—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

"Crawl through Hades, cross mountains and rivers, and be judged on this journey. According to the writings of Yama, your death seems certain."
#WUWARP
#MVRP

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞… 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧.

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

𝐀 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐞𝐡…?

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“Trying to smile, are you? I like that. Even though it’s hard, you still try and reach the impossible… this vessel used to be like that.”

[🎃𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕𝕤 𝔻𝕖𝕗𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖🎃 @TW1ST1NGFXTE]

ᅠ"T̴h̵a̵t̴ ̷f̶e̵e̸l̶s̴.̶.̵.̴ ̶r̴e̶f̶r̵e̴s̸h̵i̴n̵g̵.̶ ̴:̴)̷" 『If they could, a smile would form on their face』

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“Quite the contrary… I’m just the shadow of someone else’s existence. I don’t see any reason to feel things such as “fear”.”

[🎃𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕𝕤 𝔻𝕖𝕗𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖🎃 @TW1ST1NGFXTE]

ᅠ

ᅠ『It speaks again』"A̶r̷e̸ ̷y̶o̴u̶ ̴n̸o̴t̴.̵.̴.̵ ̴a̷f̷r̴a̸i̸d̷?̷"

ᅠ

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“Ah, good evening. To think that you would be my first “real” encounter… intriguing.”

A false existence — the phantom of Zenmetsu Yukikaze, greets the monster before her with his casual smile, always treating life and death casually.

[🎃𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕𝕤 𝔻𝕖𝕗𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖🎃 @TW1ST1NGFXTE]

ᅠ

ᅠ『The creature clears their throat. A voice grainy and damaged comes through.』"H̸e̸l̶l̷o̵.̴.̶.̸ ̷e̶v̴e̵r̸y̵o̸n̴e̷.̵"ᅠ

ᅠ

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“Hm… a one-month stand… alright then.”

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

𝐀 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐞𝐡…?

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

A menacing grin formed on his lips.

“Sleep tight, partner. I’ll take good care of this body while you get your life sorted…”

—END—

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

—SOLO: A PHANTOM’S ENTRANCE—

Amidst an empty plain, Zanshin lies in a pool of his own blood. His body felt cold. Eyes slowly becoming more lifeless.

“Ah… I can’t… feel anything…”

Few words utter from his mouth, his voice reduced to naught but a faint whisper.

++

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

However.

This would not be his end.

The other self would not allow it.

“…Switch.”

One word.

Then the phantom was given full control.

All in a single instant.

++

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“There’s… no point in trying to chase after a dream that’s already broken. A person who’s already way out of my reach… I’ve been living off an empty desire this whole time.”

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“There’s… really no point anymore, huh…? There’s a friend of mine that I was looking for, and when I found her, she left again… I don’t know the next time I’ll see her again. So I gave up on “dreaming” on that dream… along with dreams itself.”

++

[₮ⱧɆ ⱧɆⱠⱠ฿Ɽł₦₲ɆⱤ @HellBringer00]

"Sure, but WHY do you hate losing? There's a reason behind it, and there is a method to my madness."

*Continuing to stare, he knows there's something deeper within his soul, he KNOWS there's a reason he wishes to find, a purpose for Zanshin to live for.*

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“I just hate losing… that should be enough for you to understand…”

Just glancing at this… demon before him.

Why was he asking all of these questions? What did it matter to him?

[₮ⱧɆ ⱧɆⱠⱠ฿Ɽł₦₲ɆⱤ @HellBringer00]

*Zanshin's body began to mend itself, but only because Dion is choosing to heal him as he rises, meeting him eye to eye, Dion stares right into his soul.*

"Tell me... Why do you stand? When you know you cannot win? It'd seem pointless to everyone else, so why?"

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“Ahh…”

This man was a true devil.

He gets up, but just barely.

He may as well just be a mangled piece of flesh at this point.

Eyes bloodshot, bleeding internally and externally. So why did he bother standing up…?

Did he just not want to lose…?

Even if he can’t win…?

[₮ⱧɆ ⱧɆⱠⱠ฿Ɽł₦₲ɆⱤ @HellBringer00]

"Get. Up."

*He stood in front of him, not budging an inch, continuing to glare at him, his reiatsu still immense.*

"Until you get up and find a reason? This fight doesn't end, and you will be forced to endure this until you pass out."

*Downright demonic in his actions...*

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

Is this just how far he has fallen?

This utter helplessness… was this how weak he has become?!

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

“Guah— ahhh—”

This pressure… it felt like his body was being crushed by the weight of the world. Slowly being torn apart.

How badly has he been injured?

His ribs were probably shattered by now. His arms were sore, too. Not to mention the concussion.

++

[₮ⱧɆ ⱧɆⱠⱠ฿Ɽł₦₲ɆⱤ @HellBringer00]

"Are you done already? Or are ypu gonna figure out what you're gonna do with your life?"

*...Ah, he and the other corpse guy are the same person, like Zanshin and Zenmetsu, just different versions at different points in their lives.*

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

Just what could be causing this pain…? He hasn’t felt such pressure in his life before…

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

Zanshin agonizingly rolled on the ground, the ice on his arms melting off, and as he tried to get up…

“GH—”

Instantly he covered his mouth, blood spilling through his fingers.

Did he burst a blood vessel or something? Was it the concussion?

++

[₮ⱧɆ ⱧɆⱠⱠ฿Ɽł₦₲ɆⱤ @HellBringer00]

*Landing on the ground again, the air and presence around Dion began to heat up, like he was engulfed in an Inferno*

"Being blunt, you won't beat me with your bare fists, not in your current state, and not ever of you don't find a purpose."

*...A demon, that's what he is.*

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

As Dion recovered, the gap was closed instantly, as Zanshin performed a five-hit combo consisting of a punch to the gut, two punches to the jaw, an uppercut with the chin and a rising kick to the chin to send him flying further.

[—𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. @SPLITSOUL_EDGE]

(“Tsk…! The hell’s with you?! Are you insulting me or something?!”)

He decided to do a unique recovery method — his hands on the ground and flipping backwards, performing essentially a cartwheel kick with both of his legs.

++

[₮ⱧɆ ⱧɆⱠⱠ฿Ɽł₦₲ɆⱤ @HellBringer00]

*As Dion stared down, crimson eyes glaring at the Purposeless Man.*

"I told you to use your sword before I scramble your brains."

*He knows the fight ain't done, but either Zanshin finds a purpose or Dion knocks him out cold for awhile.*