"Is this the extent of Fatui's so-called elite?"
Kairo's voice was cold as ice, each word cutting like a blade.
His eyes narrowed slightly. The sword in his hand once again flared with a fierce aura of destruction as he swung it down in one decisive motion.
The sword light shot across the air like a falling meteor, slashing straight toward the nearest female Fatui elite.
Her pupils shrank in alarm—she hadn't expected the attack to come so fast. She tried to raise her weapon to block, but it was already too late.
Kairo's strike came with a force beyond imagination, his sword crashing down like the claw of a raging beast. It tore through her defense, knocked her blade from her hands, and then cleaved across her shoulder.
Boom!
A thunderous impact echoed as the woman was thrown backward, slamming heavily into the ground. Blood gushed from her shoulder as she collapsed, motionless.
The surrounding Fatui elites froze in shock and terror.
Just moments ago, they had believed they could subdue this youth. But now, he had completely overturned their expectations.
Kairo's swordsmanship was precise and merciless—each attack carried an unstoppable destructive power.
His weapon's sheer might pressed down upon the Fatui elites like an iron mountain, suffocating them with its overwhelming presence.
The male Fatui elite's face darkened. He finally realized that mere numbers and combat skill wouldn't be enough to deal with Kairo.
A cold smile tugged at his lips as fury welled in his chest.
"You're courting death!" he growled, his voice low and venomous.
He reached into his black combat robe and pulled out a strange crimson device—
A gemstone carved with sinister runes, surrounded by sharp metallic prongs. It exuded a malevolent aura.
At its center, delicate crimson lines pulsed with eerie light—like countless bloodshot eyes glaring in the dark.
"...An Delusion."
Kairo's eyes narrowed sharply.
So, even a mere Fatui elite possesses one of these?
Normally, only the Eleven Harbingers of the Fatui were granted Delusions—each a symbol of their authority and forbidden power.
Yet here, even their subordinates wielded one.
The elite sneered as he raised the crimson gem high and activated it.
A sharp hum pierced the air as the gemstone's red glow flared violently.
Buzz!
Waves of warped energy rippled through the air, and the temperature around them plummeted in an instant.
A crushing pressure descended, as though the heavens themselves had condensed into a single point.
"Black Flame!"
The Fatui elite roared. The Delusion in his hand erupted, releasing a jet of pitch-black fire.
This was no ordinary flame.
It radiated death, a devouring darkness that consumed all it touched.
The Black Flame gathered in the air, twisting and coiling until it formed chains of living fire—chains that lashed out at Kairo like serpents from the abyss.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The chains struck with blistering speed, trailing searing heat and corrosive energy that tore the air apart.
The temperature spiked sharply, and the scent of scorched air filled the battlefield.
Kairo's eyes narrowed as he faced the oncoming storm.
Even from a distance, he could sense the unusual potency of this flame. Each chain carried immense power—binding, penetrating, suffocating.
Clearly, this was a special ability granted by the Delusion.
Unlike ordinary fire, this Black Flame did not simply burn—it bound, restrained, and devoured. Once ensnared, resistance would be futile.
"Ha!"
Kairo's foot tapped lightly against the ground, his body darting aside like a gust of wind. He narrowly avoided the first chain's strike.
But the second came immediately after, whipping toward him with scorching heat.
Kairo twisted his body and swung his sword to meet it head-on.
The instant the blade touched the chain, a searing burn shot through the metal—and through his arm.
A deep scorch mark carved itself across the blade, nearly melting through it entirely.
"What a terrifying power," Kairo thought grimly.
But he did not falter.
Instead, his swordsmanship grew sharper, faster—its edge infused with the destructive force of the Power of Destruction.
He wove through the air with impossible speed, slashing apart each chain as it lunged at him.
Each time a chain was severed, a shrill crack echoed, followed by an explosion of black flame that burst apart in the air like waves crashing against stone.
Clang!
Kairo swung his sword in a wide arc, shattering the final chain. The Black Flame dispersed into smoke, fading into the wind.
"What… what kind of weapon is that?"
The Fatui elite's eyes widened in disbelief. His Delusion's Black Flame chains had been destroyed by a single sword?
Only a divine Elemental Weapon could withstand that kind of force!
The surrounding Fatui elites looked on, their faces pale with shock and fury.
They had never imagined Kairo could so effortlessly break through the power of the Delusion.
Kairo glanced at his sword, tightening his grip.
He knew the truth—his victory wasn't due to the blade itself, but the Power of Destruction flowing through it. That destructive energy could break any elemental form, even the cursed flames of the Delusion.
"So, you actually managed to block my Black Flame…"
The male Fatui elite's voice trembled with rage and disbelief. "But this is far from over! Did you really think the power of the Delusion could be defeated so easily?!"
Boom!
He poured even more energy into the gem, his teeth clenched in fury.
The Delusion flared again, bathing the air in crimson light. The oppressive energy doubled, pressing down like a mountain.
This time, he held nothing back.
The Black Flame surged forth once more, reforming into massive, writhing chains that lunged at Kairo like enraged beasts.
But these were far stronger than before—each chain burned hotter, its heat warping the very air around it.
Kairo's expression turned grave.
He could feel it—the aura of this attack was different.
The Delusion… had awakened a second time.
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