Chapter 300 – The Beam Impossible to Dodge (and the Chains That Weren't Planned)
The sword Executor rose painfully.
His technological armor was almost entirely destroyed, reduced to charred, dangling plates.
He planted his blade into the ground to help himself stand.
He smiled.
— …I'll finish you.
— Once and for all.
A pale aura enveloped him.
His wounds began to close.
The burns slowly receded, as if the pain retreated reluctantly.
— Mana‑assisted regeneration, the pistol Executor observed.
— He's recycling his vital energy to repair critical damage.
— In short? Erynn asked.
— He refuses to die.
— Relatable.
The Executor then focused his mana on his technological sword.
**Effect: Terminal Resonance Overload.**
The blade changed.
Its vibration became unstable, yet incredibly dense.
Each oscillation compressed the air around it, creating a permanent rupture zone:
everything the blade brushed was cut before contact.
— Ooh… murmured Erynn.
— Now he's not cutting anymore.
— He decides where matter ceases to exist.
— …That's broken.
— Welcome to the Labyrinth.
Kael inhaled deeply.
He took position.
A beam began to form between his hands.
Not yet fired.
Condensed.
Unstable.
But first—
He stomped the ground.
— Judgment of the Volcano.
The ground exploded.
Not a simple crack:
the earth shattered, split, turned over on itself.
Columns of flame erupted like geysers.
The ground became magma, unstable, undulating, projecting waves of fire.
— He's turning the terrain into hell, Erynn explained.
— Not to kill.
— To destabilize.
— And to prevent him from dodging what comes next, the pistol Executor added.
— …Ah.
— So he's preparing something really nasty.
— Yes.
The thermal beam was still forming.
A laser of pure heat, concentrated to an absurd point, capable of melting the air itself.
— Impossible to tank.
— Impossible to block.
— Theoretically impossible to dodge.
— Theoretically, Erynn repeated.
— Very important keyword.
Erynn and the pistol Executor rose into the air.
One by pressure control.
The other by dorsal thrusters.
— Your technology is fascinating! Erynn exclaimed, literally bouncing in midair.
— Could you explain how it works?
— …You're taking notes in the middle of a fight?
— Always.
The pistol Executor sighed.
— All of this was created by Him.
— The one who rules this world.
— He designed these technologies for those with little mana… or none.
— Amplifiers, converters, stabilizers.
— In short, he gave the weak a chance.
— We all know who he is.
— But… we know almost nothing about him.
Erynn frowned.
Aeris thought:
I haven't checked Erynn's memories—
**Message from the Labyrinth:**
❖ Warning
❖ Forbidden to reveal an identity dissonance
❖ Any violation will result in immediate mission failure
— …Charming, Erynn murmured with a tight smile.
— Yet, he continued aloud,
— the sword Executor has a huge mana reservoir.
— Yes, the pistol Executor replied.
— And yet…
— The one who scares me is himself.
— He's stronger than he shows.
On the battlefield—
The ground had become an ocean of fire.
The sword Executor leapt, technological wings bursting from his back under the impulse of his mana.
He launched slashes into the void.
Invisible blades split the air.
Kael raised a wall of flames.
It was cut apart.
— Ah, noted Erynn.
— Bad elemental interaction.
Kael forced himself.
The thermal beam accelerated.
Too fast.
His body trembled.
He spat blood.
— He's exceeding his limits, the pistol Executor said.
— Yes, Erynn answered softly.
— But he knows it.
The sword Executor charged.
Kael thought of his mother.
Of the state in which he had found her.
Traumatized.
Broken.
— I WILL NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!
Flames exploded around him.
The Labyrinth watched.
And was… sublimated.
Kael thought:
He can dodge my beam.
Even if it's supposed to be impossible to dodge.
I must block him first.
His legs trembled.
His body screamed to stop.
But his will refused.
In a higher realm—
A being opened its eyes.
— …These flames.
— They managed to wake me.
He smiled.
— I have resurrected. Hahahaha.
The sword Executor prepared to strike.
He was certain of victory.
But—
Burning chains burst from the ground and seized him.
— WH—?!
— This is my last chance…
— Fiery Chains.
— Wait, he had that? the pistol Executor asked.
— Apparently, Erynn replied.
— He didn't know either.
Kael raised his hand.
— Thermal Beam.
A flash of absolute heat pierced space.
A gaping hole appeared in the sword Executor's torso.
The chains dissipated.
He took two steps.
Then collapsed.
Silence.
Kael panted.
— …I… did it.
He lost his balance.
Erynn caught him and held him.
— You've done enough. He activated his healing.
— Rest.
Kael slowly recovered.
The pistol Executor looked at his comrade's body.
— …So I'm the only survivor of the three.
Suddenly—
The ground cracked.
A head emerged from the earth.
An overwhelming aura filled the space.
Erynn's eyes widened.
Applause echoed.
— Ahhh…
— So you're the famous prodigy.
Chapter 301 – The Man Who Walks Through Bullets and Rules
The new figure advanced slowly, hands in his pockets, as if strolling through a park.
His gaze briefly passed over the body of the sword Executor, then to Kael, still panting.
— That spell… he said calmly.
— It wasn't in his previous patterns.
He tilted his head slightly, thoughtful.
— An activation without clear intent.
— Not a learned technique.
— Not a mastered formula.
He smiled.
— Just a pure refusal to lose… made manifest.
A small laugh escaped him.
— Honestly?
— That was a masterclass. I've rarely seen anything like it.
Erynn immediately sensed something abnormal.
Not direct hostility.
Not an attack.
But a presence.
Crushing.
Dense.
Calm… like a predator that doesn't need to rush.
— …He has the aura of an elite hunter, Erynn murmured.
— No… worse than that.
He raised his eyes to the figure.
— Who are you?
The man blinked, as if only just remembering his manners.
— Oh.
— Sorry, my lack of courtesy.
He straightened slightly.
— Shadow.
A man with black hair, black eyes, wearing a black‑and‑white hoodie, adorned with a metallic chain that clicked softly with each step.
A neglected, almost provocative style.
But his gaze… was anything but ordinary.
Erynn frowned.
— I don't know you among the hunters of the Black Eclipse Guild.
— Are you new?
Shadow gave a faint, sad smile.
— …You could say that.
— I'm the former Duplicator.
Silence.
— A fallen being, now.
Before Erynn could respond—
**BANG. BANG. BANG.**
The pistol Executor fired without thinking.
The bullets passed through Shadow.
Literally.
No resistance.
No impact.
Just… emptiness.
— …OKAY, noted the pistol Executor.
— That's creepy.
Erynn narrowed his eyes.
— Intangible…
— To my knowledge, only Lya, from the Black Eclipse Guild,
— and Nyss, from our Northern Pantheon Guild,
— possess that kind of ability.
Shadow nodded.
— Naturally.
— My essence evaporated, originally.
He shrugged.
— I was supposed to disappear.
— Permanently.
He sighed.
— But Lya prevented that.
— She stabilized what was left of me.
He gestured to his own body.
— Her power influenced my essence.
— Result: I recovered a partial version of her abilities.
He tugged at the hood of his hoodie.
— And this disgusting punk look.
— I used to be handsome, you know.
— Now I look like a background actor in an underground film.
Erynn hesitated for half a second.
Then, timidly:
— …Actually, I think you look pretty hot with that style.
Silence.
Shadow blinked.
— Huh?
— People tell me that often, he admitted.
— But I don't really believe it.
He glanced away slightly.
— Anyway.
Erynn continued, more serious:
— Alright…
— Then it all makes sense.
He inhaled.
— But what's your objective here?
Shadow smiled.
— Ah.
He lifted his eyes toward him.
— My objective?
He spread his arms slightly.
— It's to get rid of you.
In his mind:
*Truth is, I was only asked to test you.
But I'll put on a little pressure. Just to see.*
A bead of sweat rolled down Erynn's temple.
— …Commander Liora let you do this?
Shadow burst out laughing.
— Oh, you're worried about me?
— That's cute.
He nodded.
— Yes.
— I have her direct authorization.
Erynn clenched his teeth.
— How could she allow something like this…
He glanced at Kael, still weakened, then at the pistol Executor.
— …I suppose I have no choice.
He stepped forward.
Shadow watched, amused.
— Ohhh.
— Alright.
A dangerous smile spread across his face.
— Things are about to get messy.
And somewhere, the Labyrinth held its breath.
Chapter 302 – The Wind, the Shadow, and What Refuses to Die
Erynn's two eyes lit up with incandescent yellow.
— Activation: Aerial Perception.
The world changed.
Erynn no longer saw with his eyes, but through the air itself.
Every movement, every variation of pressure, every breath revealed an invisible silhouette.
The air became a living map:
turbulence sketched bodies,
currents betrayed intentions.
Even Shadow, intangible, left a distortion in the flow.
— I see you, Erynn murmured.
He extended his hand.
— Anemal Blades.
The wind condensed, sharpened, folded until it became blades of pure pressure.
No matter.
No mass.
Just a difference in pressure so violent it ignored all physical resistance.
The blades burst from all directions and converged on Shadow.
Shadow, one hand in his pocket, sighed.
— Hm. Interesting.
A blade of shadow materialized in his hand.
His right eye glowed with a violet light.
The anemal blades assailed him.
— These blades… Shadow murmured with a smile.
They cut while ignoring solidity. Even if dodged, they pursue their target.
With absurd precision, he slashed.
Once. Twice. Ten times.
All the blades were severed, dissipated as if they had never existed.
Erynn's eyes widened.
— Huh?! But… how can you cut wind?!
Shadow tilted his head slightly.
— Simple.
Your attacks rely on a stable pressure differential.
I vibrated my weapon at an inverse frequency, creating a perfect counter‑pressure.
He smiled.
— In short: I blew up your wind from the inside.
— …That's illegal, Erynn growled.
Erynn inhaled deeply.
— Very well.
He raised his arms.
— Storm of the Infinite Horizon.
A colossal gust unfolded in all directions, covering the space like an ocean of layered winds.
Then Erynn whispered:
— Metamovement: Omnidirectional Flow Body.
His body dissolved into the currents.
He wasn't teleporting:
he existed simultaneously in every stream of wind, moving instantly from one current to another.
Attacks erupted everywhere: anemal blades, compressed projectiles, bursts of ionized wind.
Shadow let it all pass through him, impassive.
— It's tiring to pretend to be impressed…
He raised his blade.
In an instant, he traced an absolute circular cut.
The wind was severed.
Not repelled.
Not dispersed.
Cut.
The currents collapsed like torn fabric.
— I cut the continuity of the flow, Shadow explained calmly.
Without continuity, no movement. No omnipresence.
Behind him—
— Got you!
Erynn appeared and struck.
Shadow smiled.
He turned instantly, grabbed Erynn's wrist, and hit him.
One blow.
Two.
Ten.
Twenty.
A final strike to the stomach.
Erynn spat blood and was hurled to the ground.
Shadow stepped back, exhaling.
— Honestly…
It's more complicated than I thought.
But do you see the problem?
He looked down at him.
— You're giving everything.
Me? Not even yet.
Erynn rose with a grimace, healed himself, then loosened his hair, letting it fall freely.
— Don't worry…
You haven't seen anything yet.
Shadow smiled.
— Perfect.
Don't disappoint me.
Make me dream, kid.
Suddenly, the sword Executor's body moved.
His mouth stirred.
The pistol Executor paled.
— …He's not dead.
A crushing surge of energy exploded.
The body rose.
The technological armor disintegrated.
White hair.
Burning eyes.
— Opening all seals.
The truth burst forth.
The sword Executor was the creator of the technology.
The one who had designed the armors, the reactors, the mana‑science hybrid systems.
He had sealed his power voluntarily.
Out of pity for the weak.
So they would never feel inferior.
So the world could advance without depending on a god.
— I have ruled this world from the shadows, he said calmly.
And now…
His presence became so overwhelming that the higher dimensions of the Labyrinth trembled.
Kael clenched his teeth.
— …He's alive.
— How is that possible?! the pistol Executor shouted.
The man smiled.
— Because I do not die as long as this world still needs me.
Erynn stepped toward Shadow.
— Don't worry.
He smiled despite the crushing pressure.
— I won't disappoint you.
Shadow burst out laughing.
— Perfect.
Three monsters.
A Labyrinth that watched.
And a battle that had just changed scale.
Chapter 303 – The One Who Refused to Be a God
The white‑haired man stepped forward.
His mere presence made the air vibrate, as if the world hesitated to keep existing around him.
— My name… he finally said,
**VARETH NULLIS.**
A heavy silence fell.
He set his gaze on Kael, a faintly nostalgic smile on his lips.
— You opened my eyes.
Your will… that absurd obstinacy to keep going even when everything screams at you to give up.
He inhaled slowly.
— Fighting not to win, but to avoid feeling weak.
Protecting what you cherish, even when the world is unjust, imperfect, cruel…
He closed his eyes.
— You reminded me that it is precisely those imperfections that give birth to the most precious moments.
Kael stayed silent, uneasy.
— …Thanks, I guess.
Then he frowned.
— But then… what is your goal?
Vareth lifted his eyes to the sky.
— I was born in a world built on injustice.
A world where the strong crushed the weak,
where power decided the value of a life.
His voice remained calm, but heavy.
— My family was neither rich nor influential.
My parents were not strong.
But they loved me.
A brief smile crossed his face.
— At that time, I didn't even understand how different I was…
He paused.
— Until the day local lords decided our existence was inconvenient.
The silence grew even more oppressive.
— That day, I understood my strength.
And I understood the world would never change as long as only the strong decided.
He clenched his fist.
— I overturned that system with my own hands.
I destroyed those who ruled it.
They called me a god.
He chuckled softly.
— So I refused to be one.
He spread his arms.
— I created technology.
Armors capable of rivaling mana.
So that the destitute,
so that those born with little power,
would never again feel inferior.
— I ruled this world from the shadows…
while living sealed among you.
Erynn whistled softly.
— So in summary…
you're the final boss who just didn't want anyone to feel useless.
— Exactly, Azevran replied without irony.
— Storm Warden.
The wind howled.
A colossal storm dragon materialized behind Erynn, its wings tearing the sky.
— Go on, Erynn whispered.
Show him.
The dragon dove at Shadow and unleashed a breath of fire mixed with wind, vaporizing everything in its path.
The explosion was so violent the ground vanished.
Silence.
Then Shadow stepped out of the flames, intact.
— …That was supposed to do what, exactly?
Erynn grimaced.
— His intangibility… without it, I'd have already folded him.
Shadow sighed.
— Alright.
Then I'll stop.
He vanished.
A fraction of a second later—
The dragon was sliced into a thousand pieces.
— What?! Erynn shouted.
But you promised!
— I said I wouldn't use intangibility anymore, Shadow replied.
Not that I'd be nice.
Erynn charged, a wide smile on his face.
— Big mistake, Shadow.
— That's what you think.
An anemal blade formed in Erynn's hand.
— **Cutting Whirlwind.**
He spun, creating a compressed tornado around his blade.
Shadow blocked with his shadow blade, smiling, then struck with a kick.
Erynn dodged just in time thanks to his perception and countered:
— **Absolute Zephyr Rend.**
A wind so violent it tore reality itself, fracturing space like glass.
Shadow was hurled away, crashing through several buildings.
He braked with one hand.
— Okay…
That was rough.
He attacked again, but his strike stopped dead.
— Wh—?
— **Aerial Anchor,** Erynn explained.
I froze the airflow around your arm.
You hit an invisible wall.
Erynn grabbed his leg and slammed him to the ground.
— **Tiger's Claw.**
Three invisible slashes struck Shadow.
He blocked with his blade and vanished, reappearing behind Erynn.
An anemal blade blocked his attack at the last second.
— Seriously?! Shadow complained.
How many hidden techniques do you have?!
— Not enough to beat you…
but too many to die, Erynn smiled.
Shadow dove into the shadow and emerged beneath Erynn.
Two slashes appeared across his torso.
Erynn staggered back, panting.
— …Okay.
It's starting to sting.
Shadow smiled.
— Good.
Now we're really having fun.