Auforus stood on the roof of the house, his sniper trained on the incoming surge of glowing light. His instincts screamed danger as Taleb approached with an air of calm confidence. The ominous energy surrounding Taleb felt suffocating, but Auforus didn’t waver. He took a breath, steadying himself as the monochrome sky above seemed to darken further.
Behind him, Afuwafu yelled, “Wait! Don’t go alone!” She moved to follow, but Xero placed a firm hand on her shoulder, shaking her head.
"Not yet," Xero murmured, her gaze focused and cold.
Auforus, however, didn’t look back. His eyes remained locked on Taleb as the glowing figure moved with startling speed. Taleb’s slash came faster than Auforus could process. Though he dodged just in time, a searing pain ripped through his leg, leaving a deep cut that made him stumble. Blood seeped down his calf, reducing his agility.
“Auforus,” Taleb’s voice was smooth yet menacing, “I know everything about you. Your strengths, your weaknesses... your past.”
The word "past" froze Auforus momentarily, his hands tightening on the sniper. Memories flashed through his mind like daggers, but he forced himself to take aim. A sharp shot rang out, but the bullet dissipated upon contact with Taleb’s glowing aura.
Taleb smirked. “Thanks to my lord, my body is durable enough to withstand even attacks meant to erase me.”
In a blur, Taleb closed the distance, his speed unmatched. He struck Auforus with a devastating blow, sending him flying through trees and into the side of a mountain. Auforus coughed blood, his vision swimming. Before he could recover, Taleb appeared above him, grabbing him like a ragdoll and slamming him into the ground repeatedly. Each impact cracked the earth beneath them.
“You’ve never fought someone like me,” Taleb taunted, his voice sharp with mockery. He hurled Auforus back toward the house, his body smashing through the walls.
---
The monochrome sisters—Xero and Snow—stared in shock as Auforus came crashing through, leaving a trail of destruction. Dust and debris clouded the air, and before anyone could react, Taleb landed lightly on the splintered planks of the broken house.
Taleb’s demeanor shifted slightly. He looked at the sisters with a polite smile. “Ladies, I’m a gentleman. I would never harm someone as delicate as yourselves.”
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Xero’s eyes narrowed, and Snow’s expression darkened. Neither was interested in pleasantries. Without hesitation, they launched themselves at Taleb.
Snow’s atom manipulation allowed her to accelerate her strikes to incredible speeds, while Xero used her enhanced physical abilities to augment her attacks. But Taleb simply sighed, dodging their moves with ease. It was as if he were toying with them, weaving through their strikes like a phantom.
“I’m sorry for what’s about to happen,” Taleb said softly, his voice carrying an air of genuine regret.
With blinding speed, he grabbed Xero’s arm, twisting it with a sickening crack before hurling her through a wall. Snow barely had time to react before Taleb rammed her in the neck with his shoulder, knocking her unconscious.
---
Afuwafu stood frozen in shock, unable to move. Only she and the injured Auforus remained. Taleb’s gaze shifted to her briefly, but he dismissed her, focusing instead on Auforus. He grabbed the weakened sniper by the collar, his voice dropping into a sinister chant.
“Devour... Deluge... Divinity...”
But before he could complete the incantation, Auforus’s body trembled violently. His breathing grew shallow, his eyes wide and unseeing. Taleb smirked as he realized what was happening.
“I see,” Taleb said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “I’ve triggered your trauma.”
Auforus was shaking, his mind spiraling into a maelstrom of past horrors. Taleb raised his blade, prepared to deliver a finishing blow, but Afuwafu darted forward, throwing herself between them. The blade pierced her side, and she gasped, blood spilling as she collapsed against Auforus.
Her trembling hands reached for his face, and she whispered, “Calm down... please...” Her voice faltered as she lost consciousness, her small body slumping into Auforus's arms.
Auforus stared at her limp form, his mind blank with rage and despair. Then, he screamed—a raw, guttural sound that echoed across the battlefield. The air around him grew heavy with energy, an immense wave of Essence spiraling outward in a violent storm.
Taleb took a step back, shielding his eyes from the blinding glow. The ground cracked beneath Auforus, and purple Essence coursed over his body like liquid fire. His eyes burned with a wild intensity, his teeth bared in an animalistic snarl. His transformation was complete: **Awakened Output State**.
Taleb, for the first time, looked genuinely intrigued. He clapped slowly, though his smirk faltered slightly. “Interesting... I didn’t expect this. But no matter. Even awakened, you’re still—”
Before he could finish, Auforus moved with terrifying speed, slamming a fist into Taleb’s chest. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and Taleb staggered, coughing. He quickly regained his composure, sensing Ashlyn’s Essence flickering from the distance.
“She’s interfering,” Taleb muttered to himself, annoyed but not deterred. He looked back at Auforus, whose purple Essence continued to rage like an unrelenting storm.
“You’ve awakened, Auforus,” Taleb said with a dark chuckle. “But don’t think for a second that this will save you.”
Yet, deep down, Taleb knew. In his overconfidence, he had made a grave mistake. **He had awakened a force far beyond what he was prepared to handle.**