Eve steadied herself, feeling the energy pulse through her fingertips as the electric charge intensified. This confrontation bore down on her, making her all the more focused. This wasn't just another fight—it was personal, a reckoning long overdue. She glanced at the spot where Vulcan and Bard had disappeared into the distance; they were heading back to the city.
Across from her, Forbidden Illusion grinned, a tone of mockery and disdain on his face. The dark aura surrounding him seemed to distort the space around them. "So, you really think you can take me on alone, Anomaly?" His voice was low and taunting.
Eve's eyes narrowed, "I could make this painful for you… but I won't waste the time." She held his gaze, there was no room for more taunts, now was the time to end this.
Forbidden Illusion sighed, he looked at a single leaf as it slowly spiraled down between them. His eyes tracking its descent, a feeling of calm settling over him as he seemed to ignore Eve. The moment it touched the ground, Eve launched herself forward, a bolt of electric fury charging straight toward him. She was fast, her movements a blur, but Forbidden Illusion didn't flinch. Instead, he spread his arms wide, inviting her in closer.
Unknown to Eve, he had created his mana threads around him, almost like a web, blending into the environment with the help of his illusion powers. Each thread was a trap, ready to trap and restrict her movements the instant she made contact. He watched her approach with a smile.
Eve knew Illusion would try underhanded tactics; she'd seen his tricks to fall for them blindly. Just as she closed in, she stopped abruptly, a calculating look in her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, she used her wind powers, forcing the ground beneath Illusion to lift. The patch he stood on rose quickly, tearing free from the earth and surging toward her.
Illusion staggered as his footing was pulled from beneath him. His smirk changing into annoyance as he realized she had anticipated his trap.
Illusion wanted to respond, but Eve didn't grant him even a second to react. In a swift, electric burst, she slid beneath the flying patch of ground, moving like a bolt of lightning. She then shot upwards, shattering the patch of ground. Her strike pierced through the debris, slamming directly into Illusion, sending him falling to the ground.
Illusion struggled to regain his stance, momentarily stunned by the speed and intensity of her attack.
As Illusion staggered to his feet, he looked up only to see Eve high above, electric energy surrounding her like a thunderstorm. Before he could brace himself, Eve descended in a rapid, deadly dive, her figure streaking toward him like a lightning bolt with her feet aimed at his chest. The impact shook the ground as she struck, electricity radiating outward in all directions, sending waves of raw energy rippling through the earth and surrounding trees.
Illusion barely managed to bring his arms up to block, but even then, the force was overwhelming, knocking him backward with a burst of searing pain. The ground where they clashed sizzled with her electric energy, as Eve straightened, her gaze was piercing.
Illusion glanced down at his arms, noticing his disguise peeling away. Her attack had burned through his outer layer, revealing the his phantom form, the pale, ethereal glow of his phantom arms beginning to glow dimly through the melting facade. He let out a low chuckle.
"I see you're this determined, Eve," he said. "Very well, I suppose it's time I take this seriously as well."
Eve narrowed her eyes, unfazed. She was ready to counter his attacks. "Take it as seriously as you want," she replied. "It still won't save you."
Eve not wanting to lose momentum, appeared behind Illusion to continue her attack. But as soon as she blinked, in an instant, the surroundings changed into something dark. She found herself standing in the middle of a grotesque, nightmarish version of the forest. The ground beneath her feet no longer felt solid but was a sickening mass of raw, pulpy flesh, resembling ground beef. The trees were now twisted and contorted, their trunks pulsing with veins, while their branches spread like intestines, hanging limply in the air.
The scent of the forest was replaced by the sickly stench of decay, and a chill ran down her spine as the landscape changed. It was as if though the very world around her was alive and hungry.
"What the?!" she exclaimed, the illusion was so powerful, it almost felt real—too real for comfort.
A mocking laugh echoed from behind her, and she spun around to face Illusion, who stood with a cruel smirk, his body almost indistinguishable in this twisted version of reality. "Welcome to your worst nightmare, Anomaly," he said. "It's a place where the world is as warped as your own soul."
She couldn't let herself be consumed by this illusion. She refused to let it break her. Her fists crackled with electricity as she grounded herself, forcing her thoughts to center on what was real—what was her strength.
"I'm not afraid of your tricks," Eve growled, "This is just another illusion."
"Is it?" Illusion said as the twisted forest around them seemed to pulse in response to his words. "Then let's see how you handle this.
Illusion tactically retreated deep into the twisted forest. Eve gritted her teeth as she charged forward, but as she pushed through the nightmarish forest, a sudden movement caught her eye. A figure emerged from the shadows, her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the person.
Her mother.
But something was terribly wrong. The figure before her had the same face, the same eyes—but they were distorted, twisted, as though mocking the very memory of the woman Eve once knew. The figure's skin was pale, almost translucent, and her mouth stretched unnaturally. The illusion was strong.
"This isn't real..."
Without warning, the figure lunged at her, its body shifting as it attacked with unnatural speed. Eve instinctively raised her hands, using a barrier of electricity, blocking the attack. But as the illusion of her mother disappeared, another appeared in its place—this one older, even more twisted. Each iteration was a mockery of the woman Eve loved.
"You're not my mother," Eve said as she continued to push forward. But the attacks kept coming—illusions of her mother, each more grotesque than the last, emerging from every corner of the nightmare. They attacked her relentlessly, claws slashing, arms outstretched in a useless attempt to cling to her, their distorted faces showing nothing but empty hunger.
"Eve…" the voice of the illusion whispered, her mother's voice echoing in the distorted world. "You were a mistake, a mistake that I'll remove from this world..."
Eve's heart clenched, but she fought through the pain. She knew these were only illusions, the twisted manipulations of Forbidden Illusion trying to break her resolve. The attacks came faster now, more violent. The figures of her mother seemed to multiply, clawing at her, their eyes filled with nothing but the desire to drag her into their nightmare.
"No!" Eve shouted, her hands sparking with electricity. With a flash, she unleashed a blast of lightning, vaporizing the illusions that surrounded her. The echoes of her mother's voice faded.
She clenched her fists. "I'm not falling for your tricks, Illusion!" She stormed forward, determined to find him and finish this once and for all.
As Eve moved forward, determined to break through the twisted forest, the illusions began to shift once again. This time, they took on a new, more familiar form, Vaos. The very image of him, distorted and warped, appeared before her, his face twisted in agony and rage. The illusion of Vaos lunged at her, his body flickering like a dying flame, his movements erratic and violent.
Eve fought back, her lightning tearing through the illusory forms of Vaos that came at her from every direction. But no matter how many she struck down, more seemed to appear, each one more terrifying than the last, his voice distorted, his eyes filled with hollow rage.
They attacked her relentlessly, clawing and slashing at her from all sides.
Just as Eve was about to unleash another wave of destructive lightning to destroy the illusions, she felt a sudden shift in the air. Something sharp and deadly pierced through. Before she could react, a void bullet whizzed past her ear, grazing her skin. The impact was subtle, but the energy it carried was unmistakable.
With a hiss of irritation, Eve spun around, and she saw a flicker of movement.
Forbidden Illusion.
He was standing back, calmly watching, his body barely visible in the mist of the forest. His finger was pointed at her, without hesitation, he fired again.
The bullet flew through the air, and Eve barely had time to dodge it. She flipped out of the way, narrowly missing the deadly shot.
"You're nothing but an illusion, just like all the others!" Eve shouted.
Illusion's laugh echoed through the grotesque woods. "You think you can escape the truth by destroying me? This is your reality, Anomaly. Your origins will always be tied to the void dimension!"
Another shot rang out—this time faster, more precise, aimed directly at her chest. Eve could feel the surge of void energy filling the air around her, using her speed she evaded the shot, but the illusions of Vaos continued to distract her, blocking her path and clouding her senses.
She focused, gathering the electricity around her, building it up. "Enough of this," she muttered under her breath.
Eve leapt into the air, her body a streak of lightning, and in that moment, she blurred across the battlefield, too fast for Illusion to track. With a single, powerful strike, she summoned a massive surge of electrical energy, directing it toward the location where Illusion had fired his void bullets from.
The entire area erupted in a flash of lightning as the illusions of Vaos disintegrated in an instant.
But Illusion was already gone, slipping back into the shadows with a grin. "You think you've won, Anomaly? I've only just begun."
Suddenly Eve knocked off the sky and into the ground.
Eve struggled to catch her breath as she lay in the grotesque flesh beneath her, the pain from the impact rattling her body. The ground around her writhed, the pulses of blood beneath it echoing. She pushed herself up, she saw him, it was Vulcan.
He was unchanged, completely the same when she'd last seen him. But something was different, his eyes showed an unnatural intensity, his movements quick. Without a moment's hesitation, he moved forward, sword raised, his speed more great than Eve expected.
She barely had time to react as Vulcan's blade collided with the ground next to her, sending a shockwave of force through her body. The flesh beneath her feet trembled, Eve was thrown off-balance, barely managing to avoid the second slash aimed at her chest.
Eve's heart raced as she barely managed to block Vulcan's relentless attacks. Just as she was about to counter attack another void bullet came in fast, Eve dodged it, but Vulcan stepped forward to deflected the bullet right back at Eve, the bullet hitting her in the shoulder. Before she could even react in pain, Vulcan was on her again. His speed and power was overwhelming, faster than her own, only leaving her being able to defend herself.
She could feel the weight of every strike he delivered, each one more punishing than the last. Her shoulder burned from the impact of the void bullet, but she couldn't afford to focus on the pain. If she was distracted for even a second, he would end her.
With every swing of his sword, the gap between their abilities seemed to widen. Vulcan's movements were faster than her reflexes could track, and his strikes came in quick, precise bursts. Eve's own speed felt sluggish in comparison, and she knew she was losing ground. When she tried to retaliate, a bullet would come from Illusion's direction, forcing her to dodge, and every time she did, Vulcan was there, intercepting her movements.
Her attacks were becoming more desperate, but the more she tried to fight back, the more the void bullets continued to barrage her, coming from all angles. Every time she moved, every time she tried to land a blow, it was like the world around her bent and twisted to make sure she couldn't escape.
Eve slowly began to charge electrical energy, and her heart raced as she felt the charge of electricity building within her, her body humming with the power she was preparing to unleash. As Vulcan closed in again, his sword raised, Eve acted without hesitation. With a sudden thrust of her hand, a surge of electrical energy shot forth, striking Vulcan in the chest. His body stiffened, his movements stopping as the paralysis took hold, his sword dropping from his grip.
For a brief moment, Eve thought she had the upper hand. She readied herself, preparing to strike him down while he was immobilized. But as she moved forward to attack, a sharp pain exploded in her side. Then, another in her thigh, followed by a third in her calf. Each bullet tore through her body, the Void energy tearing through her flesh.
Her vision blurred, and her knees buckled slightly under the intense pain, but Eve gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay upright. She could feel the blood staining her clothes, the heat of the wounds radiating through her body. She didn't have much time. If she hesitated again, Illusion would finish her. She had to end this now.
More void bullets flew through the air, Eve barely had time to react, her senses overwhelmed by the speed and power of the oncoming projectiles. She raised her arms instinctively, using her electrical powers to create a temporary shield of energy around her. The first bullet collided with the shield, sending a jolt of pain through her body as the energy flared out in all directions. The next few bullets came faster, each one forcing her to adjust her stance and deflect with all her strength.
Vulcan freed from the paralysis stood up and destroyed her barrier with his sword and grabbed Eve by the neck. His grip on her neck tightened, his cold, emotionless eyes locking onto hers. Eve struggled to breathe, every movement she made only making his hold stronger. As her vision blurred, she could see the void bullets speeding toward her from behind. There was no way to dodge or block them- she was powerless.
Her body instinctively reacted in desperation. She forced her electric energy to explode outwards. The crackling surge of lightning burst from her body. The void bullets that had been speeding toward her fizzled out into nothingness. But in that same chaotic burst, something else caught Eve's attention-a warmth, unexpected liquid, spreading along her arm.
She opened her eyes wide, heart stopping as she looked down. Her arm, the one that had been raised in defense, had pierced through Vulcan's chest, blood slowly pooling around her fingers. His expression in shock and pain, his body still gripping her neck, even as life drained from him.
"No..." Eve whispered, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. This can't be real. She looked up at his face, desperately searching for some sign that this was another illusion, but the warmth of his blood-this couldn't be a trick.
Vulcan's body crumpled, his hand slipping from her neck. She fell to her knees in disbelief, her chest heaving with panicked breaths as the world around her seemed to collapse in on itself. The thought of losing him, of killing him, was too much for her to bear.
A distant laugh echoed through the twisted forest, a mocking sound, it was Illusion.
"This has to be a lie..." Eve whispered to herself, her hand trembling as she clutched her mouth to keep herself from breaking down.
Forbidden Illusion nonchalantly walked behind Eve. His finger glowing with energy as he aimed it at Eve's head, the light around his hand intensifying as he prepared to end her. "Rest easy, I'll make good use of your core when you're dead." he taunted.
But before he could release the shot, Eve's body tensed, a dark purple mist began to pour from her body, swirling around her like a cloud. Her right eye, once a fierce red, now glowed purple. The contrast between the two colors in her eyes was a clear sign: something was changing within her, something far beyond her normal powers.
Illusion's expression changed for the briefest moment as he observed the transformation. "This is... No, this isn't like last time..." He realized this wasn't the same Eve he had faced before, this was something far darker, something far more dangerous.
Eve stood up, the blood pouring from her wounds no longer seeming to affect her. The pain, the exhaustion, everything faded as an unfamiliar power surged within her. Her right eye, now glowing purple, reflected the transformation taking place within her. The purple mist that began to engulf her body twisted around her like a protective shield, an aura of energy.
Illusion, sensing the shift in her power, blended into the surroundings in a desperate attempt to disappear. His mastery of illusions was impressive, but he knew that Eve's newfound power might pose a threat he hadn't anticipated.
Eve, however, didn't flinch. She stood still for a moment, the purple aura intensifying around her. Her right eye scanned the area, piercing through the illusions with a sharpness that only her new energy seemed to provide. The air seemed to shift with her presence, as if reality itself was bending in response to the power she now wielded.
With a deep breath, Eve raised her hand, and in an instant, a bolt of energy shot out in every direction, lighting up the area with a blinding flash. The illusions around her began to tear away.
She knew where he was. She could feel his presence—Illusion couldn't hide from her anymore.
The grotesque forest, once twisted and morphed by Illusion's powers, began to crumble and return to its natural state. Illusion's eyes widened in disbelief as the illusion he made began to unraveled before him. He had been in control, or so he thought, but now he was facing something far more dangerous than he had anticipated.
He knew he couldn't afford to be caught by her—she had become something beyond what he had planned for. As he tried to make his escape, he suddenly felt an unnatural weight on his body. Void energy in the form of bone-like structures wrapped around him, locking him in place. He attempted to destroy them, his powers working overtime to fight against the energy that held him, but it was useless. More and more bones materialized, creating a cage of energy that would not let him go.
Eve stepped forward, her aura pulsing with a deep, purple glow. Her right eye, now glowing brightly, pierced through the air with an intensity that forced Illusion to pause. Every step she took seemed to sap the strength from him, her power radiating in a way that made him feel small, insignificant.
He tried to summon his illusions once more, but they faded in the presence of her energy. Eve's steps were slow but confident as she approached. Her presence alone seemed to overwhelm him. She was no longer the Anomaly he could toy with.
"You tried to break me…" Eve said, her voice calm. "But it's your turn now."
Illusion's desperation grew as he struggled against the bones that held him in place, but he could feel them tightening with every attempt.
Eve was no longer just a threat. She was a reckoning...