As the knight's sword materialized, the light in the grand hall didn't just vanish—it was devoured. The darkness wasn't an absence of light, but a force swallowing everything whole, leaving Noah and the knight in a void.
Noah narrowed his eyes, mana surging to his optic nerves.
Useless.
No matter how much he pushed, all he saw was emptiness, like a blind man reaching out into the abyss.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue in frustration. His senses, honed over a decade of surviving impossible odds, were failing him.
If sight won't work... then something else.
Noah's lips curled into a tight smirk. Instead of focusing his mana into his eyes, he let it ripple outward, spreading like a web across the hall. Mana flooded the space, touching every surface, bouncing back information. Slowly, an image formed in his mind—a phantom of the room, defined by mana instead of light.
There.
The knight lunged, his sword slicing through the void, aimed at Noah's chest. Dark energy twisted around the blade like smoke, malevolent and ever-reaching. Noah's body moved before his mind processed the threat—instinct. He leapt back, but the knight's blade was no ordinary weapon. Shadows extended its reach, and a stinging line of pain spread across Noah's chest.
"Damn it."
A shallow cut, but a warning. His jaw tightened. Noah spun to call out to his ally.
"John—!"
Nothing.
The void wasn't just visual. It consumed sound, too. Even Noah's heartbeat, which had been drumming in his ears, was gone.
Complete sensory deprivation...
His eyes darted to find John. There—standing a few meters away, frozen, unaware of the knight's advance. The sword, now pulsating with dark energy, swung towards John's throat.
Noah's mind raced.
I won't reach him in time.
The image flashed before him—John's head rolling, blood pooling.
Then, suddenly, John moved.
___________
In terms of raw talent, John wasn't inferior to Noah. The difference? Experience. Noah had fought through a decade of hell, while John had barely been here a week. But now, facing death, something inside John clicked.
Roles... aren't to be depended on.
They're meant to enhance who you already are.
His body snapped into motion, bending backward just as the blade passed by his throat—so close it nicked the collar of his shirt. Without a second thought, John's foot slammed into the ground, and with a fluid spin, his palm shot out to strike the knight's chest.
Boom!
A shockwave rippled from the impact, sending the knight staggering back, small flames flickering where John's hand had landed.
Noah's eyes widened.
I forgot. John's a karateka.
For a brief moment, Noah could only watch as John moved, his strikes swift and precise. The darkness didn't seem to faze him anymore. John's movements were sharper, each attack forcing the knight back.
His talent... it's awakening.
John pressed forward. With a pivot, he turned his entire body into a weapon. His elbow crashed into the knight's chest, another burst of flame-infused energy exploding on impact. The knight staggered, but he wasn't finished.
The dark blade lashed out, aiming for John's side. But John was quicker now. He dodged, though not without cost—the tip of the blade grazed him, cutting through his shirt and skin.
John gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. He spun again, sweeping low and knocking the knight off his feet.
He's adapting, Noah thought.
He's good. Really good.
But the knight wasn't done. His sword twisted, shadows growing once more, a roar escaping his lips as he swung in a wide arc, aiming to cleave both of them.
Noah leaped to the side, mana reinforcing his body. John, still shaken from the cut, barely dodged the blow. But as the knight charged forward, sword raised high, John's instincts kicked in.
His hands glowed faintly, mana stabilizing.
With a shout, John thrust his palm forward again, flames erupting from his hand and slamming into the knight's chest. The impact was enough to send the knight stumbling back, but not enough to finish him.
The two stood there, breathing heavily, staring down their opponent. Neither was ready to give up.
Noah suddenly felt it—a shift in the air. The oppressive darkness began to recede, the shadows retreating. The knight's power was weakening.
John turned to him, determination blazing in his eyes.
"Noah! Now!"
Without hesitation, they moved in sync. Noah's mana surged, wrapping around his body as he charged, blade aimed for the knight's head. At the same time, John's fists ignited, flames roaring to life as he aimed for the knight's chest.
The knight raised his sword to block Noah's attack, but left himself open. John's fiery punch connected, flames exploding and sending the knight flying backward.
The knight hit the ground with a thud, his sword clattering to the side. He struggled to rise, but his strength was gone.
____________
AKEDIA
The Primordial Sin
____________
The hall, once cloaked in darkness, was now bathed in light again. John, barely able to stand, took a deep breath.
"I… I did it."
Noah stepped forward, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah, you did."
John collapsed, the weight of his victory settling in as a familiar notification appeared before them.
____________
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE DEFEATED AKEDIA, THE PRIMORDIAL SIN!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE EARNED THE TITLE 'SIN SLAYER (2)'!
______________
John stared at the message, disbelief and exhaustion mingling in his expression.
Noah stood, eyes drifting to the grand door at the far end of the hall.
"Let's keep moving," Noah said, though weariness seeped into his voice. There was no time to rest. Not yet.
John groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. His eyes lingered on his new title, Sin Slayer. A heavy name, but one he'd have to live up to.
__________
The air grew colder as they approached the next set of doors. A chill crept down John's spine, and the eerie glow that had lit their path dimmed, as if the very walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting.
Noah glanced at John, his expression unreadable, though the tension in his posture was unmistakable.
"Whatever's next," Noah said, his voice low, "it's going to be worse than Akedia."
John swallowed hard, his hand tightening around his weapon.
Worse? How much worse could it get?
He'd barely survived their last encounter, and now they were marching headlong into another battle with an entity even more powerful. But there was no turning back now. The doors loomed before them, massive and ancient, etched with symbols that seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive.
Taking a deep breath, John stepped forward, reaching out to push the door open—but before his hand could touch it, the doors swung inward on their own, creaking ominously as they revealed the chamber beyond.