Ethan slowly backed away, the energy storm Saruto had unleashed still swirling around his body. His eyes, radiating that dual aura, were a mixture of light and shadow. They shone with an awe-inspiring power.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment, as if the world itself held its breath. Saruto raised his head slightly, and in a deep, dual voice, a voice that echoed Void's, he said confidently, "Shall we continue, Ethan?"
A small smile touched the master's lips, and the hem of his black cloak fluttered under the influence of his dark energy. "Of course. I've never seen you so serious."
The next instant, the two of them lifted off the ground, soaring through the air amidst swirling energy. Their gazes met—the gaze of a disciple who believes he has no limits, and the gaze of a master proud of his creation. Then, in a single flash, they vanished.
Only a single crash was heard, enough to make the earth split open beneath them. Blows clashed—sword and chains against scythes. Each time their weapons clashed, a massive wave of energy erupted through the room. The blows were so swift that even the shadows couldn't keep up, and Saruto merged with Void more and more with every passing second.
Suddenly, Saruto surged forward in a lightning-fast motion, swirling his swords around his body, then unleashing a devastating bowstring that pierced Ethan's defenses. Sparks flew, and a piece of Ethan's armor shattered, flying away to crash to the ground, creating a gaping crater.
The room fell silent for a few seconds. Saruto was panting, drenched in sweat, but his eyes still burned with the same intensity. Ethan raised his head from the rubble, wiped the blood from his mouth, and then chuckled softly, a hint of pride in his voice. "Well done, Saruto… You managed to break my armor."
He raised his scythe, and the air around him suddenly shifted, becoming heavier, deeper, as if the very space itself were preparing to swallow his light. Then he murmured in a low voice that echoed from other realms: "The second scythe skill… the steps of the Grim Reaper."
In an instant, total darkness engulfed the Time Room, even the violet light emanating from Saruto's energy vanished as if swallowed by nothingness. Saruto's eyes could see nothing, his ears could hear nothing. His senses were completely extinguished.
Suddenly, a blow! A searing sensation pierced his side. Then another from behind, then a third from his left side. Blood spurted, and there was no sign of Ethan anywhere. Saruto screamed inwardly: "Where is he?! I can't see him… I can't hear him!"
The blows continued, one after another, without pause, without any predictable pattern. Every time he tried to defend himself, the scythe's energy pierced his body from a new angle. He continued to be lashed out until his strength gave way. He collapsed to his knees, panting, his breath ragged, sweat mingling with blood. But in the midst of the darkness, a glimmer of an idea flickered in his mind.
Saruto closed his eyes and slowly extended his hands. A dark, circular aura began to thicken around his body, gradually solidifying into a semi-transparent sphere of shadow energy, spinning slowly. Before Ethan's next blow could land, the scythe blade slammed into the sphere, its sound reverberating within Saruto's mind like a distinct spatial flash. In that instant, he knew exactly where his opponent stood.
He spun with astonishing speed and swung his sword into the void. The sword struck the scythe, and the entire space trembled with a violent light. Ethan took two steps back, his eyes wide with rare astonishment: "Impossible… this isn't a coincidence."
But Saruto didn't stop. Each strike followed the next, and every attempt by Ethan to attack was met with a perfect counter. The dark orb around him was like a living machine, detecting every movement in the shadows, sending him instantaneous signals of any intrusion, allowing him to pinpoint his opponent's location with deadly accuracy. "What do you think of my new skill, Ethan?" Saruto said in a quiet but powerful voice.
Then, tightening his grip on his swords, he continued, "I've created a new circle of awareness from the darkness, one that reveals any disturbance within it. Now you can't hide from me anymore."
Ethan paused for a moment, then chuckled softly in admiration. "Brilliant… I didn't expect you to figure that out so quickly."
He lowered his scythe for a moment, then raised it again, and the air began to tremble as if the place couldn't bear the surging energy. The scythe turned pure black, surrounded by streaks of deep purple light. Then, in a deep voice that filled the room, he said, "Well done, Saruto… but if you can hold off the Reaper's footsteps, will you withstand my final, most powerful skill?"
He extended the scythe forward, and energy began to gather in its blade, forming a dark vortex that swallowed all the light around it. A heavy silence fell over the room; even the Void within Saruto felt awe at the growing power. Saruto smiled faintly and said in a confident, double voice, "Show me what this skill can do, Ethan."
And here, Ethan announced in a chillingly calm voice, "The Reaper of Souls."