"The best feeling is watching them crumbling before your eyes, making them remember the reason why they were evil, shattering their little points of view."
"And now, I will exactly do it...."
With those words, I raised my sword, looking at the man before me.
CRACKLE
Lightning was surging through his body as he was paralyzed only for a second.
His eyes burned with a mixture of hatred and madness, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain control of his paralyzed body. Yet, his hatred remained unbroken, his voice a guttural snarl. "You don't know anything about me! You don't know what it's like to lose everything, to have your world torn apart!"
CLANK CLANK CLANK
I deflected his renewed onslaught, his claws glinting with the eerie combination of poison and blood magic.
His attacks were fast, and his body, being the 5-star, was showing its strength. But, now, I had already gotten used to this new strength of my body while fighting with him.
The reason why I was not attacking, even though I could finish the first phase right now, was to make sure I could get used to my strength properly, which was fulfilled.
As I parried his strikes, I seized the opportunity to press him further. "Tell me, Xander. What happened to your family? Why did Helia and Casey die?"
While pressing forward. I want him to feel the despair, make him remember those times. I wanted to see the expression when I revealed what had really happened there.
His laughter was hollow, a distorted reflection of his inner torment. "Oh, you want to know, do you? You want to hear about the pain that fuels me?"
SWOOSH CLANK
With a frenzied burst of speed, he lunged at me once more, his claws slashing through the air with deadly intent. In the midst of our clash, his voice grew manic, his words pouring out like a torrent of madness. "Bandits... filthy bandits. They attacked our home and slaughtered them in front of my eyes. I was powerless, helpless, unable to save them. Their blood stained my hands; their screams haunted my dreams."
CLANK CLANK
His poison-infused strikes became more potent, his blood magic creating gruesome projectiles that streaked through the air. But even as his attacks intensified, his voice cracked with the weight of his memories. "Helia... my wife, the love of my life. She begged for their mercy and pleaded for our daughter's life. They silenced her with a dagger to her throat."
TOK SWOOSH
His words were punctuated by an onslaught of vicious strikes, his desperation manifesting as a lethal dance of blades and magic. But amidst the chaos, his voice trembled with raw emotion. "Casey... my little girl. They... they mutilated her, defiled her innocence. I could do nothing but watch as they took everything from me."
ROAR FOOSH
With a roar, he unleashed a burst of poison magic that enveloped the alley in a toxic haze. I deflected his attack, my own magic meeting his with a brilliant flash of light. But his voice, now a broken whisper, continued to echo in the air. "I became a contractor with demons, embraced their power to seek revenge. Every life I take, every drop of blood spilled, it's a reminder of what they did to me."
Looking at him like that, the only thing I could feel was pity.
"What a pity...." I mumbled, looking at the man who was trying to ease his pain while inflicting others.
"PITY....AAHAHAHAHHAHA! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"n0VEluSb.c0M
He stood there and shouted with a maddening expression, seeing mine. It was something I knew. The thing he hated the most was the pity.
Seeing that nobody was coming here, it seemed the people watching this from above were doing their work.
The way I had shown myself as hardly blocking his attacks must have already made them think I couldn't confront Xander when he used this magic.
"Let me show you the real despair." His words sank as he looked at me with a bloody smile.
"Blood Realm, Hemogloom Enshroudment."
CREAK CRASH TAP TAP
The moment he mumbled, the surroundings suddenly turned the color of crimson as the walls of blood rose one by one.
Right now, he was using the skill that would be explained as the second phase in the game. After all, he was a notorious villain who had a hand in killing Aliya.
The cage was raised, and I was trapped like a mouse inside that cage. I could see the hatred and the dark aura oozing from his eyes, clearly showing me the hatred he was feeling.
"Now, I will give you the pain they felt."
SWOOSH SWOOSH
With a rapid speed, he lunged at me, his claws growing longer with blood. His speed was also a lot faster, but that wasn't all.
"DIE!"
SWISH SWISH
Spears made up from blood also rushed at me. In just a matter of seconds, I could feel myself surrounded by threats from everywhere.
"Hiss...."
Releasing a frost breath, I cooled my head. It had been a while since I had confronted a person using my sword.
'Sword of Annihilation. Null Space.'
SHCLINK
With my sword raised, I blocked all of his attacks.
No voice, no attack could be seen as my sword had made the space null.
"Huh?"
I could see the surprised expression on his face. He clearly didn't expect me to block all of his attacks.
"What-"
"Hey, Xander. Let me share a delightful revelation with you. Your pain, your pathetic quest for vengeance—it's all in vain. Do you want to know the truth behind your family's demise? The bandits that butchered them? Oh, they were mere pawns, puppets in a grander scheme."
His attacks faltered momentarily, his confusion and anger etched across his face. "What are you babbling about?" But instantly, craziness returned to his face.
SWOOSH SWOOSH
"DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"
He attacked me using his blood spears from a distance. He bombarded me with his attacks.
SWISH
Even a good amount of poison was being released into the environment. I could feel myself getting infected, but I didn't care.
'I have 10 minutes at least. This will be enough to make you fall.'
CLANK
As I blocked his attacks, "Oh, just a thought," I replied with a smirk, my voice dripping with insinuation. "Consider this: those bandits who slaughtered your family—did their brutality truly match the simple motivations of greed and violence?"
CLANK
"SHUT UP!"
He didn't want to listen; his attacks got more and more stronger. I could feel my body getting pushed, but I had yet to activate my aura.
CLANK
With a sweep, I blocked his attacks while activating my aura and finding strength. But I didn't forget to speak either.
"Imagine this, Xander. What if those bandits were guided by something far more sinister, a force that saw potential in you, a force that wanted to stoke the flames of your rage for its own amusement?"
TOK
Hearing this, he stopped for a second. His grip on his claws tightened, his mind racing to piece together the puzzle I was presenting. "Demons? You're suggesting demons orchestrated my family's death?"
"Ah, you catch on quickly," I remarked, my voice dripping with perverse satisfaction. "You see, Xander, demons have a keen eye for potential, and they derive pleasure from manipulating and breaking those who show promise. Your anguish, your pursuit of vengeance—those emotions are like sweet nectar to them."
"SHUT UP!"
