Panning the scene back to Noah.
He who recently clashed with Diego finds himself breathing hard.
"I have to finish this." He said to himself, wiping the blood in his cheeks.
"Who are you really?" Noah puts his body to rest, while his sword sinks on the ground.
His breathing is mixed with tense of the air and the eerie feeling of the surrounding area.
Diego remained silent.
"The disappearance of the scyte is a bad thing."
"But your Claws can be counted as a dual weapon and you can freely use it as its one with your body, am I wrong?" Noah, pulls his sword and placed ir on his shoulder.
As he analyzes the situation, it was in a stalemate position.
Not until an explosion echoes.
It was in the direction where Nero's group headed, both of their attention shifted towards the direction.
Noah didn't waste any second and uses this distraction as an opportunity by moving closer to surprise Diego.
When the gap was lessen, Noah prepares himself for another heavy attack.
Once he's close enough to land it, Diego tries to stop it by doing kicking the greatsword sideways.
But Noah, who's in the motion of striking pulls his attack back and ducks.
His aim was to tackle him all along, Noah let go of his greatsword to pull this move.
"I got you now." Noah confidently smirked.
This caught Diego off guard as they both lose balance and come tumbling down.
Noah founds himself on top of Diego and started beating Diego with his fist.
Diego fights back as they both tussle on the ground.
Until Diego was on top of Noah this time, which he attempt to slash Noah's face.
Noah already sustaining a lot of claws during their tussle all over him decides to get on top of Diego this time.
He succesfully gets in control of the position and started doing a barrage of punches in Diego's face.
His eyes looked at Diego with determination. The scars slowly burns in Noah's face, it was mysterious.
A white light appears in Noah's scars leaving slowly as it heals.
Noah's white eyes shines even brighter as the light falls between him with Diego.
The sun shedding light into this gloomy forest made Noah basically an angel.
Seeing the glorious form that is taking over Noah, Diego couldn't help but to be in awe.
"I'm sorry, Diego." Noah clearly overpowered Diego.
When Diego tries to punch back, Noah grabs his fist.
It was painful, despite the sharp claw, Noah let it pierce his hand as the blood slowly spills in Diego's face.
Yet, it is healing as soon as Noah got hurt.
Noah raised his fist and punched Diego in his face with overwhelming force that causes craters from the impact alone.
Although the blast was destructive to the point where trees were being pushed back.
The momentum didn't feel that much satisfactory.
Some trees actually was uprooted from its roots by the strong push of wind it caused.
Noah slowly stood up, all of his scars now healed.
A yellow crystal appears on top of his head.
The structure of the crystal is a big one, however, it feels like it is incomplete.
Soon after, the crystal disappears.
Diego's body was badly beaten up.
Noah looks at him, "Diego. Why must this fight happen?" He says feeling a heartache as he looked at his companion.
As the gust of wind passes through once again, Noah's hair sways on the side.
His gaze not leaving a single moment on Diego who is laying there, not moving at all.
For the first time, the soul controlling Diego finally speaks.
"This has dragged for so long. I guess they were right about you." Diego smiles unleashing a sinister look on his face.
Noah felt a shiver on his spine as he look at his companion.
Diego's claws retracted from his body, his engravings slowly disappears one by one.
To say the least, he is turning back to normal.
The body, however, is still not returned to the original user.
"Help." A faint word escapes from Diego which surprised Noah.
The voice of his companion who's agonizing sends a mixture of anger and self loath to Noah.
"You demon. I'll make sure to chase you at the ends of the earth!" He grit his teeth, losing his cool and was about to destroy Diego who is currently paralyzed.
Strangely enough, he seems to be fighting with his own body that's why it still.
The conflict of user in Diego's body helped Noah to land his attack.
A heavy smash befalls on Diego crushing him to the ground again.
Another impact struck the ground that leaves more crater.
Due to that impact, dust forms, rising up instantly but was blown away by a piercing dark beam that hits Noah in the chest.
It almost penetrated through his chest if not for his plate.
Noah finds himself kneeling to pain.
"Damn you."
His other arm, on the ground as he tries to compose himself.
Once he raises his head, he finds Diego who is still laying on the ground but there was another person, stepping on Diego.
"You're too heroic. I hate bastards like you." A demonic spirit forming into a human body with no facial features appears.
It was hollow.
Just like a mannequine, but unlike a mannequine, it is demonic.
"I cannot stay here for too long. Otherwise, Oxford might kill me." The demonic fiend added.
"Who are you? What is your intention?" Noah keeps an eye on the fiend.
"Oxford? Who is that?" Noah added.
"He is the one who hails from the dead." The fiend replied.
"Under the dead, he who governs us all shall come back to punish all mortals." The eerie voice continues.
"If you wish to find the truth, then climb. Once you find an obelisk, enter it by reading the encryption." The fiend says.
"I'm merely a proxy of someone who wants a piece of you, second climber." Those word sends shivers to Noah's as he hearing those was unnerving.
"Your time is dwindling and you cannot escape the shackles of your past for so long, mortal." The fiend talks while having a piercing gaze on Noah from afar.
The fiend raises its lantern.
"Anabelle. She was a poor soul." The fiend laughs.
"You shut the hell up! I will make sure to come back from hell and banish all of you, Oxford included." Noah couldn't contain himself from his anger as he shouted to the fiend.
"My, how violent you are." The fiend finds it amusing.
The fiend's eyes were blurry yet it has a distinct purple, it was like the abyss.
"Sooner or later, the calyx will notice this anomaly. Who do you think will be responsible for that?" The demonic fiend sends a menacing laugh.
"You..." Noah could only protest knowing there's nothing he could do.
Anomaly are floor phenomenon as to where events or entities spawn during a challenger expedition. This makes the floor uncertain and dangerous as anomaly can be a help or an end. Event or monsters or even weapons may appear during anomaly.
"A necro like you to appear in the first floor is something. But it's not just that, certain entity here has learned surprising abilities they normally don't have." Noah pinpoints the flawed in the fiend design.
"That's right, you're not wrong there." The fiend was surprised by Noah's intellect.
"I designed it that way because it would be boring if your companion dies once again." That word almost made Noah snapped once again but his body weren't capable to do another attack, not at his current level.
He is beyond exhausted.
"You best pray that the esteemed Calyx leader doesn't visit this floor." The fiend says as it hit its lantern.
Calyx they are a widely known group in the tower, mostly recognized by experienced challengers due to their reliability. But more importantly, they are very strong like some challengers who can fix the anomalies.
Anomaly are challenger's nightmare during their expedition in floors.
That's why, their leader, Zayne. Is known to be viscious and to be a well respected individual due to his knowledge.
A portal spawns at the back of the fiend.
"Don't worry, second climber. You and I, will meet very soon." The fiend laughs devilishly once again before disappearing.
Noah breathes slowly as he recovers.
Then he approached Diego who is still passed out.
Moments later, he woke up.
He was confused, lost, and broken.
"Noah?" He said when he opened his eyes, seeing Noah resting on the tree, exhausted from the battle.
"Hey, you're finally awake." Noah smiled, a sense of relief can be seen from his face.
"What happened?" Diego got up, still feeling dizzy.
"My body also hurts." He added.
"You should rest. Don't force it." Noah replied.
"Right, thanks." Diego mumbled.
"So do you know what happened to you before you got possessed?" Noah finally speaks.
"Ah, yes. When I was pulled by a strong windstorm. I was brought here."
"At first it was all eerie until this fiend appeared in front of me." Diego was averting his eyes from Noah.
"And then?" Noah looks at Diego.
"And then I tried fighting him. But he was too fast for me."
"That monster left me no choice but to deflect its attack! I didn't expect that its plan was to control me."
"After that, I lost my consciousness and I found myself trapped in this dark cocoon." Diego couldn't help but the feel of vomiting as he recall those traumatizing events.
Noah finally stood up and pat him in the back.
"You had it tough, i'm sorry." Noah gave him a smile that cheered his broken spirit.
"Thank you." Diego replied, he stands up as well and started looking around at the forest.
"What are those lantern?" He points at the lantern while looking at Noah.
"Those are the key to open the second floor." When Noah revealed that, Diego couldn't understand him at first.
"What do you mean by that?" Diego notices that there are a lantern on top of them.
They both looked up.
"You see this?" Noah raised up his hand and touched the lantern gently, the pale white light of the lamp turns into a warm and yellowish color that burns slowly in the pale forest.
"We have to activate them all in order for the key to appear." Noah added.
"But how will we ever find the rest?" Diego looked back and observes the forest to see some lamps visible but the other seems to be missing or hidden.
"I can do that. Just follow me and we'll escape this place in no time." Noah returns his sword to his back scabbard.
As they manage to lit four more lamps, a loud explosion was heard once again on where Nero's group was in.
"What was that?" Diego quickly looked on the direction it was heard.
"Noah?" He looked at Noah who seems to be lost in thought.
"Noah!" The second calling manage to snap Noah back into reality.
"Yes? Sorry." Noah seems to be unfazed.
"What was that? Did you hear that just now?" Diego couldn't hide the uneasiness in his face.
"Yeah, we should hurry." Noah replied worried look.
Diego couldn't help but to notice the sudden change in Noah's attitude.
On the southeast, the giant door that seperates the two floors.
A person stands in front of it.
"What the hell was that? Do you want to die Nero?!" Vanessa was angry as she struggles to stand up, that's when her eyes goes up and saw Nero on the ground.
"Nero!" Her face turns from anger to scared.
"Also Lady Fen!" Vanessa looked at Lady Fen that is stuck in the bush.
"Damn you, brat..." Lady Fen groaned.
She was tangled in the bush.
"Hey you there, cutie. What's your name?" The scarlet haired individual turned his head towards Vanessa who squealed.
"It's Vanessa and i'm not into red haired guys." She rolled her eyes.
The guy laughed at her in which he finds it cute.
"Alright, Vanessa. If I defeated this guy right here. Will you join me?" He winks at Vanessa before pointing down at Nero who's laying at the ground staring at the sky.
"How about you stand up now? Aren't you ashamed of this lady?" He smiled, inviting Nero to a challenge.
The more he smiles, the more intense the flaming horn becomes.
Nero didn't reply, it's like his mind is drifting somewhere.
He is silent.
Very silent to be exact.
"Hey? Can you hear us?" The guy raised his eyebrow.
"Nero? Hey... Are you dead...?" The thought sends horror in Vanessa's mind as Nero doesn't say a single world ever since.
Nero's eyes that were crimsom changes into a red shade.
Nero silently got up, he started wiping his coat and adjusted his wrist.
"Are you deaf?" The guy is starting to get pissed.
"You're really annoying, you know that?" Nero looks at Vanessa and then to the mysterious person in front of him.
"What are you looking at?!" Vanessa fumed at Nero, yet she felt relieved to see him alive.
Nero only smiled at her which made her heart skip a beat.
Nero touches his neck and massages it.
"Stop ignoring me!" The smile in the man disappears, shouting at Nero.
He is pissed.
"You think you're so strong, huh?" He took a step closer to Nero, but before he could even step further.
Nero's body started to glow in aura.
"Since when did he know how to?" Lady Fen was surprised.
But it's a normal reaction, they have no information about him after all.
Because his entire personality is a mystery to then.
However Nero's aura quickly disappears.
"That's so pathetic!" The guy laughed at Nero seeing it as a failed replica.
"I almost thought..." Lady Fen somehow felt relieved.
Suddenly, a flaming horn spew out of Nero's head.
The same as his.
"Impossible... This is impossible!" The guy was surprised.
He is pissed, to the point he was throwing a tantrum.
"This is not possible!" He then loses it and goes back to smiling.
The thought of seeing someone just like him makes his blood boil but also a sight to behold.
He rushes at Nero and blows some punches to him.
Both of their punches leaving a flare, falling into the ground.
It was punches landing on another punches, the two started to create a strong force of wind by simply clashing at each other.
Vanessa and Lady Fen couldn't believe what they are seeing.
"Remember my name! I'm Vincent!" His face was like a kid who found his favorite toy.
Nero remained with his casual face, focusing on the attacks, letting any slip up.
In one instance, Nero swatted Vincent's left punch creating a space to punch Vincent, leaving a chain of punches after.
Landing a solid hit on Vincent's waist, chest, and face.
However, Vincent remained unfazed, proceeding to go wild by amping up his speed.
But as soon as the moment was spicing up.
He suddenly stopped which he recieves a clean hit on the face from Nero.
Vincent pulls backs and jumps back to the giant door.
He put his arm on his waist, blood dripping in his nose.
"That should be enough."
"I'm satisfied. I'm happy that there's monsters here too." Vincent smiled.
"I had fun, Nilo. Wait is that your name? Niyo? Is that it? Alright! Remember to fight me again next time we meet, Chino!" Vincent laughed proudly as the giant door opens.
He quickly ran away, escaping the scene.
"What a weird guy..." Nero sighed.
Vanessa looked at Nero then to Lady Fen.
She quickly ran and pull Lady Fen out of the grassy situation she was in.
"That was amazing." Lady Fen gave Nero a thumbs up.
A minute later, Noah and Diego appeared.
"Noah!" Vanessa smiled after seeing him.
"Thank god you're safe!" She was very happy.
"You're also here, Diego!" Their tension disappeared and was relaplced by sense of comfort.
"Yes, finally." Diego smiled back.
The group exchanges in their delightful mood, aside Nero.
"What happened to you?" Diego looked at Nero.
"Nothing." Nero's response sends suspicion to Noah as he looked at Vanessa and Lady Fen.
"Oh don't worry, we'll tell you along the way." Vanessa nudges at Nero.
"That would be nice." Noah nods before leading towards the door.
The group follows him but just then.
A footstep inside was heard, it was quite heavy and the athmosphere was rather, suffocating.
"Boy. This is a nuisance." A cold voice running down the darkness giant hallway lies as mystery.
A faint purple color lights up in the darkness.
A surge amount of power was felt by everyone which made them all kneel, Noah was also struggling.
"So it's you. I knew it, you were responsible for this mess as well, huh?" A man in a suit appears, a crow on his shoulder did a caw in response.