Dreg roared.
The obsidian platform cracked under his weight as he lunged forward—arms mutated into blades, jaws splitting open wider than any creature should have. The air warped around him from sheer brute force.
Alecto raised her hand and fired a pulse of sound, but Dreg shrugged it off like a gust of wind. Shade stood perfectly still, watching the chaos unfold.
I didn't wait.
I activated Wrath Dash and shot across the platform toward the Sovereign Core floating at the center. Chains surrounded it, glowing with runes, pulsing like a heartbeat.
System Notice: Sovereign Core Sealed
Unlock Requirement: All Combatants Must Be Neutralized
I cursed under my breath.
So this wasn't about being the first to reach it. I had to survive and eliminate the others.
Behind me, Alecto and Dreg were locked in a deadly dance. Her sound waves shredded pieces of his mutated flesh, but his regeneration was too fast. Too wild.
He slammed a limb down—Alecto barely dodged, her wing flickering with light.
Then Shade moved.
He didn't run or jump. He floated. The shadows beneath him extended like living things, and tendrils lashed out—one aiming for Dreg, another for Alecto, and one snaking toward me.
"Again?" I growled.
I activated Sin Infuse: Wrath + Pride and punched the tendril away.
But the real attack wasn't physical.
System Alert: Mental Intrusion Detected
Origin: Unknown Sovereign Authority
Effect: Memory Leak Initiated
My vision blurred.
I saw a woman screaming.
A city burning.
Chains… on my own hands.
Then it vanished.
The Shade's voice echoed in my mind:
"Don't you remember who you were?"
"Shut. Up."
I clenched my fists and blasted forward, intercepting him directly this time. We collided mid-air. His form flickered—half-solid, half-smoke—but I wasn't aiming for his body.
I aimed for his core.
My hand plunged into his chest—into shadow—and grabbed something cold.
He hissed.
Then vanished again.
Coward.
---
Behind me, Alecto fell to one knee, blood streaming from her temple. Her attacks had weakened Dreg, but she was out of breath.
Dreg turned toward her, drooling, his flesh crawling.
I couldn't let him finish her off—not yet. Not while Shade was still loose.
I fired a flame blast between them, forcing Dreg to turn.
"You want a meal?" I called out. "Come get me!"
He roared and charged.
I waited until the last second—then dodged left, leading him around the platform's edge.
He followed like a beast on instinct.
I ran up the chain that circled the platform, leapt across a floating boulder, and spun mid-air. He followed—leapt too.
But I was ready.
Skill Activated: Sin Domain – Wrathflare
The air ignited. A wall of fire erupted around me in a full circle.
Dreg screamed as the flames swallowed him.
He crashed into the edge, burned and dazed.
I landed hard, panting, watching his body writhe.
He was tough.
But not unkillable.
System Notice: Dreg of the Maw – Severely Weakened (42%)
Almost there.
I stepped toward him—
But my foot didn't land on stone.
It landed on nothing.
The floor vanished beneath me.
I fell—
And slammed into another platform below.
---
"Split Arena Detected," the system chimed.
I was alone.
But not for long.
A figure floated down behind me, shadows curling from his hands.
Shade.
"Why not let them kill each other?" I asked, getting to my feet.
He tilted his head.
"Because I want to see you break."
He raised both arms.
The shadows surged forward.
I summoned my Sin Blade, the crimson weapon now crackling with burning pride.
We clashed.
Blades of shadow met fire. Sparks exploded. Darkness screeched against rage.
Each of his strikes carried a curse—slowing my thoughts, dulling my senses.
But I pushed forward.
I wasn't fighting with technique anymore.
I fought with anger.
Every swing came faster. Harder.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" I shouted as I drove him back.
Shade smiled through the onslaught.
Then whispered, "Your reflection."
I slammed my blade down.
But it passed through him.
He was gone again.
No—he was behind me.
A blade pierced my side.
Pain exploded.
System Alert: Internal Bleeding – Minor
I dropped to one knee.
He stepped in front of me.
"You could join me," he said. "We are the same."
"Then why do I hate you so much?"
Flame burst from my palm. A point-blank explosion sent him flying.
He vanished into the mist.
And I collapsed, breathing hard.
---
Above, the platforms began pulling back together.
Alecto stood at the Core now.
So did Dreg—barely holding on, blackened and burned.
The system chimed again.
Final Stage Activated
All Combatants Rejoined
Core Unlocked: Claimant May Initiate Final Duel
I teleported back up just in time.
The platform beneath the Core grew in size, pulsing with energy.
We all landed at separate corners.
Shade. Dreg. Alecto. Me.
All of us burned. Bleeding. Exhausted.
And yet—ready.
The Core pulsed again.
A silver circle formed around it.
Whoever stepped into the circle would trigger the final duel.
Alecto looked at me.
Then at the others.
Her eyes softened, just a little.
"You're different," she said. "Not like the others."
"I'm not sure if that's good or bad," I muttered.
"Maybe both."
She smiled.
Then stepped into the circle.
The Core flashed.
Dreg roared.
Shade moved.
And I stepped in after her.
All four of us stood inside the ring.
Then—
System Notice: Final Duel Initiated
Combat Mode: Deathmatch – Only One May Claim the Core
Restricting Teleportation. Locking Exit.
The chains surrounding the platform snapped inward.
We were locked in.
Then the countdown began.
3... 2... 1...
And all hell broke loose.