Chapter 35: The Dome of Negation
Abdu twisted away from Yukio’s blade, his eyes wide with the glint of death staring back. Sweat beaded on his brow as he parried and dodged, each of Yukio’s strikes a heartbeat from ending him. The tide had turned—Abdu, the relentless hunter, now scrambled to survive, his movements frantic under Yukio’s blazing assault.
But Abdu was no easy prey. Years as an international mercenary had forged him into a weapon, his defense as sharp as his offense. Crystal blades clashed with Yukio’s radiant sword, sparks erupting in a deadly dance.
They wove through the battlefield, a blur of evade and attack, neither yielding an inch.
Then, Yukio faltered.
His strikes slowed, the glow of his blade dimming as the absorbed energy bled away. His breaths grew ragged, each swing heavier than the last.
Abdu’s lips curled into a predator’s grin. He saw his opening and pivoted, his crystal sword flashing toward Captain Agatha to stop her energy blasts from fueling Yukio.
I launched forward, heart pounding, the twins and Sane at my heels. We pushed our bodies to the limit, feet tearing into the earth, but Abdu was a streak—too fast, too precise. His blade arced for the captain’s heart.
A shockwave of desperation rippled through the air. Yukio’s eyes blazed, as if the need to protect Agatha forced his power to evolve. With a guttural cry, he thrust his sword skyward, and a dome of negative energy erupted—a 100-meter radius sphere of oppressive force that swallowed the battlefield.
Inside, the air thickened, heavy and suffocating, draining strength from every muscle. Abdu staggered, his speed and power dulled, his blade faltering mid-strike. Yukio surged forward, the only one unaffected, a lone comet in the dome’s grasp, intercepting Abdu’s attack with a ringing clash.
Abdu leapt back, eyes darting as he assessed the trap. Yukio stood tall, but blood trickled from his mouth, his body trembling under the strain. The dome was his, but it was tearing him apart.
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‘Interesting’, 2.0’s voice suddenly hummed in my skull.