"Nox, are you alright?"
Elena checked my body after pulling me up from below. She was sweating heavily, which showed she had rushed over all the way.
I didn't answer her. I didn't want to speak— even simple words felt exhausting.
"N-Nox?"
Elena was startled by my cold reaction. My eyes were colder than ever before, and no expression appeared on my face, as if I were nothing more than a machine.
"What happened, Nox? There isn't a single wound on your body. I saw that massive explosion, yet you came out without a scratch… so how did you fall below? And why do you look like this?"
Elena spoke with unease and fear as she stared at my unchanged expression.
I didn't answer her either. I stood on the platform she had created, then leapt up to the ceiling and bound myself with chains of darkness.
I summoned my sword, which had regenerated at the cost of an enormous amount of aura. I was utterly exhausted, having spent so much strength regenerating my body, and before that, in the battle against the three clones.
I stepped forward slowly and quietly, unbothered by the smoke and dust filling the place. I stopped in front of the three clones who had survived the explosion. They must have had some trick to escape death, but I didn't care.
I pointed my sword at them, then lowered it and dashed forward. I appeared before my clone, and I swung a horizontal slash at his chest.
Clang!
The clone blocked the strike and sent spikes of darkness toward my side, but I didn't care.
I simply watched the spikes approach in slow motion, as if I were watching a video in slow speed. It seemed death had distorted my mind.
At the point of contact, a blotch of darkness appeared on my side, then quickly spread and coiled around the spikes, swallowing them in seconds.
"?!?!"
My clone was shocked. I exploited the moment and launched another slash, this one leaving a gash across its abdomen.
I felt an attack from the side—it seemed Elena's clone had struck. Without turning my head, a wall of darkness rose up In front of the attack devouring the corrupted light and swallowing it whole.
My strength increased after consuming the attacks. I felt Elena approaching, ready to fight with me.
I turned toward her and stared coldly.
"Don't interfere."
That was all I said before turning back to the clones. Elena was stunned by my words and stood in hesitation, not knowing what to do. For now, she chose to watch.
Six chains with blades at their ends sprouted from my back, slithering like snakes ready to strike their prey.
I placed my foot on the ground, unleashing a small explosion of darkness beneath it, propelling me forward. My leg damaged, but I felt nothing.
I appeared before my clone and swung my sword downward. It blocked the strike, but the chains lunged from all directions.
Before the chains could pierce it, a sphere of wind erupted between us, exploding and forcing us apart.
My clone was injured, He had six holes in his body, but they were superficial and didn't kill him.
I turned toward Ronan's clone, the one who had intervened. I summoned three spears to float around me, then spun them and fired like bullets toward it.
Three corrupted wind spheres appeared in their path and exploded, forming a storm that destroyed the spears.
The clone's defense succeeded, but I was already moving. By the time the spears had flown, I appeared before Elena's clone, slashing quickly while my chains attacked in unison.
The clone tried to retreat, but a spike of darkness appeared behind it, ready to pierce through. It summoned corrupted light in an attempt to break free, but my chains detached from my body, wrapping around the attacks and devouring them like serpents.
Though the clones had no expressions, I felt the fear radiating from Elena's clone as my blade reached its neck.
Slash! Rip!
Her head flew into the air, and both head and body turned into darkness, collapsing into the abyss below.
[You have slain Eidolon – Level 7]
I stopped and turned calmly toward the remaining clones, who stared at me in unease.
'Elena's clone was the weakest. It's only natural she'd fall first.'
I thought quietly. But the calmness frightened me. I felt like a puppet with no emotions, where killing and death were as natural as breathing— as if my very existence was meant to steal life.
For the first time, I felt my shard respond, as though resonating with my state. It radiated satisfaction.
I felt enlightened as if I had been blind and could see for the first time. My mind's powers accelerated and I felt in harmony with my darkness.
'Looks like I can understand you a little now.'
I wasted no time. Raising my sword, I unleashed a massive slash of darkness at Ronan's clone. As the slash flew, I charged toward my own clone.
Chains sprouted behind me, along with five spears, and most importantly, a sphere of darkness formed before me, pulsing quietly, ready to strike.
My clone raised its sword, summoning walls of darkness to block the spears.
But my chains coiled around its blade, holding it down.
Corrupted darkness hands appeared, grasping at my sword and body to restrain me, but that was when the dark sphere moved.
Expanding at terrifying speed, the sphere engulfed us both, trapping us as if in a sea of tar.
It pressed down, crushing our bodies to fragments.
[You have slain Eidolon – Level 7]
I didn't hear or see the kill notification—my body had been destroyed. But then, within the sphere, a gap opened, allowing me to regenerate.
'Even being crushed doesn't make me feel anything.'
I thought indifferently as I dispelled the sphere. But the moment it vanished, a powerful gust assaulted me.
I turned and saw a massive tornado approaching slowly. It seemed Ronan's clone had unleashed everything.
"Let's imitate both Sora and Ronan."
I muttered softly, raising my hand forward. A sphere of darkness materialized, pulsing violently before shrinking inward, pulling everything into it. I increased its density and strength.
The strain put immense pressure on me. My eyes exploded, blood pouring from all seven orifices. My mind burned, but I didn't stop.
I launched the sphere into the tornado. Once inside, I commanded it to devour.
Fwooooshhh!
The tornado shrank, sucked inward, consumed by the black hole I had created. Within seconds, the massive storm was gone.
I stood still, unable to move, my body destroyed from within. I waited, letting the energy absorbed from the tornado heal me.
When I finally regained the ability to move, I struck Ronan's clone and killed it like the others.
[You have slain Eidolon – Level 7]
The message repeated, crimson text flashing on a black screen.
I heard movement behind me. Turning, I saw Elena slowly approaching, her face filled with fear and awe.
"Umm… Nox?"
She spoke nervously. At that moment I didn't know if she was afraid of me or for me
I looked at her silently. But before I could grasp what was happening, darkness filled my vision. I lost consciousness, collapsing into the sea of shadows.
"Nox!!"
Elena cried out, rushing to catch me. She pulled me onto the platform, quickly checking my body.
"My God… his insides are destroyed!"
She exclaimed in shock as she hastily healed me. The shard of darkness had stopped regenerating me when she examined me—it seemed to know I didn't want my power revealed.
After confirming my body was healed, Elena lifted my head onto her lap and gently stroked my hair.
"It's strange, Nox. I thought I was the only one capable of killing those three clones. I'd decided not to fight seriously unless the situation got dire. But who would've thought… you'd be the one to kill them."
She paused, smiling softly.
"I knew you could devour attacks, but I didn't expect you to reveal your trump card. It's a good thing Ronan wasn't here."
Elena whispered as she gazed at Nox's peacefully sleeping face.
"Hehehe… it seems my lover has a cold side, just like those main characters. But I hope you don't become someone without emotions. I guess I'll have to spoil you more."
It wasn't long before Ronan arrived, having avoided the abyss of shadows.
He looked at Nox with concern.
"Is he alright? And what happened to the other clones?"
"He's fine. When I arrived, he was already injured. After combining our efforts, we managed to kill the clones."
Elena lied calmly, feeling it best to hide Nox's power from others.
"Is that so? I saw a massive explosion, so I thought he was dead."
Suspicion filled Ronan's eyes.
"Actually, I was the one who caused that explosion. We combined our shards' powers, and it created such force."
Elena managed to find an explanation for Ronan's doubts. Though unconvinced, he chose to believe her.
"Come, rest on the platform. Flying all this time must've been exhausting. We'll need our strength for tomorrow. We won't stand a chance against the clones if they reach level six."
She suggested resting, and Ronan didn't object. He landed on the platform, chose a spot far from them, and quickly fell asleep.
---