Conner's Decision

CHAPTER FIVE

Conner stared at the Red Cosmo soldier in front of him, dread settling deep into his bones. The difference between a single-core Red Cosmo and one with two cores was like the difference between night and day—no, between earth and the heavens. Only beings at the level of a Shadow Saint, like the Demoness herself, could even hope to challenge a dual-core soldier in battle.

And now, he and his squad were standing face to face with one.

To make matters worse, four more Red Cosmos—each bearing a single crimson core—stood at its sides, their eyes glowing with quiet menace.

There was no way to win this. No miracle strategy. No backup plan.

They were outmatched.

Conner's breathing grew shallow, his thoughts racing in panic. The moment that first blast had killed his men, the enemy had gone still—watching, savoring their fear. Their helplessness.

"I hate this... I really hate this," Conner muttered, fists clenched. There was no way to use the Usurper Skill again. Even if he could, it wouldn't be enough. Not against this level of power.

"Captain... are we going to die?" a young voice quivered behind him.

He didn't need to turn to know who it was. The youngest member of Steele Squad. She was likely drenched in sweat, her breath shaky, just like the rest of them. No one was steady. No one had hope.

Except maybe Pine—his second-in-command—and himself. But even they knew this was a hopeless battle.

Conner's eyes drifted to the bodies of the two who had sacrificed their lives to protect him. If he hadn't made the reckless decision to board this cursed ship, they would still be alive. It was all his fault.

As if sensing the despair weighing them down, the dual-core Red Cosmo finally spoke.

"There is no chance of survival," its voice echoed—deep, cold, mechanical. "Do not resist. Surrender, and your deaths will be swift."

Conner lowered his head, appearing to accept the inevitable.

One of the Red Cosmos stepped forward.

Then froze.

A fully charged blast erupted from Conner's hand—missing by inches. The soldier leapt backward, caught off guard.

When the smoke cleared, Conner stood there grinning. Wildly. Manically.

"You really need to stop saying that 'surrender and die' nonsense," he said, his voice laced with defiance.

Then his eyes locked onto the dual-core leader. That grin widened into something unhinged.

"Who told you we don't have a last resort?"

Without waiting, he gave the order.

"MAVEL, initiate Total Transfer."

[Acknowledged. Initiating Total Shadow Transfer Protocol.]

A holographic system screen blinked to life in front of each squad member.

> YOUR CAPTAIN REQUESTS TO BORROW YOUR SHADOW POWER

Accept? YES / NO

There was no hesitation.

"Yes."

They all accepted.

They had followed Conner for over two years. Trusted him. He'd never led them astray—never lost a single one of them, until today. And even now, they knew that if he was willing to bet everything, it had to be worth it.

They surrendered their shadow powers willingly.

For whatever Conner was planning—whatever madness he had in mind—they believed.

The moment the squad accepted Conner's request, they felt it.

A powerful drain.

Their energy surged out of them like a raging current, faster than any skill or ability they had ever used. One by one, their shadows detached—ripping free from their feet and snaking across the ground like living creatures, all converging and fusing into Conner's own.

Then, the system screen on Conner's interface blinked.

Full Transfer Complete

Shadow Overflow Mode: Unlocked

WARNING: Based on current squad synergy and compatibility, Shadow Overflow Mode will last only 1 minute.

In this mode, user can control unlimited shadow mass.

Limitation: Reaction speed and imagination only.

Conner smirked. A fire lit in his eyes.

"One minute is all I need," he muttered.

Then he gave the command.

"Activate Shadow Overflow."

> [Shadow Overflow Activated]

Your shadow is overflowing with power.

Darkness erupted from beneath his feet, spreading like a tide, warping the walls and ceiling in jagged, writhing tendrils. The energy was raw, almost chaotic—but controlled. For now.

He turned to his squad, his face stern, voice low but resolute.

"Get out of here. I'll hold them off."

They hesitated. No one wanted to leave him behind.

"I'll be fine," Conner said, forcing a confident smile. "I refuse to die here."

The others nodded. They believed him—not just because he asked, but because they knew him. If there was one thing everyone in Steele Squad agreed on, it was that Conner was hard to kill. The bastard was like a damn cockroach.

One of the Red Cosmos moved to pursue the escaping squad, but Conner raised a hand.

Shadows erupted upward, forming massive walls that slammed into place, blocking the corridor. He phased through the shadow barrier and appeared directly in front of the soldier.

Before the enemy could react, Conner's fist shot forward—fueled by the overflow. His gauntlet ignited on impact, sending a shockwave through the air and hurling the Red Cosmo backward.

"Didn't you hear me?" Conner snarled. "I'm your opponent."

Even as he said it, doubt whispered at the back of his mind. Could he really hold them all? But it didn't matter. With this power—however brief—it was possible. Possible to buy time. Possible to let the others escape. Possible to warn the Legion.

They needed to know that the Red Cosmos could mask their presence from shadow-sense.

He wasn't just saving seventeen lives.

He might be saving hundreds.

A massive red blast screamed through the air toward him.

Conner dove into the shadows, narrowly dodging. He burst out from another point, gasping, only to find the soldiers had gone completely berserk—firing red energy blasts indiscriminately, scorching the corridor into molten ruin.

"Damn it!" Conner cursed, leaping from shadow to shadow, trying to avoid the madness. But even he knew he couldn't keep this up for long.

Not like this.

Not alone.

— Meanwhile —

The squad reached the docking bay and piled into the airship. Pine paused at the ramp, turning back, waiting—hoping to see Conner sprinting toward them, battered but alive.

But there was only smoke. Fire. And silence.

His heart sank.

Still… he refused to believe it was over. Not yet. Not like this.

He boarded the ship and gave the order.

"Take off. Now."

There was hesitation—brief, but real.

"How's he going to make it out?" someone asked.

Pine didn't answer.

There was no time.

They couldn't risk the mission. Couldn't let Conner's sacrifice be for nothing.

The ship rose, engines flaring to life. With one last, solemn glance at the burning warship behind them, they launched—blasting through the upper deck and tearing into the blackened sky.

— Meanwhile, back on the warship —

Conner stood alone, pale and trembling, his body screaming from exhaustion. The last embers of Shadow Overflow flickered around him, fading fast. He could feel it ending… but it had done its job.

The squad had escaped.

That was enough.

A small, tired smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he opened his bloodshot eyes to face the approaching Red Cosmos soldiers.

"You know…" he rasped, his voice hoarse yet laced with defiance, "I've changed my mind."

He grinned—wide, ragged, and full of spite.

"Why should I die alone… when I can take all of you with me?"

The soldiers halted, clearly unamused. They didn't believe him.

But they should have.

Conner wasn't bluffing. There was still one thing he could do.

One final ability—possible only because Shadow Overflow was still active.

It would cost him everything.

He slowly raised his shaking hands toward the air, blood dripping from his fingertips.

The shadows around him stirred… then surged.

From every crack in the ship, from beneath every console and corridor, darkness burst forth. Writhing, living shadow slithered and coiled, merging into a giant mass that expanded outward—consuming the ship's walls, ceilings, and decks.

In mere seconds, the entire warship was encased in a vast, dome-like sphere of pure shadow.

Conner's body buckled. He dropped to one knee, coughing violently until blood splattered the floor.

The Red Cosmos soldiers tensed, sensing the rising pressure.

Too late.

The ship trembled violently under the strain of the growing force.

Amid the chaos, Conner smiled through the pain.

"Sorry, guys," he whispered. "Looks like I won't make it after all."

Then his gaze turned distant, his expression heavy with peace and purpose.

"Goodbye… everyone. Goodbye… Earth."

He brought his glowing hands together—one final time—and uttered the last command of his life.

"Shadow Destruct."

The entire shadow sphere surrounding the ship pulsed… then dimmed.

A moment later, the warship was obliterated in a deafening explosion of black energy—erasing Conner, the Red Cosmos soldiers, and every trace of the battlefield in one devastating blast.

A silence followed, vast and final.

Conner Steele was gone.

But his legacy was just beginning.

To be continued....