The Unsettling Dark Energy

*CLASH!!!!*

A humongous explosion transpired as their blades collided, and as usual, they drifted backwards.

"Hmm, is it some kind of trend to clash first, then drift backwards?" With a puzzled look, Erika asked as a golden light began to envelop her blade.

"Yeah, it's like a battle tradition or something. But actually, it's…" Eden chuckled as he raised his gaze and snapped his fingers, adding, "...It's just to bait you."

"?!" Instantaneously, Erika's eyes dilated as she hurriedly turned around and placed her blade in front of her as three blades landed on her. It came from Eden's shadow clones.

"Keep your guard up."

"?!" Abruptly, a voice emanated from behind, and before Erika could even respond, a hard slash landed on her spine, creating a devastating scar with blood sputtering out of it.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!" Erika screamed in agony as she kicked the shadow clones and swirled her blade backwards at Eden, who had injured her severely.

"Whoopsie." Eden snickered and efficiently jumped backwards, dodging her attack.

He shifted his gaze at Erika, asking, "Are you crying, Miss? Sorry if I was being a little too ruthless."

He was actually being genuine, but the way he spoke appeared like a taunt.

"Shut up!" Erika clenched her fists as a dark red aura encircled her, and her scar vanished as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, is that a healing skill?" Eden's eyes shimmered after noticing this. He felt as if, if he managed to acquire enough strength, maybe there would be a chance for him to unlock this skill.

"'Keep your guard up', wasn't it?"

"Wha?!" Eden's eyes burst open as he heard a deep yet threatening voice emanating from behind, and as he shifted his gaze, a hard punch landed on his face.

"GAWKH?!" An agonizing groan escaped Eden's lips, accompanied by a spatter of blood, as the powerful blow sent him hurtling backward. He collided with a wall, shattering it upon impact.

"Guh…" Soon, a weak response escaped Eden's mouth as he slowly raised his head, trying to look at Erika. However, his vision was getting blurry, and the blood was spewing out of his forehead, but he was still smiling.

"Amazing, Miss." He let out a soft chuckle and finally managed to gaze at her, as he commented, "You're so strong, I do not doubt it. Nevertheless, this fight is far from over." Completing his words, he finally tried to get up.

"I know," After hearing Eden's testimony, Erika slowly nodded, adding, "This won't be over this easily, especially when I'm facing someone like you."

Saying this, she stood on alert, waiting for Eden's next move.

Eden struggled to stand upright, as he swayed slightly, yet gritted his teeth and steadied his stance, showing that he was far from over!

'Shadow clones…no. It's not needed anymore. Mind control…nah, not possible since she's stronger than me…' Eden began to contemplate which skill he should use to be effective in this battle.

He wanted to be fair since it was not a battle to win but a battle to polish his skills.

'Ashen Reborn…never, I need not to win, but to improve here…'

Since it was a battle for self-improvement, he refused to use his triumph card.

Sigh! Sighing deeply, he clenched his right fist, and with a swift motion, his golden tri-blade materialized in his palm. Placing it in front of him, he remarked, "It's better to use it now!"

Remarking this, he clasped his blade tightly and roared, "Golden Strike of Poison Claws!!!!"

Eden commanded as a combination of golden and green light surrounded his blades, and with full force, he swung his blades towards Miss Erika, shouting, "Now, try to dodge this!!!"

"...." Erika, on the other side, remained unfazed by Eden's attack. Calmly, she extended her left palm and effortlessly grabbed his golden tri-blade.

"What?!" Eden stood awestruck, watching as she halted his blade with ease. To shock him even further, Erika tightened her grip, reducing his blade to shreds."

"Tch." Noticing this, Eden clicked his tongue and swiftly swirled his arms, summoning two golden blades into his hands. Gripping them tightly, he glared at Miss Erika, interpreting her next move.

Erika seemed to realize that Eden wouldn't attack unless she took the lead, so she opened her left palm, and another cosmic blade materialized on her palm.

Clasping both of her blades tightly, she slammed her legs on the ground and flickered forward as her crimson gaze glinted in fury.

'Here she comes!' Eden's eyes widened, and with a swift cross of his blades, he declared, "Lifeforce Assimilation…"

The air around him started to crackle with anticipation as a red and golden aura enveloped his blades. Gritting his teeth, Eden unleashed a primal scream: "Golden Light!!!!"

As he slashed his blades with convulsive precision, the energy surged forward like a shockwave, morphing into the fierce visage of a dragon. The battleground trembled in response.

"Wha?!" Erika, caught off guard for a moment, swiftly retaliated by slashing at the dragon. However, the intense energy within the dragon overwhelmed her cosmic blade, and with a deafening roar, it engulfed her within its fiery embrace.

"RAAWWWRRR!!!" The dragon let out a mighty roar that echoed across the landscape, resonating with a primal force, and it soon flashed towards the barrier, and the moment it touched the barrier,

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

A supermassive explosion transpired, and the yellow light engulfed everything within its fury blaze.

*CRACK!*

Not only that, but the barrier seemed to be broken as well, and the dust and smoke surrounded the area.

"Ngh…" A soft yet fragile voice stemmed from the sky, and a particular figure gradually descended to the ground.

"Damn…it was so strikingly strong." While wiping the blood from her right arm, Erika bit her lips. Her clothes seemed to be slightly torn, and the blood was seeping out from her right arm, left leg, and the left corner of her forehead.

Gradually, she raised her gaze to look at Eden, but since the smoke had already surrounded the ground, it became slightly hard for her to spot him.

*Clank!* Suddenly, Erika's focus shifted to the left as the sound of blades hitting the ground pierced through the prevailing silence.

"Hmm? Is that you, Eden?" She asked as soon as she noticed a lone figure standing inside the smoke.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything—Huh?!" Erika tried to speak, but her eyes dilated, and her voice trailed off as she witnessed something unexpected on Eden's side.

"Ugh…" A vulnerable response came from the smoke, and as the smoke completely vanished, Eden was seen standing upright on the ground, with blood leaking out of his wide eyes, nose, and ears.

"How…can I…" He tried to enunciate something, but his body started staggering, and without warning, he fell to the ground with a pool of blood manifesting from his face.

"Eden!!" Erika screamed in dismay, forgetting her pain as she rushed forward to assess the situation. However, by the time she reached him, Eden had already lost consciousness.

"!!!" Abruptly, Erika observed something unusual around Eden's body. She stepped back in panic and muttered, "How...how is this possible…"

She nervously swallowed, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at Eden's body. A dark aura enveloped him, sending chills down her spine.

She couldn't comprehend how he could be infused with such ominous energy. In a mix of fear and disbelief, she exclaimed, "How can you possibly possess this atrocious dark energy?!"