In the depths of the dark, dense forest, Noir faced Lysander. His gaze was no longer one of feigned coldness and loyalty. It had become a blazing fire, fueled by his obsession with possessing her.
"You belong to me. No one has the right to take you away." Lysander growled, advancing step by step.
Noir clenched her fists. Her body still ached, but the power gained from the experiment had begun to gather within her. Her red-and-blue eyes flashed, and the air around her trembled as though it were on the verge of exploding.
Suddenly, gunfire thundered from afar. A bullet struck the ground right beside Specter's foot. Orion managed to pull Dr. Ari back in time, frowning.
"Damn it, he has someone else covering him!"
In the darkness, an elegant figure appeared atop a high mound of earth. It was Viper, the Frontman of VOID. His red suit gleamed beneath the moonlight, and his silver hair shone like cold steel. He held a long sniper rifle in his hands, its scope reflecting a brilliant glint of light. He was in no hurry. Every shot was so precise that Noir's group could barely advance.
Specter hissed through his teeth.
"Damn it… Don't let them get the upper hand!"
Lysander seized the opening and lunged forward like an arrow of pitch-black darkness. Noir twisted aside to evade him. Her punches tore through the air with a sharp whistle, but Lysander showed no urgency. He took her blows head-on like a madman, caring only about tightening his grip around her arms.
"Even if you hate me, I'll still keep you. Forever!" His voice was hoarse, almost desperate.
Noir faltered for an instant, but her gaze turned colder than ever. She violently shoved him away, her voice resolute.
"I'm not like you."
In the distance, Viper curled his lips into a smirk, muttering as though he were merely enjoying a performance.
"How interesting, Noir. Show me… just how powerful you really are."
Gunfire erupted in relentless succession, the forest trembling as though it had become a true battlefield. Specter and Orion twisted and turned, dodging bullets while counterattacking. They no longer had the luxury of distinguishing every threat clearly, for each shot from Viper seemed to cut their very breath short.
At the center of the battlefield, Noir and Lysander clashed fiercely. He was like a chained beast, launching himself into every attack with unrestrained madness, his bloodshot eyes fixed solely on her. Noir unleashed her newfound power, the veins along her arms glowing in the darkness. But from afar, Viper continued firing to support Lysander, forcing Noir to keep dodging instead of concentrating her strength on delivering the finishing blow.
Suddenly…
A deafening whistle tore through the air. A freezing silver bullet shot straight toward Dr. Aurel.
"Aurel!" Ari screamed.
Without a moment to think, she threw herself in front of him, her frail body convulsing as the bullet pierced her shoulder. Blood sprayed everywhere, staining the hem of her clothes crimson. Aurel staggered, catching his wife in his arms, his eyes reddening as his voice choked with emotion.
"Ari… Why would you risk yourself like that, huh?!…"
The sight made the entire group feel as though everything had collapsed around them for a brief moment. Specter roared and charged into close combat with Lysander to prevent him from advancing any further. Orion spun toward Viper and hurled his steel blade at him, forcing Viper to shift slightly to evade it. Yet Viper merely curled his lips into a faint smirk, his gaze remaining utterly composed.
"How touching." Viper sneered mockingly.
Noir trembled, her red-and-blue eyes blazing like fire. The last of her restraint vanished. Her voice rang out like clashing metal.
"You … will pay for this."
The air shuddered, and thin cracks spread across the ground beneath her feet. For the first time, the new power within Noir erupted in full force, causing even Lysander to pause momentarily. A flicker of frenzied excitement gleamed in his eyes.
From afar, Viper tilted his head, his lips moving faintly.
"At last… the trump card has revealed itself."
A roar exploded through the darkness. Noir fell into a state of complete loss of control. Her red-and-blue eyes blazed fiercely, while the veins across her face and body bulged beneath her skin like cracks filled with raging fire.
Waves of energy burst outward, so powerful that even Lysander was forced backward, while the organization's soldiers immediately retreated in panic. In the distance, Viper furrowed his brows slightly. For the first time, his previously carefree gaze lost its composure, a trace of wariness glimmering within it.
Noir was no longer herself. She charged forward, each strike carrying the force of a raging storm, crushing everything around her. Lysander laughed maniacally, parrying her attacks as he exclaimed,
"That's it, Noir… This is the real you! This is what I wanted to see!"
But then, a horrifying moment unfolded!
Noir abruptly turned around, her ferocious red-and-blue eyes locking onto Specter and Orion. Inside her mind, every face had become the image of an enemy.
"Noir, no… It's me! We're all here!" Specter screamed, his voice breaking.
She couldn't hear him. Her brilliantly glowing hand rose, a surge of energy poised to descend upon them. The entire group tensed, bracing themselves to take the full force of an attack from their own comrade.
But at the final moment, Kaelith rushed forward and wrapped both arms tightly around Noir from behind, screaming in utter desperation.
"Stop! Noir… please… don't… please stop!"
Noir froze. Her gaze wavered, trembling with uncertainty. Her power continued to erupt, but now it spiraled out of control, unleashing a shockwave that swept through the forest. Dozens of the organization's soldiers were sent flying along with Kaelith. Trees snapped and toppled, while cracks spread across the earth.
The entire organization was forced to retreat, but Specter's group had nearly been wiped out by the same explosion.
Noir collapsed, her breathing ragged and uneven. Weakly, Kaelith struggled to crawl toward her and clasped Noir's hand tightly.
"… please…" Blood trickled from the corner of Kaelith's mouth.
Specter and Orion stared at the scene, their hearts aching with both grief and fear. They hurried over to the two of them.
"If she can't control it…"
Orion muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Viper tightened his grip on the rifle, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"A trump card… has become a double-edged sword…"