Accepting The Darkness!

Fwoosh!

Battle sense. It was an important ability, like a sixth sense that can be improved through battles and would be very useful when in battle.

Natural geniuses could develop it much faster, and it was this battle sense that allowed Athena and Blade to work in unison and use each other to dodge the Pseudo Beast Emperor's attack.

'System, I accept the mission!' Seeing that there wasn't any choice, he accepted.

Ding!

[Warning: The mark containing Astral's power will be inactive, sealed by the system.]

Thrum!

'This...!' As his figure flew across the skies, he wasn't even in the mood to be angered... Deciding that it'll be better to deal with this matter after dealing with his enemy, he halted his movements, in one swift move, Blade rushed toward the nose bride of the serpent as his space ring flashed with light and a sword appeared already gripped in his palm.

Thud!

Landing on the beast's nose bridge, the blade of Blade's sword released a dangerously sharp gleam as he swiped down on its unprotected skin.

Clang!

Yet contrary to his expectations, the sword wasn't embedded into the skin of the serpent. For a time, Blade saw the serpent's condensing cold eyes staring at him.

Whoosh!

He was sent flying from the snake's head suddenly jerking. The force that each action of the creature's body carried was too strong for him.

As he was sent flying away, Athena suddenly appeared, already slashing at the only visible weak spot she could find. Athena's spear pierced through the winds and rushed toward the eyeball...!

Fwoosh!

Eh?

Athena's spear pierced the creature's eyeball...! It pierced the eyeball but, slowly, this eyeball along with the rest of the creature's body faded.

Afterimage!

BAM!

An incredible force bashed into Athena's back, sending her flying into the earth below. It was shocking speed but the Beast Emperor, even with such a big body had reappeared behind her before she could perceive.

As the creature was about to rush toward Athena's slowly rising figure, Blade had already stabilized mid-air and was rushing toward the creature with his sword in hand.

BAM!

Before he could react, Blade received a whip-like attack from the tail of the creature. This attack landed on most of his body but was concentrated on his face!

In an instant, the mask on his face was pulverized. Spurting blood from his nose, eyes, mouth, and ears, he was sent in a descent to the surface of the earth below.

Ahhhhhh!

Like a desperate Goddess of War, Athena released a desperate war cry. At that moment, her aura shot through the roof, and flames appeared blazing around not just her body, but also her weapon!

Xiu! Xiu!

Simultaneously, both the serpent creature and Athena rushed toward the other. In her wake, Athena left a massive twenty-meter crater as she shot toward the skies.

As the moonlight shone, two creatures flashed across the skies! One was an unusually massive creature while the other was an incredibly small creature. Compared to the huge lifeform, the smaller lifeform was the size of an ant...

BOOM!

A massive collision occurred as the two forces collided. In that instance, a shockwave escaped the two attacks and it reached Blade who was just standing back up to his feet.

Urgh!

Seeing the two sides collide, Blade was left shocked... The power they both just expressed was something he could compete against. Not as he was now!

Without hesitation, he set his energy ablaze. As Athena's figure was sent flying back once more, Blade's figure, which was surrounded by crackling purple lightning shot toward the creature in the skies, in his wake, a crater of similar size to Athena's appeared...!

Bzzzzz!

Tens of afterimages appeared in the night skies. These afterimages were the image of a lone bloodied figure with long purple hair that was wildly fluttering and a sword in hand.

His eyes were filled with thick boundless killing intent as he ate away at the space between him and the massive two-hundred-meter-long serpent that floated in the skies.

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!...

His eyes released powerful crackles of lightning as the pupils disappeared and the sclera turned completely purple. At this moment, Blade was in his peak state, this was the most strength he could exert before his dantian would explode due.

Sensing the power approach, for the first time in this battle, the Serpent creature turned its attention to focus fully on Blade..!

The two powerhouses rushed toward each other before...

BOOM!!

A truly powerful explosion took place. A shockwave that sent Athena who was now rushing back to the battle with severe injuries, hurling back due to the force it carried.

For a moment, the night skies were brightened by a resplendent purple lightning before that quickly disappeared and a figure descended from the skies.

This object was shaped in a human form. It seemed that this person wasn't awake as the descent to the earth only quickened.

Boom!

In another mini-explosion, Blade's unconscious body formed another but a much smaller crater and on his chest, besides his tattered clothing, a gaping hole could be seen...!

Urgh! Cough!

Blood leaked from Blade's lips as his eyes were half open, slowly closing. Only one thought on his mind as he realized what had just taken place...

'What bullshit is this... How am I supposed to win against something that, upon facing my full strength, still suppressed me with utter ease?!'

He wanted to click his tongue in annoyance but, he didn't have such strength. He could feel more and more of his strength leaving his body, the feeling of losing his life...

As his eyes closed...

'Unbelievable... I, Blade Pure-Heart fell to some mere Beast...?!'

Thrum!

...

Eh?

"B-Blade..."

Hundreds of meters away Athena's figure stood levitating in the air. Shell-shocked. Confused. Disbelieving. Angered. Fearful. Wrathful...

Her eyes widened soo much that they almost popped out. The veins around her eyes had burst from the last attack, and her current appearance seemed no different than demonic!

Grrrrr...

With a growl of pure rage, Athena's gaze darted toward the skies. She didn't even think as her body was enveloped in flames. At this moment, she didn't even care for her dantian being unable to handle the flames as she screamed one last time before blazing toward the skies once more.

In her trails were undying flames that seemingly desired to burn the world itself...!

A final collision of might then took place...

...

...

Black...

Left, right, up, down, front, or back... Everything black.

Floating in this space was the soul light in this endless darkness. This figure was almost transparent but the little of him which was seemingly a physical being. The golden infinity symbol on his forehead worked as a light that lit up his nearby surroundings.

Opening his eyes, Blade wasn't surprised by his surroundings. Though he wasn't surprised, it didn't mean that he was willingly going to give up but, seeing his surroundings, it was impossible to try and change anything... He was hopeless in this situation.

"I do not know what this place is, nor how to get out of it... But, knowing how my life has been, this place, could it be Hell...?" Though he used words to say this through his mouth, his voice didn't travel anywhere.

"Hell is a little tame it seems." Blade uttered.

Thrum!

As he said those words, the black space vibrated. Feeling slightly dazed, the moment he recovered, he realized that he was being moved. His body was being pulled away without his control...

"W-What is this?!" Due to the light on his forehead, Blade was able to make out the massive hole in the space he was being drawn to. This hole was even darker than his surroundings which for him, didn't make sense seeing as his surroundings were as black as pitch.

The massive circle swallowed everything in its path and the force which pulled Blade toward it only continued to grow and grow.

"Dammit. In hell am I going to fall into that Black Hole...!" He didn't have any other way so he decided to try and swim his way out of the forcefield that pulled him toward the Black Hole.

"Damn Damn Damn Damn!" Frantically trying to swim away, every time the force pulling him would be canceled out by his desperate attempt, it would only grow stronger and stronger.

"Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck! Dammit, I'm unwilling! Unwilling!!!" Shouting toward the end.

He was truly unwilling as someone who desired nothing but Immortality and Invincibility, this feeling of hopelessness was something that ate away at his soul.

'Come on Blade... Accept it... You'll live...'

Huh

A voice suddenly entered his ear. Or maybe it entered straight into his mind. But, what he understood was that there was a chance to live... According to the voice that is...

As desperate as he was, it didn't mean he'll trust any voice...!

Well, this is what he would say if he was in a better situation but, right now, in this utterly hopeless situation, with his desire for Immortality, Blade closed his eyes and his resistance stopped.

Before long, the lone figure, Blade's soul was instantly devoured by the Black Hole. Silence then descended for a time before the endless realm shook wildly.

A light appeared as multiple cracks formed in this dark world!...