[Binding Cross]
Alice pressed the attack, her movements a blur as she unleashed a rapid series of diagonal slashes aimed at her dangerous opponent.
Each strike was executed with precision, but with each cut, the resistance against her sword grew stronger. Unknown's Dark Blade was a formidable weapon, and it blocked her every move with calculated skill.
The force of the impacts sent tremors through her arms, and the recoil from each strike made her feel the strain, her muscles burning with the effort.
For just a brief moment, she felt her balance shift, her stance momentarily faltering as a small opening appeared. It was all the opening Unknown needed.
With a sudden shift in his stance, Unknown transitioned from a defensive posture to an aggressive one. His Dark Blade moved in a fluid arc, closing the gap between them.
The blade came at an angle, sliding dangerously close to Alice's, then sweeping upward with lethal force. The strike was swift, almost too fast to follow, and with a resounding clash, Alice's sword was forced into the air, pinned by his sheer strength and the calculated precision of his strike.
The pressure was immense, and Alice's arms quivered as she struggled to maintain control. Her sword was locked in place, its tip pointing toward the ceiling, leaving her vulnerable to a fatal blow. The weight of Unknown's blade and his relentless assault left little room for maneuver.
With no choice but to retreat, Alice swiftly leaned to the left, avoiding the immediate danger of a downward strike. She pushed off the ground with all her strength, leaping backward to put some much-needed distance between them.
She landed nimbly on her feet, taking a moment to catch her breath, her sword still raised in a defensive position.
The two stood there, locked in a brief moment of silence. Their gazes met, the intensity of the confrontation thick in the air. Alice's eyes never left the tip of his blade, waiting for the slightest shift in his movements, every nerve in her body poised for the next strike.
Similarly, Unknown's focus was unwavering as he studied her every breath, the tension of the battle heavy in his posture.
The stalemate continued. Each of them knew that their next move could decide the outcome of the fight, but neither was willing to make the first mistake.
However, Alice knew something her opponent might not: time was not on his side. Every second that passed, the more the odds stacked against him.
His strength was waning, his magical energy slowly depleting from the earlier battle, and Alice knew that soon, her teammates would arrive to turn the tide in her favor. There was no need for her to press the attack further—she only needed to wait, keep her guard up, and let the situation unfold in her favor.
Unknown, on the other hand, understood that time was slipping through his fingers. His eyes narrowed, realizing that if he didn't act now, he would be outnumbered and overwhelmed.
His patience was wearing thin, but with his strength and stamina slowly fading, he knew he had no choice but to gamble everything on one final, desperate move.
Without a word, the tension in his posture shifted. He was about to make his move.
[Sweeping Slash]
With a sudden surge of speed and reckless abandon, Unknown charged forward, his blade raised high, ready to unleash a devastating horizontal strike. His eyes were locked on Alice, a glint of resolve in his gaze.
He cared little for defense, knowing that this attack was his only chance to break through her guard. The air hummed with the force of his strike as the massive sword swung toward her in an arc that could cleave through anything in its path.
But Alice was ready. Her instincts kicked in, and the moment she saw him preparing for the blow, she reacted with precise timing. With a swift motion, she slid her blade against his massive Emperor Centipede blade, deflecting the attack to the side just as it neared her.
The force of the collision sent a jolt up her arms, but she didn't hesitate—using the momentary opening to her advantage, she launched herself into the air.
Her body seemed to move as if in slow motion, a perfect execution of a downward strike aimed at his head. The blow would have been lethal—if it landed.
But Unknown wasn't going to let that happen.
"Hm, too inexperienced," he muttered under his breath, his voice cool as ice.
[Limit Break] [Accel]
In a flash, the world seemed to twist and bend. Unknown's body contorted unnaturally, as though time itself bent around him.
The very laws of his own flesh seemed to warp as he twisted his form to narrowly avoid the full brunt of Alice's strike. He slid to the left, out of her reach, a ghost of a movement that left Alice frozen in midair, her sword missing him by inches.
The shift was so fast that Alice, caught off guard by his sudden agility, found herself vulnerable, still mid-attack and open to counterstrike. It was the precise moment Unknown had been waiting for.
[Quick Slash]
Before she could regain her stance, Unknown made his move. With brutal precision, he swung the flat of his Dark Blade toward her. The strike was swift and merciless, the flat side of his blade connecting with Alice's chest and knocking her backward.
The force sent her flying through the air, crashing into the cold stone floor with a painful thud.
Alice winced, feeling the sharp pain course through her body as she struggled to push herself upright. Her breathing was heavy, her chest aching, and for a moment, her vision blurred.
She had been careless—overconfident in her abilities, thinking she could land the fatal blow without accounting for the possibility of him evading it.
If Unknown had intended to kill her, she knew that strike would have been fatal. The flat side of his sword had merely knocked her back. But next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.
She swallowed her pride, refocusing as she rose back to her feet. The fight was far from over, but she had learned something vital: this man was no mere mindless monster.
He was a deadly opponent—one who knew how to turn the tide of battle in the blink of an eye.
Unknown wasted no time after landing his devastating blow. He activated his Cloak of Concealment once again, and in an instant, he disappeared into the shadows, blending seamlessly with the environment.
His form faded from view as though he had never been there, leaving only the faintest echo of his presence in the air.
Alice, still reeling from the impact of his strike, staggered, her vision spinning slightly as she tried to regain control. Her body was already attempting to heal, but it wasn't enough.
Her regenerative abilities were powerful, but the wound was too deep for her to recover instantly. Blood pooled in her mouth, and she coughed violently, tasting the iron tang of it. She clutched her abdomen, trying to ease the pain, but her body was slower than usual.
"Did he just let me go?" she murmured, disbelief creeping into her voice as she looked around the now-empty cavern.
The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive, and only broken by the sound of her teammates' hurried footsteps. They had arrived too late, and they could only watch as their target disappeared into the darkness.
"Alice!! Are you alright?!" Sylvie was the first to reach her, her sharp eyes quickly scanning for any more serious injuries. Robert and Claw were close behind, their faces etched with concern and fury.
"I'm fine..." Alice managed, though her voice was strained and weak. She wiped the blood from her lips, trying to stand straight despite her body's protests.
"Where did that bastard go? I'll kill him!" Robert's voice was filled with rage, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. His fiery anger was palpable, and the blood dripping from his hands only heightened his fury.
Alice shook her head slowly, feeling the weight of the decision settling in. "Don't. Let him go."
Her words carried an authority that silenced the room. Despite the pain coursing through her body, Alice's voice was steady.
She could feel the tension in the air as her teammates hesitated, unsure whether to accept her decision. But she knew the truth—they had no chance of catching him now. Unknown had already proven himself capable of escaping at will, and pressing forward could lead to even more casualties.
"We're so close to catching him! Are you really going to give up now?!" Robert's voice cracked with frustration as he took a step forward, but Sylvie placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Calm down, Robert. The deputy commander is right." Sylvie's voice was calm, almost too calm, but there was an edge to it. She too had seen the futility of the chase.
"Don't you think that if we keep chasing him, he might retaliate even more fiercely?" Sylvie continued, her words aimed to steady Robert's emotions.
"Are you sure you can dodge a blow from someone who just defeated Alice?" Claw's voice was low, the harsh reality of the situation sinking in. Robert's eyes darted between them all, his anger still burning but tempered by their logic.
"..."
Robert gritted his teeth, frustration boiling over. His hand tightened again, blood dripping through his fingers as he fought to hold himself back.
His face twisted in a mixture of anger and helplessness, but despite his internal battle, he finally relented. His shoulders slumped in resignation, and he nodded curtly. "Fine. I'll hold off... for now."
Alice, though exhausted and hurt, exhaled in relief. Though they had failed to catch him, this skirmish had not been in vain. She had seen his capabilities firsthand. She had learned about his speed, his evasiveness, and the depths of his power.
And more importantly, she now knows about his personality.
Her thoughts lingered on her encounter with Unknown, her mind running over the details of their clash. She wasn't just focused on the battle—it was his demeanor, his words, his ideals.
"He's not exactly bad, but his ideals and interests are directly opposed to ours," Alice murmured aloud, standing up after finally recovering from the worst of her injuries. The pain still lingered, but she had learned to push through it.
"Basically, we still can't find common ground," she continued, a faint frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword, frustration creeping into her voice. "It's really hard."
She exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping as the exhaustion caught up with her. The battle had taken more from her than she expected, but the underlying truth of their situation still stung.
They weren't dealing with just an enemy; they were up against someone who operated on a different plane of existence, someone whose morality and objectives clashed violently with theirs.
"As long as our goals are the same as his, we will meet again sooner or later," she said, her voice quieter now, filled with a resigned certainty. It wasn't over. There was more to come.
"Let's go home, everyone," she finally ordered, her tone firm once again. Alice clenched her fists, pursing her lips in frustration. She turned and started to walk away, the weight of leadership heavy on her shoulders.
...
Meanwhile, far away from the battlefield, Unknown had barely escaped, and the cost was becoming apparent.
"Ha, I made it," Unknown muttered to himself, collapsing onto the ground, exhaustion wracking his body. As soon as he was out of Alice's group's sight, the tension in his muscles shattered, leaving him drained.
He hadn't expected a simple show of power and deception to push him to the brink. A bit of greed, a little carelessness in his actions, and it nearly cost him his life.
"Master, are you okay?" Eclipse asked, concern lacing her voice, though her tone was calm. Through their connection, she could feel the toll the battle had taken on him.
"...Yeah, my whole body hurts, and my magical power is depleted," Unknown admitted with a deep sigh, barely able to keep his eyes open. His senses felt dull, the world around him spinning in a blur of exhaustion. The fight had been intense.
"Thankfully, your trick to deceive them worked," Eclipse noted, a small hint of relief in her voice. She knew how close they had come to disaster, but Unknown had used his intelligence and cunning to make the others think he was stronger than he truly was, buying them enough time to escape.
"So, what do we do now? They don't seem to want to show any mercy," she added, concern creeping back into her voice. She knew the dangers of leaving enemies behind—particularly ones like Alice and her group.
Unknown sighed heavily, leaning back as his body continued to ache. His eyes were distant as he considered their options.
"Our only hope is to find a way to create a time-space rift and escape before we have to fight them again," he murmured. There was no other way forward, at least not without risking everything. "We can't afford another fight right now."
But even as he said it, he felt the weight of his own words. The fight had drained him more than he'd expected. "Unfortunately, that spider den didn't tell us if there's any way out," he added with a frustrated grunt. The den had been full of secrets, but they hadn't uncovered enough to use to their advantage.
"Well, actually, there is, Master," Eclipse interjected, her tone suddenly more upbeat, sensing an opportunity. She paused, a quiet hum of magical energy buzzing around her as she processed their situation.
"What do you mean?" Unknown asked, his interest piqued.
"The cores you just collected," Eclipse explained, her voice growing more certain. "Let me absorb them."
Unknown stared at her, slightly confused, but he didn't interrupt. He knew Eclipse well enough to trust her insights.
"By using the magical signals from similar elite monsters, I can lead you to a place that holds a piece of me. If I merge with it, the rift will likely open again, and that will be our chance to escape," she finished, her plan laid out in front of them. It wasn't the easiest solution, but it was the only one they had.
For a moment, Unknown simply looked at her, his mind turning over the plan. It was a bit risky, but then again, everything had been risky lately. With no other choice, he nodded, finally understanding.
"Do it," he said, his voice steady, though the fatigue still hung heavily over him.
"Let's do it and escape."