Chapter 7: Consequences

As Yurgion charged into the portal with Olnu cradled tightly in his arms, he was thrust into an endless, dark void. The air felt oppressive, and the only sound was his own ragged breathing. Suddenly, the darkness flickered, glowing faintly as a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, their presence commanding and unnerving.

"I see you've brought the child," the figure said, their voice cold and mocking. "How predictable."

Startled, Yurgion instinctively stepped back, clutching Olnu even tighter. "Who are you? And what is this place?"

"This," the figure gestured around, "is the Dimension of Consequences—a domain that exists to correct those who overstep their bounds. You, Yurgion, have cheated fate."

Yurgion's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? Master Lucius created the portal! It was his plan all along!"

The figure chuckled darkly, the sound echoing through the void. "Oh, how naive. That portal? It was my creation, not Lucius'. You fell for my trap, and now you'll face the repercussions. In this dimension, everything is an illusion, and your hubris is your undoing."

The world around Yurgion began to shatter like fragile glass. Startled, he looked down and realized Olnu was no longer in his grasp. "What the—?! Where is he?!"

The figure smirked beneath their hood, lifting their sword and letting it fall with a deliberate clang. As the blade struck the ground, the glass-like surroundings fragmented further, revealing a new setting: a dimly lit hallway lined with cracked walls, eerie shadows, and a massive lion statue looming behind the figure.

"Kyoka Suigetsu," the figure chanted, their voice reverberating. "This is my innate domain."

Yurgion looked around, disoriented, as the figure continued, "When you entered the portal, I activated my ability. Everything you've seen, felt, and believed was part of my spell. Lucius never opened the portal. Olnu was never with you. You didn't even escape the vines. Your confidence blinded you, and I played you like a puppet. Every move you've made since then has been under my influence."

"You're lying!" Yurgion roared, summoning twin dark spears in his hands. "I'll end this charade right now!"

With a furious cry, he hurled the spears at the figure. But as they hurtled forward, the figure calmly raised their sword and intoned, "Kyoka Suigetsu. Your actions are futile."

The glassy fragments around them shimmered and fell, distorting the spears mid-air. Yurgion's eyes widened in disbelief as the projectiles split into harmless fragments, dissolving before they reached their target.

"What… what's happening?" Yurgion stammered, stumbling back.

The figure leaned casually against the lion statue, crossing their legs with a sinister grin. "Your senses are mine now. Your sight, sound, touch—all of them bend to my will. You cannot strike what you cannot truly perceive. You were so desperate to win, you didn't even realize the fight was over before it began."

Clenching his fists, Yurgion's resolve faltered as the figure's laughter filled the air.

"Leaving already?" the figure taunted, their voice dripping with mockery. "How disappointing. I was just starting to enjoy myself."

The figure stood tall, its presence commanding as it turned its gaze toward Yurgion.

"Why don't we have a little fun?" the figure said, its voice smooth but menacing. "Here's the deal: defeat my creations, and I might just let you leave unscathed. Sound fair?"

Yurgion narrowed his eyes, suspicion flashing across his face. "Your creations?"

A smirk crept onto the figure's lips. "Exactly, pal." With a casual wave of its hand, a humanoid entity materialized before Yurgion.

The figure gestured grandly. "Meet Hardtyle, my first and finest creation."

Hardtyle had a distinct appearance: an orange jacket and matching hat, black pants, brown hair with a scar slashing across his left eye, black eyes glowing faintly, and orange shoes.

"If you can beat him," the figure continued, "I'll keep my word. But let's be honest—you won't."

Though distrust burned in Yurgion's gut, he nodded begrudgingly. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

The figure clapped its hands, and in an instant, Yurgion and Hardtyle were teleported into a glowing orange judgment hall.

Hardtyle cracked his knuckles, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Ready to dance? Because I'm about to make your life Hard-In-Style."

Yurgion rolled his eyes, gripping his weapon tighter. "Just try me."

Hardtyle snapped his fingers, summoning an overwhelming barrage of projectiles—560 towering bone walls, 1,200 glowing blue bones, and 500 explosive spikes.

Yurgion's jaw dropped. "What?! Since when is this even remotely fair?!"

Hardtyle chuckled darkly. "Remember the name, pal: Hard-In-Style."

Despite his frustration, Yurgion leapt into action. He dodged, rolled, and weaved through the onslaught, leaping onto platforms that appeared mid-air. The room became a blur of motion as he narrowly avoided the deadly bones, explosions shaking the hall.

As the attack finally subsided, Yurgion launched himself at Hardtyle, unleashing a rapid flurry of strikes. But Hardtyle dodged each blow with almost mocking ease, countering with a devastating punch that sent Yurgion hurtling into the wall.

Hardtyle summoned six glowing blasters, aiming directly at Yurgion. The beams erupted, but Yurgion, with incredible agility, dodged each one, destroying one of the blasters mid-move.

"You're good," Hardtyle admitted with a grin. "But not good enough."

Yurgion pushed forward, moving at blinding speed, and aimed a precise strike. This time, his spear pierced Hardtyle's chest.

"Heh... unexpected," Hardtyle said, his eyes glowing a fiery orange. "You're faster than I thought."

Yurgion's relief quickly turned to dread as he saw Hardtyle's health bar appear: 19999.9/20000.

"What?! Only a scratch?!" Yurgion gasped.

Hardtyle smirked, delivering a bone-crushing punch to Yurgion's face and teleporting behind him to stab him with a razor-sharp bone.

"You're quick," Hardtyle taunted. "But raw speed won't save you here."

Before Yurgion could respond, a portal tore open behind them, and out stepped Lucius.

Lucius wasted no time, firing a death laser at Hardtyle. The creation dodged with ease, but Lucius was already in front of him, delivering a bone-shattering punch that sent Hardtyle crashing into the wall.

"Tch. You're wasting my time," Lucius growled, his eyes glowing with fury.

"Master! Don't interfere!" Yurgion shouted. "This isn't just any fight—"

Before he could finish, the very fabric of the dimension shattered, revealing the innate domain of the figure, now seated once more in its throne-like chair.

"I knew you'd show up, Lucius," the figure said calmly.

Lucius fired another beam, but to his shock, the figure disintegrated into dust.

"Foolish," Lucius muttered, only for the figure to reappear behind him, delivering a casual flick to his forehead. The sheer force sent Lucius crashing through the fragmented realm, tearing reality apart as he went.

"Think twice before interrupting me," the figure said coldly, turning its attention to Yurgion. With a single flick of its finger, Yurgion was knocked unconscious, crumpling to the ground.

The defeated Hardtyle vanished into thin air as the figure loomed over Lucius, who struggled to rise.

"Don't meddle in matters that don't concern you," the figure warned. "This isn't your playground."

Lucius glared, his voice laced with venom. "You should know who you're dealing with."

The figure's lips curled into an enigmatic smile. "Oh, I know exactly who you are. But you? You haven't a clue who I am. Consider this your last warning."

With a snap of its fingers, Lucius was forcibly ejected from the domain, leaving the figure alone with its eerie silence.