[Back to Mordred]
It is said that one loses one's sense of time when subjected to long periods of enveloping darkness.
In my old world, the chief interrogator of the palace would leave a prisoner in a very dark room in utter silence, and no company for days or even weeks.
By the end of this cruel isolation, they either spilled every secret they had or broke apart under the madness that crept out of the silent darkness.
It was a twisted method, but it did the job.
But right now. I just really need to know what time it is.
That's because I've been falling for a really long time.
I've been falling for so long that I have completely healed from the injuries sustained in battle and the aftereffects of using Advent of the Scarlet Prince.
Even the stopwatch on my bracelet, which had been running ever since I fell into the Tear, has gone out of whack as well, displaying random numbers and other nonsensical information.
So yeah. This time I'm falling blind.
Wonderful.
The wind roared in my ears as I continued to fall in the darkness.
There were no walls or anything that would provide a good anchor point to stop or even slow down my plunge.
And I can't create wings using my strand because that weird gravity is getting stronger the deeper I fall.
But that is not the only thing that was getting stronger. The strange otherworldly energy was there as well.
It was just a small trace that lingered at the edge of the pit and would sometimes flare up, even reaching my cell at times.
But now, the more I kept falling into the darkness, the stronger it became.
Back then, it was accompanied by those strange whispers.
But I don't hear any whispers now.
However, weird energies and whispers weren't what was worrying me now.
Eventually, there would be a bottom to this pit, hopefully.
And I seriously doubt that becoming a grease spot at the bottom of this pit after falling at terminal velocity would be good for my health.
Now I'm hoping that this pit is endless.
And even if I somehow survive this fall, there is another major problem that awaits me.
Asphodel.
Just my luck, I am falling in the same pit I threw that rooty son of a bitch in.
Assuming that both of us somehow survive this plunge. There would still be the problem of facing him again.
I sighed. I really don't want to fight with him again.
Killing him in one strike? That I can do. I just need to time it perfectly.
And so I relaxed my body and enjoyed the wind rushing past me as I fell deeper into the darkness.
Or was I?
Everything flipped. The wind shifted, my stomach lurched, and I wasn't falling anymore; I was rising, dragged upward by the weird gravity.
More time passed as I moved swiftly through the darkness, the alien energy getting stronger, resonating deep within my body.
Then the voice came. Smooth, calm, and far too polite.
"Please mind your head."
"Huh?" Startled and confused, I looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. My gaze went upwards, and my eyes widened.
Something vast loomed in the darkness above me, or under me… Whatever. It was bloody confusing.
I couldn't see anything because of the darkness, but I could sense something. It was massive and circular, a rising shape.
Forming a wildly flickering lance of Bloodfire, I flung it in that direction. The crimson flames lit up the darkness as the lance streaked through it before fizzling out.
But in that brief flash, I saw it, or rather, its silhouette.
It was an enormous dome, black as the darkness surrounding me. Its surface was smooth and seamless, like polished metal, reflecting the crimson light of my fiery lance.
I felt it. The gravity that was affecting me emanated from this massive construct, its pull stronger than ever.
And I realized one more thing. I was hurtling straight toward it.
"Shit!" I swore and braced, enhancing my body with ardor as my eyes caught the sheen of the dome.
The impact was painful as I slammed into the dome's surface at a tremendous speed.
It fractured like stone, but the echo of shattering glass filled my ears as I crashed through it.
But instead of shooting upwards to the ceiling or whatever constituted 'up', I instead crashed onto a cold floor with a few painful snaps and cracking of my bones.
"Ow…." I groaned, rolling onto my back.
My strand immediately went to work in healing me, knitting my bones, and popping any loose joints back in their places with uncomfortable wet snaps.
My eyes fell on the shattered section of the dome above me. Although it was as tough as stone, it resembled thin glass.
As I watched, the dome began to repair itself.
The jagged edges of the hole smoothed out like melting wax, and it rippled like a liquid, steadily creeping and knitting together to form a smooth surface.
Just like the dome, my body healed in a few minutes, and I sat up to take note of my surroundings.
"Well. This is weird." I muttered, looking around.
I found myself in a huge corridor that stretched out on both sides.
Looking up again, I found the interior of the dome gone, instead replaced by a ceiling of black stone.
The black stone walls on both sides were similar to the walls of Lilith's palace, and they were lined with braziers of an obsidian hue holding white flames that illuminated the darkness.
The pale light was soft, but it stabbed at my eyes, raw from too long in darkness.
But my new surroundings weren't the only strange thing. I can no longer sense that otherworldly power.
Instead, a constant hum filled the air, a low, constant sound that crawled under my skin.
My attention drifted towards the wall beside me. The humming sound seemed to come from the walls.
Stretching out my left hand, I touched the black stone only to retract it back immediately.
A surge of energy hit me like an electric shock, immediately numbing my body even though I barely touched the wall.
Ah. So that's it.
I couldn't feel the alien energy because the walls have absorbed it and are acting as a conduit for it. The energy was so potent that the black stone itself vibrated from it.
There was something else as well.
Now that my eyes had adjusted to my surroundings, I noticed glittering particles floating in the air like dust, many of them drifting down to the floor to form a sort of silvery layer over the black stone.
Curiosity got the better of me. I picked up some of the dust off the floor and examined it, rolling it between my fingers.
It looked and felt like powdered silver.
I don't know why I did it. Maybe I was really curious, or maybe my brain was already messed up, but I touched some of it to my tongue.
It had a weird taste, like dark chocolate mixed with blood and wine.
But as soon as I ingested it, I felt a fiery surge of ardor course through my body, like a stimulant.
Hm, A powdered form of ardor?
So many questions swirled in my mind as I started to walk.
Just what is this place?
What was that mysterious voice?
Is Asphodel still down here?
Soon, the answer to the last question was answered as the corridor opened up to a huge rectangular hall.
The silvery dust was more in this place, dancing in the air and settling on the floor like snow, forming a glittering silver layer.
At the far end was an arch of black stone that led to another area in this vast, weird place.
And standing between me and the exit was a familiar figure with a disgusting grin.
I clicked my tongue, disgust dripping in my voice as I spoke. "So you survived."
The daemon shrugged, his grin widening. "I'm quite resilient."
"Yeah," I nodded. "Like a bloody cockroach."
I activated Haema and began to form a Vortex Blood lance.
However, sparks erupted from the rune sequence, then it shattered, releasing a burst of ardor from my palm.
I doubled over as splitting pain tore into my head like a red-hot spike. A backlash that occurs when a code fails.
"That won't work, little Prince," Asphodel said casually, his distorted voice filled with twisted amusement.
"This place binds and restrains your powers, leaving you with only the strength of your body." He rolled back his shoulders, composed of black roots, joints creaking like wood, and stepped forward.
"She wouldn't allow dangerous powers like ours to run rampant. After all, this is quite a delicate place."
Shaking my head, I glared at him. "Does that mean that even you are unable to use your powers?"
Asphodel's steps quickened, his eerie grin widening. "Indeed. She is fair to all."
A grin slowly crept up my lips, and I started walking towards him, quickening my pace with each step.
"Let's end this twisted relationship," I muttered, and both of us broke into a sprint, quickly reducing the distance between us.
In the blink of an eye, our S-ranked bodies reached the middle of the hall and collided, unleashing our fists at each other.
With a sickening crack, they connected, releasing a shockwave that disturbed the silvery dust like a strong wind.
Asphodel swiftly swung his other fist to my side. I twisted my body, aiming a kick towards the side of his chest.
However, he was quick, catching my leg in a vice grip.
I quickly changed stance and shifted all my weight, pivoting on the trapped limb, driving a foot to the side of his head.
Asphodel stumbled to the side with a grunt, and I tore myself free from his grip.
Spinning around, I took out my sword and went for his neck.
He swiftly dodged, moving away from the blade's path, but he wasn't fast enough.
With a squishy sound, a major chunk of his shoulder was sliced cleanly off. There was no resistance.
Hm. Not bad for one-armed swordsmanship.
That's when I realized.
Asphodel didn't fully recover like I did.
And this fight is now quite unfair for him.
I smiled.
Well, that's just fantastic!
He leaped back to create distance between us.
So I hurled my sword at him. It spun like a whirlwind before plunging into his torso with a satisfying wet crunch.
Planting my feet to the floor, I sprang forward, immediately reaching right before him.
With calculated precision, I planted a palm strike right on the hilt, driving the sword deeper into his body.
Black ooze splattered all over me as he doubled over, and I followed with an upward knee strike.
The sickening crack and painful grunt that escaped from the daemon were music to my ears.
But I let down my guard for a second, and he took the chance.
His rooty arms wrapped around my waist and tightened around me like snakes.
Asphodel lifted me off the ground, his spine bowing as he bent backwards.
Ah shit.
The world suddenly flipped, and my legs kicked the air as I crashed into the floor, my shoulders and neck almost snapping due to the force as he slammed my body onto the floor, scattering the silvery dust.
The air left my lungs, and the world spun wildly.
That's when I saw the black fist blurring towards my face.
Instinctively, I raised my only arm to defend my face from his blow.
But the rooty son of a bitch wasn't aiming for my face in the first place.
Blood exploded out of my mouth, and I felt my organs get rearranged as his fist drove straight into my torso, the impact echoing off my ribs, even with my advanced physique of an S-ranker.
He pulled back his fist for another pummeling when I noticed that my sword was still lodged in his body.
Hastily, I kicked the hilt, shoving him back. Rolling away, I quickly got back to my feet.
Asphodel pulled out the sword and hurled it at me. I snatched the sword from the air with my left hand and rushed forward.
Blade and fist met in a flurry of sparks as we went feral against each other, my white blade slicing into his black flesh, and his fists driving into my body.
Fierce winds and shockwaves blew away the silvery dust and scattered it in the air, forming clouds that momentarily blurred my vision.
But as I inhaled them, I felt a surge of energy and my attacks became even more precise and deadly as ardor spread across my muscles, making them go over their limits.
The same was the case for Asphodel. His fists became sharper and quicker, almost overpowering me.
Our attacks became even stronger, tearing flesh, splattering blood, and black ichor.
This deadly dance between us continued. A single misstep would be the end of one of us.
And it happened.
Asphodel froze mid strike, his body paralyzed by the Basilisk emerald powdered into the edge of my blade.
I took my chance.
I entered my Triquetra state. The world slowed down around me, clouds of silver dust suspended still in the air, and my senses sharpened to a whole other level.
I focused on my hearing and searched for what I was looking for. First, I heard my heartbeat, thundering in my chest. I isolated it before focusing again.
It was faint at first, but it became stronger. A constant thump that steadily filled my ears.
Asphodel's heart.
Putting all of my strength into my sword, I aimed at the middle of his throat and plunged my blade into his black, rooty flesh.
I must make this count. This was my only and final chance.
Dark, thick blood gushed out of the wound as my blade pierced through his black heart hidden in his throat.
I twisted my grip and slashed sideways, slashing his throat open and ripping out his heart.
For the first time in years. I saw his disgusting grin fade.
His distorted voice turned into a gurgling mess as he collapsed to his knees, scattering the settling silver dust.
I stood before him, my body a bruised and broken mess, breathing heavily as I looked down on him.
His entire body trembling, he lifted his head towards me, as if gazing at me.
His grin returned. Well. This is-"
His final words were cut off as my blade decapitated him and sliced his rooty body in half in an instant.
I wiped the black blood off my face with my sleeve as his head rolled away on the ground, and the two halves fell to the ground with a disgusting squelch, black ichor flowing to the floor.
"That was for Felix, you rooty excuse for an existence," I muttered in a low voice.
And then the hall fell silent.