"What's this…?" Jade muttered, covering his right eye with his hand as his left eye gleamed a chilling blue. Data codes flickered across his vision like streams of living light.
"It's like I can see everything…"
The world snapped into a terrifying crystalline clarity. The Observer's Eye wasn't a gift—it was a desperate compromise his mind had forged in the face of annihilation. For Jade, it felt like a dam had burst inside his skull—not flooding him with panic, but washing it all away, leaving only a cold, razor-focused stream of information.
He was no longer watching the storm of Alter Jade's movements. He was reading the wind that preceded them.
Alter Jade clicked his tongue. "Tsk. This damn cocky brat… he's awakening." His grin widened. "Guess it's time I fight for real."
He raised his hand into the air—and a katana manifested, sheathed in gold with a white hilt that glimmered faintly in the dim light. Jade's expression hardened. He realized he was unarmed.
But then his attention shifted—to a statue unlike the rest. It bowed, as though acknowledging a king, presenting a black katana with crimson dragon designs etched along the blade. It had no scabbard, its edge gleaming with malevolence.
Jade stepped forward and gripped the weapon. The moment he did, a shiver ran through him. The blade pulsed with an ominous presence, whispering something ancient and violent into his mind. But he didn't hesitate. He raised it, admiring its weight—tall, slim, impossibly sharp.
Alter Jade stood still, almost amused. "It seems you're ready now," he said, lips curling. "Shall we get this party started?"
He shifted his stance. His crimson eye flared.
And then—
CLANK!
All Jade saw was Alter Jade sliding his blade back into its scabbard.
"Wait… he didn't attack."
Something was wrong.
A sharp jolt of pain tore through Jade's skull. The Observer's Eye demanded a monstrous amount of brainpower, and now blood streamed from his eyes and mouth. But the pain only sharpened his perception further.
That's when he felt it—the air shifting. A change in pressure. Something fast, deadly, slicing toward him.
He's already attacked!
The golden arc of energy was inches from his face. Jade ducked at the last second—but not fast enough. His right hand jerked back in agony as three of his fingers were severed cleanly.
He wanted to scream, but he swallowed the pain, veins bulging along his throat.
He looked up—Alter Jade was gone.
Then—
A whisper behind him.
"Looking for me?"
Jade spun, slashing at the voice, but his blade met only air. Even with the Observer's Eye, he couldn't keep up. Alter Jade was beyond sight, beyond logic—a blur of arrogance and bloodlust.
He reappeared in his original spot, smiling lazily. "You know, this is kinda boring. I thought you might at least make me sweat. But you're weaker than I imagined." His grin darkened. "You're no fun."
The air trembled.
Alter Jade released a massive aura, swallowing the entire throne room in crushing pressure.
Jade staggered, battered and bleeding, three fingers gone, every breath a struggle. Still, he tightened his grip on the katana.
"So this is my worst fear, huh?" he rasped. "Others get spiders, or snakes, or maybe their daddy issues… and I get you. An ominous bastard strong enough to be a floor boss."
He laughed—broken, manic. "HAHAHAHAHA! I guess my psychotic nature's finally showing itself."
Both of Jade's eyes blazed—one crimson, one blue. The pain faded into adrenaline. His grin widened.
{Skill: Pain Tolerance has leveled up.}
{Skill: Pain Tolerance has leveled up.}
{Skill: Pain Tolerance has leveled up.}
The notifications flashed before his eyes. A wild smile cut across his blood-stained face.
He took a stance. "OBLITERATE!"
A crimson crescent burst from his blade—pure lightning and rage—racing straight toward Alter Jade.
Alter Jade chuckled. "That's it. Show me more!"
He slapped the attack away with his bare hand.
Then he moved—inhuman speed, the floor cracking under each step. He was already in front of Jade, blade arcing down in a white flash meant to decapitate.
"I've already seen this," Jade muttered, ducking to the side. He wasn't faster—but the Eye had predicted it.
He countered, swinging his katana at Alter Jade's arm. The doppelgänger side-stepped effortlessly.
"You fell for it."
Jade's stance shifted, his left eye blazing. "OBLITERATE!"
BOOM!
The crimson blast exploded, grazing Alter Jade's face—burning strands of his hair away.
"Tsk." Alter Jade smirked. "Still getting faster… what's with that left eye?"
He noticed the flickering code within Jade's iris. "So that's your secret, huh? This is getting fun."
Jade said nothing. His breathing was ragged, but his gaze stayed locked on his opponent.
Alter Jade's movements grew sharper—each swing heavier, each step louder. But Jade met him strike for strike, driven by pain, madness, and instinct.
"You're thinking too much in a fight," Jade said coldly.
In the next instant, his katana was inches from Alter Jade's face.
Alter Jade grinned and blurred past him, going for a counterstrike—slashing at Jade's back. But Jade's smile didn't fade.
"There you are…"
He felt the tension in Alter Jade's right shoulder fade—and a new one build in the left.
A feint.
"OBLITERATE!"
BOOM!
The blast hit Alter Jade square in the chest, sending him crashing backward through the debris.
Jade staggered, coughing blood. His body trembled violently; performing three Obliterates back-to-back had pushed him beyond his limit. His sword hand shook, the three remaining fingers barely holding the grip.
He tried to steady his breath—but then the air split open again. A massive white slash came screaming toward him. Jade rolled aside, barely avoiding it.
Alter Jade stood up, cracking his neck with a lazy smile. "Hey, Jade…"
He tilted his head, eyes gleaming with inhuman delight.
"Why don't we wrap this up?"