Daylan's body began absorbing all the negative energy in the room, but he still struggled to rise. Noticing his attempt, Enzo immediately signaled the others to attack him.
Daylan locked eyes with one of Enzo's guards.
Soul Spiral
In an instant, blood began to trickle from his nose. Despite the difficulty, Daylan forced himself to his feet, enduring strikes from one guard while the other knelt on one knee, clutching his nose to stop the bleeding.
Before he could fully rise, something pierced through him—he'd been stabbed. Blood soaked his body as he stared down at the sword lodged in him, then looked up at the guard. Without a moment's hesitation, he extended his hand, and his dagger materialized.
Sync Loop. Eight seconds.
In the blink of an eye, the guard's sword shot toward his gut. Daylan seized the moment, catching the blade with his bare hands before driving his dagger into the guard's neck. Blood splattered as the guard staggered back, clutching his throat.
Daylan turned to Enzo, who leaned against the wall, trembling and muttering something unintelligible. For a brief moment, Enzo smirked. At that same instant, Daylan struggled to move—something gripped his leg—before he could react, he was slammed into the ground.
Both guards had transformed into ghouls, their breaths ragged and growling low as they fixated on Daylan with bloodthirsty eyes.
Before Daylan could rise, they were on him—slamming him back down. Blows came from every direction as he curled in, clutching his head to shield it from the assault.
Meanwhile, Medora and Astara had drawn the twins into battle. Medora's flames tore through the building, but her movements had grown sluggish—she was clearly exhausted. Astara held back from unleashing her sword's full power, fearing it might endanger Medora.
The twins possessed only luck abilities—teleportation—but their raw strength was unmatched. Even amid the chaotic battle, they laughed constantly, as if toying with their opponents. They dodged Astara's strikes with effortless teleportation, while Medora's scorching flames seemed to barely faze them.
While their battle raged on, Daylan was still being brutalized. Each blow landed with crushing force, shaking the ground beneath him. He knew—if he didn't act soon, this would be the end.
Energy Manifest
In the blink of an eye, he was behind them. Before either could react, he drove his dagger into one of their hearts. The other struck at him, but Daylan vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind him. With a swift slash across the back, he appeared once more in front—then thrust his dagger straight into his heart.
At that moment, Enzo trembled violently, desperate to escape—but the corridors were too hot, the air too thick. Daylan walked toward him with steady steps. The Dark Spiral had faded, yet he felt nothing. He couldn't even hear the words spilling from Enzo's lips.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Reminder: [1] still pending. Please complete this task soon.
[1 hour 15 minutes] Task deadline approaching.
Daylan let out a slow sigh. Grabbing Enzo by the collar, he flicked his dagger into a ready grip, poised to strike. But just as he moved to plunge it in, a powerful force slammed him into the wall. Enzo's body began to shift—dark fur crawled along his arms as he transformed into a human hellhound.
Daylan forced himself up, but before he could react, Enzo was already in front of him—moving with a speed unlike anything he'd ever seen. In the next instant, Enzo unleashed a blast of scorching fire from his mouth.
Daylan instinctively rose to his feet—he could feel it, hear it. Enzo's low growls echoed around him, and as their eyes met, it was clear—he had lost all trace of humanity.
Jezz… why is this place this hot? I have to finish this.
Energy Manifest
In the blink of an eye, Daylan and Enzo charged at each other. Their fists blurred with speed. Daylan narrowly dodged Enzo's strike, while Enzo evaded his attacks effortlessly.
Aware of his disadvantage, Daylan released his dagger. His strikes became faster with each passing second. Before Enzo could react, he found himself struggling to track Daylan's movements—so fast, even Daylan himself could barely keep up.
They moved faster than the mortal eye could follow, their speed blurring across the room. Only the sounds of their strikes and the aftermath of their movements were left to mark their presence.
Energy Manifest
Daylan's speed surged, and before Enzo could react, he was slammed into the walls, his body crashing into two separate corridors.
In an instant, Daylan appeared before him, arm outstretched as his dagger materialized in his hand. But just as he was about to strike, something caught his eye—off to the right. He turned to see Astara and Medora locked in battle with the twins. Both smiled at him with visible relief.
While Daylan was distracted, Enzo struck with a devastating blow. Daylan managed to block it just in time, but the sheer force sent him crashing into the ground. In a flash, Enzo was on him—his slimy jaws snapping as he lunged. He gave Daylan no time to recover before launching another relentless attack.
As Daylan struggled to find his footing, Astara signaled to Medora to stand down. Seizing the moment, her sword began to glow—so brightly that even from blocks away, both Daylan and Enzo could see its radiant light cutting through the chaos.
Medora took cover behind a wall as the twins began to tremble. They couldn't move—couldn't fight or flee. It was as if they were trapped in a white void, with a blinding light closing in on them. The sensation was unnatural, paralyzing.
She waited until Enzo and Daylan were in the clear—then, seizing the perfect moment, unleashed a blade of pure light at the twins.
The strike vaporized them, along with the walls behind them, reducing everything to dust. The moment it was over, Astara collapsed to her knees, and Medora rushed to her side.
The building began to collapse, shards and debris crashing to the ground. "You guys need to get out—now!'' Daylan shouted. ''Don't worry, I'll be okay!"
Medora and Astara exchanged a quick glance, before turning and slipping into the tunnel to escape.
Enzo's pride took a hit, watching Daylan speak so casually in the middle of their fight. The low, guttural growl rumbling from his throat said it all—he was seething.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Warning: [30 minutes] Task deadline approaching.
I've got to finish this… I have just one Dark Spiral left. I have to make good use of this.
Energy Manifest
Daylan gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the dagger. As Enzo lunged, he dodged by a hair's breadth and drove the blade into his chest. Seizing the moment, he dragged it downward, slicing from chest to stomach.
Enzo snarled, his strikes wild and erratic. Despite his organs spilling from the wound, he continued to move, each attack fueled by pure, unrelenting rage.
Won't you just die?!
Daylan delivered a precise strike, sending him crashing into a wall. Enzo lay there, barely holding his breath.
Daylan closed in on him, and flicked his dagger ready to deliver his last strike. Enzo raised his hands as his body turned into normal.
He smiled, "You've become much more of a monster than I ever was." He deepened his smile. "Take care of Zira for me, would you?"
Daylan wore a confused expression. Yet, he didn't let his guard down. He stared directly at Enzo and his vision slowly turned fuzzy.
Daylan knelt beside him and slapped him hard, jolting him back into consciousness.
"What do you mean? Why must you care about Zira? Tell me!" He shook him.
Enzo slowly turned to Daylan, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Everything is your mother's doing… I never wanted to hurt my daughter."
"Huh?! What do you mean?" Daylan's heart was racing, nearly jumping from his chest.
Enzo smiled. "I deserve this. Please promise to take care of Zira."
Before Daylan could utter a word, Enzo's head dropped to the ground.
"You moron!! Say something!!" He screamed, shaking him, but it was too late.
The building was on the verge of collapse. Daylan glanced around, knowing he had no choice but to flee. He sprinted toward the entrance, leaping over the debris in his path.
"Fuck!"
He slid on his back, narrowly avoiding a falling piece of debris as he made his way toward the tunnel. Without a second to spare, he charged for the stairs, racing upward through the crumbling building.
As soon as he pushed through the gate, he raced toward the entrance, where Medora and Astara were already waiting for him.
He held his knees, struggling to catch his breath as the building collapsed behind him. Astara and Medora closed in on him and began checking on him.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Congratulations, you have successfully completed [3/3]
Your [Spiral Edge] has increased by [40%].
Your [Spiral Mind] has improved to [No Focus].
Your [Spiral Form] is now the Soul Tame [Imagine and it shall be yours].
Your [Spiral Time] has increased by [2 hours. Max 0 per day].
Your [Dark Spiral] has increased by [30% per use. 30 minutes. Max 0 per day].