Chapter 148: Yves vs Twins [7]

From the very beginning of the fight, I had devised several strategies to take the twins down without getting overwhelmed by their numbers.

The first problem I had to deal with was Arnold’s flames and their ridiculous temperature. To protect myself, I had been using the same obsidian armour that had previously blocked his attacks. It was capable of withstanding his flames, but not completely.

His fire would gradually eat away at the armour, breaking it apart and exposing my body. However, I continuously poured mana into it, manipulating the darkness to restore its shape. The process repeated itself over and over again.

I could feel the heat whenever the flames seeped through the cracks and burned my flesh before I managed to seal them again.

It was painful. Really painful.

The sensation even brought back memories of being burned alive. However, compared to Sister Friede’s flames, Arnold’s were child’s play.

Her fire hadn’t merely burned my flesh. It had burned my very being.

Still, that didn’t mean Arnold’s flames were pleasant.

I gritted my teeth and refused to let out a single whimper, let alone a scream. I was also grateful for the helmet covering my face. At least nobody could see how tightly I was clenching my jaw whenever the flames managed to reach my skin.

Now, back to my strategy.

The first thing I needed to eliminate at all costs was Arnold’s miniature sun. It enhanced his strength and, more importantly, illuminated the surrounding area, depriving me of the shadows I needed to move around freely.

As long as that thing remained above us, my movements would be restricted.

The problem was that Arnold constantly stayed close to it. So I needed to create enough distance between him and his miniature sun before I could destroy it.

That was why I punched him far away and deliberately attacked Ana, prompting Arnold to drop his floating fireball on me.

Everything had gone according to plan.

Remember when I mentioned that my Authority, [Esoteric Darkness], possessed the Absolute trait?

If you don’t, allow me to refresh your memory.

I can manifest darkness whenever and wherever I want. It doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night. As long as I wish for darkness to exist, it will.

It doesn’t depend on ordinary environmental conditions or external resources.

And after experimenting with my Authority, I discovered something rather interesting.

My darkness wasn’t simply the absence of light. It was an absolute manifestation of the esoteric concept of darkness.

The Absolute trait allowed my darkness to do more than merely negate light or remain unaffected by it.

It could devour it.

Crazy, right?

To think there was still so much I hadn’t discovered about my [Esoteric Darkness] Authority.

I could not only remove light but consume it entirely.

After numerous experiments, I had managed to develop a technique that allowed me to exploit this particular aspect of the Absolute trait.

I called it [Abyssal Devouring].

It wasn’t an easy technique to control. It required a considerable amount of concentration and mana, making it rather troublesome to use.

Thankfully, I could cheat my way through it with [Calm Mind] and my double mana reservoir. Even then, it consumed far too much mana for me to use carelessly.

That was how I had devoured Arnold’s miniature sun and brought darkness back to the forest.

With the first problem taken care of, I could finally focus on the second.

Ana’s copies.

Her Gift, [Mirroring], allowed her to create exact copies of herself and control them with her mind. Although their individual strength was halved, they were still incredibly annoying to deal with.

There were simply too many of them.

Trying to fight all of them while keeping Arnold occupied was troublesome. So, naturally, I needed to find the real Ana.

Only then could I get rid of the copies.

But how was I supposed to accomplish that when they all looked, moved, and even spoke exactly alike?

Any one of them could have been the real Ana.

Sure, I had created her, but that didn’t mean I knew everything about her abilities. I hadn’t written anything about how to identify the original, so I was just as clueless as anyone else.

As the fight continued, I did my best to observe her copies. I searched for the slightest difference in their movements, expressions, or behaviour.

Anything that could help me distinguish them.

It took a while, but eventually, I noticed something.

The moonlight landed on one of the Anas, and my eyes widened.

When light hits an object, it creates a shadow.

Yet there was no shadow beneath her.

She was shadowless.

How had I not noticed that before?

I had been so distracted by the fight that the answer had been right in front of me the entire time.

I finally knew which one was the real Ana.

So I pushed Arnold away, cornered one of her copies, and sliced her head off.

As expected, her body dissolved into blue sparks. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

A copy.

I couldn’t help but smile beneath my helmet.

Now, this fight had become much easier.

Despite knowing which Ana was the original, I deliberately acted as though I was still clueless. I even made it seem as if destroying that particular copy had been nothing more than a lucky guess.

Then I continued fighting Arnold, purposely leaving an opening behind me.

All I had to do was wait.

And, as expected, the real Ana took the bait.

She came rushing towards my back, intending to stab me while I was occupied with Arnold.

However, she was greeted by a little surprise.

A black tentacle emerged from my back and pierced straight through her stomach.

"Got ya."

I chuckled as the tentacle thrust further through her body, spilling crimson blood onto the ground.

The moment it happened, all her remaining copies dissolved into blue sparks.

Ana screamed.

Well, that must have hurt. I mean, having your stomach pierced by a tentacle wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

"Aghhhhh!"

"Ana!" Arnold shouted.

He immediately abandoned his position and rushed towards me, swinging his katana with enough force to cut my head off.

I ducked beneath his attack and drove my fist into his stomach.

The flames burned against the armour covering my hand, but I didn’t stop.

Arnold was sent flying backwards, crashing through several trees before finally coming to a halt.

I turned around.

Ana was desperately trying to sever the tentacle piercing her stomach, hoping to free herself. Unfortunately for her, two more tentacles emerged from my back and wrapped around her arms.

They spread her arms apart before tightening around her wrists, forcing her to release her katana.

The weapon fell to the ground with a metallic clatter.

"Let me go!" she screamed, her voice filled with anger and pain.

A fireball came rushing towards me from behind.

Before it could reach me, however, a wall of darkness rose from the ground and intercepted it. The fireball collided with the barrier, producing an explosion that illuminated the surrounding trees.

Then a golden-red streak rushed towards me, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

"Let my sister go, you bastard!"

Arnold leapt high into the air before descending towards me with his blade raised. A golden-red arc followed his katana as he attempted to cut me in half.

"Don’t wanna."

I raised my hand.

A gigantic black hand emerged from the ground, reaching towards the descending Arnold.

His eyes widened at the sight.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge it in time, so he concentrated mana around the back of his legs. Flames erupted beneath his boots, propelling him in the opposite direction and allowing him to narrowly avoid the giant hand.

"That was smart, but..."

I paused.

"What would you do about the second one?"

"A second—"

Another hand emerged from the ground in the direction Arnold was flying towards.

Before he could react, it struck him.

BAM!

His body was sent flying like a ragdoll, turning into a golden-red streak as he disappeared into the forest hundreds of metres away.

BOOM!

The distant explosion shook the surrounding trees.

"Brother!"

Ana screamed, her attention immediately shifting towards the direction her brother had disappeared.

I watched the dust settle before turning back towards her.

"That should do it. He won’t bother us for a while. Hell, I don’t even think he’ll be able to get back up from that."

The giant hands crumbled into clouds of darkness, which gradually returned to my body.

"Let me go, you fucking bastard! Do you think these things will stop me?!"

"Language, please. Ladies aren’t supposed to curse like that."

I shook my head.

"Fuck you!"

A blue aura erupted from Ana’s body, colliding with the tentacles holding her. They began to crumble under the pressure, but I reinforced them with a single thought.

Her resistance was impressive, but it wasn’t enough.

She tried to move, yet her feet dangled helplessly in the air as the tentacles tightened around her wrists.

"You’re moving too much."

Two more tentacles emerged from my back and wrapped around her legs, preventing her from moving any further.

Ana continued struggling, releasing her aura repeatedly in an attempt to break free. However, every time she managed to damage the tentacles, I reinforced them.

It was futile.

I had more mana than her, and she was only wasting what little she had left.

I looked up at her.

"I’ve waited for this for so long, dear sister."

I paused for a moment.

"I’ll make it very painful before you go."

Ana looked down at her stomach, where the first tentacle was still buried. Her expression changed as she finally understood what I intended to do.

Her face gradually turned pale.

"No... no..."

"Yes, yes."

I smiled.

Then I thrust the tentacle forward.

It drove further through her stomach, forcing its way through her body. I deliberately controlled its movement, making the process as slow as possible.

"Aghhhhh! It hurts! It hurts!"

Ana’s screams echoed throughout the forest.

Her fingers curled into fists as her body thrashed violently in the air. She struggled and twisted, desperately trying to escape, but the tentacles holding her limbs didn’t budge.

Blood poured from her wound, running down the length of the tentacle before dripping onto the ground. More blood spilled from her mouth, staining the front of her clothes.

I simply stood there, looking up at her.

I didn’t say anything.

I watched as she screamed, cried, and begged. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the sweat covering her face.

Eventually, her voice began to weaken.

I waited until she had completely broken down before finally pausing.

"Please... sniff... please, let me go..."

She struggled to catch her breath.

"I... I apologize for everything I’ve done. Please... just let me go."

Her voice was hoarse from screaming. Her hair was dishevelled, and tears and sweat covered her face.

A large pool of blood had formed beneath her.

Thankfully, Ascendants weren’t so fragile that they would die from blood loss alone. Even after losing that much blood, she was still alive.

"I guess I was a little harsh," I muttered thoughtfully.

Ana’s expression immediately changed. A flicker of relief appeared in her eyes, and for a brief moment, she seemed to believe I was finally going to let her go.

But then she heard my next words.

"Which is still not enough."

The four tentacles holding her limbs tightened.

Then they began pulling in opposite directions.

"NO! NO! NO! PLEASE! I’LL DO ANYTHING! I BEG OF YOU!"

Ana sobbed as she felt her limbs being stretched further and further apart.

"Nah. It’s too late for that."

I ignored her pleas.

With a single thought, the tentacles pulled harder.

"AAGHHHH!"

Her screams pierced through the forest.

Until finally, her limbs reached their limits.

They were ripped from her body.

Blood gushed from her wounds, splashing onto the ground beneath her.

Ana couldn’t endure the pain any longer. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Not long after, her body and severed limbs were teleported away.

I released the tentacles, allowing them to crumble into darkness.

Then I looked down at the pool of blood beneath me.

The crimson surface reflected my glowing purple eyes and the moon hanging high above the forest.

I sighed in disappointment.

"I really wanted to torture her more, but that would probably kill her. And I’m not particularly interested in getting killed by my own family members."

Step.

I turned around.

Arnold was approaching me.

He was bloodied, limping, and barely able to stand. The flames that had previously enveloped his body were gone, but he still held his katana in a tight grip.

He was still standing.

How amusing.

"Did you hear her screams? It was quite lively."

I sheathed my katana and spread my arms wide.

Arnold gritted his teeth so hard that I thought they might break.

"You... you bastard! Do you think you’ll get away with this?!"

"What? Are you dumb? I didn’t do anything against the rules. I swear, you people are just retarded."

Arnold let out a furious war cry and charged towards me despite his injuries.

When he reached me, he swung his katana.

I simply stepped to the side and drove my fist into his stomach.

Crack.

"Ugh! I will not lose!"

He screamed and attacked me again.

His movements were slow.

Too slow.

I casually dodged his attacks, moving around him as though I were dealing with an inexperienced fighter.

Then I drove another punch into the left side of his stomach.

Arnold coughed up blood.

He grabbed his side, grimacing in pain, yet he still chose to attack me again.

He released his grip on his stomach and threw a punch.

I pushed his fist aside with my right hand before delivering a slap across his face.

SMACK!

His head snapped to the side, and a tooth flew out of his mouth.

Arnold stumbled backwards, his legs barely able to support his weight.

He didn’t attack again.

Well, if he wasn’t going to come to me, I would do him the honour.

I approached him.

The moment he noticed me closing in, he raised his katana and pointed it towards me.

"S-stay back!"

I ignored him.

Closing the distance, I drove a punch into his stomach, lifting both his feet off the ground.

"Gah!"

He coughed up blood.

He tried to swing his blade at me, but I caught his wrist and twisted it in the opposite direction.

Crack.

"AGHH—!"

BAM!

I punched him directly in the mouth, breaking more of his teeth.

"Shut up."

Still holding his twisted wrist, I pulled his arm over my shoulder and slipped my other arm beneath his armpit. Then I shifted my weight and slammed his body onto the ground, landing him flat on his back.

BAM!

His body bounced slightly from the impact.

I climbed on top of him, pinning his chest beneath my knee.

Then I started punching his face.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

The wet sound of my fists connecting with his face echoed through the quiet forest.

Arnold’s blood stained my armour and splattered across my face, but I didn’t stop.

BAM! BAM!

Not even when words of mercy began slipping from his lips.

Not even when his body started twitching with every punch.

His face was covered in blood, his nose was broken, and his features had become almost unrecognisable.

He was still breathing, although barely.

I raised my fist one last time.

"Let this serve as a lesson. Never mess with me again."

Arnold couldn’t reply.

I wasn’t even sure whether he was still conscious.

I brought my fist down.

But before it could turn his face into a smashed potato, his body disappeared.

He had been teleported away.

BAM!

My fist struck the ground instead, creating a small crater beneath it.

I slowly stood up and looked towards the moon.

My armour was covered in blood. My flesh still burned from the heat that had managed to seep through its cracks, and my entire body ached.

But I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of it.

All I could think about was how beautiful the moon looked.

A soft breeze passed through the forest, gently lifting the black plume attached to the back of my helmet.

"I... have won."

...

Everyone in the hall had watched the entire final showdown in silence.

Not a single person had spoken.

They had witnessed every moment of the battle, from the moment Yves swallowed Arnold’s miniature sun to the moment he defeated both twins.

And when the winner was finally declared...

The entire Laurent family released their auras.

A tremendous pressure erupted throughout the hall, shaking the very foundations of the building. Sharp grins appeared on the faces of countless family members as they watched the victor.

They didn’t care that Yves had been called trash for years.

They didn’t care that he had been the black sheep, the unwanted child, or the one nobody expected to amount to anything.

All that mattered to them now was that he had won.

He had stood against everyone who had doubted him, fought two opponents at once, and emerged victorious.

And as a form of respect, they released their immense auras without hesitation.

The black sheep of the family.

The unwanted child.

The trash.

Yves Noctis fucking Laurent.

He was the winner of the Rite of Passage.