Manor Of Sin 4

Duke Erisia advanced, his presence expanding like a force of nature, suffocating and absolute. The battered chamber seemed to shrink under his gaze, the air crackling with ether so dense it felt like the very fabric of the world was being pulled taut. There was no arrogance in his stance anymore—only cold, calculating intent.

"No more games," the Duke said. "Now, you die."

Leo barely had time to register the shift before the floor fractured beneath the Duke's step. A gale erupted, warping the debris into deadly projectiles, their sharpened edges slicing through the ruined chamber like invisible blades.

"Scatter!" Leo roared, but the command was unnecessary. Instinct had already driven them apart.

Rajin surged left, his spear crackling with the fury of a storm. Thundercall burned through his veins, his entire form flickering between existence and light as he charged forward. A single lunge carried him to the Duke's flank—

And his spear passed through empty air.

The Duke was already behind him.

Rajin twisted, barely raising his weapon in time as the Duke's gauntlet shot forward. The impact sent vibrations through his bones, a shockwave rippling out as he was hurled backward, crashing against a crumbling pillar. His vision swam, the lingering static of his own ether struggling to realign.

"Too slow," the Duke muttered, and then he moved again.

A sharp gust of wind curved toward Velvet, who met it head-on. Their axe shimmered with charged ether, Thundercall lashing out in brilliant arcs. The twin streaks of lightning clashed against the Duke's invisible onslaught, the collision bending space between them as their energies fought for dominance. Sparks scattered, illuminating the ruined battlefield.

Then, a pulse—

Velvet's stance faltered. Their vision blurred for a fraction of a second.

A mistake.

The Duke capitalized immediately, crossing the distance in an instant. A brutal kick struck Velvet's side, the force launching them skyward before gravity reclaimed them, slamming their body into the ground.

"Gh—!" They barely managed to roll away before a wind blade split the floor where they had landed, carving a deep trench through stone.

Leo raised his hand, ether surging. He clenched his fist and a vortex spiraled into existence, pulling in surrounding debris before launching it forward as a barrage. The Duke turned his attention toward Leo, a flicker of amusement passing through his eyes. He lifted his hand—

And cut through the entire storm of rubble with a single swipe, the ether-infused projectiles dispersing like mist.

"Tch—" Leo's frustration barely had time to settle before a shadow flickered behind the Duke. Ubel's blade gleamed red-hot, fire curling around the steel. He struck downward, twice, the air distorting under the sheer force of his speed.

The first strike met resistance.

The second cut nothing.

The Duke had tilted his head—barely, but enough to evade instant decapitation.

For anyone else, this would have been a moment of triumph.

For the Duke, it was analyzed.

"I finally got you," the Duke noted, his voice disturbingly even.

He retaliated.

The back of his fist crashed into Ubel's ribs, sending him reeling. Before the swordsman could recover, another strike came—a precision blow aimed at the head. Ubel barely managed to raise his sword in time, his arms buckling under the impact as he skidded across the ruined battlefield.

And then the floor turned red.

Kouneli had been waiting.

From his fingertips, streams of liquid blood burst forth, forming jagged, shifting constructs. They snapped forward like sentient spears, moving faster than any natural force should allow. The Duke's gaze flicked toward them, his hands moving in a blur.

He deflected one—

Then a second—

But the third bit into his flesh.

For the first time, a wound marred the Duke's pristine form. A shallow cut along his arm, crimson welling at the edges. His expression darkened slightly, not in pain, but in acknowledgment.

"Blood manipulation," he mused, rolling his wrist as if testing the extent of the damage. "A troublesome ability."

Kouneli didn't respond. He had already begun forming the next attack.

But the Duke had seen enough.

His gauntlets flared.

A surge of ether erupted from his core, the sheer magnitude of it forcing the squad back. It wasn't just raw power—it was calculated precision. The air bent around him, light itself fractured—

And then it happened. The ether inside Duke's fist was compressed to its absolute limit in 1 of a millionth second and unleashed in perfect synchronicity with movement. The result was an instantaneous strike, a calculated inevitability rather than an attack, bending space and time between the fist and the target. There was no wasted motion, no excess energy. A single point of destruction, absolute in its execution.

"Luminous Flash!"

Ether compressed into a single point, time seeming to snap around it. Then, in a single instant, the energy detonated, manifesting as a blinding streak of light, an explosion of speed and force condensed into the purest form of destruction.

Kouneli didn't react in time, as the strike connected.

His entire form jerked, his body contorting unnaturally as the impact sent him spiraling through the air. His consciousness snapped for a moment, awareness fragmenting under the sheer force of the blow. His nerves screamed in protest, his muscles locking up as he crashed into the ground, rolling lifelessly before coming to a stop.

A deep silence followed.

Kouneli twitched, gasping as he struggled to rise. His vision blurred, the afterimages of the strike still seared into his retinas. He had felt light itself bend around him, the impact of something far beyond conventional strength.

"Kouneli—!" Leo's shout barely reached his ears.

The Duke flexed his fingers, the light fading from his gauntlets. He exhaled slowly, almost disappointed. "One down."

The squad didn't hesitate.

Velvet moved first, their axe singing with electricity. Their form blurred between the flickering lights of battle, their strikes relentless. But the Duke had adapted. He moved with practiced ease, parrying without effort, his counters inching closer to their throat with each exchange.

Leo joined the assault, Galebreath howling through the chamber. He twisted the air itself into a crushing force, sending it toward the Duke's ribs. At the same time, Ubel struck from behind, fire tracing the arc of his blade.

The Duke dodged both.

Kouneli's blood whips lashed out—

But the Duke had already seen them once.

He stepped through the attack, his hand reaching out—

And grabbing Kouneli by the throat.

The blood manipulator choked, his body lifted effortlessly. The Duke's grip was unwavering, his gauntlet pulsing with ether.

"You're too reliant on surprises," the Duke murmured, tightening his hold.

But then Kouneli grinned.

His veins pulsed black—

And the blood on the Duke's fingers began to move.

The battle had not yet ended.