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The silence that formed between us was heavy.
The rain kept falling without pause, along with the smoke of destruction and the distant sound of sirens — a reminder that the chaos was no longer reversible.
Niyx watched me with those deep eyes that didn't seem to belong to a living creature. They reflected something I couldn't quite understand — a mixture of curiosity and tenderness.
"So?" she broke the silence, tilting her head slightly. "Why are you pretending to be human?"
I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the weight her gaze pressed on me.
"I'm not pretending," I hesitated. "I just want to live well and be surrounded by people… not destroy everything around me."
Niyx gave a small smile — sweet and cruel at the same time.
"Ah… so that's it. You're afraid of yourself?"
I couldn't answer.
"You know what's funny?" Niyx continued, taking a step forward. "I also tried that once when I was younger. Tried to be 'kind,' 'normal.' But do you know what happens when someone like us tries to live like humans?"
She placed a hand over her chest.
"We rot from the inside. We become weak. This civilization you want to be part of — it doesn't accept things like us. Being weak only means losing everything you've worked to protect."
She pointed at me with an open hand.
"We live for power — everyone does. The only connection we have is with ourselves. Because we were born to be strong."
The wind blew, lifting the scent of smoke and ruin.
I looked up at the sky — the womb was still there, floating above us at an almost unreachable height.
"So tell me, Niyx…" I lowered my eyes to her. "What do you really want from me?"
Her smile vanished. For a moment, I saw something like expectation in her eyes.
"I want you to grow. So we can fight again. Again and again, until you finally defeat me."
"And what if I don't want to?"
She smiled gently.
"I've watched you long enough to know that you will. You'll come after me. You'll want to fight again. You won't get me out of your head until you do. You know why?"
She leaned slightly closer, as if whispering a secret.
"Because you're too kind."
Before she could say anything else, I lunged forward.
I dashed down the street, and she ran beside me — matching my speed, her steps hitting the wet ground in sync with mine.
Niyx was smiling — as if this was all just fun to her.
My [Analytical Awareness] couldn't keep up.
None of her movements could be predicted.
It was like trying to catch lightning with my eyes closed.
Even with all my instincts and senses, she was too fast.
To her, I must have looked like I was moving in slow motion.
I grabbed a lamppost and spun my body, trying to land a strike.
Niyx caught the other side — and hurled me into a building.
'She's an (S)-Class monster… an evolved Metamorph.
I don't stand a chance. Not in any possible scenario.'
I crashed through windows and office desks until I stopped on the top floor.
From up there, I looked at the sky.
'That womb is still there… it must be her unique ability. I don't know exactly what it does, but it's been active for a while — I doubt she can use it repeatedly. If she hasn't deactivated it, there's probably a cooldown period.'
I thought that if I could somehow force that ability to collapse, Niyx might get a bit weaker.
With that in mind, I fired a beam of fire toward the thing, hoping to deal at least some damage.
But my attack vanished before it reached it.
Before I could even react, Niyx punched me straight into another building.
"See?" she said, wrapping an arm around my neck in an almost affectionate gesture. "You're so weak. Don't feel bad, though — you were just born… and I'm already over forty. Metamorphs grow stronger with time. It's natural."
"I just touched you," I muttered.
With my index finger, I released a beam of fire directly into her face — creating an opening to retreat.
She laughed, completely unscathed.
"You're funny. But I've lost count of how many times I've touched you. So even in that, I'm winning."
In a blink, she advanced.
We both lifted our legs at the same time.
Our kicks collided — and the air exploded.
The building structure collapsed under the impact.
Pain came right after — my leg broke.
Before I could react, Niyx spun and slammed a kick down onto my head.
The world blurred until I hit the ground hard.
'I can't keep up… Thanks to my regeneration, it doesn't matter much, but… where are Burst and Jane?'
Niyx watched from above, sitting casually among the debris.
"That was a good attack," she said calmly. "Keep it up."
I stood and tried to kick her face, but she caught my leg and threw me again.
Unfortunately, she really likes throwing people.
'[Aura] might be my only chance… but I can't use it recklessly. I need to hit both the womb in the sky and Niyx at the same time. She doesn't seem to be trying to kill me — or fighting seriously… I'll use that to my advantage and at least try to deal some damage. Maybe destroy that thing!'
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He took a deep breath. The veins across his body pulsed with mana.
His legs trembled. The pain accumulated.
But his will pushed him forward.
He jumped.
The air around him distorted.
The wind roared, and he could hear his heart pounding like a drum inside his head.
Niyx looked up — curious.
The womb was above.
She was below.
And he was between the two.
'Now.'
[Aura] exploded.
The air bent. Mana burned. Skin tore.
Blue, red, and green sparks danced around his body.
The impact shook everything.
Energy ripped through the air, swallowing all in a wave of force — taking much of Eldoria down with it.
But when the smoke cleared… the womb was still there.
Almost intact.
Niyx appeared behind him.
She grabbed his head — and threw him back to the ground.
A punch. Another.
Each strike knocked the air out of Victor's lungs.
"See?" she murmured, her fist buried in his stomach. "You're strong… but still just a baby."
Another kick.
Victor's body crashed through a wall.
"That's why I warned you…" she crouched down, grabbing his collar. "Living like a human when you're not one is choosing to die slowly."
Blood ran from his lips. Something inside him began to pulse.
His vision flickered. The colors around him wavered.
And then — the eyes.
His golden irises flickered red.
Niyx froze.
A smile slowly formed.
"So that's it… you're almost there, aren't you? Class (A+)."
Victor's heart pounded faster.
The heat became an electric current.
His mind went blank.
And instinct took over.
He charged.
Their fists collided.
The air tore apart.
Raindrops hung frozen in midair as they moved through them.
"That's it!" shouted Niyx, laughing. "That's what I like! Faster! Faster!"
Blow after blow — the sound mixed with thunder.
She hit his chin, and he answered with a headbutt.
The womb trembled again — a pink crack spreading across it.
But that was all.
Victor's mana ran out.
Coldness took over.
And then he fell.
His body hit a puddle, splashing water and blood.
The muffled sound was the last thing he heard before the world went dark.
'I… really am too weak… Sorry, Jane, Burst, Merlin… I couldn't help you.'
Everything faded.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Niyx looked up at the sky, canceling her ability.
The womb dissolved into fragments of light, fading slowly.
She sighed softly, satisfied.
"Grow stronger soon, Victor. I want to see how far you can go. Then come fight me again, okay?" she smiled gently. "I'll be waiting."
She turned and walked away.
Her light steps echoed among the ruins, blending with the distant sirens.
Thus ended the battle between Victor and Niyx.
Twenty percent of the kingdom was destroyed in a fight that lasted only two minutes.
The battle ended with the overwhelming victory of the Metamorph Niyx — the Forgiveness of the Pillars of Salvation.
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