Chapter 153: The Fairness of Absolute Control
Brrrmmmn...
The flames that had consumed the battlefield were finally beginning to die, leaving only scattered embers glowing among the scorched remains of the earth. Above them, the endless crimson sky watched without judgment, its oppressive light falling over a landscape that looked as though it had been torn apart by forces the world was never meant to contain.
Daito Greyhell remained on his knees, his body leaning forward as blood continued to drip from the enormous wound across his torso. His breathing had become so faint that every inhale sounded as though it might be his last, while the strength that had carried him through countless battles steadily abandoned his limbs.
Gyoran stood over him with the black sword hanging loosely at his side. For several long seconds, he said nothing, simply observing the man who had challenged him with everything he possessed and still ended up broken at his feet.
Finally, he sighed.
"Our battle..." he said quietly, "...is over."
He stepped forward without any hostility, then released the black blade from his hand.
Clink.....
The sword landed gently across Daito's lap.
Daito barely glanced at it. The weapon that had seemed so terrifying only moments ago now felt distant, almost irrelevant, as though the battle had taken place in someone else's life.
Gyoran folded his arms and turned his attention toward Nyx's fading dimensional gate.
"When I walk through that portal, I'll give you one final order."
Silence.
"You'll kill yourself."
The words came so calmly that they sounded almost ordinary, as though Gyoran were asking Daito to carry out some insignificant task before they parted ways.
Daito's eyes slowly lifted toward him.
"...Why?"
Gyoran adjusted his posture before crouching slightly, bringing himself closer to Daito's eye level.
"Because..." he answered, "...that's simply what my Savage Power does."
He watched Daito carefully, apparently deciding that there was no longer any reason to conceal the nature of his ability.
"You've only seen fragments of it. My Savage Power works in two different ways."
He raised one finger.
"The first is physical contact. If I touch someone, I can temporarily dominate their mind. It's useful, but weak. A strong enough Savage can resist the influence, fight back, and eventually reclaim control of themselves. The domination doesn't last forever."
He raised a second finger, and the casual expression on his face began to disappear.
"The second..."
He paused.
"...is verbal."
For the first time since approaching Daito, Gyoran's voice carried a distinctly colder edge.
"That's the dangerous one. The moment someone hears my words, understands them, and pictures exactly what I'm describing, they've already opened the door."
His eyes remained fixed on Daito.
"The mind accepts the image. The imagination becomes the bridge. And once that bridge exists..."
A faint smile returned to his face.
"...I simply walk across it."
Daito's breathing grew even quieter as he struggled to follow the explanation. His body was already on the verge of collapse, and every word seemed to demand more concentration than he could afford.
Gyoran continued regardless.
"You remember Champagne. The Mystic Dragon Destroyer."
Daito's expression changed almost imperceptibly at the name.
"He imagined exactly what I told him, and his consciousness was pushed aside. I didn't erase him. I simply..."
Gyoran raised his hand and made a gentle pushing motion, as though moving an object out of his way.
"...moved him out of the driver's seat."
He lowered his hand.
"The body became mine. The mind merely watched."
A cold breeze passed through the ruined desert, stirring the loose sand around their feet.
"That's how my strongest technique works."
Gyoran straightened, allowing the explanation to settle before adding another detail.
"But there's one unfortunate distinction."
His expression became almost sympathetic.
"Everything I just explained only applies to Savages."
Daito slowly frowned, although the movement was weak and unsteady.
"You..." Gyoran continued, "...aren't one."
The words hung between them.
"You're a human. You possess no Savage Power, no supernatural reinforcement, and no innate resistance to my ability."
He tilted his head slightly.
"So, for someone like you, there's no difference between my weak control and my strongest control."
His smile returned, small and unsettling.
"They're equally absolute."
Daito felt his heartbeat sink.
His fingers refused to move, his arms felt impossibly heavy, and even the effort required to lift his head seemed beyond him. It wasn't merely the blood loss or the damage inflicted by Gyoran's sword. The realization that his own mind could become a weapon against him left him feeling trapped inside a body that no longer belonged entirely to him.
Gyoran watched him for another moment before speaking again.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
He tapped the side of his head.
"I can also briefly read the thoughts of people under my influence. It doesn't last long, but..."
His smile widened.
"...it's very useful when I need to anticipate my opponent."
Daito stared blankly at him.
The words reached his ears, but most barely registered in his mind. Everything felt distant and muted, like listening to a conversation from beneath the surface of deep water. Only a handful of fragments remained clear enough to understand.
'Kill...'
'Control...'
'Champagne...'
'Human...'
'Absolute...'
A hollow sensation settled deep inside him.
'There's... nothing... I can do...'
His fingers wouldn't respond. His legs wouldn't respond. Even lifting his head felt impossible.
For a moment, Gyoran continued to study him, perhaps waiting to see whether the defeated swordsman had anything left to say. When no answer came, he quietly picked up his torn coat and slipped one sleeve on, followed by the other. He straightened the fabric, adjusted the collar, and smoothed the wrinkles with the same meticulous care he might have shown before entering an important meeting.
Finally, he picked up, put on, and pushed his glasses back into place.
Without another word, Gyoran began walking toward Nyx's portal.
Step.....
One step.
Step...
Then another.
The shimmering gateway flickered weakly in the distance, its edges distorting as though the passage between worlds were struggling to remain open. Gyoran continued toward it until he reached the threshold and stopped.
Then, for some inexplicable reason, he leaned forward.
FWOO....
Only his head passed through the portal.
Several seconds went by.
FWIISH!
Then Gyoran slowly pulled his head back into the monster dimension.
"Hehehe..."
He was laughing.
Not loudly, nor with the explosive laughter of someone who had heard an amusing joke. It was a quiet, breathy chuckle that seemed to emerge from somewhere deep inside him, accompanied by a smile that looked increasingly out of place on his face.
The respectful rival was gone.
The calm inventor was gone.
What remained was a man whose eyes gleamed with frightening excitement, whose smile seemed to stretch beyond the boundaries of ordinary amusement, and whose composure had begun to reveal something far more unsettling underneath.
"See you..." he murmured, looking directly at Daito.
His chuckle continued.
"...Daito."
Without waiting for a response, Gyoran stepped through the portal.
The dimensional gateway rippled violently around him, and its light immediately began to weaken.
Daito's exhausted mind struggled to process what he had just witnessed, but one thought managed to push its way through the fog.
"Nyx...Something happened...he must have done something... the portal was collapsing, and it was happening fast...."
to be continued.....