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Chapter 258: Sever the Immortal! To the Altar!
🕑 Added 2025-09-05 10:36:22 +0000 UTCLily Brook was back at it, facing the Red Devil again.
She crept through the shadows, silently taking out the grunts guarding the beast. Then, she slipped behind the sobbing Red Devil. A massive red ninja-kill marker flashed on-screen.
Lily’s eyes glinted with focus. Her blade, Wedge, slid from its sheath. In two swift leaps, she scaled the Red Devil’s neck and drove the blade into its left eye.
Splatter!
Blood sprayed everywhere. Before the fight even kicked off, Lily’s ninja strike had chunked the Red Devil’s health bar.
The real battle began with a roar. The Red Devil raised its massive fist, ready to crush her.
Lily didn’t flinch. She thrust her prosthetic arm forward—whoosh! A blast of flames erupted, making the Red Devil scream and stagger, locked in a stunned state.
Seizing the moment, Lily lunged, slashing four times in a blur, forcing the beast back. When it recovered and charged again, she repeated the trick—another flame blast, stacking a [Burn] debuff on the Red Devil.
Four more slashes. One cycle, two, three, four.
Crack!
The Red Devil’s posture bar maxed out. Lily darted in, thrusting Wedge into its throat and yanking it free.
Splatter!
Blood gushed. To Max Wheeler’s shock, the Red Devil—infamous for breaking players—was dead, taken down by Lily’s flawless run.
“Holy crap!” Max yelled.
Lucas “Luke” Sterling chuckled. “See? That’s another layer of Sekiro’s genius. It’s not just about sword fights. There are smarter, faster ways to win. And while you’re hunting those shortcuts, the game’s story and world unfold, tying it all together.”
Luke’s words set the stage as the tragic, epic tale of Sekiro unraveled.
Twenty years ago, the “Borderland Rebellion,” led by Ashina Isshin, wasn’t just a power grab—it freed Ashina Province from the iron grip of the Central Authority. The people of Ashina reclaimed their land, and after a brutal war, Isshin’s rebels won. Peace settled in, and life thrived.
But even legends grow old. Isshin, once a peerless swordsman, was now frail, his strength a memory. His adopted grandson, Genichiro, ruled Ashina, but the Central Authority’s invasion loomed again, threatening to crush the province.
Desperate to save his homeland, Genichiro turned to Hirata Kuro, the “Oracle.” The Hirata family, Ashina’s largest commoner clan, held a sacred duty: guarding the Oracle, whose blood carried the [Dragon’s Legacy]—a power granting immortality, but at a cost. It drained the lives of others, feeding the user’s endless existence.
An innocent gift is a dangerous treasure. Three years ago, bandits razed the Hirata estate in a fiery ambush, targeting Kuro. Wolf, Kuro’s sworn protector, fought through the blaze, cutting down the bandit leader. In the chaos, he found his dying adoptive father, Owl, who handed him the key to the temple and urged him to uphold the ninja code: protect the Oracle.
Wolf pressed on, finding Kuro in the burning temple, ensnared by an illusion cast by Madame Butterfly, a former Ashina ally. Her betrayal explained the Hirata clan’s fall. No words were needed—Wolf drew his blade.
Madame Butterfly’s skill and illusions were unmatched, but Wolf’s relentless attacks wore her down. In her final moment, she smiled, patting his shoulder. “Well done, kid.” Her death felt like freedom, as if immortality in this world was a curse, not a blessing.
With the temple collapsing, Wolf tried to escape with Kuro, but a sword pierced his chest from behind. He fell into the flames, dead before seeing his attacker.
Until Kuro returned.
In the inferno, Kuro’s hand pulled Wolf back. “[Wolf, take my blood. Live.]”
A pink glow flared. Cherry blossoms fell as the [Dragon’s Legacy] bound them in a blood pact. Wolf’s lost memories flooded back, restored by an old woman’s guardian bell. With them came his ninja creed: Protect the Oracle with my life. If he’s taken, I’ll bring him back.
Whoosh!
Snow fell in sheets. Wolf darted through the storm, a shadow racing toward Ashina’s tallest castle tower.
There, Genichiro stood in ornate armor, gazing over the war-torn province. Smoke rose in the distance, flames licking the horizon. His grandfather Isshin, once a titan, was fading, just like Ashina itself.
Genichiro needed Kuro’s [Dragon’s Legacy] to save his land, no matter the cost.
“Oracle, I’ll ask one last time,” Genichiro said, turning to the young Kuro behind him. “Make the pact of immortality with me.”
Kuro’s voice, soft but resolute, answered. “I can’t, Genichiro. Even if I fall, my ninja will risk everything to save me. That’s his code.”
Boom!
A figure leapt through the snow, landing on the tower. Wolf’s steady voice cut through the storm. “I’m here for my lord.”
“OH YEAH!” Players worldwide roared, hyped beyond belief.
The journey to this moment was pure torture—the Red Devil’s crushing blows, the bandit leader’s venomous strikes, the Fire Bull’s relentless charges, the Ghost Warden’s spear thrusts. The path from Ashina’s outskirts to the castle tower was short but brutal.
Yet, dawn broke outside, mirroring the game’s rising stakes. Under moonlight, Genichiro had severed Wolf’s arm. Now, in the morning sun, Wolf was back, driven by his creed.
“Let’s do this, Genichiro!” players shouted.
On the tower, snow swirled as swords clashed. Clang! Clang! Sparks flew in the freezing wind.
Genichiro fought for Ashina, his home, and his grandfather’s legacy. Wolf fought for Kuro, his master, and the ninja code he lived by.
Genichiro charged, blade flashing with lethal precision. Wolf countered, eyes sharp, every move honed by his journey. Isshin’s words echoed in his mind: “Hesitate, and you lose!”
Arrows flew, dodged with ninja grace. Wolf used his gourd, popped candy, revived, and fought on, never backing down. The tower rang with the ding of clashing steel.
In streamer Jada Brook’s game, a massive [Danger] warning flashed. Genichiro lunged, but Jada stepped forward, planting her foot on his blade.
“You’re done, Genichiro!” she taunted.
His posture bar nearly broke. Jada raised Wedge high. “This is what your grandpa taught me! Ashina-style! Double Slash!”
Clang! Clang!
Two bone-rattling strikes landed. Genichiro buckled, dropping to his knees. Jada surged forward, thrusting her blade into his throat.
Splatter!
Blood sprayed as Genichiro rolled across the tower, groaning. “A ninja… who dares harm… the Oracle…”
He slammed his sword into the floor, still alive.
Jada gasped. “This guy’s still kicking?!”
As a Twitch streamer, Jada’s streams usually pulled modest numbers. But last night—technically this morning, past midnight—something shifted. With big names like Yin, ShuBro, Pineapple, and Eggplant dominating Sekiro streams, Jada’s audience had dwindled.
Yet, that let her focus. She wasn’t chasing clout, just vibing with the game. And somehow, her viewer count started climbing. Why? She was one of the fastest to clear the Red Devil—and the only female streamer to do it so quick.
Word spread. They called her “Valkyrie,” her sweet voice paired with ruthless blade work. Her Twitch channel hit nearly 10 million viewers, the chat exploding:
- “Valkyrie’s revival game is nuts!”
- “Wolf’s out here moving like a legend.”
- “Genichiro’s getting smoked, lol.”
- “His thrusts are so predictable—gourd out, he stabs.”
- “Man, Genichiro’s honest. My ex would lie, but not this guy’s blade.”
- “Third phase incoming!”
- “He’s stripping?!”
The crowd lost it as Genichiro shed his armor, standing shirtless, scars crisscrossing his body. Lightning cracked outside the tower, and golden arcs danced along his blade.
“To save Ashina… I’ll wield any power, no matter how dark,” Genichiro growled.
Whoosh!
He leapt, blade flashing with electric fury, stabbing Jada’s Wolf back three meters.
“Damn, that tech!” Jada yelped.
WindyPeak Games pulled their signature move—seamless CG-to-gameplay transition, like in A Way Out. One second, it’s cinematic; the next, you’re fighting.
Genichiro’s third phase was a beast. His sword slashed faster, a blur of steel. One block nearly maxed Jada’s posture bar. A brutal kick broke her guard, sending her stumbling.
“No, no, no!” Jada shouted, bracing for a fatal throw.
But Genichiro didn’t press. He stepped back, leaping away. Jada steadied herself, relieved. “Thanks for the breather, dude.”
Then, a weird sensation hit—like static crawling through her hair. In the somatosensory cabin, it felt like touching a science exhibit’s plasma globe. Her hair practically stood on end.
Zzzap!
Golden lightning tore through the air. Genichiro, airborne, loosed an arrow charged with electricity. “Face the Thunder of Ba!”
The bolt pierced Wolf’s chest, paralyzing him.
“Oh, come on!” Jada groaned.
She remembered a book she’d found in-game: Thunder of Ba: Thunder Return. “While jumping, use an attack to catch the thunder and return it.”
That’s what it meant? Too late now.
Genichiro spun, unleashing a massive wind blade that sliced Wolf’s throat.
Splatter!
[You Died]
“Unreal!” Jada exclaimed.
The chat went wild:
- “That lightning’s insane!”
- “From sword fights to straight-up magic!”
- “WindyPeak’s burning cash on these effects!”
- “Valkyrie’s down, but she’s got this.”
- “Better than that torii fireball scene.”
- “Chills, man. Chills.”
Jada wasn’t fazed—she was hyped. Revive!
Pink light flared as Wolf rose. No gourd left. Across from her, Genichiro, crackling with thunder, was in his final phase. No room for error.
Clang!
Wolf’s Wedge gleamed, reflecting golden sparks. Genichiro’s eyes flashed with lightning.
Whoosh! Clang!
They clashed, blades a whirlwind. Genichiro loosed three arrows; Wolf deflected them all. Two Ashina-style slashes landed, but Genichiro parried.
Then, he leapt, summoning thunder again. “Here it comes!” Jada shouted.
Zzzap!
Lightning struck. This time, Wolf leapt forward, swinging Wedge mid-air, catching the bolt and hurling it back.
Thunder Return!
Zzzap!
The lightning hit Genichiro, stunning him. The chat erupted:
- “LIGHTNING REVERSE!”
- “Valkyrie’s a beast!”
- “Buy this game, I’m begging you!”
- “This is why I game, man.”
A red ninja-kill marker flashed. Jada thrust Wedge into Genichiro’s chest.
Crunch!
The storm stilled. “Ashina…” Genichiro whispered, collapsing.
The Twitch chat exploded. WindyPeak’s 3S-tier visuals, paired with Kenji Higashida’s action choreography, left players speechless. From the tower’s snowy vistas to Genichiro’s electrifying moves, Gus Harper and the Steel Chain Fingers team had crafted a masterpiece.
Players worldwide called it a rival to Titanfall’s time-stopping level. Neon region fans were especially feral, screaming about Gus Harper’s genius.
Streamer Kazu Okura even stepped out of his cabin, bowing dramatically to the camera for his million viewers. “WindyPeak’s the real deal! Gus Harper’s a legend!” It was half-performance, but his excitement was raw.
But the fight wasn’t the end.
Genichiro’s corpse stirred, rising again. He’d taken [Eternal Shard], a twisted immortality that turned users into mindless monsters. In Sekiro’s world, immortality came in three flavors: Dragon’s Legacy, Eternal Shard, and Parasite Infestation. Only the Dragon’s Legacy, a gift from the Sakura Dragon, was pure. The others were flawed copies—Shard drove you mad, Parasite turned you into a centipede husk.
The Sakura Dragon, enshrined in the Origin Temple atop the Cloudreach Mountains, was the source. But its gift was a curse. Each resurrection drained life from those nearby, spreading “Dragon Plague,” a pestilence that could doom Ashina.
Kuro refused to share his power with Genichiro, knowing it would destroy the province. Genichiro, obsessed with saving Ashina, had turned to the Shard, losing himself.
To end the curse, Kuro sought the Immortal’s Bane, a blade said to sever immortality, hidden in the distant Summit Temple. But Wolf overheard a grim truth: severing immortality required a life—either Kuro’s or his own.
For Wolf, it wasn’t a choice. Three years ago, Kuro’s blood pact saved him. His blade existed for one purpose: protect the Oracle.
After pressing Lady Emma, Wolf learned the ritual: gather the Sakura Dragon’s Tears and Evergreen Sakura Blooms, feed them to Kuro, then wield the Immortal’s Bane to cut the Dragon’s Legacy, making Kuro mortal again.
From here, Sekiro leveled up. More monstrous foes, nightmarish landscapes, and surreal regions awaited. Genichiro was just the warm-up.
Gus Harper and WindyPeak Games were charging toward the altar of gaming greatness.
