The woman moved first. She was fast—really fast. One second she was standing there, and the next, she became a blur, reappearing right beside me with a sharp kick aimed straight for my head. I didn’t bother calling on Guardian to shield myself because I wanted this to be fair and square. Instead, I raised my arm and blocked her kick head-on. The impact rippled through my arm, sending a jolt of force through me. She was strong—really strong—but even with all that power, she didn’t move me an inch.
Her eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face before she quickly recomposed herself. She came at me again, more aggressive this time. But just like before, I didn’t flinch.
“What the…?”
“Is that all?” I asked.
“Not yet!” she screamed, spinning around with a flurry of punches aimed at my chest and head. She was moving faster than before—faster than Rose, even. It was clear she wasn’t just some normal human. The precision and speed of her attacks made that obvious.
But it didn’t matter. No matter how hard or fast she swung, every single hit was blocked, my arms moving to deflect her blows like it was nothing. I didn’t even shift from my spot. The ground beneath my feet felt solid as ever. I didn’t budge.
“What…?” she gasped, her voice filled with confusion, her eyes narrowing as she realized just how pointless her attacks had been.
Her strikes were deadly, meant to kill, but they were all useless. Not only had I blocked every single one, but I hadn’t even moved from my position.
“Is that all?” I repeated, my voice colder, cutting through the air like ice.
She stepped back, her eyes wide, the reality of the situation finally hitting her. The entire time, I’d left openings—plenty of them. I’d made it easy for her to come at me. But now she realized that even with those gaps in my defense, she couldn’t move me, couldn’t touch me. Her wariness was written all over her face. She wasn’t about to make another reckless move. She was smart, careful, preferring to methodically pick apart her opponent rather than charge blindly. I had to give her credit for that—it was the right strategy.
“Who… who are you?” she stammered, disbelief flashing across her face. It was clear she couldn’t comprehend that someone like me existed, much less that she had no clue about it.
“Mephisto,” I said, the name slipping from my lips like it carried the weight of the underworld itself.
“Why are you attacking an organization that has nothing to do with you?” she pressed.
“Nothing to do with me? You’re wrong.” I told her. “I’m here because it has everything to do with me.”
I couldn’t allow Eclipse to continue. They couldn’t be left unchecked, running wild, thinking they could compete with me for control. I was the only one who could rule this world—the only one who would. Eclipse was nothing more than a cancer, a disease eating away at the very core of this world. The longer they existed, the more they’d devour everything. If left unchecked, they’d consume this world whole.
“The thing you’re chasing—the dream you’re trying to make real,” I said, voice steady and cold, “that very dream will be the thing that destroys you. Be careful what you wish for.”
“Our dream is the perfect solution for this vile world. To blanket it back in darkness—that’s the way we should live. Nothing’s more perfect than the quiet, calm of the deepest darkness,” she said, her voice dripping with zeal. She squared up, her eyes locked on me, and prepared herself for another assault. “That’s why we will realize our dream.”
With a powerful kick off the ground, she closed the distance between us in one fluid motion, fast as a bullet. She faked left, her body a blur, then came straight at me with her arm outstretched—not a fist, but an open palm, aiming to lock me in a grapple. I dodged easily, slipping just out of her reach. My own fist shot out like a reflex, tightening as it flew toward her face, aiming for her nose.
CRACK.
Her head jerked back as my punch connected, and a strangled grunt escaped her lips.
“Ngh?!”
Blood poured from her nose instantly, dripping onto her lips, her eyes wide with shock. For a second, she just stood there, stunned, still well within my range. Then, with a gasp, she scrambled backward, putting space between us again.
She wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her hand, staring at it, dazed, before swiping it onto her clothes. With renewed determination, she rushed at me again. But each time she attacked, I blocked her easily. My movements were effortless compared to her increasingly desperate swings. And each block was followed by my fist slamming into her body.
She couldn’t hit. Every attempt was met with another punch, knocking her off balance again and again.
Eventually, her steps became shaky, her legs wobbling beneath her. She was clearly disoriented, swaying on her feet, but somehow, she still held her stance. She looked like she might fall over any second, but sheer defiance kept her upright, fists raised, refusing to back down.
“Looks like you’re on your last leg,” I said, my tone icy and unyielding. “Is this really all you’ve got?”
With a primal roar, she surged at me again, her resolve burning fiercer than ever. But something was off—her fists were shimmering with a dangerous glow. I activated Guardian immediately, preparing for whatever she had in store. When her glowing fists struck the barrier, the impact was cataclysmic. An explosion erupted, filling my vision with a dense, choking cloud of smoke.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, I saw her sprawled on the ground, her arm nearly incinerated, the bones splintered and destroyed.
“An explosive attack, huh? So that’s your skill,” I said. “But it seems like there’s a major drawback—using it also fucks you up pretty bad.”
I deactivated Guardian and took in the sight of her ruined arm. “Looks like she’s got some sort of emergency measure to keep her alive,” I noted.
I scanned the area, noting the Eclipse members who had seen their comrade fall. They quickly decided to cut their losses and flee. I made no move to chase them, simply watching as they scrambled away.
