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Merlin floated in the air, watching the man below her with eyes glowing in shades of lilac.
Lorian, still holding a cigarette, took a calm drag as he dodged the last attack. The simple fact that he looked so relaxed doing it irritated her.
One of the orbs behind her spun silently. A ray of light shot out beside Lorian — a fine, almost invisible line that sliced through the air like a blade.
He threw himself back at the last instant; the beam grazed his face, and the cigarette he held disintegrated into glowing dust.
"Smoking is bad for you," Merlin said simply.
The man raised an eyebrow, incredulous.
"You say that, but you're trying to kill me. If one of your lights hits me, I'll turn to ash, you know that?"
"Yes, I know," she replied calmly. "But don't worry. If I attacked at that speed, it's because I know you'd dodge it."
"Huh?"
The [Enlightened] — her unique Class (S) ability — pulsed within Merlin's mind.
In ancient times, when she was still just a spiritual sphere, this power had served as a vast archive of knowledge, analyzing the world and interpreting everything that existed. It was like a supercomputer that thought, calculated, and understood.
But after evolving into a medium spirit, taking on a more human form moved by emotions and bonds with her friends, [Enlightened] did not simply remain — it adapted.
Now, the power was no longer just a reservoir of data, but a living consciousness shaped to follow Merlin's emotional growth.
And thus, it became something more — an intellect with empathy, both cold and warm at once.
Lorian took a step forward — and his body froze.
A chill ran down his spine as he realized he couldn't move a single muscle.
'I... I can't move.'
"That's right," came Merlin's soft voice. "You won't move."
'She read my mind?!'
Merlin closed her eyes.
The space around them glowed in a pink hue; raindrops hung suspended in the air, motionless. It was the [Field of Order] in action — the fusion of her old species skill, [Psychic Order], and [Enlightened].
Within that field, everything obeyed her rules. Air, sound, movement — even the laws that shaped space and the universe could be altered inside that domain.
He clenched his teeth, and in a flash of desperation — his trap activated.
A sequence of runes lit up beneath his feet — magical traps, triggered even with minimal focus.
Red lights snaked across the ground, forming a pattern that closed around Merlin.
"I see..." she murmured, her eyes reflecting every detail of the magical structure. "Spatial compression traps. Interesting."
The runes exploded, compressing the air around her, trying to crush her body and cut off her mana flow.
But before the field could close completely, one of Merlin's orbs moved, absorbing the pattern. The same runes appeared on the ground again — but now reversed and reflected, pointing toward Lorian.
"Huh?!"
The walls of energy rose behind him instead of in front, trapping him inside his own spell. The space pulled him backward with a supernatural force, then flung him against a stone wall, cracking the structure with a loud crash.
"That's impossible!" he roared, struggling against the prison that kept him down. "You copied my trap?!"
"I didn't copy it. I just interpreted it," she replied, slowly descending to the ground. "That's what [Enlightened] does."
In short, with her ability [Infinite Analysis], Merlin had perfectly understood Lorian's trap.
Then, using [Reinterpretation] — a newly adapted sub-ability of [Enlightened] — she recreated it in her own way, reversing its flow like the pull of a harmless black hole, just to keep him from standing up.
The man breathed heavily. He knew it was useless to try deceiving a spirit like her.
Every trick, every thought, every attempt at deception was seen before it even formed.
Merlin landed softly in front of him. The orbs vanished.
Behind her, Burst and Jane finally broke free from the ice that had trapped them, coughing and standing up.
"Damn, that bastard got us good..." Burst muttered, rubbing his neck.
"Well done, Merlin," Jane said, sheathing her sword. "Quick and efficient, as always."
Lorian, still restrained, let out a hoarse laugh.
'Damn... how do you fight something like this? This is... the most powerful spirit I've ever seen.'
Merlin raised her index finger, a lilac glow forming at the tip, pointing it at him.
"Will you surrender?"
He looked up at her with a tired half-smile.
And then he laughed — loud and unrestrained, defying the logic of the situation. He laughed because there was no point in fighting anymore.
Because Niyx was gone.
Because, deep down, he knew he wasn't important enough to stay alive on that board.
'That's what I get for trusting lunatics... In the end, I won't even touch the money. But that's fine. One day, those idiots will see.'
"I surrender, ma'am," he said, still laughing.
Merlin's expression softened. The glow faded.
"What money are you thinking about?" she asked, curious.
Lorian sighed, exhausted.
"Man... is there anything you can't do? At least tell me you used everything you had against me."
"Only three of thirteen skills," she answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Jane stepped closer. "Merlin, keep him immobilized. We'll hand him to the authorities... the few that remain. He'll tell us everything."
Burst scratched his head. "And we need to find Mister Victor. He vanished out of nowhere."
"I'll look for him," said Merlin, floating a few meters off the ground. "The trap won't fade."
"Alright," Jane replied. "We'll handle things here."
And so, Merlin rose slowly, passing through the heavy clouds.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The rain fell softly, almost silent, and the wind carried the metallic scent of blood.
I floated low, scanning the area with my perception. Everything was destroyed — the ground split, walls burned, trees bent by a force beyond comprehension.
The trace of mana was intense, unstable... and familiar.
Victor had been here.
My chest tightened. I could still feel what he had left behind.
The residual energy guided me to a spot — a faint reflection on the wet ground.
And there he was.
Lying face down in a puddle, motionless, blood slowly flowing into the water.
For a moment, I thought it was too late.
I descended without thinking, my feet touching the cold ground.
"Victor..." I called softly.
No response. Only the sound of rain striking his body.
I turned him over carefully, resting his head on my lap. The water stained the white fabric of my vest, but I didn't care.
His black hair was sleek and heavy, plastered to his face. But his eyes... when they opened, they were red — glowing in a shade I had never seen before.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, his gaze distant, empty, looking aside.
"...Are you okay?" he asked finally, his voice hoarse and faint.
That caught me off guard.
Me? Okay? He was the one barely breathing.
"Yes, I'm fine..." I answered, forcing a smile. "You're the one who—"
But I stopped.
What I felt in that instant... wasn't something words could easily describe.
His emotions were gray — dense, suffocating. Through [Mental Echo], his thoughts echoed within me like a desperate whisper.
A mix of despair, shame, and anger.
The words looping in his mind repeated like a broken mantra:
"I'm weak.
I lost.
I want to run.
Try again.
I have to get stronger.
I want power.
Power... power... power..."
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to bear the weight of those emotions.
It was something worse than just anger — a cold, empty feeling.
The loneliness of someone who believes they weren't enough.
When I opened my eyes again, I understood the scene around us.
All of it... the destruction — it was his doing.
He had used too much power.
Even fighting with everything he had, he had lost.
And now, lying there, drenched and bleeding, he couldn't hide how much that tore him apart inside.
"Didn't even touch her... didn't even scratch... just destroyed everything around... and still lost."
His voice echoed faintly in my mind, low and resigned.
I said nothing. I just leaned closer, staying by his face.
He didn't react at first — remained still, as if he didn't understand what that meant.
But slowly, his shoulders began to relax.
The blood mixed with the rainwater, and the faint warmth of his weakened body was the only proof he was still there.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Then, without saying a word, they stayed like that for a long time.
And during that time, everything went silent.
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