The sword, driven by Nephis's hand, had pierced Kane's heart. He felt the cold steel, a searing, immediate agony that stole the breath from his lungs. Yet, even as his body reeled, his mind, fueled by rage and shock, fought back. He instinctively gripped the hilt, his fingers closing around the cold metal in a desperate attempt to pull it out. But in a shower of brilliant sparks, the sword vanished, leaving behind nothing but a gaping, bleeding wound.
Kane stumbled, his vision swimming, his body struggling to stay upright. He turned slowly, his eyes finding Nephis standing just a few feet away, her expression cold and filled with a terrifying, murderous intent. A single, desperate thought echoed in his mind: 'Is… this… how… I… am… going… to… die?'
Before he could fully process the thought, Nephis summoned her sword again, its flawless blade now aimed at his neck. She moved with a speed that defied logic, a flash of silver poised to sever his head from his shoulders. Kane, however, was faster. With a surge of newfound power, he summoned [Ultimate Defiance], his own sword materializing in his hand just in time to intercept and parry the killing blow.
As their blades clashed, a strange sensation blossomed in his chest—an intense warmth, a faint, almost imperceptible itch. He looked down, his gaze fixed on the gaping wound. To his astonishment, tiny, black threads were weaving themselves together, a macabre yet beautiful tapestry of self-suturing flesh. The wound was not just closing; it was healing, a slow but steady process fueled by a pulsating, heart-like energy. The source of this miraculous healing was his Band of Heaven, which had slowly unraveled into these minute black threads, its size decreasing with every moment, its power now actively mending his ravaged flesh.
A wave of relief, cold and sharp, washed over him, a calm amidst the storm of pain and betrayal. A manic smile stretched across his face as a single, furious thought solidified in his mind: 'Time to take out the trash.'
Nephis saw this inexplicable development. Her eyes widened, and her meticulously crafted expression twitched with a mix of shock, confusion, and a hint of fear. She took a hesitant step back, her perfect composure finally cracking, revealing a sliver of genuine vulnerability.
Kane's rage, however, was only just beginning to ignite. He looked at her, at the woman he had believed in, fought alongside, and saved countless times. He had offered his trust, his companionship, and this was the thanks he received—a sword, plunged into his heart. His gaze intensified, a raw, unfiltered hatred burning in his eyes, promising retribution.
Nephis, her mind reeling from Kane's miraculous healing, was still processing the unexpected turn of events. 'Luckily, Cassie acquired the Memory about this attack, but I didn't mention this to her,' she thought, the cold rationale of her grand plan still struggling for dominance amidst the chaos. She had expected Kane to lash out, to be predictable in his anger, but what happened next shocked her to her very core, shattering any remaining illusions of control.
Before her eyes, Kane's form began a dramatic transformation. His skin shifted, morphing into a deep, ethereal blue, like the twilight sky. Golden runes, intricate as ancient glyphs, spread across his entire body, glowing with an otherworldly light that pulsed with barely contained power. His dark hair turned a shocking, brilliant silver, shimmering with an unnatural sheen, and his face became a canvas of swirling golden sigils. The air around him crackled with raw energy.
Nephis stared, her mind scrambling for an explanation for this sudden, divine metamorphosis. Then, a memory of one of Cassie's most recent prophecies, a vision she had arrogantly dismissed as impossible, came rushing back to her with horrifying clarity.
There was a high wall, and above the wall, a brutal fight was coming to a conclusion. You was beaten until blood began to flow, and she was lying on the cold stone floor. On her, there was a person with blue skin covered with golden runes and a shock of silver hair and that person had placed its foot on Your chest, in a gesture of absolute dominance and cruel victory.
The pieces clicked into place with a sickening, undeniable certainty. Her facade of cold confidence utterly crumbled as she muttered, the words barely a whisper of horror, "It was Kane. It was Kane all along." A new, chilling fear entered her eyes, a fear that transcended mere physical danger.
"What are you?" she asked, her voice hushed, no longer the composed leader but a bewildered, terrified girl facing an unknown, unstoppable force.
Kane, his transformed self radiating an aura of raw, unfettered power that seemed to vibrate through the very air, looked at her with a cold, unforgiving gaze that promised nothing but destruction. His voice, now deeper, more resonant, and echoing with an ancient, primal power, was a chilling, undeniable promise. "Your endgame."
He shifted, taking a fighting stance that was both fluid and devastating, every movement a testament to the brutal, primal strength he now commanded. He focused his mind and soul, enabling all of his comprehensions, shedding any pretense of restraint. 'No more hiding my Aspect,' he thought, a sense of grim, absolute finality settling over him.
Nephis, now fully sensing the immense, soul-shattering power radiating from him, reacted with desperate speed. She engulfed herself and her sword in her pristine flames, empowering herself to the absolute maximum, pushing her Aspect to its very limits. As they both lunged forward, a blue and white blur of destructive intent, their attacks met with a deafening clang. Nephis managed to block his initial strike, but the impact was not merely physical; she felt a searing, unimaginable pain in her very soul, a shattering blow that reverberated through her Soul Sea. Her eyes widened in pure horror. 'Don't tell me…'
"Which Domain do you belong to?" she gasped, her voice strained, ragged with pain and disbelief.
"What bullshit are you spouting?" Kane snarled, his rage unadulterated, each word a hammer blow against her defenses. He attacked again, a whirlwind of silver and blue, and she held up her defenses, her eyes wide with a desperate, primal fear.
"Kane! We have a misunderstanding!" she pleaded, her voice cracking, but it was too late. His assault was relentless, merciless.
"Misunderstanding?" he roared, his voice a tidal wave of fury that seemed to tear at the very fabric of the alley. "No, I am seeing everything clearly!"
Nephis's eyes twitched, her resolve tested to its breaking point. She had to fight. Her mind, thanks to a charm she had received, remained solid, a fortress against mental intrusion, but her Soul Sea was a maelstrom of agony, threatening to unravel. The clash continued, a brutal, seemingly endless deadlock of opposing forces. Nephis's pristine flames, usually her greatest weapon, now hurt Kane, but his miraculous healing from the Band of Heaven kept him from dying in the fight, constantly mending the damage. Her sword skills, usually flawless and elegant, were now merely a desperate defense against Kane's brutal, overwhelming physical Aspect and the insidious, soul-piercing nature of his attacks. With every blow, Kane's soul attacks were starting to create hairline fractures in her carefully constructed defenses. If not for her sword providing a moderate resistance to his soul attacks, her core, her very essence, would have already shattered.
Nephis tried desperately to stop the fight, to reason with him, to have a conversation, but she couldn't. His rage was a wall, impenetrable and unforgiving. She was forced to give it her all, her perfect form now a desperate, chaotic struggle for survival. Kane, seeing her desperation, shifted tactics with brutal efficiency. He feinted an attack on her right flank, a blur of silver. When she instinctively moved to defend, he tried to kick her squarely in the front, aiming for her core. Nephis blocked with her other hand, using a burst of her flames to simultaneously parry the kick and heal the impact wound, but Kane suddenly vanished, disappearing into the very air.
He reappeared behind her, a terrifying blur, and unleashed a savage barrage of attacks. Nephis couldn't keep up. She twisted and turned, her body moving with desperate grace, dodging his relentless assault by mere inches, her eyes frantically trying to read his movements. A desperate plan formed in her mind: she would use a feint, a calculated risk, to trap him. As the barrage continued, a momentary opening appeared. Kane saw his chance, a perfect window to stab her through the heart, ending the fight decisively. But at the last, critical moment, Nephis parried his blade with a desperate twist of her body and, in a lightning-fast counter, stabbed him in the shoulder.
A sigh of relief, short-lived and fragile, escaped her lips. But when she looked at Kane, he wasn't wincing in pain. He was smiling, a chilling, maniacal grin that sent a shiver down her spine. Suddenly, he unsummoned his sword, his hand shooting out to grab hers, the one still holding her weapon, his fingers like iron bands. With his other hand, he tightened his grip, trapping her. Nephis tried to pull away, to loosen his vise-like hold, to retrieve her sword, but his grip was unyielding, immovable. Then, with a grunt of immense, primal effort, Kane lifted her clean off the ground with his grip alone, her body dangling precariously in the air.
Predicting his next, brutal move, Nephis unsummoned her sword in a desperate gamble, hoping to free herself from his grip while suspended in mid-air. Kane, however, was already shifting his Aspect to pure, unadulterated physical power. With a monstrous roar that echoed through the alley, he slammed her down onto the unforgiving cobblestones below.
Nephis lay broken, a crumpled heap of bone and flesh. Blood oozed from countless wounds, mingling with the dust. Her bones were shattered, her body utterly ravaged. Kane, his face a mask of pure malice and hatred, placed his foot on her chest, a gesture of absolute dominance and cruel victory, and stared down at her ruined face.
She looked up at him, her mind a whirlwind of shattered expectations, her grand ambitions lying in ruin around her. She had hoped to defeat the Fallen Terror, the three ghouls, the current Bright Lord. She had planned to emerge as a victor, a legend, a force to shatter the Dream Realm itself. But never, not in her wildest, most paranoid dreams, did she imagine she would be defeated by a fellow Sleeper, a man she had considered an ally, a tool. A new, terrifying conclusion solidified in her broken mind: Kane was never just a mere assassin. If he was, she would have been dead long ago, swiftly and silently.
Nephis looked at his silhouette, now a being of pure, divine power, radiating an aura that spoke of both brutal strength and insidious influence, capable of attacking both the mind and the soul.
Kane summoned his sword once more, its golden blade glinting ominously as he pointed it directly at her throat. His voice, filled with an unadulterated, chilling rage, was a solemn, terrifying promise. "Any last words, trash?"
Nephis was about to speak, her lips parting to utter a final, desperate plea or defiance, but Kane's patience had run out. He lunged, his sword aimed to pierce her throat, to end her life.
Suddenly, a spear, a blur of bronze and fierce determination, arced through the air. Kane was forced to move back, the unexpected interruption causing him to release Nephis. He turned, his transformed eyes narrowing, to see Effie, Cassie, and Shakti running toward them, their faces a mixture of horror and grim resolve. Cassie and Effie reached Nephis first, their hands moving quickly to help her shattered body, carefully helping her stand. Effie then turned to face Kane, her voice filled with a desperate defiance, betraying her inner turmoil. "Who are you?"
Kane, his transformed form shimmering, slowly undid his Aspect, returning to his original, human appearance. Effie and Shakti gasped, their mouths agape in disbelief, unable to reconcile the monstrous power they had just witnessed with the familiar face before them. Cassie, who had already pieced together the identity of the blue-skinned, rune-covered figure during the fierce battle, was still visibly shocked by the sheer raw power Kane had displayed.
"Uh… wait," Effie stammered, her gaze darting between the battered Nephis and the now-human Kane. "So your Aspect ability is to transform into some blue-skinned dude? But still… why did you attack the princess?"
Shakti, her face pale with shock and concern, rushed closer to Kane, ignoring Effie's bewildered questions. "Kane, what happened?"
Kane looked at Shakti, a sad acknowledgment in his eyes, a flicker of the man she knew amidst the lingering rage. He ignored her direct question, his gaze, still burning with fury, locking onto Nephis. He walked forward, the raw killing intent radiating from him, causing Effie to instinctively raise her spear defensively. "Effie, Cassie, leave," he commanded, his voice cold and unwavering.
"Sorry, can't leave my employer," Effie replied, her stance defensive, her spear ready. "Not while she's hurt."
Kane summoned his sword again, a grim, humorless smile on his face. "So, you want to dance, don't you?" he challenged, his eyes daring her to interfere.
Just as the two were about to clash once more, Cassie's calm, clear voice cut through the tension, a fragile bridge between the raging storm. "Kane, tell me. What happened between you two?"
Kane looked at her, his face devoid of the usual warmth and happiness he felt in her presence, replaced now by a cold, impenetrable mask. "Ask her," he said, his voice flat and filled with ice. "Because she tried to kill me."
Effie, Cassie, and Shakti were stunned into absolute silence, their heads swiveling to fix their eyes on Nephis, demanding an answer.
"Yeah," Nephis said, her voice barely a whisper, filled with a raw, undeniable admission. "I tried to kill him."
The weight of this revelation stunned all three of them into a deeper silence. Shakti, her face now a mix of disbelief and anger, finally found her voice. "Why did you do that?" she demanded, her gaze unwavering.
Nephis's expression wavered, a rare moment of uncertainty clouding her features. "I… suspected him to be an assassin… and… he tried to block my plans." She stammered, offering weak justifications.
Shakti's face contorted with unconcealed rage, her hands clenching into fists. Meanwhile, Nephis, despite the emotional turmoil, continued to use her Aspect, slowly but steadily healing her grievous wounds.
For a long, agonizing moment, a heavy, profound silence descended upon them. Nobody spoke a word, the air thick with unspoken accusations and fractured trust. Suddenly, Cassie, ever the pragmatist, broke the tension. "We need to go to the lodge," she said, her voice calm and firm, cutting through the emotional turmoil. "We need to discuss this further."
Kane looked at her, his face still a blank mask, devoid of the usual happiness that always surfaced when he saw Cassie. The joy had been replaced by a chilling emptiness.
"I am sorry…" Nephis began, her voice filled with a genuine, desperate guilt.
"Cut the crap," Kane interrupted, his tone devoid of mercy, thick with disdain. He locked eyes with her, a burning contempt in his gaze. "I am quitting the hunting party."
Nephis, Cassie, and Effie were all stunned by the revelation, the implications of his words sinking in.
"And I am leaving this slums and this castle," Kane continued, his voice resolute, leaving no room for argument.
Nephis's cold facade finally shattered completely, replaced by a look of uncontrollable guilt and profound sorrow. "Then where are you going?" Shakti asked, her voice now filled with a genuine sadness, a hint of desperation.
Kane looked at her, a hint of sorrow in his own eyes. Shakti had nothing to do with this, yet she was suffering the painful consequences of Nephis's cold-blooded actions.
"Please don't. Allow me to apologize," Nephis pleaded, a rare vulnerability in her voice, a desperate attempt to salvage something. "What do I need to do?"
Kane looked at her, his expression a mixture of icy disdain and burning hatred. "Look, Immortal Flames Trash, I don't want to see your fucking face and I don't want to be in your fucking presence." He paused for a moment, letting his venomous words sink in, twisting the knife. "You are an idiot who thinks whatever you do will always be right, but you are nothing but an elite scum, a hypocrite. I gave you a chance to believe in you, but you are not worthy of my trust."
He turned away from them, his back a rigid, unforgiving line, and began to walk away. Shakti and Effie were too stunned to speak, their minds grappling with the sheer audacity and raw emotion of Kane's words. Cassie was about to try and convince him to stay, her mind already formulating a desperate plea, a carefully constructed argument. Nephis was utterly at a loss for words, her perfect world shattering around her. No one, not ever, had spoken to her like that.
As Nephis and Cassie were about to speak, their voices catching in their throats, Kane stopped. He turned slightly, his back still partially to them, his voice cold and filled with a chilling, absolute finality that silenced any further protest. "Let me make one thing clear. Don't speak or show your face to me, Changing Star, or you will be dead."
And with that, he walked away, his silhouette slowly disappearing into the deepening shadows, leaving behind a grim, suffocating silence that spoke of broken bonds and shattered trust.
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From now on,There will New storyline for Kane with no original Characters for some time,anyways,Hope you enjoy the chapter