Chapter 8 (Broken Laws)

Nait, straining his muscles, took a step forward, trying not to show how his body resisted the crushing gravity. Her blades gleamed in her hands, but the girl herself remained motionless, as if utterly confident in her absolute power.

— "Why are you fighting us?" — he asked, not breaking eye contact.

She stared at him in silence for several seconds, as if debating whether answering was worth her time. Her voice came out even, but with a faint trace of bitterness.

— "Because you're the first ones to cross my path. If I can't defeat you, how can I prove I'm worthy of moving forward?"

— "Prove it to whom?" — Nait asked grimly.

Her fingers tightened around the hilts of her blades.

— "To myself. To everyone. To those who think I'm just some village girl. I won't be weak."

Finn smirked, reaching for his sword.

— "Well, if it's that serious, you've chosen the wrong opponents, sweetheart. We're not planning to back down."

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze lingering on Finn.

— "You don't need to back down. Just fall quicker."

Suddenly, the gravity around them intensified. Their feet felt glued to the ground, and the air thickened, making it harder to breathe. Finn exhaled loudly, struggling to straighten his shoulders, and tightened his grip on his sword.

Finn took a step forward, his feet barely lifting from the ground. The gravity pressed down on him, every breath felt labored, yet his face carried a smirk, as if surrender was never an option.

— "You're... different from anyone I've met before," — he said, lifting his sword. — "But that doesn't mean you'll win."

She didn't reply. Her blades shimmered faintly in the dim light of the setting sun, and she moved forward. A light step, a smooth pivot — her movements resembled a dance. In the next instant, she leapt forward, striking at Finn with two quick blows.

— "Shit!" — he exclaimed, raising his sword to block.

The blades clashed with a deafening clang. Finn staggered, struggling to maintain balance, but the crushing gravity seemed to drive him into the ground. The girl gave him no time to recover, swiftly launching an upward strike, aiming for his side.

Finn sidestepped, his armor creaking slightly under the strain.

— "Alright, you're good. But I'm better!" — he shouted, gripping his sword with both hands.

He stepped forward, but her movements were too fast. The girl effortlessly shifted the direction of her leap, pushing off the ground. She was behind him before he could react, her blade slicing through the air near his shoulder.

The blade barely missed his armor, cutting through nothing but air. Finn spun around abruptly, but it was already too late — her feet had lightly left the ground again, darting to the side.

Nait watched their exchange of blows, his eyes narrowing. He realized her speed wasn't just from training but from manipulating gravity itself. She lightened her body to move faster while keeping them under crushing pressure to slow them down.

— "Too cocky," — he muttered, stretching out his hand.

The shadows of the nearby trees stretched toward her legs, but she quickly changed direction. One jump, another — and she was already out of reach of his attack.

— "You'll need to try harder if you want to catch me," — she said, her voice cold and composed.

— "Oh, don't worry, I will," — he replied, as his shadows began writhing, preparing for another strike.

Nait took a quick step forward, teleporting to a tree on her right flank. Her eyes darted in his direction, and she barely managed to dodge the shadow blade he hurled at her.

Finn didn't miss the opportunity. His feet dug deep into the ground as he charged forward, swinging his sword. The strike, bursting with a flash of light, aimed straight for her head, but once again, she leapt away.

— "You're good at dodging, but it won't last forever!" — he yelled, stepping forward.

— "And you're still too slow," — she shot back, effortlessly gliding out of reach.

She pivoted sharply, her blades flashing silver as she directed them toward Nait. In the next moment, she shifted the gravity around him — the air became so dense that his legs were pressed into the ground.

— "You rely too much on your tricks," — she said coldly, gliding closer.

Nait attempted to teleport, but the air's density distorted his trajectory. He disappeared for a moment, only to reappear five meters away, crashing shoulder-first into a tree.

— "Shit," — he cursed, wiping blood from his lip.

Finn seized on her distraction immediately. He stepped forward and swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc. The girl spun, crossing her blades to block.

The blades clashed with a loud clang. She felt the force of his strike but deflected it and transitioned into a counterattack. Her blades moved like lightning, one aiming for his neck, the other for his side. Finn quickly stepped back, dodging the first strike and deflecting the second with his sword.

— "You're good with blades, but... that's not all I've got," — Finn said, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

He stepped forward, attacking again. His sword glowed with a golden light, and the strike burst with such force that it knocked her blades aside. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing.

Another strike. This time her arms trembled.

— "What?" — she murmured, stepping back in surprise.

Each of his strikes grew stronger. Finn gave her no time to breathe, pushing her back step by step. His sword felt heavier, more destructive with every swing.

She gritted her teeth, sidestepped sharply, and attacked from an unexpected angle, but Finn anticipated her move. He blocked the strike and lunged forward, knocking her blades aside.

— "Your... strength is growing?" — she asked, slightly out of breath.

Finn laughed, taking another step forward, his sword glowing with golden light once again.

— "Noticed it, huh? Well, let's see how much you can take!"

Her expression remained focused, but a flicker of worry crossed her eyes. She abruptly increased the gravity around Finn, pressing down on his shoulders. His feet sank into the ground, but he didn't stop.

— "That's not enough to stop me," — he said, straining his entire body.

With a burst of energy, he attacked again. The strike was so powerful that her blades vibrated under the pressure. The girl leapt backward, barely holding onto her weapons.

Her breathing quickened. She realized that if she kept fighting the same way, he would soon overpower her.

— "You're strong, but strength without precision is just chaos," — she said, quickly adjusting her tactics.

She leapt further back, out of his range, and jumped into the air, reducing her gravity. Twisting mid-air, she launched an attack from above.

Finn raised his sword to block, but her movement was faster than he anticipated. Her blade slid along his sword, leaving a faint scratch on his armor.

Finn stepped back, catching his breath. His sword, which had shone with a faint golden light moments ago, now seemed dim. The girl's attention shifted to Nait, who was already on his feet. His figure melted into the shadow of a tree, his gaze sharp and predatory.

— "My turn," — he said, his voice calm, almost cold.

Her blades lowered slightly but remained poised. She didn't move, watching him carefully.

Nait vanished into the shadows, and her eyes narrowed.

— "He disappears, but not instantly. His movement… it's tied to the shadows," — she thought.

The shadows from the nearby trees stretched toward her feet like inky snakes. She pushed off the ground, altering the gravity, and easily escaped their reach.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Nait appeared behind her. His blade gleamed faintly in the dim light, aiming for her shoulder.

She deflected the strike, crossing her blades, and swiftly turned to face him.

— "Fast, but I can see your movements," — she said, her voice cold.

Nait instantly retreated back into the shadows as her blades slashed through empty air.

— "He doesn't attack directly. He's studying me. Waiting for the right moment to strike," — she thought, her muscles tensing slightly.

She turned smoothly, her blades gleaming in her hands, ready to meet another attack. The shadows around her rippled like living things, but she already understood: he always appeared where, for a split second, she lost control.

— "Think you can hide behind your tricks?" — she said, stepping forward.

Nait appeared at her side again, his blade lunging toward her neck. She dodged by slightly altering gravity, gliding to the side. Her blade instantly struck back, but Nait disappeared again, dissolving into the shadows.

— "Patient, but you're too slow," — she taunted, moving toward the center of the clearing.

Nait reappeared behind her, his shadowy tendrils lunging for her legs to entangle her. She leapt into the air, increasing her speed, her blades slashing down toward him from above.

But he vanished once more.

— "Good speed, but not good enough," — Nait's voice echoed from the other side of the clearing.

Her eyes narrowed, but her face betrayed no frustration or emotion.

— "You can't run forever. One mistake is all it takes for you to end up in a trap," — she murmured, already analyzing his next trajectory.

At that moment, Finn, who had caught his breath, charged forward. His sword began to emit a faint golden glow as he launched a powerful strike aimed at her back.

Sensing the movement from the corner of her eye, she spun around and parried the attack. Their blades collided with a sharp clang, but Finn didn't relent. He pressed forward, adding more power with each new blow.

She stepped back slightly, feeling her blades tremble under the strain.

— "You again?" — she snapped, deflecting another strike.

Finn only grinned.

— "Miss me?"

Finn stepped closer, his sword glowing faintly with golden light, and brought it down with force. Her blades caught the strike, the clash ringing loudly. She held her balance, sliding half a step back, but noticed that the force behind his strike was… weaker than before.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

— "Weaker?"

Finn attacked again, his sword moving in a wide horizontal arc. She easily deflected the blow, realizing that the destructive power that once made her arms shake was no longer there.

Her eyes gleamed with understanding.

— "His strength has dropped... but why?"

She suddenly sidestepped with a leap, quickly closing the distance to Finn and counterattacking. Her blades flashed silver, targeting his shoulder, but he raised his sword to block. Their weapons collided, and this time, it was easy for her to repel him.

— "Something's changed. His strikes were stronger before."

She took a step back, raising her blades into a defensive stance, and allowed herself a quick glance at him. Finn straightened up, his cocky smile still plastered on his face, but his breathing had become heavier.

— "Still standing? Come on, give it your best!" — he shouted, swinging his sword.

Her gaze turned icy as her thoughts began to connect.

— "His strength grows with consecutive attacks. Each strike stronger than the last… but once he pauses, it resets. He has to maintain momentum to stay dangerous."

A faint smirk tugged at her lips, and her blades lowered slightly.

— "Getting tired already?" — she said, her voice calm, almost mocking.

Finn frowned, stepping forward.

— "Not really, but you definitely will be!"

His sword flared up again, and he delivered a powerful vertical strike. This time, she met it confidently, crossing her blades. The sound of the clash was loud, but she held firm, her feet rooted to the ground.

— "I was right," — she thought, her arms steady. — "If I disrupt his rhythm, he loses his strength. All I need is to throw him off balance."

She altered the gravity around Finn, increasing the pressure on his legs. He wobbled, his boots sinking into the ground, his movements slowing.

— "Heavy enough for you?" — she teased, sliding to the side.

At that moment, the shadows beneath her stirred. Black tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around her legs.

— "Don't relax," — Nait's voice echoed.

She abruptly shifted the gravity vector, lifting herself off the ground, and broke free from the tendrils. But the maneuver cost her time, and Finn wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

— "Gotcha!" — he roared, rushing forward.

She dodged the shadowy tendrils, breaking free from their grasp, but barely managed to block Finn's next strike. His sword flared with golden light, and her blades clashed against it with a resounding clang.

Her feet sank into the ground as her arms began to tremble. She gritted her teeth, feeling the increasing power of his strikes.

— "If I keep playing by his rules, I'll lose," — she thought.

She jumped back, slightly out of breath. Her expression briefly showed tension, but her gaze remained cold and calculated.

— "Tired already?" — Finn smirked, stepping closer.

— "Scared yet?" — Nait added, emerging from the shadow of a tree.

She froze, as if concentrating, then spoke calmly:

— "No. It's just that you two leave me no choice."

She spread her arms, and the air around them shifted. Everything felt... lighter. A faint breeze rose, and leaves and dust began floating upward.

— "What the…" — Finn muttered, feeling his feet sliding across the ground as if he'd suddenly lost traction.

Nait froze as well, his shadows moving chaotically, their paths no longer obeying normal laws.

— "She… reduced gravity!" — he shouted, struggling to maintain his footing.

— "Welcome to weightlessness," — she said coldly, her blades shimmering faintly with silver light.

Now she moved faster. Much faster. Her leap was so sudden that Finn barely managed to raise his sword to block.

— "Shit!" — he yelled as their weapons collided.

The force of her strikes hadn't changed, but her speed and agility were overwhelming. Finn tried to counter, but his movements became sluggish. He felt like his body was moving through water, unable to anchor itself properly.

— "I can't… move the way I did before!"

She lunged, her blades aimed at his shoulder. Finn stepped back, his sword flaring dimly, but her attack was too fast. Her blade scraped his armor, leaving a long scratch across his chest plate.

Nait, watching the exchange, realized that his own abilities were faltering. The shadows moved erratically, their paths disrupted.

— "She's controlling the space around us. It's more than just lightening gravity. She's manipulating the entire battlefield," — he muttered, retreating further into cover.

Without giving him a moment to recover, she dashed toward him. Her blades flashed in a whirlwind, forcing Nait to dodge. One of her strikes grazed his shirt, leaving a jagged tear.

— "Think you can hide? There's nowhere for you to run here," — she said, her voice still calm, though her breathing was heavier now.

Seeing her focus on Nait, Finn tried to charge again. But his movements were clumsy, as if the air itself was resisting him.

— "She's turned everything around us into a trap… Damn it, I'm losing speed," — he growled, gripping his sword tighter.

Her relentless assault on Nait continued. She moved like a predator, her blades giving him no chance to close the gap.

— "She's targeting me first… to leave Finn without support," — Nait realized.

He glanced toward Finn and shouted:

— "You've got to land a hit! It's our only chance!"

Finn tensed, his sword glowing faintly.

— "Then hold on... I'll try," — Finn said, his voice steady, but there was a flicker of tension in his eyes.

He charged forward, his sword glowing again as golden light enveloped the blade. Finn poured all his strength into a single powerful horizontal slash, aiming for her right side.

She saw his movement and shifted to the left, but Finn adjusted mid-attack, his step deliberate and confident.

— "This time, you're not getting away!" — he shouted, putting everything he had into the strike.

Her eyes narrowed, but instead of blocking, she subtly altered the gravity around her, reducing the pressure on her legs. Her body seemed to glide effortlessly out of the attack's range, letting his sword miss its mark.

Finn lost his balance for a split second, and she capitalized on it immediately. Her blade darted forward, striking at his crystal.

— "No!" — he yelled, but it was too late.

The crystal cracked, its light dimming and then extinguishing completely. Finn froze, realizing he'd lost. His sword dulled, and his body slumped to one knee.

— "You were decent, but lacked precision," — she said coldly, stepping back.

Nait watched this unfold, and a heavy weight settled in his chest. Finn, the one who always pushed forward, now knelt in defeat. Her confidence, her speed… everything about her felt insurmountable.

— "One down… and now you," — she said, turning her gaze to Nait.

His fists clenched. For a moment, everything around him felt unbearably still. A thought crossed his mind:

— "Is this it? Is it all over here? No… This isn't the end. I can't give up."

Her figure began moving toward him, her blades gleaming as she walked with deliberate grace.

— "You've lost," — she said, her voice carrying a faint, mocking tone.

But at that moment, Nait felt something shift within him. Something deep, dark, as if a part of himself he'd never touched before was awakening. It was a terrifying sensation — as if his mind brushed against something infinite, unfamiliar, and untamed.

— "No... I can."

His hands rose, and the air around him began to change. At first subtly, then more intensely. A faint wind started to spiral, pulling toward a single point above his head.

Her expression tightened slightly, and she paused mid-step, watching what was happening.

— "What is that?"

Nait raised his head, his gaze locked onto her, but above him, high in the sky, something began to form. A black, boundless void, like a hole swallowing everything around it. The wind grew louder, and dust and small stones lifted from the ground, drawn toward the anomaly.

— "Impossible…" — she whispered, staring at the phenomenon.

The black hole in the sky expanded, its edges distorting the light around it. The pressure it emitted grew stronger and stronger. She felt her own gravity unraveling, as if her power no longer obeyed her.

Nait watched her, his hands still raised, but his face showed no triumph — only shock.

— "I… did this?" — he whispered.

She took a step back, and for the first time during the fight, fear flickered across her face.

— "If you don't stop this, you'll destroy everything here!"

But Nait didn't respond. He felt the power slipping further out of his control, growing more overwhelming by the second. His body trembled, sweat dripping from his brow.

— "Damn it, you… you're serious!" — she shouted, lowering her blades. — "I surrender! You win!"

Her words echoed across the battlefield. Hearing them, Nait exhaled deeply, and the black hole began to slowly shrink until it vanished completely.

He collapsed to his knees, his strength leaving him. The girl remained standing, staring at him.

— "Who… are you?"

Nait didn't answer, his breathing labored. One thought echoed in his mind:

— "What was that?"