The air was thick with tension. The battle had shifted.
Asvorn wiped the blood from his cheek, his fingers trembling slightly from the force of Rian's last strike. His sword hummed with energy, glowing faintly as he exhaled slowly, controlling his breathing.
Rian stood a few meters away, rolling his shoulders, eyes glinting with amusement. "That look in your eyes…" He tilted his head. "Finally getting serious?"
Asvorn didn't respond. His grip tightened around his sword.
Kaisel appeared beside him, panting. "I don't like this guy." He flicked one of his daggers, testing the weight. "He moves too clean, like he's not even breaking a sweat."
"Because he isn't," Asvorn muttered.
Lyara, bow drawn, kept her gaze locked on Rian. Her frustration was evident—every attack they had launched had been useless. "What's your deal, Rian?" she demanded. "Why are you really here?"
Rian sighed, almost looking bored. "Does it matter?" He casually adjusted his coat. "You won't be leaving here alive either way."
That was the last straw.
Asvorn vanished.
A blur of motion—so fast that the stone beneath his feet exploded from sheer force.
Rian barely had time to raise his dagger before Asvorn's sword came crashing down.
CLANG!
The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
Rian skidded backward, a look of mild surprise on his face. "Oh?"
Asvorn wasn't done. He closed the distance instantly, his attacks relentless.
A diagonal slash—parried.
A spinning kick—dodged.
A reverse grip stab—met with another dagger.
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed again and again. Rian smirked, twisting his dagger at an unnatural angle, trying to disarm Asvorn.
But Asvorn anticipated it.
Before Rian could react, Asvorn twisted his own sword, locking their weapons together. With a powerful kick to the chest, he sent Rian flying.
The man crashed into a crumbling pillar, dust and stone collapsing around him.
Kaisel whistled. "Damn. That was kinda sexy."
Lyara rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
Emma, still trembling with raw energy, didn't blink. Her eyes were locked onto Rian's fallen form, something dangerous brewing beneath her expression.
But the battle wasn't over.
The Labyrinth Awakens
The walls trembled.
The labyrinth was not pleased.
A deep, guttural growl echoed through the chamber. The very air shuddered, the temperature plummeting as a massive presence stirred beneath them.
Then—
A monstrous figure rose from the darkness.
It was a guardian, a beast of stone and shadows, standing at least four stories tall. Its arms were thick as towers, its glowing eyes burning with ancient fury.
Lyara took a sharp breath. "That… doesn't look friendly."
Kaisel chuckled nervously. "Yeah. We should probably run."
Emma, still staring at Rian's collapsed form, shook her head. "No."
Her voice was cold.
"I'll kill them both."
Kaisel turned to her, brows furrowing. "Emma—"
She didn't hear him.
With a wave of her hand, the shadows beneath her exploded, forming into twisted, nightmarish shapes that lunged at both the guardian and Rian.
Rian's Counterattack
But before they could touch him, Rian moved.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone—then reappeared behind Emma.
A blade to her throat.
"Now, now," he whispered, his voice mockingly soft. "That's not very nice, is it?"
Emma froze.
Kaisel's daggers flashed as he lunged—
But Rian was faster.
In one fluid motion, he kicked Kaisel aside, sending him crashing into the far wall.
"KAISEL!"
Kaisel groaned, coughing up blood. "Yeah… that sucked."
Rian's smirk never faltered. "You're all so much fun. It's a shame you'll have to die here."
Asvorn's Breaking Point
The words echoed.
Something snapped inside Asvorn.
His body felt different—like something ancient and terrifying was waking up inside him. His vision blurred, his heartbeat thundered.
The system flashed warnings.
[⚠ WARNING: Energy Overload Detected ⚠]
[New Title Acquired: The Awakening Shadow]
Asvorn gritted his teeth.
His aura exploded.
The sheer force of it sent cracks running through the ground, the entire chamber shaking violently.
For the first time—Rian's smirk vanished.
"What…?"
Asvorn lifted his sword.
No words.
No hesitation.
He vanished.
And then—
Everything went black.