Akira's eyes strained to adjust to the darkness, but it was like a living entity, suffocating him. He heard footsteps, light and deliberate, circling around him. The female voice whispered in his ear, "You're next, Akira. You're the main course."
Suddenly, a faint glow appeared above him, illuminating the dark space. Akira saw his friends, suspended in mid-air, their bodies limp and lifeless. The glow grew brighter, revealing a figure standing above them - a woman with long, silver hair and eyes that burned with an ethereal energy.
"Welcome, Akira," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I've been waiting for you. You're just in time to join the feast."
Akira charged forward, his blades flashing in the dim light. But as he reached the woman, she vanished, leaving him stumbling through empty air. The lights flickered back to life, and Akira saw he was surrounded by an army of twisted, humanoid creatures, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly hunger...
Akira charged forward, his swords flashing in the dim light. The twisted creatures closed in, their jaws snapping wildly. Akira danced between them, his blades slicing through their ranks with deadly precision.
One by one, the creatures fell, their bodies dissolving into nothingness. Akira's movements grew more fluid, his breathing steady. He was in his element, his focus solely on the battle.
Finally, the last creature fell, its body disintegrating into dust. Akira stood panting, his swords still trembling with the force of his final blow. He looked around, ensuring no more threats remained.
But as he turned to leave, a sudden, unseen force struck him. Akira felt a searing pain in his chest, as if the air itself had turned against him. He looked down to see a deep gash across his chest, blood welling up from the wound.
Akira stumbled back, shocked. "What the...?" He hadn't seen anyone attack him. The wound seemed to appear out of nowhere.
The silver-haired woman's voice echoed in his mind, "How strange... How come it didn't kill you?" Akira's eyes narrowed, trying to locate the source of the voice. But there was no one in sight...
The woman's voice seemed to take pleasure in Akira's pain. "I meant to sever your body in half, but it seems you have a... fascinating resilience."
As she spoke, Akira felt his body begin to regenerate, the wound closing before his eyes. But before he could even process what was happening, more unseen cuts appeared, slicing through his flesh without warning.
Akira tried to defend himself, but there was no enemy to strike. The cuts came from all directions, each one precise and deadly. He stumbled, his vision blurring from the pain.
The woman's laughter echoed in his mind. "No matter. I will continue until you fall. You cannot escape the void's embrace."
Akira's body tried to regenerate again, but the cuts kept coming, relentless and merciless. He felt his strength waning, his consciousness fading. He couldn't defend himself, couldn't even see his attacker...
The void seemed to be closing in, darkness creeping into his vision. Akira's thoughts grew disjointed, his screams echoing in his own mind...
As the unseen cuts continued to assail him, Akira's vision began to blur. He felt his consciousness slipping away, his body unable to withstand the relentless assault.
But just as all seemed lost, Akira's mind was transported to a dark, void-like realm. He found himself face to face with the snake he had slain and fused with his soul. The snake's glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.
The snake's voice resonated in Akira's mind, "You need my help, Akira. If not, you will die here. And if you die, I will die too."
Akira, desperate to survive, agreed to the snake's offer. The snake's mana began to merge with his own, a surge of dark energy coursing through his veins.
As the fusion took hold, Akira's body began to heal at an incredible rate. The cuts still came, but he could feel his flesh mending faster than they could harm him.
With newfound strength, Akira raised his sword to deflect one of the slashes. The blade shimmered with a dark, serpentine glow, as if the snake's power now infused his weapon.
With a swift strike, Akira hit one of the slashes away, his sword slicing through the void. The force of the blow sent a ripple through the air, and for a moment, the unseen attacks ceased...