Chapter 171: East Anekta Crisis (10)

The sight was absurd.

Within seconds, dozens of buildings were suspended above East Anekta, hanging in the sky like enormous, fragmented islands.

Leonard stood among them, his chains stretching in every direction.

"Now, let’s see how long you can keep this up!"

He swung his arm.

The suspended buildings began moving.

One came hurtling toward Eden.

Eden dodged, but the structure exploded against another building behind him, scattering debris across the sky. A second followed, then a third. Leonard was using the entire island as ammunition, throwing enormous chunks of architecture at him from every direction.

Eden accelerated.

Burst-Step carried him between the incoming structures, but the sheer number of attacks made avoiding them increasingly difficult. A chain wrapped around his ankle, and before he could sever it, Leonard pulled him toward a massive building.

Eden crashed through its side.

The structure split apart.

He emerged from the opposite end, blood running down his forehead, only to find another building approaching.

He raised his blade.

A single strike split the structure in half.

The two pieces passed on either side of him.

Leonard’s eyes widened.

’He cut through it?’

Eden looked toward him.

"Are you finished playing?"

Leonard’s smile returned, though it was noticeably tighter.

"Not even close!"

He pulled his chains again.

The debris around Eden shifted, forming a tightening cage.

The golden links converged from every direction, threatening to crush him between them.

Eden tried to move, but the chains caught his arms and legs.

For a moment, he was suspended in the center of the structure.

Leonard raised his sword.

"Goodbye."

The chains tightened.

Eden’s body strained against them.

Then something occurred to him.

He remembered the humanoid centipede.

The creature from the Tomb.

During their fight, it had adapted to the situation, growing wings when its existing body was no longer sufficient to survive. It hadn’t simply increased its physical strength. It had changed its form to overcome a limitation.

Eden looked at the chains surrounding him.

’If that thing could adapt...’

His gaze shifted toward his own scales.

’Then why can’t I?’

Ferocious Evolution wasn’t merely a healing ability. It converted Essence into physical reinforcement, allowing his body to evolve as the skill progressed. The black scales were only one expression of that transformation.

He had never tried to change them.

But there was no reason to assume he couldn’t.

Eden poured Essence into Ferocious Evolution.

The scales across his back began to shift.

At first, the sensation was little more than pressure beneath his skin. Then something pushed outward, forcing the surrounding scales apart. Two enormous structures emerged from his back, unfolding with a series of sharp, cracking sounds.

Wings.

They were crimson, almost black at their edges, and distinctly demonic in appearance. Their elongated bones were covered in dark scales, while the membranes between them shimmered with a deep red hue. They spread wide, extending several meters in either direction.

Eden’s body lurched as the new limbs unfolded.

For a brief moment, he struggled to control them.

Then he moved.

The wings snapped open.

A powerful burst of air erupted around him, tearing the surrounding chains apart.

Leonard stared.

"...What the fuck?"

Eden flexed his back.

The wings responded.

He tilted slightly, then pushed forward, moving through the air with surprising speed.

’So that’s how it works—!’

He glanced over his shoulder.

The wings were far from elegant, but they were functional. More importantly, they gave him the mobility he needed against an opponent who used the sky as a shield.

A faint grin appeared on his face.

Leonard’s expression had become considerably more serious.

He watched Eden circle above the suspended buildings, his crimson wings beating steadily.

’That bastard can fly?!’

That wasn’t the most concerning part.

The wings had appeared in the middle of the battle. Eden had adapted his body to overcome a disadvantage, and the transformation hadn’t seemed particularly difficult.

Leonard tightened his grip on his sword.

’What kind of skill is that?’

He had heard of Awakened whose skills evolved under extreme circumstances. He had even encountered a few whose abilities could temporarily alter their bodies. But this was different.

Eden’s physical transformation seemed directly connected to his growing strength.

And the longer they fought, the more comfortable he became with it.

Leonard’s expression darkened.

"You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?"

Eden spread his wings.

They accelerated toward one another.

The next clash shook the sky.

Their blades met above the central district, releasing a shockwave that scattered the surrounding debris. Several suspended buildings shifted violently, their already damaged structures breaking apart under the pressure.

Leonard swung again.

Eden blocked.

The two exchanged several strikes in rapid succession, moving between the suspended buildings with enough speed that their movements became difficult to follow.

Every collision produced another shockwave.

Every strike sent fragments of concrete and metal scattering through the air.

Eden’s wings allowed him to change direction almost instantly, while Leonard’s chains gave him control over the surrounding battlefield. He could anchor himself to distant structures, pull himself toward Eden, or use the chains to alter his trajectory in the middle of an attack.

Their fighting styles were fundamentally different.

Leonard controlled the battlefield.

Eden adapted to it.

And the longer the fight continued, the more dangerous that became.

Leonard noticed the change when Eden began anticipating his chains.

A golden link shot toward Eden’s left side.

He twisted before it reached him.

Another came from behind.

His wings folded, allowing him to slip between the links.

Leonard swung his sword.

Eden met it.

The impact forced Leonard backward.

’He’s getting used to them.’

Leonard gritted his teeth.

’How?!’

He had spent years mastering his skill. Malevolent Chains was one of the most versatile abilities among the S-Ranks, allowing him to restrain opponents, absorb certain effects, and manipulate his surroundings. He had built his entire fighting style around exploiting its versatility.

Yet Eden was gradually finding ways around it.

Worse, his physical strength seemed to be increasing.

The black scales had spread further across his body, and the crimson wings were moving with greater precision. His injuries healed almost as quickly as they appeared.

Leonard’s expression twisted.

"You’re still just an A-Rank!"

He thrust his hand forward.

"Don’t act like you’re my equal!"

The chains surrounding the sky began to glow.

Then every remaining structure suspended above East Anekta started moving at once.

Leonard was done holding back.

The suspended buildings were pulled toward Eden from every direction, converging into an enormous mass of concrete and steel. The chains wrapped around them tightened, compressing the structures together until they formed a gigantic, unstable cage.

Eden’s eyes widened slightly.

Leonard appeared above the mass.

His golden sword shone brightly, and the chains stretched behind him like an enormous web.

"Let’s see you adapt to this!"

He pulled both hands downward.

The entire mass collapsed inward.

Eden’s wings spread wide.

He poured Essence into them and accelerated.

The first wave of debris struck his back, tearing through the scales and sending him tumbling. Ferocious Evolution immediately began repairing the damage, but the sheer volume of incoming attacks threatened to overwhelm him.

He twisted, cutting through a massive concrete slab.

Another crashed into his shoulder.

He grunted, forcing himself forward.

The chains tightened around the debris, redirecting it toward him whenever he tried to escape.

Leonard was controlling the entire battlefield.

Eden’s wings beat harder.

He folded them close to his body, allowing the incoming debris to pass around him, then opened them again with a sudden burst of force. The resulting shockwave scattered several structures, creating a brief opening.

He accelerated through it.

Leonard’s eyes widened.

"What—"

Eden appeared directly in front of him.

Their blades collided.

The force of the impact was so immense that the remaining suspended buildings began to disintegrate. Massive sections of concrete burst apart, while the chains holding them together snapped one after another.

Leonard struggled to maintain his footing.

Eden pushed forward.

He drove Leonard backward through the debris, striking with a series of increasingly powerful attacks. Leonard blocked the first, redirected the second, and narrowly avoided the third.

But Eden was faster now.

His movements had become smoother, his control over the wings more natural. He no longer needed to think about maintaining flight. His body had adapted, and Ferocious Evolution was continuing to reinforce him.

Leonard’s expression grew desperate.

He summoned more chains.

Eden cut through them.

A golden link wrapped around his arm.

He tore it apart.

Another caught his wing.

He twisted, severing it before Leonard could pull.

Then Eden’s blade slipped past his guard.

Leonard barely managed to turn his body.

The Dark Matter blade pierced his side.

He staggered.

Before he could retreat, Eden pushed forward, forcing the weapon deeper.

Leonard’s eyes widened.

"...You little—"

Eden twisted his wrist.

The blade tore through his abdomen.

Leonard coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. His golden chains trembled, losing their coordination as his concentration faltered.

Eden didn’t let go.

He kept the blade buried in Leonard’s stomach, locking their bodies together as they began to fall.

The two Awakened descended from the sky, surrounded by fragments of the buildings they had destroyed.

Leonard struggled to raise his sword, but his movements had become sluggish. His chains continued to emerge, though they no longer moved with the same precision.

Eden held him in place.

"Let go of me!"

Leonard tried to force him away.

Eden tightened his grip.

"YOU—!"

Leonard’s face twisted with rage.

Golden chains wrapped around Eden’s arm, attempting to pull the blade free. But Eden’s scales had thickened around his shoulders and chest, and his strength was far beyond what Leonard had anticipated.

The chains tightened.

Eden didn’t move.

Below them, the ruins of the second storage skyscraper came into view.

Leonard looked down.

For the first time, he seemed to understand how badly things had gone.

He had entered this battle expecting to teach an arrogant young A-Rank a lesson. Instead, he was falling toward the remains of a building with a blade buried in his stomach, unable to free himself.

His expression changed.

"Wait—"

Eden said nothing.

They crashed into the ruins.

The impact created an enormous crater, sending dust and shattered concrete outward in every direction. The remaining sections of the skyscraper collapsed around them, burying the battlefield beneath a cloud of debris.

For several seconds, there was nothing but silence.

Then the dust began to settle.

Eden remained on one knee, his Dark Matter blade still embedded in Leonard’s stomach. His crimson wings were spread behind him, their membranes torn in several places, while black scales covered most of his upper body.

Leonard lay beneath him, coughing blood.

Eden slowly leaned closer.

"Now..."

His silver eyes were cold.

"You’re going to tell me what the hell is going on."

He twisted the blade slightly.

Leonard grimaced.

And somewhere across the island, the enormous mass of Essence gathered above Aphelios continued to grow.