Spirit Rebirth Realm, Endless Darkness, Raging Flames (2—Last Part)

"You fucking dare!!" Heian Ciemnosc heard Greg behind him, yelling as he seemed to exert force. Heian Ciemnosc's eyes widened as he rapidly finished devouring Remi and twisted his upper torso to look back. Although his body was further damaged, he still employed dark Power Energy to his legs and leaped backwards, just in time as he saw Greg swing his big hammer down in his direction. However, it was meaningless. Heian Ciemnosc's body was dragged inwards and then sent outwards by the mere swing of that big hammer. His wounds opened a little further, and dark blood seeped out of it before turning into nothing by the big hammer's strike!

WHOOOOOOSH! PLA PLA PLA PLA, craaaack~.

“!” Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes immediately closed to the pain as he felt his abdomen opening as a couple millimeters of skin flapped against his open injury and sent shivering bouts of pain through his body. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the wind commanded by that big hammer, which was owned by Greg, as his Power Energy was merely slightly employed. This left Heian Ciemnosc feeling helpless and even chuckling with a grin formed on his lips.

“HAHAHA! You got time to laugh? LAUGH THEN. LAUGH,” Greg responded, then let out chuckle after chuckle as the commotion eased. The wind was no longer raging to his Earth grade weapon’s command, and the surroundings slowly tranquilized. Greg’s nature and true colors came to light. His face became crazed as he widened up a smile, shaking his head as if suffering Heian Ciemnosc’s pain but with an expression filled with excitement.

Whooooosh, futomp~... After a soft sound of his body finally stopping, Heian Ciemnosc’s body faced the ground as he shakily floated in midair, but he began inadvertently descending… slowly. He clutched his abdomen with his right hand as his left hand twitched, closing and opening repeatedly in synchrony with other places like his thighs, chest, and back, where his skin was flinching and spasming as if having difficulty breathing.

“Ha… ha, ha…” Heian Ciemnosc even let a couple chuckles out of his mouth as he struggled to lift his head. His darkest eyes met Greg’s, who was now gloating upon seeing Heian Ciemnosc’s state. One could tell Greg could orgasm any time now. Heian Ciemnosc opened his lips, closed them, and again opened them, trying to speak. He could utter at last, “You know… huf… If I were you, I would worry about myself first. What can you do to me?”

Heian Ciemnosc’s question was filled with disdain. Not much, just enough to make a demented person such as this slightly tremble in rage. “You were sent here… to put an eye on me, maybe cause trouble here or there. But don’t you find it strange? From other Second Step cultivators, you had to be the one to be sent here? After what happened to that Lionel… don’t you find it strange? Maybe your bosses just want you to disappear. You’re a tumor. Anyone can see that.”

“How come you still have breath in that body? Amazing! No wonder you’re the Commander, Heian Ciemnosc.” Greg noiselessly clapped, shook his head, and ‘praised’ Heian Ciemnosc like he had no equal. Heian Ciemnosc gulped a bit of dark blood and nudged his head upwards, feeling pain every second and more any time he moved or even breathed. With difficulty, he forced his throat to not let any more dark blood come close to exploding upwards and said. “If I wasn’t confident in your stupidity, would Clarke not be here? Or Arla? What, do you think they just disappeared from thin air?”

“...” Greg fell silent as if smacked from the heavens with a heavy strike, downright baffled as his face turned cold and deadly serious. Heian Ciemnosc had a sudden coughing fit, but only air came out. Of course, his lungs were thinned out like a small book, which could be seen from his scaringly whispered breath. “It seems those who are brighter do start dimming faster.”

As Greg said that, he picked up his hammer from the attacking stance he had been staying in. As they were just 4 meters above the ground, he simply picked up his Earth big hammer with his right hand and pointed it at Heian Ciemnosc. With a clear voice and adopting a victorious, righteous stance - Greg said. “Heian Ciemnosc, here I command you. Give me the treasures you stole from the Academy, and I will forgive you. Otherwise, by the universe! I will destroy you!”

“What treasures? Huh? Am I the treasure? I’m not like that, you kn-” Heian Ciemnosc jolted his body awkwardly, not knowing what Greg talked about. Greg felt incensed at last, and he shouted with all his might as Power Energy reached Heian Ciemnosc’s ears, making them bleed dark. “The machines!! Those things! They are my spoils! Give them to me, or I will let those above bring you away! Even if your retarded little friend comes, they will only be pinned down against the ground and abused as you watch! Why don’t you call them then? Call them! CALL THEM!”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc’s face became serene as he looked at Greg with his right arm now holding his left shoulder and his left arm covering his abdomen. Greg’s nerves were at the top when looking at Heian Ciemnosc’s calm expression. Greg took a step forward and shook his head, slightly lowered, before lifting it. His eyes were sinister as he spoke heavily, “It’s you who wanted it this way. So be it. I will just capture you. Don’t worry. Your team members can self-explode before anything can happen to them. You will see that when it happens. I will just have to mourn your disappearance with the others…”

Whooosh- shing~, WHOOOOOOOSH- CUUUUUUUUUUH- CLAAAAAAAANK~!!!

Greg lifted his big hammer again, his bulky arms held onto it as his muscles bulged and showcased, appearing quite eye-catching. He started swinging it down. However, when Greg was just beginning, and the air around him again converged at the head of his hammer, a strange, piercing noise sounded from his back. He was just in time to see something come towards him with side eyes. Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc’s narrowed, darkest eyes were unreadable as he watched the same thing as Greg.

A metallic figure overflew the night skies. Atop it, a halberd, 3 meters long, pointed at Greg’s back. It was clearly discernible for a cultivator’s eyes. But to both Heian Ciemnosc and Greg, it was just a few moments, not even a second… before the figure appeared behind Greg, and the halberd was just a couple meters from stabbing his back. In the last moment, Greg turned around, and with the momentum from before, he sent his hammer trike from below to up in a rapid turnaround. His Power Energy was injected into it, but so was the halberd glittering with endless transparent yellowish-gray energy.

Both blows were exchanged, meeting each other. Before it, however, the sound of the halberd wasn’t just cutting through air. It also showcased the air’s properties, bringing the wind around it and the figure holding it spread for several dozen kilometers. This was not something anyone in the First Step could accomplish. Not even Heian Ciemnosc could, without detonating Mortal weapons together. Something someone with Elena’s cultivation base shouldn’t have been able to do, for sure, unless they had a Divine weapon!!

‘!!!’ Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes widened, but they did so in the last instant before both parties clashed. Just as he saw Elena’s face, so was her face aggressively yet indifferently looking downwards at her target. At last, their weapons met, and the world turned upside down. Elena and Greg’s sides were both of them. They seemed to intermittently collide into the other’s space until Elena’s side was finally weaker and defeated as she was sent back into the air without force!

BOO- POOOOM! CRUUUUUUUUSHHHHH- SWWEEESHHH~!!

Elena’s body arched slightly backwards as she was flung into the skies. The Power Energy hitting her caused blood to tear from her eyes, nostrils, and ears as she slowly expelled some more from her lips. While Elena was sent flying this way, her birdy tool Taeo was considerably crippled. Even though it was possible to protect Elena against a Second Step cultivator, it wasn’t made for combat but flight and defense. Now that Elena had sacrificed the latter feature in one go, the tool was crushed under the Earth big hammer’s impact and Greg’s Power Energy.

It crumbled under its power, and its entire frontal body splashed to the sides, becoming debris as it flew even a kilometer away from the battlefield. Some even went past Heian Ciemnosc’s head to the sides, and a few embedded themselves into the ground around his feet. Heian Ciemnosc looked as Taeo was destroyed, its wings crooked as it continued to fly backwards for a couple hundred meters before falling, causing a light tremor in the sky, slightly stronger than a Fighter.

“Now, where were we?” Greg didn’t care about Elena, although he looked up at her arching body with expectance. Turning around, he looked at Heian Ciemnosc, who looked expressionless and ghastly pale. Greg smirked and stepped towards Heian Ciemnosc, now both their feet on the ground, like civilians. Just as Greg was in the middle of extending his left arm with his big hammer on his right shoulder, he and Heian Ciemnosc heard little steps come from behind the latter.

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Step, step… tap, tap, step step step step. Fera came outside the Ornament and looked at Greg, her little face slightly dirtied and bloody from the crash. But she looked determined as she didn’t even stare at Heian Ciemnosc before sprinting towards the former. Power Energy started dancing around her with flawless manipulation that made both Heian Ciemnosc and Greg feeling amazed. She covered her body with her Power Energy, forming spikes protruding forwards as the image of a phoenix with a crown of thorns and blind appeared above her little head.

Tap- whoosh, swi- whoosh- pahm- pfwuuu~ thud.

‘?!’ Heian Ciemnosc watched this crazy Fera as she lunged at Greg, her fists tightly shut and her legs prepared to kick after punching. But Greg casually turned slightly in her direction, thrust his left palm towards her, and sent her flying backwards up into the air, like Elena. She didn’t even emit a noise as she fell unconscious. Her face was mostly bloody, and her lips were broken as she fell in the dirt with her head limp.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes paused upon seeing this. However, his attention was attracted by the cry of something far in the skies, as it did with Greg’s suddenly widened eyes filled with fear.

CREEAAAAARRR!

‘Elena…’ Heian Ciemnosc’s mind was heavy as he watched Elena, bloody from her abdomen but holding her Divine halberd powerfully, determined. Below her feet was a flood dragon, a Second Step Fauna that could - very well - squash Greg into a slightly bulkier ant and nothing else. She stood on top of her mount. Her brown eyes looked calmly at her enemy, and her face hid a tremendous fury!

“Hm? What’s this? A new dish for today? Hahahahaha! This little girl, give it to me. I’ll pay you handsomely after you’re done being dominated~.” A voice sounded from the figures above. Elena surprisingly looked up and backwards, only to see a figure sending a blast of Wind energy and sending her flying towards Greg. Her body was flung so suddenly that it injured her internally as her Flood Dragon was pinned down by that cloaked figure.

BRWOAAAAAAAAAAAAWWRR- TAAAWWW- RWWWEEEE-...

The Flood Dragon was enraged as it saw Elena treated worse than an ant. But it was too busy and helpless itself. Vigor Energy impacted his back, not harming him, but paralyzing it under a moment. It continued to roar, trying to defend itself, even by burning its life essence. But the cloaked figure was prepared and didn’t allow it to. Vigor Energy flew into and around the Flood Dragon, rendering any action useless.

It was constantly punched down on the top of its head, silencing its roar as Elena rapidly arrived before Greg, helpless but still with her halberd in hand. Greg didn’t take it seriously and even used his left hand to try catching her body, another limb, or anywhere else around her body. However, at that time, Elena’s helpless situation changed as she employed all her Power Energy and struck with her Divine halberd!!

PSHIIIFT- CUUUUUUUH! “AAAAAAAARRGGHH!” Elena roared with her teeth gritting, her boyish guttural sounds eliciting Heian Ciemnosc’s body to move. But it happened really fast. Greg was already confident after seeing the Flood Dragon out of the way. He planned to thank those seniors with a specialty as he looked at Elena. Just as Elena was crushing her Dantian reserves to go all out, her melee Art showcasing its full power… she was bested. Even though her cultivation had risen to the 5th stage of the Spirit Rebirth realm, she was up against a Second Step cultivator. A Broken Crystallization realm 5th stage enemy.

PSHIIFT- PAAAAH~!! PLAAP. With a muffled slapping sound, Elena felt every bit of air escape her body as Greg suddenly dashed towards her and captured her neck. His Power Energy flew against her front body like a cloud trying to stop a plane. Yet, this time, the plane was rendered useless as all the Power Energy in her body was wasted away, washed by his naturally superior cultivation base. If Elena hadn’t attacked him first, he could only pin her down as the cloaked figure did to her Flood Dragon.

But not this time. Greg looked at his prize and turned towards Heian Ciemnosc with Elena’s neck in his left hand. Her body didn’t squirm, nor did it struggle desperately. She couldn’t breathe, and with her Power Energy exhausted, all she could do was endure until she could do anything or something else happened. Walking to Heian Ciemnosc, he grinned and spoke, his eyes traveling someone’s body and his mouth watering, dropping saliva strands from the corners of his mouth.

“Mhm, I can’t hurt you, but that never mattered.” Greg was just 15 meters from the severely injured Heian Ciemnosc, whose facial expression was calm. “Say, how long do you think it will take before she explodes herself? I mean, I can turn her into a good girl, you know? My hands are that good. They make the girls hesitant because they feel that good. Then they get banged, and all they can think of is following me. Mn, mn. Elena wouldn’t hesitate. I know she’s strong. But now that she has heard my words, if I start preparing her for some raping, she will hesitate!”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked on calmly as Elena’s face was losing reason, her neck half-crushed. Her body was as frail as a civilian’s. Greg added, “Then I will pluck those girls inside my new Fighter away from your image. They will bounce and bob once they start knowing me. How does that sound? Tsk, so serious.”

Looking at Heian Ciemnosc’s calm face, Greg wasn’t pleased. He looked at Elena and cracked his neck. His left arm slowly lowered as he prepared to start disrobing her. She was helpless and could only self-detonate. As Heian Ciemnosc watched, Greg placed his hammer on his right shoulder, letting it balance atop it as his left hand clutched Elena’s neck harder. His right hand extended just 30 cm from reaching Elena’s upper armor piece.

… … … … … … … …

“!?” Greg suddenly stopped, his hand uncontrollably trembling. He lifted his head so so slowly and ended up seeing Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes. Elena suddenly felt air coming into her lungs again as something deep within her shook excitedly. On the other hand, Greg was feeling terror. Besides feeling basic, sensorial, innate, instinctive, and deep terror from Heian Ciemnosc… he also felt primitive terror.

Looking at Heian Ciemnosc, he looked just like before. But now, however, there was something, something more and else… Something… Something deep within, hidden from anything that any ordinary person could notice. Even cultivators. Something within one’s nature. Deeper than the Soul… Larger than the world.

PSHIFT- SHUAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

“!!!!!!!!!!” Greg suddenly felt the biggest fear in his life so far and ever! He backtracked and immediately let go of Elena, letting her drop limply on the ground, her legs like jelly as she roughly landed. Greg was looking at a Heian Ciemnosc whose eyes were the same as always. But simply looking at them, he felt everything in his mind, and eyes were those darkest eyes. Those eyes only…

When Greg dropped Elena, and she hit her body harshly, Greg noticed it, as his eyes fleetingly glanced at her before returning to Heian Ciemnosc. On the other hand, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes gained something new. Something different as he looked at Elena down on the ground. When they returned to stare at Greg, a blazing, raging fire of ordinary orange and yellow burst within them. Not at the center of his eyes, but everywhere!

The flames fluctuated, coloring Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes, but they somehow appeared colorless amidst the darkest of his pupils and irises. And just as Greg noticed these changes, Heian Ciemnosc’s dragged-on, hoarse voice spoke to him. They were looking at him like a questioning ruler. No, the ruler was questioning him.

“If I ever felt anything to this world, it was that I needed to take it before filth like you ever plighted it! I will… set it on fire instead until I like its new face!”

“!!!” Greg felt commanded by those words. His everything, his world, and reality seemed warped into nothingness before him! Yet, Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t even done yet, as a few words appeared in the latter’s mind, just as it had once happened when he cultivated for the first time when he knew his innate body tempering Supreme Art was called the [All-Devouring Force Chronicles]!

‘Myriad Darkness Materialization!’ Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes turned wholly pitch black, but he wasn’t done yet. Oh! He. Was. Not!!

‘Igniting Darkning!’

Thus, firstly, a dark dome formed around Heian Ciemnosc, with him as the center of the world. Right after, Greg felt something within his Soul. Something new that wasn’t there before, ever. Looking inside his inner being really quick, Greg saw something familiar. It was a little ordinary orange and yellow spark surrounded by dark particles. More and more sparks went off, trying to set his… Soul… Ablaze!!

Fwuh-pa!

‘No!’ Greg thought, already feeling stupidly high bouts of pain everywhere inside his self. But before he could even attempt to placate the sparks, a flame started bursting at a lower, right corner of his Soul. Yet, as he was going through this as fast as he mentally could, he sensed something in the outside world.

“!!!” Greg’s eyes opened, nearly letting his eyeballs fall out of their sockets. In front of him, Heian Ciemnosc’s aura changed, improved, and evolved! However, it wasn’t an increasing growth but a sudden outburst. One that was… never heard of.

‘Spirit Rebirth Realm 10th stage?!’ Greg’s mind, already distorted from reality and demented, was turned into mush. But just then, Heian Ciemnosc’s Myriad Darkness Materialization dome had expanded over 80 kilometers. And he, Greg, was right in the middle of it all.

Bowwbooumb.

…