Stepping through the puddle of blood, Cipher launched his assault. His left blade arced downward, aiming for the arm that had just sliced the woman in half. The Twin Star connected, carving through the Nightmare's carapace with ease. A sharp hissing sound escaped the creature's maw, its elongated grin twitching as it recoiled its injured limb.
For a moment, it examined the wound—long, deep, and oozing a thick, inky substance. Then its black, soulless eyes flicked back to Cipher, and a high-pitched screech tore through the air.
Cipher barely had time to react before the Nightmare's arm shot out, its claws slicing through the space where his face had been mere moments ago. He twisted, his instincts forcing him to move before his brain could register the danger. The attack missed by centimeters.
An opening.
Cipher pivoted and slashed upward with his right blade, catching the Nightmare's outstretched limb. The edge of the Twin Star cut through chitin and muscle like silk, severing a chunk of its arm. The severed piece dropped to the ground with a sickening thud.
The Nightmare froze. Its massive body trembled, its mouth stretching wider as if in a silent wail. Then, without warning, it went berserk.
Its frame bulked up, grotesque muscles swelling beneath its exoskeleton. With a guttural snarl, it lunged, using its whole body as a weapon.
Cipher braced himself.
The creature's left arm lashed out, a distraction, while its body barreled toward him with terrifying speed. Cipher dodged the initial swipe, but the Nightmare was relentless. Its right arm recoiled before slamming down in a vicious overhead strike.
Instinct took over.
Cipher crossed his blades in an X-formation, catching the attack. The force of the impact sent a shockwave down his arms, his muscles screaming in protest. The sheer power behind the blow was staggering—Cipher's feet skidded against the blood-slicked floor as he struggled to hold his ground.
But the Nightmare wasn't finished.
It twisted mid-motion, wrenching its arm free while whipping its uninjured limb around. Cipher barely had time to register the movement before a wall of force crashed into him.
A clawed hand slammed into his side, sending him hurtling through the air. His back collided with the wall, the impact rattling his skull. His grip faltered.
His swords slipped from his hands.
Pain exploded through his ribs, but there was no time to react. The Nightmare closed the distance in an instant.
Cipher saw its arm—his arm—moving toward him, but his body was too slow to keep up.
A searing, burning pain tore through his side.
For a moment, Cipher didn't understand what had happened. There was just the overwhelming sensation of something being ripped away, of heat and cold mixing into a numb, surreal agony.
Then he looked down.
His right arm was gone.
Where it should have been, there was only empty space. His breath hitched as his brain caught up to the sight—shredded flesh, exposed bone, crimson spilling onto the floor in rapid, pulsing waves.
He swayed.
His vision blurred, the colors of the world bleeding together. Then, through the haze of pain, something else caught his attention.
The sky.
A brilliant, open blue stretched above him, unmarred by clouds.
The sky is really pretty.
That was his last thought before the world tilted and the ground rushed up to meet him.
Tank had been standing near the building, overseeing the medics as they tended to survivors, when he heard the crash.
His head snapped upward.
From the third story, Cipher's body plummeted, a limp figure descending far too fast.
A second later, Cipher struck the pavement with a sickening, wet impact. Blood splattered outward in all directions, painting the ground in crimson.
For a moment, the world stood still.
Then Tank ran.
His boots pounded against the stone as he sprinted toward Cipher's broken form. He knew—he knew—there was probably nothing he could do. But if there was even the slightest chance—
He had to try.
Others saw it too. Medics, onlookers, all frozen in horror as they watched the blood pool around Cipher's body.
Tank didn't care.
He had to reach him.
Cipher drifted in darkness.
It was familiar, this void. A place he had been once before.
He felt weightless, floating aimlessly in an endless expanse. It was neither cold nor warm—just empty.
Then a voice.
{Goddess of the Void ~ Hello again, Cipher. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but it seems you've been killed in your most recent fight.}
Cipher's thoughts were sluggish, his consciousness struggling to piece together what had happened.
{Cipher ~ The last thing I remember… the sky. Then—impact. But if I'm here, does that mean I actually died?}
There was a pause before the Goddess answered.
{Goddess of the Void ~ No. You are immortal, Cipher. But you can still "die" temporarily. In these brief moments, we can speak.}
Cipher frowned. His mind was clearer now, but her words unsettled him.
{Cipher ~ Then… why am I here?}
{Goddess of the Void ~ Because there is something you need to understand.}
The void around him seemed to shift.
{Goddess of the Void ~ What are you?}
Cipher hesitated. He knew what she was asking, but the answer didn't come easily.
{Cipher ~ I… I'm human. Aren't I?}
The Goddess's voice was gentle, yet firm.
{Goddess of the Void ~ No, Cipher. You were human. But you are no longer bound by those limitations. You are one of my Knights of Light. You are no longer the boy who had to hide in the shadows.}
Cipher felt a strange weight settle in his chest.
{Goddess of the Void ~ More than that, you are a Counter. One of the few I have personally chosen. Your purpose is to stand against the darkness, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And given time, you have the potential to become my strongest Knight.}
Cipher's breath caught.
The strongest? Him?
{Goddess of the Void ~ Do not limit yourself to human expectations, Cipher. You are beyond that now. Embrace it.}
A pulse of energy surged through the void.
{Goddess of the Void ~ Our time is short, but before you return, I will give you a gift. When you awaken, speak these words while thinking of your swords—"Return Now."}
Before Cipher could ask anything else, the void collapsed around him.
The sky. Blue, endless, stretching high above.
Cipher's senses returned all at once. The pain, the weight of his body, the distant sound of someone shouting his name—
Was that Tank, Cipher couldn't tell?
Cipher tried to speak, but his throat was raw. He lifted a hand, forming an "OK" sign to show he was alive.
It was only then that he realized—he had both arms again.
Slowly, unsteadily, Cipher pushed himself to his feet. He exhaled, steadying himself as he recalled the Goddess's words.
Holding his hands out to the side, he focused.
Then, he spoke. "Return Now."