Soren staggered to his knees, staring at his trembling hand.
His hand was translucent, allowing the ground to be visible through his palm.
The mana in his body pulsed strangely, the rhythm all wrong, like his own body wasn't his anymore.
Felix's spell fizzled, the vines around them slackening as he gawked.
"The hell was that?"
Olivia's glowing hands faltered, the [Heal] she had prepared dimming.
Her lips trembled as she questioned what had just happened.
"Soren…? What was that?"
Alex, panting, lowered his sword just slightly.
His grip shook, not from weakness, but from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"Soren, can we get an explanation?"
Across the room, Murmur dragged himself upright, silver hair clinging to his bloodied face.
His crescent eyes widened, not with amusement, not with malice, but with intrigue.
[Heehee… I recognise that energy. Paimon's toy?]
Soren's head was clouded, his answer wouldn't come, and he didn't know.
He had heard a system message, then just like in the past, his body had changed in ways he couldn't explain.
The corridor stank of smoke and blood.
Their breaths echoed ragged in the stillness.
Everyone, ally and enemy alike, stared at him, expectant, bewildered, shaken.
Soren clenched his translucent fist; his voice that followed was nothing more than a murmur.
"...I don't know."
And the moment of silence that followed was heavier than the roar that came before.
The silence finally cracked, broken by none other than Murmur himself.
[Heehee… heeheeheehee!]
Wild laughter bubbled up from within him, but this time it was different, lower and more controlled.
The dagger in his hand dripped with his own blood, yet he licked it clean, his tongue dragging across the steel as his grin widened.
The insane laughter faded away, and Murmur's words became clearer.
[Ahhh… this changes everything. Who knew I'd run into you here? I was just here to impress my lord, and yet something interesting has shown itself.]
Purple light bled from his skin.
At first, faint wisps curled from his shoulders, then a flood.
It poured from every pore of his body, a seeping, sticky fog that writhed as if alive.
The air thickened; every breath felt like tar was filling their lungs.
"[D-Dark Energy]...!" Olivia muttered, her face paling.
Alex's knuckles whitened around his sword.
"Everyone, brace yourselves. This isn't the same fight anymore."
The corridor itself seemed to groan under the pressure, stone cracked, and the temperature dropped until each exhale steamed the air.
Murmur's silver hair fluttered, though no wind stirred.
Soren swallowed, his throat dry.
His hand, still faintly translucent, tingled with unstable mana, begging to be used.
He could feel the difference; every spell he touched now would be stronger, more volatile.
But that last [Shockwave] had nearly torn his allies apart as much as it had Murmur.
'If I misjudge it again…'
A faint tug from the back of his mind was felt, the curtains he had placed earlier slightly parting.
He had to stop his train of thought there, or risk opening up what he had shoved away.
Murmur tilted his head, eyes glowing violet as the [Dark Energy] seeped into every corner of his body.
Then, the haze rolled outward, enveloping the corridor in a choking purple haze.
Felix coughed and stumbled back.
"Shit! He's filling the whole place!"
[Dark Energy] was like poison to untainted beings, even more so to those like Felix who held elven blood within them.
But for some reason, Soren felt fine.
His breathing was stable, and his body felt no different, leaving him briefly confused.
Wooonggg
Golden light appeared like a lantern in the purple fog; it was Alex's [Divinity].
He himself was immune to the effects of [Dark Energy], but he still raised his light nonetheless, wanting those around him to be safe.
But even though the Hero had so clearly shown himself, Murmur didn't so much as glance at him.
His lips stretched into something too wide to be called a smile.
[Come now, don't cower. Give me another glimpse.]
The dagger, still slick with his own blood, vanished into the fog.
A moment later, the dagger reappeared, only inches away from Soren's throat, stuck into the wall right beside him.
Murmur only looked at Soren.
Not Alex standing between them, not Felix preparing his magic beside him, not Olivia, who was concentrating divine power in her palms.
Just Soren.
Murmur rushed at Soren, grabbing the dagger embedded in the wall and twisting his body, swinging the dagger at Soren once more.
Flash!
Alex disappeared from sight for a moment, the golden light erupting and filling every inch of the room, before…
Clang!
His sword connected with Murmur's dagger, sweat pouring down his forehead.
Murmur leapt back, escaping into the purple fog, his eyes trained on Soren the entire time.
"He's ignoring us!" Alex shouted, he who had been right in front of Murmur, could tell, his eyes were only set on Soren.
Murmur's glowing eyes glimmered from inside the fog.
[Of course I am. This is a rare chance to play with Paimon's toy.]
"Liv! Cover Soren!"
Dash
Murmur's figure disappeared into the fog once more, his eyes waiting for an opportunity.
It was only then, when Soren had finally pieced together the situation, that he finally spoke.
"Alex! Fall back! Olivia, use 'it'! Felix, restrain!"
His clear, confident voice resonated with everyone.
The only reason he hadn't spoken up until now was because he had to wait, wait and see if things were truly the same.
'It's phase two.'
Although some of Murmur's actions and words were different, it was undeniably his phase two.
"What?! Are you insane?" Alex asked, exasperated.
"Shut up and trust me! Just repeat what you did to me!"
Soren tried to speak in somewhat cryptic words to avoid giving Murmur any hints, and although he was sceptical, Alex nodded before disappearing into the fog.
"To the one that is watching over me—" Olivia's soft prayer trickled into Soren's ear, confirming that she had also understood his words.
A wave of relief washed over him as he readjusted his grip on Labrys, his left hand still see-through.
In that strange hand, he slowly formed a crimson magic circle; the mana in his body felt weird, foreign even, but for some reason, he still instinctively understood how it worked.
The crimson circle pulsed in his translucent palm, multiple circles layering and then fading, evidence of the strange phenomena taking place in his body.
"「Hemokinesis」" he muttered under his breath.
At once, red liquid bled into the air, bubbles of blood forming from nothing.
No, not nothing…
Soren's knees buckled, his veins screamed as if every drop of blood in his body had been tugged toward that glowing circle.
"Damn it… I didn't think about this," he hissed through clenched teeth.
His body felt cold, but he didn't have time to think about that right now.
From deeper in the fog, Murmur's laughter had gone silent; instead, a voice slid through the purple haze.
[Yes… YES! That's it. Show me more.]
The liquid hovering around Soren turned into blades, each of them sharp enough to slice steel like butter, waiting for his command.
For the first time, Murmur stepped forward without theatrics, without a smile, tossing aside his advantage of speed.
His steps were slow and deliberate, his violet eyes locked solely on the shapes forming at Soren's side.
"Olivia!" Soren barked.
Her hands shook as she pressed them together, a silver light spilling between her fingers.
"To the one protecting me, I will ask you; please be [My Light]."
Light burst outward.
.
[My Light (EX) has been applied!]
.
[Blessing of Stamina has been applied!]
[Blessing of Strength has been applied!]
[Blessing of Agility has been applied!]
[Blessing of Mana has been applied!]
[Blessing of Divine Power has been applied!]
[Blessing of Charm has been applied!]
[Holy Infusion has been applied!]
[Heal has been applied!]
.
[Unique Skill [Blessing of Aryn] has increased [My Light (EX)]'s effectiveness!]
.
It pierced through the choking purple fog, wrapping Soren's small frame in radiant silver, the warmth seeping into every pore of his body.
His senses expanded, and his muscles surged with borrowed strength.
The translucent hand shimmered, the circle in his palm growing more unstable.
Thud!
Soren heard Olivia collapse behind him, but didn't look back.
She had entrusted her power to him; he couldn't let it go to waste.
Rumble!
The corridor shook, vines whipping out from the stone walls, Felix forcing one last desperate movement from the intermediate spell he had been holding onto for so long.
The vines flew towards Murmur, constricting around his body like snakes, each one thorned and dangerous.
The vines tightened, the thorns sinking into Murmur's tanned skin, and for a moment it looked like he might actually be stopped.
But Felix's knees buckled, his body collapsing as his last drop of mana escaped him.
He fell limp, eyes fluttering, his consciousness fading into black.
The vines withered to ash in an instant, and Murmur stood amidst them, his skin splitting where the thorns had pierced, and violet fog seeping out of each wound.
His grin returned, faint and slanted, though his words were still disturbingly clear.
[Restraints? Do you truly believe you can hold me?]
He raised a hand, his dagger pointed directly at Soren.
[Paimon's toy.]
The purple haze thickened once more, all of it centred around one person, Soren.
Soren felt the blood blades orbiting him twitch slightly in response.
[Show me what you really are.]
Dash!
Murmur's figure blurred, his dagger cutting through the purple fog like lightning.
Clang!
Soren raised Labrys up just in time, the impact of Murmur's blade rattling his arms.
Sparks flared as they locked blades, and his knees nearly buckled under the weight.
"Gh—!" He forced out a strained breath, twisting his body aside.
One dagger slipped past his guard, grazing his cheek, hot blood spilling down his lips.
But before that blood could fall any further, it began to float.
It flew through the air until it made its way to one of the many blood blades, settling inside.
The crimson circle in his palm throbbed.
Soren's will snapped into the blades of blood orbiting him.
Shhhhk!
The red liquid formed from blades into a jagged spear and lunged forward, striking Murmur's flank as Soren continued locking blades.
The demon staggered, violet fog bursting from the wounds, his crescent smile returned, though his eyes burned with determination, or maybe hunger.
[Show me more! Come on, Paimon's toy! Show it to me!]
His madness returned slightly, but the creepy laughter remained gone.
Soren's vision blurred slightly.
Every droplet of blood the spell tore from him left his body weaker, colder.
The only thing keeping him going was Olivia's [My Light] forcibly mending his body.
The spear dissolved into a group of smaller blades, all aimed toward Murmur.
The blades slashed across Murmur's arms and chest, each cut oozing black blood and purple haze.
Murmur moved forward, ignoring his wounds, and staring at Soren with a deformed, twisted grin.
Shatter!
The crimson circle in Soren's palm shattered as he clenched his fist, his mind already focusing on his next move.
Slash!
One dagger tore the air, only inches away from Soren's throat.
Clang!
But Soren blocked it, just barely.
His arms creaked under the weight of Murmur's strength, his lack of strength amplified by the blood loss, but he didn't panic.
Wooongg…
A pale-blue circle slowly formed beneath Soren's foot, slowly enough that even Murmur, who was right in front of him, was unable to notice.
When it was finally ready, Soren raised his foot slightly and parted his lips with a faint smile.
"「Freeze」"
Kwaaajaaakk—!
Ice shot out across the floor in a jagged line, thin and brittle, like shattered glass.
It spider-webbed outward from his heel, rushing toward Murmur's stance.
The frost coiled around the demon's bare feet, forming a fragile crust.
It wasn't thick enough to bind, only enough to catch him off guard, thanks to the magic circle coming from Soren's foot rather than his strange hand.
The sound of cracking echoed immediately as the ice strained under his weight, but for that moment, Murmur's feet refused to move.
"Now—" Soren cried out at the top of his lungs.
The world went silent.
The fog stilled, and Soren's words stopped.
Even Murmur's dagger, mid-swing, halted.
Time itself had stopped.
From the stillness, Alex emerged, golden light pouring from every inch of his body, his sword raised in both hands as he stopped before the demon.
He looked at Murmur, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
「Fialova Swordsmanship - Downward Slash」
With one swift motion, he brought the radiant blade crashing down.
It was a simple swing, but being amplified by [Divinity] made it the bane of every demon and monster alike.
Alex placed his sword in the ground, the light receding into him, as time began to play out once more.
"—Alex!"
Sizzle…
What played out before Soren's eyes was miraculous.
Alex, who had been hidden away at the corner of the corridor, had appeared before him, golden light shining brightly, and within that light, Murmur's body could be seen burning away, as the [Divinity] ate away at his body.
Relief washed over Soren as the tension drained from his body, his legs giving out from under him.
He could feel exhaustion pulling at him, but he forced his eyes to stay open a moment longer.
"...Alex, thank you."
Thud!
Without even waiting for a response, Soren's body collapsed onto the floor, his breaths quickly becoming steady.
————「❤︎」————