The Abused is The Abuser in Another World

Chapter 35: Descent into Darkness

The aura around Noir pulsed like a living entity, crackling with dark, raw energy. His form flickered in and out of focus, barely visible through the violent surge of power that now engulfed him. His crimson eyes, glowing through the shadows, locked onto Kaelthor with an intensity that sent chills through the onlookers. Every muscle in Noir's body trembled, not just from the battle, but from the monstrous force coursing through him.

Kaelthor, struggling to his feet after being thrown into the Enclave's walls by the sheer force of Noir's power, wiped blood from his mouth and gripped his sword tightly. His body screamed in protest, but his resolve remained unbroken. Even in the face of this unimaginable power, Kaelthor would not yield.

"Is this what you've become?" Kaelthor spat, his voice thick with disgust. "A slave to the darkness? Do you even know who you are anymore, or has that power consumed everything?"

Noir's voice, layered with a deep, inhuman resonance, rumbled back from the depths of the swirling shadows. "I am still the leader of the Enclave. I am still the one who will protect my people. But this power... it's more than I expected."

Kaelthor adjusted his stance, his eyes narrowing as he scanned Noir's twisted form. "You've already lost, Noir. You may have power, but you've sacrificed control. And that's how you will fall."

In an instant, Noir vanished. His Umbra Step had been enhanced by the dark energy, making him faster than Kaelthor could even perceive. The shadows swallowed Noir whole, leaving only a faint trace of his presence, like a whisper in the night. Kaelthor spun around, his sword raised, but Noir was already behind him.

With a deadly hum, the Grimreaper sliced through the air, aimed directly for Kaelthor's back. Kaelthor, using his instincts honed from years of battle, barely managed to raise his shield in time. The force of the blow, however, sent him skidding backward, his shield buckling under the impact.

"You're too slow," Noir's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "You can't keep up."

Kaelthor gritted his teeth, his breath labored. Noir's attacks were relentless, and his movements were now nearly impossible to predict. The monstrous power coursing through him had enhanced not only his speed but the ferocity of his strikes. Kaelthor needed to slow the fight down, to make Noir vulnerable. But how?

Noir, sensing Kaelthor's hesitation, pressed forward. He activated Relentless Doom, a devastating flurry of strikes from the Grimreaper that fed off the captain's energy with every hit. Kaelthor could feel his strength draining with each blow, the dark energy sapping his vitality, making it harder to move, harder to breathe. Each slash cut deeper, more vicious than the last.

"This fight was over before it began, Kaelthor," Noir growled, his voice a cold, unforgiving whisper. "You stand no chance."

Kaelthor, grimacing from the pain, was forced back again, his shield shattered and his armor dented from the sheer brutality of the assault. Still, he refused to fall. "I've faced worse," he snarled, his voice hoarse but defiant. "And I'll fight you to my last breath!"

With a roar of determination, Kaelthor activated his Rallying Cry, the force of his shout reinvigorating not just himself but the soldiers watching the battle unfold. His body surged with newfound strength, and despite the pain, he forced himself to press forward. He couldn't afford to falter—not now, not when so much was at stake.

Noir's eyes flickered, momentarily taken aback by the surge of energy in Kaelthor's movements. The monstrous aura within him urged him to finish the battle quickly, to end this once and for all. Yet, something inside Noir resisted. The power was becoming too much to handle, threatening to slip beyond his control.