Nero lay motionless on the ground, while Elijah stood seven meters away, his body crackling with lightning. He couldn't pinpoint it, but he sensed something emanating from Nero. Soon, the red aura around Nero intensified.
Standing up, Nero's eyes turned as red as blood, his skin matching the hue. "Don't look down on me!" he snarled. Claws sprouted from his arms and legs, making him appear more beast than human. Elijah, sensing the surge in power, watched with curiosity but didn't lower his guard.
"Don't you feel it?" Nero's question confused Elijah, who closed his eyes. "That won't work anymore."
In that moment, Elijah found himself unable to move or breathe as Nero's voice echoed, "Do you know why I just touched you whenever you're in this state?"
'When did he do that?' Elijah couldn't recall, staring slightly at Nero. 'Wait, it's his voice.'
Illusions were common yet rare abilities, often learned but seldom mastered. The problem here was that Nero's illusion was far more complex. It was nearly impossible to break free from; you couldn't control the energy flow inside his red world, making escape futile.
This red world, a realm of blood, was something only Nero could conjure due to his bloodline. Elijah opened his eyes to a sea of blood below and a crimson sky above. "Welcome to my world."
"In this place, a year feels like a second outside, so prepare yourself. The torture I will inflict will seem like a lifetime." In this world, just like the outside, if Nero touched Elijah, the pain he felt would be tenfold. This time, Nero wouldn't be satisfied with just touching him; swords of blood started appearing.
'Move, move, move!' Elijah's mind screamed.
Outside the red world, Nero's eyes were bleeding. In the next second, Elijah's body collapsed to the ground. Nero knelt, breathing heavily. 'Damn, using my voice for that technique consumes a lot of mana, but it was worth it.' Wiping the blood off his face, he started toward Elijah's body.
In this form, Nero was more powerful, even reaching an (E-) rank. With Elijah's body down, he was sure he would win. A sword of red energy formed in his hand, and reaching Elijah, he stabbed him, just to be sure. 'The reason I lost last time was because I didn't use this technique, thinking that fool was down. It won't happen again.'
Mike watched this and wondered, "Is there even a way to break free from his illusion?"
Elena replied, "Yes, but it's something you need to learn by yourself."
"Hmmmm," Mike said nothing more as the ground trembled.
Inside Elijah's mind, he floated aimlessly in a dark space, without thoughts or sensations from his surroundings. Soon, golden eyes appeared, speaking with a deep, monstrous voice, "Weak, you shouldn't have any control."
Then, eyes that seemed like the abyss appeared and spoke, "Give us control, and we'll show you your true power."
"Or do you want what happened to you with that man who took everything from you?" the golden eyes said.
"Or with that person who betrayed you and made you a slave?" the abyss eyes one spoke.
"Just let go, and let us carry that burden," they both said. "Elijah."
Floating between them, Elijah said, "Power, power, I must, I need it, no matter what, I deserve it."
"Then let go and awaken what you suppress," the golden eyes being said.
"Kill, destroy, and create. That is our purpose, that is what we are meant to do. So awaken and rise," the abyss being urged.
Before Elijah could fall, Ava's words rang in his ears, "Elijah."
Remembering his promises, Elijah said, "No, you two wait here."
In the real world, a killing intent unlike any felt before enveloped the area, covering over 100 meters. Nero jumped back, suffering the most from it. A lotus formed behind Elijah, with only a single leaf fully formed. It was blue, and lightning crackled from Elijah as he stood up.
The young men and women, unable to withstand the killing intent, started running away, almost 80% of them. Mike, on the sidelines, was shocked and disbelieving. "How can such intense killing intent come from one person?"
Elena, much calmer, smirked. "Then you haven't felt Mom or Dad's killing intent, which is much denser and more powerful. But still, how many did he kill to have such a killing intent, or what did he suffer to have one?"
"Nero," Elijah's voice was cold and emotionless.
Nero began to back away. "What are you?"
Only a flash of lightning was seen as Elijah appeared in front of Nero, who defended himself. Elijah punched, but Nero wasn't pushed back or injured; instead, Elijah's arm suffered damage.
Cuts appeared on Elijah's arm, and his bone was broken. Nero smiled. 'What am I afraid of?'
Elijah jumped back, staring at his stomach. "A curse."
"Yeah, now every attack you land on me will be reflected back at yourself," Nero said.
"That will be troublesome." Elijah held the spot where he was stabbed and used his lightning to break the curse.
"What? That's impossible," Nero stammered. He started backing away, but when he met Elijah's lifeless eyes, he knew Elijah's power had grown the moment that Lotus appeared behind him, and his chances of winning had decreased.
'Damn, I'm screwed.'