The air crackled with tension, a stillness broken only by the distant sounds of the city echoing off crumbling buildings. Dave's breath came in ragged gasps, his gaze locked on the shadowy figure before him. Blood dripped from his wounds, but his eyes glimmered with a newfound resolve. He tightened his grip on the daggers, the black blades humming with energy.
Enough was enough.
It was time to go on the offensive.
Dave's lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile, his body trembling not with fear but with anticipation. He hadn't felt a thrill like this in a long time—maybe ever. The idea of taking down a Rank SS opponent was exhilarating. He could feel his blood singing with the promise of a real challenge.
Nocturne's ethereal form shifted slightly, the shadows around him flickering as if responding to his emotions. He stared at Dave, his silver eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"What are you smiling at, hunter?" Nocturne growled, his voice dripping with malice.
Dave didn't answer. Instead, he teleported directly above Nocturne, his body a blur of speed and power. In the same instant, he used his matter control to compress the air around his body, forming a barrier of force that propelled him downward with devastating momentum.
Nocturne barely managed to dodge to the side, but Dave was already gone—teleporting again and again in quick succession. He reappeared at Nocturne's side, daggers slashing through the air in a whirlwind of lethal strikes. The ground shattered beneath them, chunks of concrete and asphalt flying as their battle escalated to new heights of intensity.
For every dodge Nocturne attempted, Dave was there, his attacks relentless, coming from every direction at once. He infused his matter control into his blades, causing the very molecules around them to vibrate at incredible speeds, amplifying the damage of each slash.
Nocturne roared, his shadowy form expanding and contorting as he tried to keep up with Dave's onslaught. Tendrils of darkness lashed out, aiming to ensnare and crush Dave, but he moved like a phantom—impossible to pin down. Every time Nocturne thought he had him, Dave teleported again, his daggers cutting through the darkness with unerring precision.
"You're slipping!" Dave taunted, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "Is this really the best a Rank SS can do?"
Nocturne's eyes blazed with fury, the shadows around him swirling in a chaotic frenzy. He swung his blade-like arm at Dave's head, but Dave teleported at the last possible second, reappearing behind Nocturne with a vicious grin.
"Too slow."
Before Nocturne could react, Dave brought his daggers down in a brutal cross-slash, the force of the blow sending Nocturne sprawling across the ground. The shadowy figure skidded to a stop, his form flickering and wavering as if struggling to maintain cohesion.
"Enough!" Nocturne roared, his voice booming like a thunderclap. The shadows surged around him, swelling to monstrous proportions. "I will end you, hunter!"
Dave's smile widened. He watched as Nocturne unleashed a wave of pure darkness, the tendrils coiling and snapping like serpents, aiming to tear him apart. But he wasn't intimidated. He'd faced worse odds before, and this was no different.
Drawing on his matter control, Dave summoned a wall of compressed air, redirecting the tendrils away from him. He then teleported straight through the mass of shadows, his body a blur of speed and aggression. He struck with both daggers, slicing through Nocturne's defenses with ease.
Every cut he landed left deep gashes in Nocturne's form, wisps of shadowy essence leaking out like blood. Nocturne staggered, his movements becoming more erratic, more desperate.
"You're getting weaker," Dave observed, his voice calm and collected. He twirled his daggers, the black blades gleaming ominously in the dim light. "What's the matter, Nocturne? Losing your touch?"
"You arrogant fool!" Nocturne spat, his voice strained. "You think this is over? You think you've won?"
Dave didn't reply. Instead, he teleported again, this time appearing directly in front of Nocturne. He lashed out with a brutal kick, the force of the blow amplified by his teleportation ability. The kick connected with Nocturne's chest, sending him crashing through the remnants of a building.
Nocturne gasped, his form flickering like a dying flame. He struggled to rise, his silver eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "H-How…?"
Dave took a step forward, his smile fading. "You made a mistake when you thought you could take me down. You made an even bigger mistake when you threatened my family."
Nocturne's gaze shifted, and for the first time, there was fear in his eyes. "You… you don't understand. There are… higher beings… forces beyond your comprehension. When I'm gone… they will come for you."
Dave's expression darkened, but he didn't waver. He raised his daggers, the blades humming with lethal energy. "Let them come."
With a final surge of power, Dave lunged forward, his daggers cutting through Nocturne's defenses like a hot knife through butter. He drove the blades deep into Nocturne's form, twisting them with a savage force that sent shockwaves through the air.
Nocturne's scream was a sound of pure agony, his body convulsing as the shadows around him disintegrated. He stared at Dave, his silver eyes wide and filled with a strange mixture of anger, fear, and… something else.
"Y-You'll regret this…" Nocturne whispered, his voice barely audible. "They will come… and when they do… you'll die a death far worse than mine…"
With a final, shuddering gasp, Nocturne's form crumbled, the shadows dissipating into the air like smoke. He was gone, his last words lingering in the silence like a curse.
Dave stood there, breathing heavily, his daggers still glowing with residual energy. He stared at the spot where Nocturne had been, his mind racing.
What did he mean by 'higher beings'? Who was he talking about?
"Bella," Dave murmured, his voice low and steady. "Did you hear that?"
Bella's voice echoed softly in his mind. "I did. It seems there are still things we don't know, even with all the data I've gathered."
Dave frowned, his thoughts swirling. He knew he couldn't let this go unanswered. If there were beings stronger than Nocturne out there, then he needed to be ready for them.
But for now, he had won. Nocturne was dead, and another evil had been vanquished.
In the silence that followed, Bella's voice whispered to herself, too quiet for Dave to hear.
"I might really have to help him myself…"
The words faded into the darkness, unnoticed, their meaning unclear. But one thing was certain—Dave's journey was far from over. And the true battle was only just beginning.