The Final Calculation

Chapter 65 – The Final Calculation

Specter crashed through the rooftop, spiraling downward before landing with a deafening impact. The ground beneath him cracked from the force. Dust and debris filled the air.

Kael-X landed moments later, rolling his shoulders. "You're one slippery bastard," he muttered, watching as Specter slowly rose from the rubble.

The assassin's glowing red eyes locked onto him. "Analysis complete."

Kael-X's smirk faded. "…The hell do you mean by that?"

Veyron's voice whispered in his mind, laced with amusement.

"He's been testing you, Kael-X. Calculating your weaknesses."

Kael-X's fingers twitched. "You're telling me this was all a warm-up?"

Specter blinked. His entire body phased in and out of existence for a moment before stabilizing. Then, the air around him distorted—like a black hole pulling at reality itself.

Nyx hissed.

"Be careful. He's activating something new."

Kael-X crouched low, prepared to move—

But then—

Specter disappeared.

A chill ran down Kael-X's spine.

He spun, expecting an attack—

But nothing.

Veyron's voice came sharp this time.

"No… he didn't just teleport."

Kael-X's heartbeat quickened. "Then where—"

A whisper.

Right behind him.

"Termination protocol engaged."

Kael-X barely twisted in time—

But the blade still found its mark.

SLASH!

A sharp pain exploded through his side as Specter's energy dagger sliced through his ribs.

Kael-X gasped, staggering back. His vision blurred for a moment. He had never even seen the attack coming.

Umbra's voice rumbled, low and concerned.

"That speed… he's moving through phased reality."

Kael-X gritted his teeth, blood dripping from the wound. "Tch… Bastard's cheating."

Specter tilted his head, watching him. "Your reaction time is insufficient. Probability of survival: 12%."

Kael-X exhaled, his body tensing. "Oh yeah?" His golden eyes flashed. "Then let's screw up your calculations."

Darkness rippled around him as all four shadow beasts stirred.

It was time to change the game.

Chapter 65 (Continued) – The Final Calculation

Kael-X clenched his fists, feeling the warmth of his own blood trickling down his side. His wound stung, but it was nothing compared to the frustration boiling inside him.

Specter was faster—too fast. Even with Kael-X's enhanced reflexes, the assassin had completely bypassed his defenses.

"He's moving between phases of existence," Veyron murmured. "Not teleportation. Not speed. He's shifting through a reality where time moves differently."

Kael-X wiped his mouth, eyes narrowing. "So, I can't dodge what I can't even see coming?"

"Exactly."

Specter phased out of reality again.

Kael-X braced—

"Recalibrating trajectory."

Specter's voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.

A cold wind swept past Kael-X's cheek—

Then—

SLASH!

Another deep gash tore across his arm before he could react. He staggered, biting back a curse.

Nyx growled.

"We must adapt, Kael-X. This battle is beyond conventional strength."

Kael-X exhaled sharply, mind racing. Specter wasn't just a killer—he was a calculated weapon. Every move had been tested, analyzed, and optimized to be unavoidable.

Kael-X's eyes flickered with golden light. "Then let's stop playing fair."

BOOM!

A pulse of shadow energy exploded outward as he unleashed his presence in full force. His coat rippled as his four shadow beasts stirred in unison.

Specter reappeared mid-attack—

But Kael-X was already moving.

"Phase disruption detected."

Specter hesitated—a split second too long.

Kael-X's fist slammed into his chest, sending the assassin hurtling backward through a crumbling wall.

Veyron's laugh echoed in Kael-X's mind.

"Oh? You forced him back into this reality. How amusing."

Kael-X cracked his knuckles, feeling the power of his shadows thrumming at his fingertips. His beasts were adapting to Specter's movements.

Now, it was his turn to take control of this fight.

Chapter 65 (Continued) – The Final Calculation

Dust and debris settled as Specter emerged from the rubble, completely unscathed. His suit barely had a scratch, but his head was slightly tilted, as if he were intrigued.

"Impressive," Specter murmured. "You forced me out of the phase shift. I did not expect that."

Kael-X smirked, rolling his shoulder. "Yeah, I tend to ruin people's expectations."

Specter's visor flickered with data. "Analyzing new approach."

"He's recalibrating." Veyron warned. "His phase shift will adjust to counter your last attack. You won't hit him the same way again."

Kael-X's eyes gleamed. "Then I'll just keep changing the way I hit him."

WHOOSH!

Specter disappeared again, moving through his phased state. Kael-X braced himself, feeling the unnatural shift in the air.

SLASH!

A thin cut appeared across his cheek, but Kael-X didn't flinch. His body moved before the next strike came—

BOOM!

He twisted, swinging a fist behind him, intercepting Specter's attack. The assassin materialized mid-air, eyes widening slightly.

Kael-X's instincts were adapting.

The shadows around him rippled—Nyx lunged, jaws snapping at Specter, forcing him to phase away again.

"Interesting," Veyron mused. "You're learning to sense his movement even when he's not in this reality."

Kael-X flexed his fingers, feeling his heartbeat slow as his mind synchronized with his shadows. "I'm not just fighting him. I'm hunting him."

Specter's voice echoed through the air. "You're proving to be more of a challenge than my calculations predicted."

Kael-X grinned. "Then throw your calculations away."

For the first time, Specter hesitated.

Kael-X vanished.

A blur of black and gold.

A shadow flicker.

Specter's visor flashed warnings—

Kael-X was already behind him.

BOOM!

A devastating shadow-infused punch tore through Specter's chest, sending him flying through the cavern walls.

But Kael-X didn't stop there.

Nyx, Umbra, and Oblivion pounced together, their combined force warping the air as they tore into the assassin's retreating form.

Specter crashed hard, skidding across the ground, sparks flying from his damaged suit.

He stood slowly, his breathing heavier.

For the first time in the battle… he looked genuinely uncertain.

Kael-X wiped blood from his lip and cracked his neck.

"Now," he muttered, eyes glowing, "let's finish this."

To Be Continued in Chapter 66…