—Madness and Desire—
"Meow—!!!"
The black cat let out a sharp, explosive roar. The sound wave blasted out, sending the dark figure flying back several meters before it crashed heavily to the ground!
Johan rushed forward. "Eren! Are you okay?"
Eren raised a hand. "I'm fine."
In that split second, he had already gathered protective energy around himself; even without the cat's intervention, he might not have been injured.
The dark figure staggered to its feet, trying to escape into the black mist—
Swish!
Two throwing knives shot through the air, precisely piercing both its calves!
"Nice shot, Slim Fox!" Johan yelled, charging forward with his blade. "Dare to ambush my brother? Seeking death!"
Clang—!
Blades met, sparks flying.
Johan froze. The weapon in the dark figure's hand was actually—a Vigil-Wyrm standard-issue straight sword!
His face changed dramatically. "You... you're a Vigil-Wyrm?!"
The dark figure let out a low, grating laugh. The black aura around it suddenly receded, making it appear even more sinister.
It was a distorted human face—
Deathly pale skin, eyes glowing with bloody red light, lips black as ink, and strands of hair a stark crimson, as if soaked in gore.
He wore the standard GVA cloak.
Ethan gasped in shock. "Carlos?! It's Carlos Mendes from the First Combat Squad!"
Thud!
Carlos kicked Johan away, using the momentum to charge once more toward the black mist.
But he didn't escape—
From all sides, the Vigil-Wyrm had already formed a tight encirclement.
Nadia's gaze was sharp as a blade, her voice low and heavy as she spoke:
"Carlos... are you still in control of your senses?"
Facing Nadia's questioning, Carlos let out a fit of hysterical laughter:
"Clear-headed? Of course I'm clear-headed! I'm more clear-headed now than I've ever been!"
"If you're so clear-headed, why did you attack Allen?" John climbed to his feet, dusting off his clothes—his ample frame had cushioned the blow, sparing him from serious injury.
Carlos turned to Allen, a sinister crimson light flickering in his eyes. "Why kill him? Because he can not only see through the black mist but also remain sane amidst the slaughter. In this fog, I cannot allow such a special existence. So, he must die."
Allen stared back at him. "Are you sure you're truly clear-headed?" Though his words were logical, his frenzied eyes betrayed his true state.
"Of course I am!" Carlos waved his arms fervently. "This black mist grants power far beyond what a GVA could ever achieve! Once the mist envelops the entire world, I will become the supreme being! Power, wealth, beautiful women... everything will be within my grasp. Give up your resistance. Merge with the black mist, and you too can have all you desire!"
His voice carried a sickening fervor, like a cultist bewitched by a sinister doctrine.
"You've been corrupted by the shadow energy," Allen said sharply. "The you right now isn't the real you!"
"So what?" Carlos spread his arms, reveling in the black mist. "I willingly accept this corruption. You say I'm mad? I believe I've finally found true freedom. No longer bound by the GVA's rules and regulations, I can do whatever I want! This is truly living! Come, join us, and you will feel this unparalleled freedom too."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. None had expected an experienced GVA to be corrupted to this extent.
Nadia looked at John. "Big Bear, check his vital signs."
A golden light flashed in John's eyes, and his brow furrowed. "His life force is abnormally vigorous, but... the flame is actually black. Is he even still alive, or is he already..."
"We capture him alive first," Nadia decided without hesitation.
---
—Nadia Falls—
"Capture me? With what?" Carlos sneered. "I told you, the mist has given me unimaginable power. Nadia, even if you're a Field Commander, I'll kill you all the same!"
Before the words faded, a pitch-black spike materialized before him and shot toward Nadia with lightning speed. She tried to dodge, but her feet became entangled by tendrils of black mist.
Thwump—
The spike pierced through her chest, then violently shuddered. Nadia's body exploded on the spot.
"Sis Nadia!" Allen cried out in disbelief, unable to accept that a Field Commander had fallen just like that.
The others tried to rush to her aid, but horror struck as they found their own feet firmly rooted to the ground by the dark fog.
Carlos let out a triumphant, strange laugh. "See? The old me could never defeat a Field Commander, but now killing her is effortless. But don't grieve. She will soon be reborn within the mist."
Allen pointed at the Shadow Fiend on the ground, his voice cold. "Even if she revives, she'll become like these walking corpses, won't she?"
"What's wrong with becoming one with the darkness?" Carlos spread his arms wide, his demeanor utterly manic.
---
—The Brink of Salvation—
"Carlos, the sea of suffering is boundless, turn back to the shore," Ethan pleaded earnestly. "You're being controlled by this evil energy. If you let Allen draw the Shadow Energy out of you, you can still return to normal."
"Why would I want to return to normal?" Carlos laughed madly. "This is the first time I'm truly alive! You can't understand this bliss. Only by experiencing it yourself will you know..."
Allen formed hand seals. Six streaks of purple lightning erupted, instantly dispersing the black energy binding everyone.
"Lightning!" Carlos's pupils contracted. "You really are a menace!"
Just then, three streaks of cold light shot through the air—throwing knives hurled by Xunhuan Lee. However, a black shield materialized around Carlos, easily deflecting the attacks.
Simultaneously, Ethan, Evelyn, and John launched their assault. The trio moved in perfect sync, aiming for Carlos's vitals.
"Hmph! Before the current me, you're nothing but scarecrows!" Dozens of black spikes sprouted from Carlos's body like a porcupine, effortlessly neutralizing their coordinated attack.
Though skilled, the three were forced back, barely managing to parry the relentless assault.
"Damn, it's true what they say," John muttered, dodging awkwardly. "A dark transformation multiplies power tenfold!"
At this critical moment, a black spike suddenly shot toward Xunhuan Lee. He was already overwhelmed defending against other attacks and had no way to avoid it—
At the last possible second, he felt a tight pull at his waist, yanking him backward and narrowly saving him from the fatal strike. When he steadied himself, he found he'd been pulled back next to Allen.
"Stepping back in the face of death is not shameful," Allen said simply, before flashing forward to rejoin the battle.
Xunhuan Lee stood stunned, staring at Allen's retreating back. This person, with whom he had repeatedly clashed, had just saved his life at the brink of death. A complex mix of emotions washed over him; his previous self-righteousness now seemed utterly ridiculous. A relieved, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips as he watched that figure.
---
—Outsmarting the Enemy—
With Allen joining the fray, Carlos focused most of his attacks on him, significantly relieving the pressure on the others.
Allen nimbly dodged the black spikes while circling Carlos.
"Bastard! Do you only know how to run?" Carlos roared, coalescing a massive black hand that descended upon the group like a demonic palm.
They felt as if a mountain were crushing them, their breath catching in their throats.
At this crucial moment, Allen shouted, "Now!"
The black hand disintegrated. Carlos was now tightly bound by countless, nearly invisible threads of energy. Unnoticed by all, Allen had secretly woven a trap around him during his evasive maneuvers.
"Damn it! Let me go!" Carlos struggled desperately, but the threads, condensed from pure energy, were incredibly resilient, holding fast no matter how hard he fought.
"Bro Allen, you're amazing!" Xunhuan Lee said, smoothing his disheveled hair, admiration in his eyes. "To repay you for saving my life, let me help style your hair?"
"Stop right there!" Allen quickly retreated three steps, his face full of resistance.
Xunhuan Lee feigned hurt. "Ah, you won't even accept this? How saddening."
"Enough fooling around!" Ethan checked the time; nearly thirty minutes had passed. "We need to get Carlos back quickly."
No one objected. John and Xunhuan Lee hoisted Carlos up like a prize pig and started marching him out.
"Let me go! I can't leave here! The outside is hell!" Carlos screamed in terror, his voice filled with genuine dread.
John kicked him in the backside. "Shut up and behave!"
"Big Bear! How dare you kick me! I'll turn you into a puppet!"
"Still threatening to turn me into a puppet?" John raised a fist, but Ethan quickly stopped him.
"Don't hit him!" Ethan said, promptly taking off his own sock and stuffing it into Carlos's mouth.
John gave a thumbs-up. "Captain Ethan, you're ruthless."
Xunhuan Lee laughed heartily. "What a successful trip! We got a big win and rescued a teammate. Truly, when I'm on the job, one of me is worth two!"
"It's just a pity about Sis Nadia..." Allen's expression was gloomy. Saving one but losing another—was it a net gain or loss?