As Eve stepped forward, the air around her seemed to spark with her energy. From her outstretched hands, a scythe began to take shape, formed entirely from void energy. The weapon was glowing as it solidified. She gripped it tightly, the weight of it both heavy and empowering in her grasp. With each step she took, the scythe pulsed with dark energy. Illusion, watching her approach, felt a sense of panic within him. The woman before him no longer resembled Eve. She was a force of revenge now, her presence almost spectral, like a grim reaper, and the realization that his end might be near began to set in.
With a roar, Illusion unleashed a torrent of energy that seemed to ripple through his entire body. "DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU'VE WON, YOU BITCH?! FORBIDDEN DOMAIN, DECEPTION OF REALITY!" The power coming from his core surged outward, and his void energy spilled across the ground, expanding until it covered everything in sight. The forest, the sky, the earth beneath their feet—all of it dissolved, changing into a void-like emptiness. Eve found herself standing in a blank, featureless space, an endless white space that seemed to echo with Illusion's power.
Eve remained still, unshaken by the endless void and Illusion's relentless threats. She closed her eyes for a moment, listening as his voice echoed through the empty space.
"I'LL KILL YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER, THEN I'LL KILL EVERYONE YOU LOVE!" he roared, his words filled with raw, venomous hatred. Suddenly, a perfect copy of her materialized before her, mirroring every detail, every movement, as if mocking her very existence.
But Eve's right eye, now glowing with an intense purple light, she clenched her scythe, feeling her power stir deeper, defying the illusion with each breath she took. The copy stared back, yet Eve's gaze didn't waver.
"Don't bother," Illusion said, "In this reality, I am god!"
He appeared behind the duplicate of Eve, a wicked look in his eyes as he raised his hand. Void bullets shot upwards, bursting in the air and summoning massive, dark meteors, each one blazing with void energy as they began to plummet toward Eve.
Eve stared at the falling meteors, her face devoid of any emotion, as if every feeling had drained from her the instant she struck down Vulcan. Just as she readied herself to shatter each meteor, her copy charged forward. Illusion stayed behind as support, his mana threads now thickening and warping into heavy chains that shot forward, seeking to bind and restrict her every movement.
Eve's gaze shifted briefly, assessing both her double and the approaching chains. She knew that every second counted if she wanted to dismantle this twisted reality Illusion had crafted.
Just like Eve, her double wielded wind and electricity, unleashing blasts of lightning that Eve narrowly dodged. In a counter attack, she sent her copy flying backwards with a powerful strike. But as the clone was flung through the air, it twisted mid-flight, using the wind to yank Eve toward the chains. Before she could react, the chains coiled around her, tightening and locking her in place.
Without hesitation, Illusion tightened his grip on the chains, lifting Eve into the air before forcefully swinging her into the oncoming meteors. One after another, the meteors shattered around her as he relentlessly swung her from one fiery blast to the next. Finally, Illusion slammed her down into the ground, a crater forming beneath her from the sheer force of the blow.
The chains remained, holding Eve firmly in place as the copy of Eve moved in. Spheres of wind that engulfed her hands as she unleashed a barrage of attacks. Each strike was a perfect replication of Eve's own combat style.
Eve, however, remained still. Her face was devoid of expression, her eyes distant as though she had become someone entirely different. She took each of the blows without flinching. The attacks landed, but it was as if they didn't reach her; she absorbed the pain. Her right eye glowed brightly with a purple hue, the only indication that the fire within her hadn't been completely extinguished.
Illusion's frustration grew with each passing moment, his mind racing as he struck blow after blow against Eve. He could feel the power of his attacks connecting, but the absence of her reactions made it unclear whether his efforts were even causing her pain. His irritation boiled over, his usual confident smirk fading into a scowl. He turned to the copy of Eve, summoning it to his side, and then with a dark, satisfied grin, he began to channel a torrent of void energy, directing it straight toward the ground beneath her.
The earth trembled violently beneath Eve's feet, the ground cracking as if it were unable to contain the energy threatening to break free. Moments later, a massive pillar of black, swirling void energy shot upward from the earth, its gravitational pull intense and suffocating. The pillar expanded rapidly, engulfing Eve entirely. Her form was consumed in an instant, disintegrating into the void as the dark energy swallowed her whole, leaving no trace behind.
As the pillar subsided, Illusion stood victorious, a twisted smile crossing his face. He threw his head back, laughing with a cruel satisfaction. "I did it... she's finally gone," he muttered under his breath, savoring the moment. His voice then turned mockingly regretful. "Although it's such a shame, I had to destroy her core as well."
However, as the pillar of void energy began to subside and Illusion's laughter suddenly stopped, a sharp, sudden pain pierced through his chest. He felt something cold, a blade—plunge deep into his core. Staring down in disbelief, Illusion's eyes widened as he saw the glowing edge of a scythe embedded in his chest.
Slowly, he looked up, his heart sinking as he saw Eve standing before him, completely unharmed. The scythe in her hands sparked with energy. He couldn't understand how she had survived. "Impossible," he gasped, "You're supposed to be—"
Before he could finish, the copy of Eve appeared beside him. Without hesitation, she launched herself at Eve, attacking with ferocity. The two began to battle once more, the copy moving quickly to shield Illusion, blocking and countering Eve's attacks. Illusion, though wounded, watched from behind the copy, still unable to comprehend how Eve had survived. The world around him was slipping further from his control.
The copy of Eve advanced quickly, her movements almost a blur as she began to lash out at the real Eve. Every kick was enhanced by wind, causing them to strike with incredible speed, while the electricity sparking around her hands intensified the force of each blow. With every motion, she seemed to blur the line between illusion and reality, her attacks coming so fast and with such power that it was nearly impossible to keep up with. Each time the copy's foot connected with Eve's body, arcs of electricity sparked violently.
Eve let out a sigh and finally spoke, "Making me lay my own hands on my daughter, even if it's just an illusion," she muttered with disdain. "You're as rotten as ever, Illusion." The voice that came from her mouth no longer sounded like Eve.
The copy of Eve, still attacking relentlessly, didn't expect the sudden change. It had been sure of its superiority, but now it found itself being outpaced. Eve moved faster, her reflexes sharper, her speed accelerating in ways that made it seem as though she was everywhere at once. The copy's attacks, once effective and overwhelming, now passed through empty air as Eve effortlessly dodged and countered. Each strike the copy attempted was either blocked or dodged, its movements growing more erratic and desperate with every passing second.
Eve's own strikes began to land on the copy with crushing force. The copy, once a perfect mimic was now breaking down under Eve's attacks, struggling to keep up with the real Eve's sheer speed and power.
Eve's grip on the scythe tightened as she sliced through the air, severing the legs of the copy in one swift motion. The false Eve fell to the ground, but before it could even react, Eve was there. She grabbed the copy by the throat, lifting it off the ground with ease. The world seemed to freeze as she stared into the copy's eyes.
"Equinox Mortis," Eve whispered, her voice like a final judgment. The words felt ancient, powerful. As they left her lips, the copy of Eve began to disintegrate. The very air around them seemed to spark with energy as the illusion's body broke down into nothingness, leaving nothing behind but a faint, lingering trace of ash.
When the last remnants of the illusion disappeared, Eve stood motionless, her breath steady as if she hadn't just eradicated a version of herself. Her gaze shifted toward Illusion.
"This feeling, you're not that Anomaly, you're... No, you're supposed to be dead!" Illusion's voice trembled with disbelief.
Eve's eyes narrowed, "I might be dead," she said, her voice sounding like a dark echo, something not quite her own. "But I won't let you hurt my daughter."
"I see you took over your daughter's body... Fine, I'll just kill you again-!" Illusion roared as he prepared to attack. But before he could react, Eve was suddenly in front of him, and in a blur of motion, she swung her scythe, its edge cutting through the air and slicing deep into Illusion's chest.
Then Eve released a cloud of dark, swirling mist that quickly engulfed Illusion. His movements slowed as he tried to escape, but the mist clung to him, suffocating and overwhelming him. Before Illusion could react, Eve snapped her fingers, and the mist erupted into blazing flames. The fire consumed the phantom form in an instant, sending out an intense wave of heat that distorted the very air around them. Illusion's screams echoed as the flames ravaged his body.
As the fire burned away the mist, Illusion's phantom form stood exposed. His body flickered as if it were made of shadows, barely holding its shape under the pressure. For the first time, Illusion felt the grip of true fear.
"Hmph, that's all the time I have here, Eve will finish you..." As the voice faded, Eve collapsed to her knees, gasping for air as if she had just been pulled from the depths of the ocean.
"Ah, what just happened...?" Eve muttered, her mind racing to piece together what just happened.
"HOW DARE YOU, I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Forbidden Illusion roared, his fury radiating through the void domain as he shot his void bullets in every direction, his power surging with each blast. The energy from his attacks crackled through the air, each one strong enough to annihilate anything in its path. His rage had consumed him.
However, Eve remained calm, her eyes cold and focused. The chaotic blasts of energy whizzed past her, each one narrowly missing, their unpredictable trajectory making it impossible for Illusion to land a hit. His wild, frenzied shots only seemed to fuel her resolve. She stood, unfazed by the barrage, her scythe in hand. she deflected the few void bullets that dared approach her, redirecting the deadly projectiles like mere nuisances.
The domain around them flickered with his unstable energy, but she was undisturbed, ready for the final confrontation.
Illusion, growing more erratic with every failed attempt, could feel his grip on the domain slipping. The futility of his attacks began to sink in, but his fury only intensified. "You think you've won? You'll regret this!" he screamed.
Eve's eyes narrowed as she raised her hand, using her wind powers. The very air around Illusion began to warp, growing thick with pressure. With a single thought, the atmosphere compressed violently, and from the dense air, sharp, needle-like projectiles of pure wind formed, each one honed to a deadly point. With a flick of her wrist, she released them all at once, sending the deadly needles hurtling toward Illusion's core.
The force behind the attack was immense, the wind itself like an unforgiving blade, its speed almost impossible to track. Each needle was infused with raw power, designed to pierce through any defense. Illusion barely had time to react as they closed in, his eyes widening with panic. His body tried to shift, his void energy flaring in a last-ditch effort to protect him, but the wind needles were too fast, too sharp, and too precise.
Several needles found their mark, slamming into his form, piercing through his energy shield and raking across his ethereal body. Illusion staggered, his breath ragged, the reality around him warping with every strike. For a brief moment, his grasp on the Forbidden Domain wavered, and the illusions around them flickered.
Eve's gaze remained cold as she watched him struggle.
"I WON'T DIE HERE, I'M GOD HERE!" Illusion roared. His power surged violently, causing the void space around them to twist and warp, reality itself bending to his unstable control.
But Eve was unfazed. Her grip on the scythe tightened as she gathered both electric and subconsciously void energy as well into the blade, the air sparking with raw power. It felt as though her body was moving beyond her control, the intense emotions and willpower driving her actions. In a single, swift motion, she swung her scythe through the air, releasing a massive slash of energy, crackling with both lightning and void energy.
The slash tore through the illusions and the energy cut through him effortlessly, slicing him clean in two. The very fabric of his domain began to unravel. The illusions shattered like glass, fading into nothingness. The world around them returned to normal.
Illusion, barely clinging to life, tried to drag his battered body away, but each attempt to escape only ended in pain. His movements were slow and desperate. Eve stood in his path, she looked down as he struggled.
"P-Please spare me, I beg you!" Illusion's voice trembled, his arrogance now replaced with fear. He could barely breathe, his words coming out in ragged gasps. "Look, you didn't really kill your friend, that was just an illusion! It wasn't real! I can fix it, I can fix everything—just spare me, please!"
The words spilled from his lips like pleading, empty promises, a last-ditch effort to survive. But Eve remained silent, the disgust in her eyes grew stronger, as if she could hardly bear to look at him any longer.
"You've done nothing but torture me with your illusions," she finally spoke, "And you think you deserve mercy?"
"I beg of you! Please don't kill me!" Illusion's voice cracked as he clutched at the ground beneath him, his body trembling. His desperate eyes locked onto Eve's, a man broken, stripped of his power, and now clinging to the last shred of his life. "I'll tell you everything—everything about my allies, their plans, everything! I'll leave this world, vanish, just spare me!"
His words, though desperate, were empty, an attempt to delay the inevitable. He knew it—she knew it. But still, he grasped at any hope, no matter how fragile it was.
Eve's expression remained cold as she listened to his pathetic pleas unfold. She raised her scythe.
"Is that all you have to say?" Her voice was quiet.
She swung the scythe like a guillotine, Illusion's desperate face twisted with fear, but he could feel it. There was no mercy left in her. There was no turning back.
Eve stood over the remains of Illusion, her breath heavy as she stared at the dissipating body of her enemy. She cut open his chest, his core, glowing faintly with the remnants of his power, she ripped it from its hollow cage, the last evidence of his existence.
As Illusion's body began to fade, Eve remained silent. His final breath, the last attempt at survival, was swallowed by the void around them. His pleading, his desperate offers of life, had been nothing but empty noise.
"Finally..." she muttered under her breath, her voice devoid of triumph, merely a whisper of relief. Her right eye, now returning to its normal color, no longer glowing with the purple hue. The scythe dissipated into nothingness, and the purple aura disappearing.
Eve's body finally gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, the exhaustion of the battle catching up with her all at once. Her legs trembled, her muscles aching from the strain of the fight. She barely managed to pull herself to a nearby tree, using it as support to sit upright. Her breath was ragged, the weight of the battle and the toll it had taken on her both physical and emotionally.
As she leaned against the rough bark, Eve's vision blurred, her body too worn from the brutal fight to hold on any longer. Her eyelids fluttered, then shut completely as she finally succumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion and pain.
"You really can't stay out of a trouble can you? Don't worry your sister will patch you up..!"