An abnormal event occurred within Eylan's Sea of the Soul.
The ocean, already turbulent, exploded into motion.
Gigantic waves crashed against each other with tremendous force.
The silvery sun, once stable, now released terrifying electrical discharges. A vortex opened beneath it.
The sea began to spin. A deep hole formed in the ocean's expanse—there seemed to be no bottom, an endless abyss.
The scattered lightning suddenly converged, forming a pillar of light.
Then the pillar descended into the void, illuminating every corner.
Part of the water was drawn into the depths as well, as if answering a call.
A storm was being born.
But before it could fully take shape, the star calmed down.
Cracks appeared on its surface, but crystal-clear water covered them, erasing all signs of rupture.
---
Outside the Sea of the Soul
Willian's sword came down.
When it met Eylan's clavicle, something unexpected happened.
Clang!
The sound that should have been flesh being cut and screams of pain was replaced by a metallic ringing.
Willian's eyes widened.
The Sleeper, seated against the wall, began to change.
Strands of hair turned a deep indigo, sparks slithered through irises that were once brown, now dark as volcanic stone.
The atmosphere shifted. The air grew damp, heavy—as if the weather itself were preparing for a great storm.
Willian didn't know what had happened, but he understood one thing.
It wasn't good.
A killing aura flooded the area.
With hurried steps, both he and his henchman backed away.
Then Eylan moved.
First, he wiped the blood from his mouth.
Then he slowly stood up, taking a deep breath.
When he raised his head, his eyes met Willian's.
There was endless rage there. Pure hatred.
He was quiet, but his silence was oppressive. All the accumulated hostility was focused on the two people in front of him.
"You said you'd make me regret my actions, didn't you?"
The tone made it clear it was a rhetorical question.
"Then I'll show you the consequences of your actions."
He didn't shout, yet his words carried crushing weight.
Inside his mind, Eylan felt nothing but hatred. But his reason still existed—cold and objective.
It was kill or be killed.
At that moment, there was only him and his enemies. Nothing else in the world mattered.
His mind was in flux.
Essence flowed endlessly.
Blood coursed through his body under immense pressure.
His muscles were stronger, firmer.
The power felt inexhaustible.
Three spheres of water formed around him.
With a gesture, Eylan launched them at Willian at high speed—and charged forward at the same time. His speed was tremendous, footprints carving into the ground with every step.
Willian reacted quickly, cutting the first sphere in half.
The second struck his arms, forcing them upward and leaving him exposed.
The third hit his abdomen, shattering part of his armor and sending him flying backward.
Eylan, meanwhile, shot toward the henchman, who barely had time to understand what was happening.
In the blink of an eye, Eylan was right in front of him.
He grabbed the man's head with brutal force and pulled it down while driving his knee upward into the enemy's face.
A cracking sound echoed.
But he didn't let go of the opponent, who was already unconscious after the blow.
No—he grabbed him by the neck.
With a swing of his arm, he threw him toward Willian, who was still recovering from the previous attack.
Seeing the body flying at him, Willian didn't retreat.
He dodged the thrown body and advanced with his sword, its blue halo glowing intensely.
Eylan accepted the challenge.
A massive bluish war axe materialized in his hands—so stable it looked real.
The weapons clashed violently. Willian was pushed back, ending up at a disadvantage.
After the initial clash, the exchange of attacks didn't stop.
The barrage of blows continued without pause.
A brutal bombardment—powerful enough to crush tanks.
The surroundings trembled, riddled with holes and debris.
The two continued striking each other. But little by little, something changed.
At first it wasn't noticeable, but upon closer observation, it became clear that Eylan's overwhelming advantage was starting to fade.
Small wounds accumulated on his body, and his reflexes grew slower.
This was mainly due to his fighting style.
Despite his absurd strength, his combat style was primitive—wild, consumed by rage and excessive use of essence.
Eylan attacked like a maddened beast. His rationality was being slowly eroded, and the constant use of his powers revealed its flaw.
That flaw was rage.
He attacked without regard for his own condition, giving Willian countless opportunities.
Willian, as a Legacy, was trained precisely to face irrational creatures. To him, Eylan's state was ideal.
Without intelligence or cunning, he was nothing more than a beast.
As the fight dragged on, Eylan's injuries increased—and so did his fury.
Still, Willian didn't escape unscathed. His movements became less refined.
Eylan attacked again, striking Willian's arm.
Willian tried to block, but the sequence of blows and the earlier impact took their toll—his arm gave out.
The high-speed water sphere and the constant barrage of attacks demanded their price, and that price was his arm.
The battle seemed to reach its climax.
But then, suddenly, Eylan's strength began to fail.
A spark of reason pierced the sea of hatred. He knew he couldn't keep fighting much longer.
Taking advantage of Willian's weakened state, he gambled everything on a single strike.
He concentrated his strength, blood, and essence into his hands.
The axe, now unstable, shattered and assumed a new form.
A sturdy spear.
Like a hydraulic piston, it pierced the air, aimed at Willian's abdomen.
In response, Willian placed his sword between them, blocking the strike—but the force was so immense that the blade cracked.
Willian was sent flying to the end of the alley, coughing up blood.
However, Eylan paid the price as well.
He collapsed, with no strength left to continue.
It seemed like the end.
His vision was blurred, but he could still hear groans coming from the back of the alley—and from the henchman he had knocked out earlier.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the alley.
From the shadows, Willian emerged.
His condition was horrific.
Armor in tatters.
Golden hair soaked in blood.
One eye completely red.
Drops of blood dripped from his arm and abdomen.
The sword in his hand began to dissolve into light, shining intensely before disappearing.
In Willian's ear, a voice whispered:
[Your Memory has been destroyed]
The newly awakened henchman tried to understand what had happened, frozen in shock.
How had things ended up like this? The other henchman was unconscious on the ground, and his boss was covered in wounds.
The alley was devastated.
Footprints embedded in the ground.
Dust hanging in the air.
In a hurry, he ran to Willian and helped him stand.
Willian looked at him for a moment before coldly ordering:
"Pick up the damn sword and go kill that bastard."
The henchman swallowed hard and obeyed.
He bent down, grabbed the sword, and headed toward Eylan.
But as he advanced, someone appeared at the entrance of the alley. A mysterious figure who had been watching the fight ran forward and placed himself in front of Eylan.
"I apologize, but this guy's with me…"
The man smiled.
"He's kind of important, you see?"
Willian's and the henchman's eyes widened in shock.
The figure then slowly removed his glasses and said calmly:
"So if you want him… you'll have to go through me first."