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.
Chapter 304 – Tempestborne
Erynn gave a faint smile as he looked at the two slashes across his torso.
The flesh quivered, closed, as if nothing had happened.
— …Tss. Not even a scar.
Shadow raised an eyebrow.
— Seriously? I've seen armors that lasted less than that.
Erynn slowly lifted his hand.
The sky darkened.
Green lightning crashed down on Shadow with a deafening roar.
— Too slow.
— Too predictable.
Shadow caught a bolt with his bare hand.
The energy crackled, then shadow swallowed it.
He turned the lightning into a blade and cut the other bolts mid‑flight.
— See? Energy recycling. Eco‑friendly, too.
— …Show‑off.
Erynn vanished.
An instant later, he reappeared above Shadow, holding a massive anemal hammer.
— Hammer of the Heavens.
He gripped the handle with both hands and struck.
Shadow caught the blow with a single arm.
The impact fractured space‑time.
Reality cracked like glass.
The universe trembled.
Buildings twisted upon themselves.
— Seriously… Shadow sighed.
— You swing like you're trying to impress someone.
He grabbed Erynn's hand and yanked him forward brutally.
— Surprise.
BAM.
Erynn spat blood and was hurled through several layers of reality, crashing into a heap of shattered buildings.
---
Vareth stepped toward Kael, calmly running a hand through his white hair.
— You reminded me of important things.
— To thank you… I will grant a wish.
Kael blinked.
— …Any wish?
— Absolutely.
The pistol Executor watched tensely.
— Seriously…
— Between an all‑powerful anomaly and a guy who breaks the universe bare‑handed, how many episodes did I miss?
---
Far away, Erynn rose painfully.
His body was regenerating, but slowly.
He's too strong.
And he's not even going all out.
He's playing.
A strike suddenly shot toward him.
— Huh—?!
Erynn ducked just in time.
— Piercing Storm!
The attack hit Shadow and sent him flying.
— Hit! Erynn breathed.
Shadow vanished…
and reappeared behind him.
— Is… that really all you can do?
He launched Piercing Storm in turn.
The attack canceled before reaching Erynn.
— You can copy my techniques if you want, Erynn said with a smile.
— But anything based on air cancels before me. Sorry.
Shadow stared at him, amused.
— Kid…
— I think you're getting a little too full of yourself with me.
He vanished.
Blows rained down.
Too fast.
Too precise.
Thanks to his perception, Erynn barely managed to dodge.
— Spectral Strikes!
He staggered back suddenly.
His arm was nearly severed.
Then—
— Not phantom…
Erynn growled.
— These techniques…
— They're Lya's.
The attacks were invisible.
Imperceptible.
Shadow was already behind him.
A kick.
Erynn flew.
Shadow caught him before impact and unleashed punches so fast they formed a continuous barrage.
— Seriously, Erynn.
— You've got good endurance…
— But you're still too soft.
He hurled him away.
— ERYNN! Kael shouted.
Vareth calmly set his gaze on him.
— I told you I would grant your wish.
The pistol Executor clenched his teeth.
— Damn…
— The absolute anomaly is right here… in front of me.
---
From the rubble, Erynn rose.
A green glow enveloped him.
— …You asked for it.
His hair turned green.
The air howled.
— Tempestborne Form.
A surge of power swept across the zone.
Shadow smiled, finally sincerely.
— Ah…
— The kid really wants to start the hostilities.
— This time… Erynn growled,
— I won't hold back.