"I… don't need peace…" Taufik rasped, each syllable dragging from his throat like glass. "What I need… is to keep moving forward! That's my responsibility… and I'll see it to the end!"
The ground cracked beneath his feet. His katana screamed with dark flame as his hand finally grasped it again.
The entire chamber trembled, light and shadow colliding in a storm that cracked the illusion of stillness.
And for the first time, Belphegor's lazy smile faltered.
Belphegor's half-lidded eyes twitched. For the first time, something shifted in that eternal lethargy. Not anger. Not fear. Just… inconvenience.
"…Ah~ ah~ now that's troublesome," he muttered, his tone still dripping with drowsy disinterest, yet carrying a hint of annoyance. "…Just surrender, won't you?"
The Chains of Apathy rattled and cracked as Taufik's shadows surged. The sluggish sludge beneath his feet hissed, retreating against the flare of Darkness that refused to be swallowed.
