What?
I fall to my knees and instinctively start touching my body.
Not doing it would be unnatural, even for me.
After all, I remember my chest being pierced and my head being ripped apart from my body.
I place my hand on my chest and the hole, which should have been there, completely vanished.
My head's of course still attached to my body.
After taking a moment to calm down, I finally start to look around. I'm once more in the void of endless darkness.
I slowly rise to my feet. There's no one in sight.
Where's the clone?
A message pops up from the system.
[ Death Count: 1 ]
Death count… what's that?
Speaking of death, I could swear I died to that attack. Yet here I am, alive and well.
"…Is it possible the clone only showed me an illusion?"
It's also quite possible for the clone itself to be an illusion as well.
From the soles of my feet, a light begins to emit.
Then slowly, the light begins to expand through the void.
In a matter of seconds the void transforms into the battlefield from before.
Just to be sure, I look up at the sky. Surely enough, the red sky and the aligned planets are still there.
Even the weapons impaled on the ground are still here. The only difference is that the clone is nowhere to be found.
'Survive, if you can.'
Those were the last words the clone spoke to me before disappearing out of sight.
Alright, let me try to assess the situation here.
The clone brought me here.
Then Onyx appeared.
Then I died.
…At least, I think I did.
My eyes begin to scan the battlefield, looking for the black armored… Onyx, as he calls himself.
Within a few seconds, I locate the pile of corpses, but unlike before, Onyx isn't there.
Bad news.
The first time, I wasn't paying attention and he killed me in an instant, but at the time I at least knew where he was. This time, he's nowhere to be found.
I can't stay here.
"Sonic leap"
[ Skill: Sonic Leap activated ]
The ground beneath me explodes.
The world appears as a crimson and black blur as I run through the battlefield, wind tearing past my face hard enough to form cuts.
For a brief moment I look back, just to make sure he isn't behind me. Sure enough there's no one there. Still…
Too slow.
I concentrate more mana onto my legs. My legs burn violently from the strain, but I still force more mana into them anyway.
BOOM!
The air cracks behind me as I race through the battle field like a blur of purple light.
I don't even know where I'm running, all I know is that I need some distance and time.
Enough time to let me think of a solution.
Unlike Eclipse where it was possible for me to beat him with Override, even if I use Override against Onyx,I know I don't stand a chance of beating him.
Besides, I feel as if I've been using the skill too much lately. Even against a strong enemy like Onyx, I'd rather only use the skill if everything else fails.
Besides, the clone told me to survive against him. It never once said that I had to beat him. All I can assume right now is that I have to stay alive for a certain amount of time.
That's the only hope I have.
As I continue to run through the battlefield, trying to think of a way to survive—
BOOM!
The air behind me detonates.
The force alone is enough to throw me off balance.
I take a look behind me, but there's nothing there.
Just to be sure.
I take a small portion of mana and concentrate it on my eyes, enhancing my vision.
The battlefield sharpens instantly.
The mountain of corpses where I originally stood is now impossibly far away. Entire rivers of flame and fields of ruined weapons stretch between us.
At light speed, I've crossed what should've taken days in mere moments.
Yet—
Something feels wrong.
My eyes narrow.
Dust.
A massive cloud of dust rises from the place I stood moments ago, towering into the crimson sky like an explosion.
Then—
Two glowing golden fiery eyes appear beneath the dust.
My body moves before my mind.
I quickly twist my body and leap to the side.
BOOM!
A black blade cuts through the space where my head had been less than an instant earlier.
The sky splits apart, revealing the vastness of space.
A shockwave tears across the battlefield, erasing mountains of corpses and launching rivers of flame into the air.
HOW? I didn't see him move, not even once.
The black armored figure, Onyx, stands before me, blade in hand.
His fiery golden eyes stare right through my soul.
I can feel my body shaking from the sight of him alone.
Crap
I try to run away but my body falls to its knees instead
Onyx lifts up his sword and points it to the sky.
The black blade begins to glow with a golden brilliance to it.
The whole world begins to darken, but the light from the sword only seems to shine brighter in contrast to the darkening sky.
"W…w…w"
I try to form words but they're too jumbled up.
For a moment though, I notice Onyx lower his blade slightly, as if he's actually considering listening to me. But when I can't manage to bring out the words, he raises his blade back into its original position.
Wait, is—.
It's very unlikely but with that hint of hesitation just now, a new idea which hadn't occurred to me appears in my head.
Is there a chance for me to negotiate with him.
Of course the idea hadn't occurred to me until now. With this overwhelmingly dangerous aura Onyx emits, why would I even think about trying to talk it out with him.
Besides, even if it's possible, the time for talking is over. I already tried speaking but messed it up out of fear and I'm not sure if I can say anything in my current state right now.
Besides, he doesn't look like he's willing to hear me out twice.
With a single motion, Onyx cuts through the air in an arc.
For a brief moment, nothing happens.
Then—
My instincts explode.
Move.
MOVE!
I try to activate Sonic Leap once more…but it's too late.
A golden line stretches across the battlefield.
The world splits apart.
Mountains collapse in the distance.
The crimson sky tears open like shattered glass.
Everything in the path of the slash disappears.
What kind of attack is th—
I feel a warmth spread through my chest.
I can't dodge it.
I can't block it.
I can't even see it.
I look down and a thin golden line runs through my chest.
"Ahh…"
The upper half of my body slides away from my waist.
Blood erupts in the air as I begin to lose consciousness.
The last thing I see is Onyx lowering his blade.
Darkness swallows everything.
[ Death Count: 2 ]