Ash exhaled slowly, the cold bite of the stormwinds whipping against his face as he tightened his grip on the blade. The chasm below had become their battlefield—a jagged abyss of shattered stone and glowing fissures, where the storm raged unchecked. The Thunderbeast''s eyes burned with crackling energy, primal and unrelenting. It crouched low, muscles coiling like a drawn bowstring, ready to pounce.


    Lightning arced across the sky, illuminating the battlefield in sharp relief. Ash didn''t wait—he moved first.


    Phase One: Disrupt the Flow


    Ash lunged, channeling his Kage Nu Jutsu – Fourth Veil into a spiraling feint. His afterimage flickered in the storm, forcing the Thunderbeast to lash out at an illusion. The beast''s claws shredded empty air as Ash reappeared at its flank, driving his blade toward the exposed joint of its hind leg.


    A direct hit.


    The Thunderbeast roared, electricity surging through its body in violent retaliation. A pulse of kinetic force blasted outward, sending Ash skidding across the slick rock. The very air hummed with raw energy, residual shocks crawling along his skin, but he forced himself to move. He couldn''t let the beast regain control of the fight.


    Phase Two: Break the Lightning


    Rin''s voice chimed in his earpiece. "Analyzing combat data—target''s electrical output increases under duress. Continued pressure will trigger an unstable energy discharge."


    Ash grinned despite the pain. "Then let''s push it past the limit."


    He darted forward, using the jagged terrain as cover. The chasm floor trembled as the beast turned, arcs of lightning snapping along its obsidian hide. Its bioluminescent veins pulsed erratically, the storm feeding its power. Ash leapt high, twisting midair as he unleashed a series of precise slashes aimed at the Thunderbeast''s sensory nodes—small glowing orbs along its neck and spine.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The strikes landed true. The Thunderbeast howled, its balance momentarily disrupted as sparks burst from the damaged nodes. It staggered, struggling to re-calibrate its senses, and Ash saw his opening.


    Phase Three: The Shadow''s Bite


    Summoning every ounce of strength, Ash activated his blade''s secondary function—a pulse disruptor, designed to sever energy flows on contact. He plunged the weapon deep into the beast''s chest, right where its bioluminescence burned brightest.


    A blinding explosion of light erupted as the Thunderbeast convulsed. Its thunderous cries shook the very earth, and for a moment, Ash feared he had miscalculated. The ground beneath them split, molten cracks widening as the raw energy of the beast''s core lashed out in its final moments.


    Then, with one last shuddering breath, the Thunderbeast collapsed. Its luminous veins dimmed, the crackling power within it dissipating into the storm.


    Victory?


    Ash staggered back, breathing hard. His body ached from the sheer force of the battle, but something within him had shifted. The Oni-Wraith''s presence pulsed through his veins, its power responding to the intensity of the fight.


    The Void – Oni-Wraith


    In the abyss beyond the Stormlands, the Oni-Wraith stirred.


    A shift. A ripple in the void.


    Ash''s battle echoed through the darkness, his defiance carving new fractures in the unseen chains that bound the entity. For the first time, the void did not resist—it yielded, just slightly.


    Fascinating.


    A voice like distant thunder rumbled through the abyss. "He does not seek power given. He seeks power earned."


    The shadows coiled, writhing in contemplation. The Oni-Wraith observed, measured, judged. And then, with a silent decree, it relented.


    The chains loosening—just a fraction.


    A flicker of acknowledgment passed through the darkness. Approval.


    Synchronization increased: 57% → 70%


    Rin''s voice crackled through the comms. "Oni-Wraith control level has increased by 13%. Current status: Partial control strengthened."


    Ash clenched his fists, feeling the surge of newfound strength. The trial was far from over, but he had taken another step forward. The Stormland Hunters would come for him soon, but now, he was ready.


    The hunt would continue.


    And Ash would not stop until he had conquered the storm.