"I will admit. I underestimated your friend."

Aedrox said while tracing a pattern in the air with his flaming sword before finishing it with a swipe.

A typical way of intimidating one's opponent in a sword fight but it didn't do much for me. I was too worried about my own condition to pay his intimidation any heed.

My arms are numb and tired. My claws are trembling from the repeating heavy blows. My tail feels heavy. Even my vision is going out of focus. I'm starting to see doubles.

This is not good and this outcome is unexpected.

"This Vessel is more than it seems. The body is flexible. It doesn't fight with my commands or will. It's movements are smooth, like the cogwheels are regularly lubricated."

Although it is a compliment but not for me nor the corpse he's defiling.

"As expected of an Oni. If I have given him a little more time to grow, I think he would have been a good substitute if I can't have you."

Aedrox said something that would sound weird if it's taken out of context.

Growls came out with every heavy breaths that I draw. To his words, I can only shrug in my state.

Aedrox's swordsmanship is beyond my imagination.

The more we fought, the better he becomes. Even with [Clairvoyant], I can barely defend or dodge the attacks. Unlike before, there was no excessive strength or wasted movements. Everything was precisely adequate. I even lost count on how many ruses I fell for.

I turn back into my human form.

My size didn't help in the fight. I was only a bigger target but not that it matters much now. I have increased vitality in my Awakened form at least. If I fought in my human form, I would already be dead but seeing how the situation is unfolding, I would be dead as hell in both cases.

"We aren't a threat because of our aberrant tricks, Harbinger."

It's Harbinger again, huh.

"No. We are a threat because of our ability to adapt. Whatever tactic or plan our enemies came up with, we adapted to it and we crushed them at their own game. We have never cease to evolve."

Hearing his testimony, I find it hard to believe they were defeated because of the Mondras unless the Mondras possess equally terrifying abilities too. According to Engrande, each Mondra has its own unique trait. Their unique trait was an unintended beneficial side effect. Indara has yet to show such side effect but I guess time will tell?

Aedrox took a step forward and I took a step back as a natural response. Yikes. This is a sure sign of acknowledgment of my imminent defeat.

Come on, take effect already. Please don't tell me it doesn't work.

"You look like you're waiting for something. Waiting for me to make a mistake?"

"Hopefully."

"Do you still think you can come out victorious in this?"

"I would like to believe that, yes." I tried my best to smile but my trembling lips aren't too convincing.

"Even despite all notions to the contrary?"

I'm covered in wounds. I can heal them but that would break the terms of this battle. The terms is only reason I'm still drawing breath. I can't cheat, not yet. "Yeah.... At least if I fight, I would have a small chance to win as oppose to surrendering. Even if that chance is less than a single percent."

"Is this it? Is this the famous hope I heard so much about, the thing you humans and the other Sagax races cling hopelessly on to?"

"It is the same hope you and your brethren cling to. You are just as adamant, persistent, determine, and stubborn as we are. We're not that different. In the end, we are both refusing to let go of something."

Aedrox looks at me with those dark violet eyes of his without saying so much as a word. I feel like he's evaluating the philosophy in my words but my real intent is just to buy time. Now that I had a proper look, I notice there's some red tinge slightly mixed in his eyes.

"I guess we are."

Oh? That answer was unexpected.

I might have been obvious with my surprised reaction cause his next words were "I know. I surprise myself too. This Vessel is really affecting me more than I presumed. He had a strong will. Strong enough to defy his basic instinct as a Goblin. I guess he deserves.... my respect."

I scoffed. "Now you're talking about respect? Isn't it kinda too late for that?"

"When you lived as long as I have, nothing is ever too late. It just becomes harder, that is all."

He rushed in as soon as the last word left his lips. The jabs he rushed in with are almost unavoidable. Even with [Clairvoyant], I'm only getting by with grazes.

"Come on, fight back now. Are you conserving your energy for the moment that I slip up?"

"Sort of."

I'm not retaliating. I'm just dodging. Fighting without using movement magic is hard. I relied too much on my magic but my class is a Battle Mage after all.

A part of me is concentrating on Aedrox and the other part is eyeing at my MP bar. It's only a little bit above the halfway point. I thought about buying time by concealing myself with [Presence Detachment] but since he's so focus on me now, I don't think I could elude him for long.

While my mind drifts off the topic, Aedrox's sudden assault surprised me.

He drew a trail of intense dark purple.

-- AH!

I screamed as I thought I lost my hand but it turns to just be a very deep cut is all. Even without pain, getting hurt still makes me jump. I guess the concept of getting hurt equals to pain is deeply ingrained in my mind after all. It will take years to completely get rid of that.

He leaps over me as I blocked against a feint. Yes, I'm blocking with my bare hands but of course, coated with defensive magic. Although that was a waste of Mana since it was a feint.

I have no choice but to attack as a defensive strategy. He bends his body like a gymnast and attacks in that weird form.

-- His sword pierced through my left palm as I tried to defend against an attack aim for my head. Turns out my human form truly can't stand against his ferocity.

I'm being pushed back with his flurry of attacks. Without any choice, I invoke [Partial Awakening] to conserve Mana and only transform my claws and let out my tail.

I receive those heavy blows with a cross guard of my claws . My reinforcement magic on my claws are failing. With each clash of my claw with the fiery blade, I felt the defensive magic cast being chipped off.

"I always thought you and your kind, the humans, the Sagax, took the world for granted. I might be wrong, I can see that now. Some of you are always grasping tightly to everything you currently you have, like you."

"You noticed. Good for you but I'm not sure how that benefits me in anyway."

"You know, maybe I won't fully devour you when I take you as my vessel. Perhaps we could come to an agreement like you and the First Beast."

"Yeah, right. No thanks. It may sound good in your head but trust me, when shit hits the fan, you will want me out of your head."

"Maybe but your persistence of refusing to surrender is admirable. I almost sad to see it gone."

"You're slowly starting to think like a mortal and even act like one. You're sure you don't need to get yourself check?"

"Who knows? Perhaps this is the first step into assimilating unto our new home, or if that won't work, our new home will assimilated unto us. Either way, we are not waiting anymore."

From an egoistic sob to this. Either he's reaching enlightenment or he's just high on his host's resolves and feelings.

"You know, Aedrox, if we met way earlier on, way before you and your brethren lost all hope in being nice, I think we would likely had come to an understanding, you and I."

He chuckled. "I concur."

"But now, I don't think so. I can't trust your desperation and I most certainly can't trust the one who killed my companions. You have to be destroyed."

"Destroyed, huh? We even tried doing that to each other, it didn't get us anywhere. We got hurt, we healed and we're back to square one. We're immortal and eternal. We're indestructible. We are undying. Mortals called it a gift but to us, is it truly so?"

"That's sad but ain't my problem. I got my own hands full." I prepare for his next wave of assault. "I'm sorry."

"Your apologies are meaningless. You're not at fault. No one is. It's just nature running its course."

"Enough talk. Just come at me. Waiting is only going to make it more unnerving." Ironically, my real intent is the antithesis of my words.

"Well, Hyx. It has been a pleasure. Time to--"

He paused. His whole body froze.

He stared those stiff eyes of his at me.

The intimidating and terrifying aura around began to fade.

His eyes stayed widen.

The Void Flame Sword in his hand is slowly loosing its life.

The dark purplish veins that cover his whole body are loosing their light.

He fell to his knees while gasping for air.

Finally.

It's taking effect.

He stares straight at me, straight into my soul. His calm facade twisted into a furious grimace.

"You.... What have you done....? Are you this much of a coward after all?"

"In my defense, this was done way before you set the terms and rules."

"You...."

I don't exactly know what is going on with his body. All I know is that it worked. I can tell by his fading energy. I have cut him off from his source from which he draws his powers from, presumably the Void.

What I did was that I planted a clump of jet-black metal into his Vessel's body. The black metal clump is the failed byproduct from forging Indara. The accumulation of my darkness and negative emotions. In a way, it can be interfere as the physical manifestation of my will.

To think that it would actually be strong enough to affect Aedrox, that itself is a testament to how much darkness I harbor within me.

"COWARD!!!"

Loosing all his composure, Aedrox rushes straight at me.

I heal my wounds that I couldn't do before and prepare for the collision.

Except that it didn't happen. Aedrox unleashes his aura radially right before we collided. It was within my calculations but the massive range wasn't. I [Free Warp] at least a mile away from him but the energy wave caught up to me.

I throw up every defensive skills and abilities I have and withstand the wave.

The wave lasted for a few seconds before dying down and I find myself in wounds with only one third of my MP. I survived the wave by concentrating on my healing to heal faster than I'm taking damage.

I didn't let my attention wander off from Aedrox while I patch myself up.

When the dust and smoke settled, I see him limping towards with gasping breaths.

Black veins with slight reddish tinge encroached his body, replacing those dark purplish veins.

I guess that's my "corruption" taking root?

[Title - - Acquired]

[Title - - Acquired]

[Title - - Acquired]

Oi oi. What's with these titles? They're certainly not something that look good on a resume except for the last title.

"What.... did you.... put in me?"

He realized what truly happened it seems.

I have put that in him when I blew his head off with [Force Spear] and stuff my hand in him. I actually enchant that clump of metal with a little [Presence Detachment]. That little enchant shaved off fifteen percent of my MP. [Presence Detachment] is really costly. In fact, it has the highest cost till this date with mass movement abilities as the runner up. But to my surprise, [Free Warp] has a reasonable cost.

"My wrath. My despair. My fear. Everything dark of me, I ingrained it into your very soul. I don't really know but that's the closest thing I have to an answer."

"The antithesis of your benevolent will..... Unbelievable..... To think it could overwhelm me...."

Yeah. It can but it won't last forever. I have to finish this while he's still under that effect. Judging from the dying glow in his body with Mana Vision, I bet he can't use a lot of his tricks, hopefully his healing powers too.

I can barely use any magic now too. I have to conserve what little MP I have as contingency.

I deactivate my [Partial Awakening] and I take out another Mithril Sword from [Vault].

His flaming sword looks like it is about to vanish but he did something to it and as the flames vanished, a crystallized version of that sword is in his hand. He made the sword independent of his energy.

Impressive.

Once again, it all comes down to our swordsmanship.

Our swords clashed.

I feel less weight in his swings.

He went for a thrust and deflecting it was easier than before.

He went for quick attacks and I saw every swings that came at my way even without [Clairvoyant].

He really isn't able to use a lot of his powers now.

In addition, he's slower.

He's really weakening. Good. Now I can definitely--

Eh?

W-what?

A flash went by my eyes, and something drew a scar across my face.

"You underestimated me, Harbinger."

Ha....

A swing came. I deflected it but somehow, it came back and drew a wound across my waist.

"Thanks for those.... memories. It came in handy."

Oh shit. I fucked up.

By corrupting him with my will, he also gains a portion of my memories.

Crap. I did not take that factor into account. Rather, I didn't think such thing was possible.

"I see.... you're an offworlder. It's been too long since the last Harbinger was an offworlder."

I feel like I heard something important but with my life on the line here, nothing sounded really more important at the moment.

Crap. How much does he know, that's the real question here.

"And you..... you have led a very sad life." And he led his words with a laugh.

"What's so funny about my memories?"

"Not your memories but you live a life similar to us Void Demons. Unable to die, unable to live. Trap between those two world. Enduring the suffering everyday as you stay strapped into one place with only a tiny glimpse to the outside world. Just like us."

Hmm.... Now that he mention it.... Ah--?

My mind wandered off for a moment there and he thrust the sword at my head. It ended up grazing my temple. The swing continues on.

Each attack wasn't as heavy as before but it was swung in away that makes it near-impossible to deflect or dodge with someone of my level of skill.

Damn it. He knew too much about me now. He even knows my weakness.

"And after you reincarnated.... you became a.... vile person."

He looked at me like I some sort of a trash.

"You're simply the lowest being. To think someone like you, became the Harbinger. I'm shocked. Has the Goddess finally gone senile?"

As much as it pains me to listen, I can't deny him. He is right about me.

I was a vile person.

This memory came back to me when I evolved but it was a memory that I wish not to acknowledge.

I am indeed a terrible person when I reincarnated. At that time, I have yet to regain memories.

From a toddler, I was your typical rich and spoiled brat. Those cliche troupes.

I have committed a lot of atrocities but they were all done moderately. I never cross the line. I always made sure that I could get away with the atrocities. The consolation was that the deeds were only something a kid would thought up.

But it doesn't change the fact that I was a terrible person.

When I came of age, the moment my memories from my past life returned, I couldn't believe how depraved I have been. As if it was karma handling down judgement, I was deemed someone without a spark, I was exiled. No one helped me. No one will. I was a brat. They were relieved to see me gone, even my own blood kin.

But a businessman I met along the way saw something in me. Perhaps he could tell I was blessed by a god, and in fact, I was blessed by a Goddess. Oroviosa. So, I took on his family name, Atlas. Life wasn't good but it wasn't bad. That respite gave me some time to think.

I know one day, I will have to fulfill my promise to the Goddess who reincarnated me but I want to atone for what I have done before that happened. And I joined the Faith of the Nines as a volunteer.

It kinda surprised me that the Nines wasn't the typical corrupted religion normally portrayed in fictional piece. As far as I know, they do good work and the Cardinal is a good person just from a single glance. Actually, he looks kinda naive that I'm afraid he would be taken advantage of.

There, I met Iluna and Vira. Two girls who I have came to cherish a lot. My first real friends in this world, and also my entire life including my past life. Eventually, I fell in love with one of them, Vira but there was a rival, Luna.

No matter which way you slice it, that situation was simply a recipe for drama but It was simple to me, really. My stay with them wasn't permanent. I knew I would have to leave to fulfill my promise some day, so I gave up Vira for Luna.

While enduring my aching heart, I let the days went by and by until he appeared.

The First Beast.

It came as a huge surprise to the amnesia me that the First Beast and Visa is in cahoot. Drawing conclusion from fragmented memories is really unreliable and dangerously ignorant.

The First Beast caused some troubles in the region and I was the first one to connect the dots since I knew this was part of the promise. That was his signal to me. I knew the time has come for me to leave behind this mortal life.

But I have regrets. I.... I still love Vira. I want to at least....

And along came a complication.

Vira was acquainted with the First Beast. She had took him in when she was still a child at the orphanage she lived in. The First Beast was only and still in his larvae form although it wasn't mandatory. He was simply recuperating from his last major battle from thousands of years ago and being in his larvae form was the optimal solution.

The First Beast who received warmth and kindness for the first time in eternity, accepted her care without hesitation.

The young and naive Vira secretly raised him up like any other house pet but she shouldn't have.

When he recuperated to a certain stage, the miasma he had unconsciously released attracted a monster stampede. which primarily consisted of Mimic monsters. The horde decimated and destroyed the orphanage and nearby towns and villages.

Vira instantly knew the First Beast was the cause.

She began to despise monsters from that point on, especially Mimics. She gained an extreme prejudice against them. She swore to hunt down the First Beast who destroyed her life.

The First Beast, having ran away from Vira, began to live a life in secrecy and solidarity until he recuperated fully. And that was when he began to search for me, the Harbinger, his Shepherd.

I would have found him first but I hesitated. I didn't want to leave because of a single girl. I never really believe in love. Bound to a bed in my entire previous life, romance was a foreign subject to me. My first love.... I didn't want to part from her despite already having given her away.

Due to my hesitation, Vira found the First Beast first. This was also her knight promotion quest. To her, it was two birds one stone. She relentless hunt him down until he was back into a corner.

However, Vira didn't stood a chance against a stuff of legends. She was incapacitated before she knew it.

Like a comedy skit or something close to it, that was when I caught up to the two. A monster over seven feet in height looming over an unconscious girl in knight's armor.

Seeing that rare defenseless side of her, it incurred something within me and this was where I made all the wrong decisions due to my lust.

I came to truly appreciate her superficial beauty. A face, figure, and proportion envied by all the ladies and desired by most men.

I want to ravage her. I want to make her mine.

I struck a deal with the First Beast. I will fulfilled my promise. In exchange, he will leave her alone and will not retaliate to her pursuits.

After that, the First Beast left and we agreed on the time to began the soul unison at a place without prying eyes, the underground dungeon which where everything started. I still do not know whether it was coincidence, fated, or intended for a Void Demon to reside so close to the ritual.

But before all that, I let myself succumb to my lust.

With a lie already prepared in my fucked-up mind, I raped her in her sleep.

I let everything out inside her. I wanted to mark her as mine.

When she woke up some time later, I lied to her about what happened.

The worst part is....

She believed every word without so much as a single doubt. She believed that I saved her from a monster. Me, someone without a spark. And she believed this sack of shit of an excuse, with a smile.

A genuine smile filled with nothing but admiration, gratefulness, and appreciation.

And her hatred and prejudice against monsters grown even stronger because of me. I have hid the fact that I sexually assaulted her in her sleep but she remembered she was assaulted.

My twisted lie and her unshaken trust on me, it somehow manifested into the delusion that the First Beast took her virtue.

She descended further into the darkness because of me....

.....

I'm just the worst.

I didn't change. I was still the same vile person I was before I regained my memories. The same wretched boy who think he was the top of everything.

As if to punish me, the nearest Kingdom picked up the energy spike as the First Beast prepared for the ritual.

Thing got complicated.

I joined the expedition. I joined it in hopes to protect Vira after the ritual of the soul unison but reality as always, were unkind. That energy spiked trigger the long dormant monsters that were once just ordinary magic beasts but long twisted by the Void energy that leaked out from the seal.

Things went wrong.

I didn't want this. Never had.

All those peoples.....

They died because of me.

Unable to cope with it, I chose to wipe my memories when I became one with the First Beast.

It had always been my choice to loose my memories. I always thought it was weird that even if the First Beast's memories were too much, there wasn't any reason for me to loose my memories too. I was given the choice to keep my memories but I can't bear with everything I have done.

I wanted to start anew.

I got my wish, somehow but.... I knew that one day..... all of this will comeback.

And it did.

In the midst of a fight with possibly the strongest being in the world.

But even now, I still question it.....

Why me....? Why choose someone like me that would betray a friend for personal relieve?

I wanted to ask the Goddess that the next time we talk. I want to know why she pick me out of everyone.

[Title - - Acquired]

Appropriate although undeserving. I am aiming for redemption but....

..... but now, I got a potential World Ender to deal with.

I say that but.... it's harder than it sounds.

Though he has gotten significantly slower and weaker but it doesn't mean I have gotten any better than him.

He knows where to strike and how to strike. He knows when to strike and when not to. He fully knew what I am capable of and I'm not.

It became more one-sided than before. My opponent knows almost everything about me.

"This will of yours.... It won't hold me forever. Your will might be stronger but ours are far more etched into our souls. Our resolve is mightier and it's forever. Your chains won't hold."

As a testament to those words, I began to sense some of his energy rising from him.

Ah..... I really need to end this fast.

With more ferocity, he swung that Crystallized Sword at me.

With every clash, I feel the numbness seeps deeper. I'm loosing strength too and the fatigue is coming. I have been fighting way too long.

I can't carelessly use any magic or skills since my MP is low. It would suck big time if it turns out he has another trick up his sleeves.

What can I do....

The usual tactic would be to disable your opponent's weapon, be it one's fist or sword but how to go about that?

Hmm.... What if....? Since his weapon is no longer dependent of his energy, then....

On the nth clash, my Mithril sword finally broke against the crystallized sword.

"This is over." He announced with a resolute expression and thrust the blade at the defenseless me. However, he frowned when he noticed the smirk I just couldn't hide when I hit upon that certain idea.

The sword of crystallized Void Flames disappeared from his hands.

"W-what...!?"

I sent a quick jab at the confused and dumbfounded Aedrox and sent him sprawling on the ground.

What I did was something kinda low and hilarious. I store his sword into my [Vault]. The theory is that the less bound an object is, the easier it is to store it. For example, a stone tied strongly to a house would be impossible to store it but it would be a different question if the stone is tied loosely to the house instead.

Since his sword became "independent" and he lost most of his powers. I figured nothing could prevent me from stealing his sword with [Vault]. My bet paid off.

"Fine."

He said. Staring straight at me with eyes that refused to give up. And I can see why.

My dark will that is chaning him is crumbling. The hold on his powers would not last much longer.

The Void Flames came back albeit weak.

"Is it too late to say sorry?" I asked.

He didn't answer. He charges straight at me with those flame-clad fist. He is even using short-range teleportation to confuse my vision.

Although his powers are not back to full force, those fist clad with Void Flames would still be lethal to me if I receive one or two punches in my current condition.

With the last ounce of my MP, I used it to raise as many defensive skills as possible. I'm sweating ice cubes as I watch my MP bar decreasing.

I was assaulted with a huge radius flame blast attack and I am forced to use a strong defense skill against it. [Famine Shield] helps but only on this attack. Those flame punches have too short contact duration to be effective for [Famine Shield]. Even so, [Famine Shield]'s conversion efficiency depended of the type of magic absorbed and I came to learn Void energy has the least efficient rate.

He knew I would absorb that flame blast attack.

Using my own technique, he appears behind me while I was confronted by what's in front. He summons another Void Flame Sword into his hands.

I knew what he was trying to do but there was nothing I could do in response. While still absorbing the flame blast with [Famine Shield], a sword is being swung with the intend to cut me into two halves.

It's too slow. [Famine Shield] is not absorbing it fast enough and it's only a shield not a three sixty barrier. My back is wide open and the blade is coming closer to my waist.

"Got you--"

Aedrox's confident grin is once again erased by my out-of-situation smirk when I shot him a glance. I bet he could even felt something was wrong because I used a magic spell on him. It is an intermediate rank spell called [Sealing Magic: Mystic Shackle]. It is used to seal one's movement including the ability to use movement-related magic or skills. It wouldn't have worked on him if he was at his usual strength and I wouldn't have use it if the Mana cost is high.

I got his movements sealed.

From [Vault], I took out a dark purplish and faint reddish crystallized sword and brought in around a full three sixty. This is the same sword I stole from him.

Nice, this blade is sharp and cuts nicely. The half-drained fire blast is cut into half and lost its bravado, and at the same time, I cut off one of Aedrox's arm just as [Mystic Shackle] came undone.

Can I make it? Can I do this?

Asking myself the two million dollar question, I once again clash swords with Aedrox. My sword shatters into thousands of shimmering splinters and shards on the fifth clash.

And my MP reach its limit. It wasn't zero but that single digit number makes no difference. My whole body feels tired and heavy.

Aedrox who saw my condition, shoots out a small bolt of Void Flames through my right knee from the tip of his sword.

Guh! Shit!

Loosing my bearings, Aedrox drew a wide arc at my eyes with his sword.

My whole world is plunged into darkness the next instant.

I don't feel pain. Even if I do, everything feels like a tiny prick to me. But.... even though I was no longer acquainted with pain, I screamed from having my eyes lacerated.

I can't see.

I can't see.

But the initial fear dissipates just seconds after.

I'm comforted by an immediate fact.

My eyes aren't the only asset that provides me with cognitive abilities

I can't see.... with my eyes but.... I can still sense them. Putting aside my Mana sensitivity, I still have my amplified hearing, my amplified instincts, and even the vibration reverberating through the air from all the objects around me are picked up by my sensitive skin.

What a fool I have been. I have so much tool at my disposal but I have only relied on one.

Perhaps my instincts as a beast is taking over. I actually see everything clearer now. It's like I'm seeing only the necessary information.

Aedrox has a heartbeat. It isn't exactly a heart beating but the core in the center of his chest is pulsing like a heart. That is definitely his "heart" and I just need the right weapon to hurt it.

I can tell Aedrox has yet to realize that taking away my eyes has not rid me of my cognitive abilities.

And it's strange. My HP and MP bar is still visible to me. It's like they aren't part of my vision but my mind. I guess that is kinda true.

Aedrox attacked. He is open. He think he had won.

He may have my memories but getting rid of my eyes have just rendered those information he has of me inept.

When he came close enough, I move in even closer to avoid his sword. He clad his whole body in flames as a quick response to my sudden unexpected movements. I can tell that he panicked and he knew he shouldn't. He is invoking a teleportation type of spell. His whole being has a very minor shudder as the air around him closes in. This minute details couldn't be seen with the naked eyes but I picked all this information up with my amplified senses.

Heh. I should get a red suit and helmet with two horns after this.

I uppercut him in the jaws with my elbow, discombobulating him and cancelling his invocation of a teleportation skill. Of course, my arms is charred down to the bare flesh in seconds upon contact with those flames. Ignoring that wound, I kneed him in the abdomen, also receiving the compensation of touching a burning body at the same time.

My reckless actions is not without a plan.

The number on my MP bar turns into a single oval-shaped number as I used the last remaining MP to invoke [Vault].

I drew out a jet-black shiv with a length no longer than my hand. It is made of the same jet-black metal of my amassed darkness. This was what I was making in the layers of sub-spaces. I left some in its raw clump state and I used the remaining to craft and refine it into this shiv.

Aedrox's breath ceased as he took notice of the peculiar shiv in my hand. He douses the flames that swallowed his body and uses a different skill. The shuddering of of his molecules around him tells me that he is invoking another teleportation magic.

I thrust and as expected, he dodged it with a short-range blink. I wield the shiv in reverse and swing at him who had blinked to the side. He too blinked away from that spot. My strikes and slashes kept finding air but like always, I waited.

As I attack, I track his movements. I track his patterns. I track his behaviors corresponding to his next actions.

-- At the same time, I keep an eye on my MP bar which is slowly recovering.

I waited as I observe him.

-- A part of my attention is on the recovering MP bar. Splitting my attention is a feat that was near impossible for me but loosing my sight somehow helps in using parallel thoughts. Odd but I won't question my damn luck too much.

He has the same eyes. Constant viggilance of any trickery I might be up to.

-Come on, just a few more.

After he evaded a quick cross cut from me with quick consecutive blinks, I thrust as if I'm throwing my whole body at him.

Like usual, my attack missed on the empty air.

-- Come on, a little bit more.

I put my foot forward to prevent my fall from thrusting forward too much. I once again grip the shiv in reverse. I swing the shiv into the empty space behind me.

Milliseconds before the shiv reached its destination, the air in that particular area shudders. The tiny dusts in the air parted as if to make way for an object.

As the shiv arrived at its destination, Aedrox appears right at that moment and at that spot.

My swing is met with resistance. He saw it coming and now my arm is at his mercy. Gripping my arm tight, he ripped it apart from my shoulders.

Holy shit, it stings but this is nothing.

-- So close. A bit more.

He snatched away the shiv which was still being held in my torn hand and brought the blade down at me.

I dodged it by leaning back but I throw away my balance by doing so. Shit.

Gripping the shiv in reverse like me but instead of swinging, he threw the shiv instead, at the me who was still recovering my bearings.

There was no option for me to move out of the way, not until I regain my bearings.

-- Ah! That should be enough.

-- In his current state where his power is still below the nominal point, it should work.

As the tip of the shiv is just a few inches away from my heart--

I tip my head at Aedrox who had the look of someone who knew he had just being played.

-- I invoke [Switch Warp] with just the right amount of my remaining MP which went down to zero after this.

The shiv found itself lodged deeply and firmly into a heart.

Aedrox's "heart".

I win.

[Title - - Acquired]