"Madame Gao has other matters to handle. I just happened to be nearby," Alexandra said as she stepped into the room, her gaze locking instantly onto Elektra. There was no hiding the satisfaction in her eyes. "I didn't expect to find our long-lost Black Sky."
"You see her, Elektra?" Stick said, his voice calm but steely. Though blind, he stood facing Alexandra from the moment she entered, a long blade tucked behind his back, ready to strike. "That woman is the true leader of the Hand. You're nothing more than a weapon to them. A tool."
Daniel leaned close to Elektra and whispered, "Want to test it? Tell Nobu to cut off one of Alexandra's arms. Do you think he'd dare?"
The idea was absurd—and yet, Elektra hesitated. She was actually tempted.
And who could blame her?
Before Alexandra arrived, Nobu Yoshioka had been confident and forceful, pressing Elektra relentlessly to return to the Hand. But the moment Alexandra entered, he withdrew without a word, falling respectfully behind her like a servant.
Daniel wasn't wrong. Elektra glanced at him again. He didn't even look her way anymore.
"He won't do it," Stick said. "Because just like you, he's only a weapon to them. You're the sharpest blade in their arsenal, yes, but she's the one holding the blade."
Daniel leaned in again, voice low but clear. "The truth is, they want Black Sky… not you. And maybe you're not even Black Sky. But if Black Sky exists, it has to be you."
His eyes remained fixed on Alexandra, and Elektra noticed.
What Daniel said stirred something deep within her. She had worked with him, fought beside him, trusted him… somewhat.
Earlier that night, they had agreed: Elektra would lead the way, clearing paths and drawing out enemies, while Daniel and Stick would stay hidden in the shadows, quietly eliminating threats she couldn't see.
It wasn't as safe as it sounded. Elektra had been targeted constantly—ninjas, assassins, traps in every corner—but each time, the dangers vanished before reaching her. Daniel and Stick had handled everything silently, keeping her safe.
But now… the truth about everyone had been laid bare. The Hand was dangerous. Stick and the Chaste weren't exactly innocent either. She couldn't rely on anyone's protection forever. If she had to stand alone in the future, things would only get harder.
The Hand would chase her. Stick and the Chaste might eliminate her if they thought she could fall into the wrong hands. In fact, they might go further than the Hand—just to ensure she never became their weapon.
That left her with only two options: eliminate both factions… or find a powerful third party who could deter both.
Daniel might be that third party. But that depended entirely on how powerful he really was.
While Elektra's mind raced, she didn't notice the soft red glow flowing from Daniel's hand on her back. It pulsed gently, subtly seeping into her, feeding her strength and clarity.
Her attention drifted away from Nobu and locked onto Alexandra.
Before Alexandra arrived, Nobu had begged her to come back. He'd pleaded, manipulated, and threatened. But now, he didn't say a word. Alexandra had taken full control the moment she appeared. That alone said everything about her power and authority.
At this point, Stick had already lost. He no longer stood a chance of swaying Elektra. In his heart, he knew: if she truly fell into the Hand's grasp, he might have no choice but to kill her himself.
Meanwhile, Daniel was playing his cards carefully, gently tipping the scales in his favor.
He had said something important: 'Maybe you're not Black Sky. But if Black Sky exists, it must be you.'
It was a clever line.
In truth, the entity known as Black Sky wasn't just Elektra, it was the evil will inside her. She was just its host.
The Hand didn't worship her. They didn't see her as a goddess. To them, she was a weapon that they could control.
"Elektra," Alexandra finally spoke, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. That single word snapped Elektra's attention to her—and in that instant, Daniel's enchantment shattered.
A dark and powerful force erupted from Alexandra's voice, crushing Daniel's spellwork in a heartbeat. He had been subtle, feeding Elektra strength without her realizing. But Alexandra's interruption nearly sent the magic rebounding toward him with dangerous force. Only because his spell had been low-impact did he avoid harm.
Her voice was power. Alexandra's words slid into Elektra's mind like whispers in a dream, seductive and cold, impossible to ignore.
"Elektra, everyone has a destiny. Everyone has a path to walk, burdens to carry. It's written from birth. You, too, have a role to play. This is your fate."
She turned her gaze toward Stick and sneered, "Even after all these years you spent following that blind fool around… in the end, you came back."
And she wasn't wrong. Elektra's whole life had been bouncing back and forth between the Hand and the Chaste. Never truly escaping either. No matter how far she ran, she always circled back.
Alexandra's words were cold and calculated. They painted a bleak picture: submit to fate, become Black Sky, serve the Hand… fight until death.
That was Elektra's future. That was what Alexandra wanted her to believe.
But then Daniel's voice echoed in her ears again.
"Fate can be broken," he said. "If you're strong enough."
Elektra turned to look at him. His gold mask reflected the dim light, but it was his eyes that held her. And in those eyes, she saw certainty. Strength.
"You think you have no choice," Daniel said. "But that's only because you're not strong enough. When you have enough power, no one can dictate your life. You get to choose."
And in that moment, something clicked.
Elektra realized she had been looking at the world as if there were only two paths—Hand or Chaste. But the world was bigger than that. Those two groups were just shadows beneath the surface. The real power in the world didn't hide—it ruled.
Daniel was right. If she wanted freedom, she needed strength.
Suddenly, Alexandra's influence faded.
If Elektra had been alone, she would've been controlled. But with two forces battling for her loyalty, she had a choice. And now, she was strong enough to make one.
She had become a vessel for Black Sky because she had the strength and the will. Stick's brutal training, however misguided, had sharpened her into something formidable.
She wasn't the weapon anymore.
She was the one who decided how the blade was used.
In this game of control, Daniel had a slight edge. And sometimes, that's all it takes to start an avalanche.
Alexandra realized she couldn't win Elektra back through words.
So, she changed tactics.
If persuasion wouldn't work, she'd kill the competition.
She turned to Nobu. With just a glance, she ordered him to attack Stick.
Nobu moved without hesitation. He grabbed the chain blade from the ground and lunged forward. Before Stick could fully react, the blade was already piercing toward his throat.
Stick blocked the strike, but only barely. The old man had the experience… but age, blindness, and fatigue were catching up fast.
Nobu, on the other hand, was still in his prime. He had died several times, only to be resurrected again and again through the cauldron's power. His strength never faded.
The tide turned. Inch by inch, Stick was being forced back.
With Stick out of the way, Alexandra smiled coldly. "Now, let's see who dies first."
Her entire body became a streak of black lightning. In an instant, she appeared behind Daniel and Elektra, a gleaming short blade slicing straight for Daniel's neck.
It would've killed anyone else.
But her knife passed through empty air.
Daniel's image shimmered—and vanished like a phantom. By the time Alexandra realized what happened, Daniel and Elektra were already gone, slipping silently into a hidden passage.
"Hmph." Alexandra scoffed and ran behind them.