Chapter 98: Round 2 (4)
The ancient chamber trembled, dust cascading from cracked stone arches above as Arthur summoned his sword. Darkness coalesced around the blade, writhing like living smoke before solidifying into a thin, obsidian filament along the edge. The dark steel—already formidable—transformed into something otherworldly, something that could slice through solid rock as effortlessly as parting water.
Arthur’s muscles tensed beneath torn garments. His shadow arm gripped the sword’s hilt with unnatural strength. The corrupted limb pulsed with veins of midnight, sending waves of cold power through his entire being.
He drew a labored breath, lungs burning from exertion, and planted his foot forward. The stone floor beneath him cracked, spider-web fractures racing outward from the impact point. For a heartbeat, Arthur remained still—gathering the newfound strength that coursed through his altered body.
Then he moved.
The chamber blurred around him as he accelerated to a speed he’d never before achieved. He was shadow and fury, a dark comet streaking across the battlefield. To any normal observer, he would have been nothing but a smear of motion, impossible to track with human eyes.
But the Sheepman was no ordinary foe.
The armored knight met Arthur’s charge with equal velocity, bringing its own blade to bear with mechanical precision. When their swords collided, the impact sent a shockwave reverberating through the chamber. Sparks of darkness and light erupted where the edges met, casting bizarre shadows across ancient walls painted with forgotten histories.
Steel shrieked against steel as they tested one another, each pushing with terrifying strength. Arthur’s arms trembled with the effort, but something primal had awakened within him—something that refused to yield.
An animalistic war cry tore from Arthur’s throat, echoing off stone as he channeled every ounce of his newfound power into a single, devastating push. The Sheepman faltered, its perfect balance disrupted for just a fraction of a second.