only means we won’t allow ourselves to die to horrid creatures so easily!”

Entei scowled and clutched his sword tight. “Even when you’ve seen our might, you speak as if you’re our equal! You have yet to strike us with your sword since you discovered what contact with our blood does it.” His frown curved into a smirk, gripping his sword in both hands. “Very well. We will see how long your instincts can keep you alive before I carve out your heart.”

Jin gripped his sword and sheath and widened his stance while lowering his body. He clutched the handle of his sword tight and looked at Entei. A lone bead of sweat ran and fell from his brown. His breathing slowed but steadied itself.

Entei focused his sights on Jin as his beating wings kept him in the air. Firming his grip on his sword, he flashed a sinister smile. “Here I come!” He flapped his wings and soared down toward Jin.

Jin unsheathed his sword with a fierce swing and clashed his blade against Entei’s in sparks of white light. Jin’s arms fastened, and his feet skidded back against the ground at Entei’s strength. Entei growled with smoke rising through his clenched teeth, forcing his might against Jin, and pushed him back and charged with another beat of his wings.

Entei readied his sword and swung at Jin, but Jin ducked his head from the swing. He charged, slashing at Entei, and their blades clashed in another flash of sparks. Entei withdrew his sword and stomped ahead with another strong swing. Jin raised his guard and met his sword against Entei’s once more. With another stomp, Entei forced himself through, breaking Jin’s guard, and rammed his knee into Jin’s chest.

A shock rushed through his body, and Jin gnashed his teeth. Growling, he tightened his hand into a fist and crashed it into Entei’s cheek. Entei stumbled back with a loud cry, and Jin focused on Entei’s sword. He charged toward Entei, drawing his sword around with both hands and drove into Entei’s shoulder.

Entei roared, driving his head back with his eyes shut. His lava-like blood spurted from the wound and dripped down, burning holes into the stone floor. Jin placed his hand on the bottom of his sword. He tensed the muscles in his arm and pierced straight through Entei’s shoulder, forcing a louder cry from the demon. Entei’s eye bugged with the blade driven into his flesh and drew his teeth together.

“Damned human!” Entei snapped! He raised his arm and struck his elbow onto Jin’s shoulder. Jin stumbled onto his but held his position, and Entei slammed into his shoulder again.

Jin trembled. The pain rattled throughout his body. His footing was still steady, and he held his sword with both hands. Gripping tight, he slashed down clean through Entei’s shoulder.

Entei cried out with the roar of a wounded beast. Fire erupted from his mouth, blood dripping and burning holes in the floor. Stumbling back, he gripped his shoulder and dropped his sword.

Jin drew his blade back and saw Entei’s blood coating its already chipped length. The sword’s metal melted at the blood’s power. Its molten metal dripped away little by little and snapped in half. The upper portion dropped to the floor with a clang.

Jin’s mouth lined at his decimated sword. “Just as well,” he said, dropping the other half to the ground, “it wouldn’t have held for long.” He took a step and hissed through his teeth. He gripped his wound, and his legs buckled with a sharp sting rushing up his side. “Dammit!” he said behind his gritted teeth.

Shaking his head, Jin snapped back and set his sights on Entei’s Rekka. He ran over, hobbling, and grabbed the sword off the ground. He gripped the sword and scanned its length, focusing on the characters written.

“All submit to the purgatory of the dreaded flames.’ In that case, let’s see if the same is true for demons,” Jin said.

“Human!” Shimotora’s voice roared. Jin directed his attention ahead, and Shimotora emerged from blurred lines. Standing, he flexed his claws and looked behind Jin. He witnessed Entei clutching his nearly severed arm and refocused his attention on Jin. “You’re stubborn. I respect your tenacity, but it is all pointless.”

“Indeed,” Entei said, “You might have my sword, but you won’t live nearly long enough to use it.”

Jin lined his mouth. “So, you say. You fail to consider that I’m still alive and with your sword. Your poor judgment matches your arrogance!”

“What?!” Entei snapped. He gnashed his teeth together with smoke that emerged through his teeth. He rolled his fists, and they became enveloped with flickering flames. “Even now, you continue to mock us, you conceited animal!” Entei flapped his wings and took to the air. “I’m going to kill you, boy. And I’m going to enjoy it!”

Jin’s hair and cloak fluttered in the wake of Entei’s beating wings, and he scowled at the demon. He turned his head and saw Shimotora step forward.

Shimotora’s cold breath left as fog from his mouth, flexing his claws again. “Not before I tear him to pieces, Entei.” He took another step. “Then, you can have the privilege of burning his mangled corpse!”

“All the same, ape! You are not leaving this temple alive, and certainly not with the Eye of Genma in your grasp!”

Jin focused on Entei and then Shimotora. He switched his attention to the sword and gripped it tight, knitting his brow together before focusing on the demons again. “Then take it!”

Entei snarled like a dragon and opened his mouth. A plume of fire shaped into a flickering sphere in his jaw. He threw his head down with a vicious growl and breathed a stream of roaring flames at Jin. Jin turned and swung the sword, clashing it against the fires. His arms tensed, but he pushed forward and slashed through the flames, dispersing them into dying embers.

Shimotora watched as the flames faded into nothing. He growled with the ferocity of his animal image. Readying his claws, he stomped forward and vanished in a blur. Jin turned his head as soon as Shimotora disappeared. He relaxed his grip on the sword but kept it firm. He took in a breath and exhaled.

A sharp, icy wind stung his cheek, and he faced left, saw a blue, lined blur become apparent, and swung the sword, clashing against Shimotora’s claws as he appeared. Shimotora growled and swiped his other claws, and Jin guarded with the blade.

Shimotora forced his bulk into his claws, pushing Jin, but Jin reinforced his stance, causing his sandals to skid against the ground. The wound at his side throbbed, and his legs shook at the pain. The sound of wings boomed, and he looked behind, seeing Entei fly at him with his hands cloaked in fire.

Jin strained as he stood upright and jumped back from Shimotora, leaving Entei to fly past them. He touched down and reaffirmed his grip on the sword as Entei flew to Shimotora’s side.

Entei brought his hands to his sides, and the fires that cloaked his hands erupted into spinning fireballs. Next to Entei, Shimotora breathed, and cold waves of air entered his body. Jin braced himself and charged with the sword drawn back. Entei drew his arms forward and emitted a spiraling flame stream from his hands. Shimotora roared, unleashing a blizzard of freezing winds from his mouth.

The waves of fire and ice raced straight at Jin, and Jin ran ahead. As he ran, Jin swung, and the blade and waves clashed. Jin’s body trembled from the force of the elements. His teeth gnashed together, and his skin twinged at the heat and cold. His wounds ached, and the sting from them and the elements all mixed into a new blend of pain. Jin gnashed his teeth and cried, slashing clean through fire and ice waves. They dispersed, scattering into specks of embers and frost that disappeared in the wind.

Entei and Shimotora looked at the display with widened eyes, and Entei took flight. He soared straight at Jin, readying his hand. He cloaked it with fire and swiped at Jin’s head. Jin ducked from the burning hands. He felt the flames’ heat lick his cheek, and he slashed Entei’s chest with a mighty swing.

Jin stepped forward with a turn, swinging his leg, and kicked Entei across his face. Entei cried out as his blood spilled and swung at Jin with another punch. Jin weaved his head from the blow. Raising the sword over his head, he swung down hard and sliced across Entei’s shoulder and body. More Entei’s hot blood dropped onto the temple floor, following another of his cries.

Entei slammed onto the ground and clutched the wounds on his body.

Jin ran at the downed demon with the sword drawn. A roar sounded, and he stopped. Looking up, he saw Shimotora rushing at him with his claws ready. Jin raised the sword with his other pressed at the back and clashed it against Shimotora’s claws. Jin steadied himself but buckled against Shimotora, who pushed back, growling through his fangs.

Shimotora threw his arms and pushed Jin away, leaving him to stumble at his feet. He charged again as Jin readied the sword. Shimotora lashed his claws with an arched swing, but Jin weaved his head, and the claws slashed off strands of his hair.

Jin tightened his grip on the sword, widened his stance, and raced toward Shimotora. He lunged with a loud cry and slashed down across Shimotora’s chest. Shimotora roared with his icy blood leaving his wound, staggering back and rearing his head. Jin rushed, crashed his shoulder against the beast’s chest, and slashed his body again.

A louder roar raged from Shimotora’s maw, and more of his cold blood dripped onto the ground. His eyes flared and set their sights on Jin, who looked back at him.

One glared hard at the other. The wind drifted, brushing Shimotora’s fur and forcing Jin’s hair and cloak to dance. The wind was gone. The two still focused their hardened gaze on each other. Jin braced his stance, tightening his grip on the sword, and Shimotora flexed his claws as the wisp of energy around his eye flickered.

The jagged ice wall from Shimotora’s earlier attack smashed through the temple wall. In the silence, cracks formed on the ice’s surface. The cracks grew more prominent, and a great chuck broke off and fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Shimotora’s eyes lit up in the wake of the noise. He bent his knees and flexed his claws.

“Now… DIE!” Shimotora roared, and he disappeared in a dash. The dust that was under his feet swirled as he took off.

Jin held the Rekka tight in his hands. Breathing through his nose, he closed his and exhaled. The world around him became silent save for the beating of his heart. In his created silence, even time became irrelevant.

He breathed again, and a gust of freezing air brushed his cheek. His eyes snapped open, and he swung the sword with great force. The vicious sound of a blade cutting through flesh broke the silence.

A faint pant met the winds. Blood dripped onto the temple ground and stained the stone tile.

Jin stood with the sword clutched tight in his hand. He caught his breath and looked forward. Thing trails of blood ran down from two cuts on his cheek. Cold, blue blood with icy fog stained the edge of the Rekka. Steam emitted from the specks of freezing blood, and they slowly evaporated from the sword.

A gnarled roar echoed and broke the silence. Jin turned around to see Shimotora huddled over, trembling.

Wet, hearty coughs left Shimotora’s quaking body. A large, deep, icy blue gash ranged from his left shoulder and down to his lower body. His blood ran out of his wound and fanged jaw, dripping down onto the floor in a frozen spot. He looked down at his injury, panting. He turned around and faced Jin, revealing his condition.

“You…,” he said. His blood gargled in his voice. “How could you… a human… do this… to me?”

“Admittedly, it was a guess…,” Jin said. “Your blood damaged my sword, and with your ability to heal, I knew I couldn’t defeat you with a mundane weapon, not as I did with Kitetsu. With Entei stating that his sword was beyond mere steel, it only took slightly longer to figure out if it would affect you two.” Jin panted. His body grew heavy, quaking under his weight. “I’m no demon, but when I cut through your ice and Entei’s flames, I knew I had a chance.”

Shimotora’s eyes went around, and his breathing slowed. His arms fell to his sides. The wisp of icy energy around his left eye flickered. It grew smaller, weaker, and died out in a faint huff.

“Shimotora… The Claw of the Ice… cut down… by this… small human...,” Shimotora panted. His eyes struggled to stay open. “Entei… kill him… and take the Eye of Genma… for now, only you can…”

More blood dripped from Shimotora’s wound. A final fog, his cold breath left him. His body tilted back and fell hard onto the ground with a loud thud.

Jin panted with his hot breath filling his lungs. A sharp sting ran up the side of his body and ground his teeth together. He stabbed the sword into the ground, holding himself steady, and collapsed to his knees. He closed his eyes, and his breathing steadied.

“YOU!” A voice roared.

Jin quickly shot his head up, only to be struck at the side of his face. His grip released itself from the sword and flew before hitting the ground. His head rested on the ground as his cheek throbbed at the punch. Baring his teeth, he pushed himself and balanced himself on his elbows. Shaking from the pain in his cheek, he saw Entei back on his feet.

Entei stood with his fist out and fanned it open. A fiery-orange glow enveloped his hand, as did his sword. The sword lifted itself from the ground and flew into Entei’s hand. Entei then returned the sword to its sheath as the light around it faded.

Turning his head, Entei looked at Shimotora’s corpse, which rested by his side. His eyes focus on Shimotora’s. They were glazed, bold without light. “Shimotora…,” he said. He returned his attention ahead and saw Jin rise to his feet.

Jin starred back at Entei. A small trial of blood ran down the side of his mouth, and he wiped it on the back of his hand. His brow creased, and his gaze hardened at the demon.

Entei looked and scanned Jin’s body. He saw how the wounds rested on Jin’s body and face, clothes stained with blood and filthy from the fight. Yet, he saw that his eyes were unmoved. Entei gnashed his teeth together, and smoke rose from between them.

“You conceited, wretched human!” he hissed. “Who do you think you are? We are faster than you, stronger than you, capable of more than your frail kind can imagine. And yet, you challenge us!” He growled. “And that look…!” He looked into Jin’s eyes. “Despite everything, you look at us… at me… as if we’re equals. No, you believe yourself to be superior!”

Jin remained silent and stood upright.

Entei rolled his hand into a trembling fist and turned to Shimotora’s body. He raised his fist in the air. With a shout, he threw it down and punched straight into Shimotora’s chest, and slush-like blood gushed from the wound.

Jin shook at the display. “What is he doing?”

Fog rose from the hole in Shimotora’s body. Entei plunged his arm deep into the corpse and stopped. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his arm, causing more blood to leave the wound. Shimotora’s freezing blood riddled his hand and evaporated in only seconds while an organ thumped in his palm.

Jin’s eyes trembled at the sight of the organ, and he whispered, “His… his heart?”

The heart was large, barely fitting in his hand and barring an ice-like texture. It thumped like it was still pumping blood despite being outside the body. Entei clutched the heart and looked at it as he said, “The heart is a crucial part of any being. It is where their soul resides, as well as their power.” His brow creased, with his eyes narrowed at the heart. “And Shimotora’s heart, his Heart of the Bestial Tundra, houses his power over ice.”

Jin creased his brow. “Shimotora’s soul?”

Entei bared his teeth at Jin’s voice and faced him. He scanned Jin’s body again, focusing on his wounds and the dirt on his clothes. Entei fashioned his teeth into a grin.

“Our skirmish has taken more out of you than your brave façade is letting on, boy,” he said. “The way you are now, it would be a simple matter for me to burn you alive. But no. No, we are far beyond the mercy of quick ends now.” Entei stepped forward. “For cutting down Shimotora with my sword, primate, I’m going to leave with a final vision: A nightmare beyond even death itself!”

Jin tensed at Entei’s words and noticed Entei bring the heart closer to his mouth.

“Now, bear witness!” He opened his mouth wide and sank his teeth into the heart.

Jin’s eyes lit up with horror as he watched Entei bite into the heart more. The sound of jaws chewing in relentless feasting filled the outside.

Entei ate the heart piece by piece and shoveled the last bit into his mouth before he swallowed it in a massive chunk down his throat. He took his palm away from his mouth, panting, and wiped the drops of freezing blood away from his jaw. He hunched over, and an orange light glowed around him without warning. Entei grunted with the sudden tensing of his body and gripped his chest. The flame-like markings on the side of his body glowed as well. Suddenly, the orange light around him brightened, and the left side of his body gave off a light-blue glow mixed with the orange.

Jin’s heart pounded, and his eyes bugged at the lights around Entei’s body. “It can’t be!” he said.” He’s changing again?!”

A set of rigid, ice-like markings emerged on the left side of his body and glowed light blue, and the same glow appeared in his left eye. Entei released his hold on his body and threw his head back with the roar of a raging beast. His upper body and arms grew in muscle, his legs bulked, and his feet grew and crushed the ground beneath them. His feet stretched his pointed shoes until they tore open. They resembled a dragon’s clawed toes. Shockwaves emitted from the force of his muscles as his body grew, and Jin covered his face with his arm from the furious winds produced by the shockwaves.

Jin bared his teeth as a stinging mixture of hot and cold winds hit his face, and he opened an eye as they ceased.

The energies around Entei’s body flowed in wisps. A blue light filled his left eye, and an orange light filled his right. He grew taller with his body changing to fit the proportions of his newly acquired muscle mass. The flesh of the upper sides of his head bulged and formed into gray horns. Large clusters of ice formed on his arm and shoulder. They cracked and shattered into pauldron and gauntlet.

The glows in Entei’s eyes faded, but the sclera carried their colors, and wisps of the same colors flickered around them. An orb with the colors appeared in the middle of Entei’s chest, and he clenched his fists as he stood upright.

Jin furrowed his brow. “Dammit!” he said. “His yōki has gotten stronger. I can feel it, even from here!”

Entei walked forward. Jin braced himself but shuddered and gripped his injured side. As Entei walked, fire cloaked his right hand, and a freezing fog enveloped his left.

“Now, Jin the Swordsman,” he said, “you face a true demon!”

• Rekka (烈火) = Inferno or Raging Fire

• Magu (魔具) = (魔 Ma = Demon / Evil / Devil / Magic) and (具 Gu = Tool)

• Yōki (妖気) = (妖 Yāo = Demon / Devil / Monster / Phantom / Specter) and (気 Ki/Qi = Energy / Life Energy)