A deadly stillness envelops the place. Jihan has already begun to untie Erica, while Ryuichi and Ryoko stand at attention. Takeru doesn't take his crimson eyes off the perimeter of the room. Suddenly... The sound of slow, steady footsteps echoes through the stone corridor leading to the basement.
Everyone's body freezes. Jihan stops moving. Ryoko tightens his grip on his weapon, and Ryuichi automatically steps in front of Jihan.
Then... A person completely covered in a dark robe and an imposing metal mask, showing no human features, appears in the doorway. Two red eyes glow from behind the black lens.
Takeru (in a very low voice):
- "Who... This?"
The masked man takes a step inside. The air is strangely cold. It's as if the place itself is suffocating from his presence.
Ryoko (serious and curious):
- "Who are you?"
The masked man is silent for a moment. Then he speaks in a low, deep, electronically distorted voice that sounds like it comes not from the larynx but from a machine buried deep inside:
The Masked Man:
- "What's the point of knowing the answer... when none of you will leave this place as you came in?"
Silence. A chill runs through their bodies. Only the sound of Erica's restricted breathing can be heard in the background.
Ryuichi (to himself, with great concern):
> "His voice... his presence... his manner... could it be him... the other manipulator of Aura?"
He exchanges a quick glance with Takeru, who understands from his expression that he is an unfamiliar danger, not to be taken lightly.
The Masked One (takes another step forward):
- "You are searching the shadows... but you haven't asked yourself who put you there in the first place."
The masked man steps closer, his footsteps echoing as if the ground is afraid of him. Takeru steps forward, his mana still flowing quietly... But he speaks in a steady voice, dripping with prestige.
Takeru (with sternness and glowing crimson eyes):
- "Why did you kidnap Erica? What is your purpose in all this?"
The masked man pauses, not in a fighting stance, just glances at them, before responding with words that resemble talismans:
The Masked One (coldly and calmly):
- "Whoever is connected to the core... becomes part of the chain. Some links must be broken... to give birth to others."
He falls silent. The words are cryptic, but they have a heavy ring to them. Ryuichi narrows his eyes as he tries to connect the dots.
Ryuichi (in an internal whisper):
> "Nucleus? Does he mean Aura?"
Ryoko can't take it anymore. His fist shaking, his breath quickening, he suddenly explodes in anger, shouting:
Ryoko:
- "You think we're going to let you talk in riddles while our friend is tied up in here? I'm ending this right now!"
A fiery meteor rushes in, and using his speed and technique, he delivers a direct hit to the masked mana, accompanied by a spark from his mana. Everyone thinks it will hit him...
But the Masked One moves at the last moment... no, not moves... he disappears as if he wasn't there, then reappears behind Ryoko, silent, no sound, no mana to be sensed.
The Masked One (very quietly):
- "Impulsiveness... the mark of the weak."
Ryoko freezes in place. He felt the masked man's neck touch him. He didn't even feel him move.
Ryoko (to himself, stunned):
> "Impossible... even my mana sensitivity didn't pick it up... who is this...?!"
Jihan and Ryuichi quickly approach to protect Ryoko, but Takeru raises his hand as if to order them to stop, while his gaze grows increasingly crimson.
Takeru (in a low voice):
- "Beware... this is no ordinary fighter... he's hiding something..."
Ryoko, offended, his mana ignites again, but this time without words, just sparks flying from his body. His eyes shine with fiery determination.
🟦 Ryoko (with determination):
- "I won't let you walk all over my dignity... I won't forgive you for this disregard."
Ryoko leaps into the air, spinning in a half-circle, forming sharp mana blades on his limbs, aiming them straight at the masked man.
But...
The masked man only raises his hand, in slow motion... strangely slowing down Ryoko's own strikes. Each attack seems to be pulled aside, deflected at an illogical angle.
Takeru (to himself, watching intently):
> "...wait...those movements...the masked man's power isn't just about speed...it's like he's controlling the...angle of perception?"
Ryoko attacks and attacks relentlessly, but his body begins to tire, and his face shrinks...
Ryoko (exhausted, backing off a bit):
- "What is this?... I feel like my body is moving in a direction... not the one I wanted!"
The masked man whispers, barely audible:
The Masked One:
- "He who sees all angles... will never be injured."
---
At this moment, the scene quickly cuts to Ryuichi, who stands tensely, pressing the glasses several times, the Aura screen unresponsive.
Ryuichi (inwardly worried):
> "Aura... there's no time for this now... I know you can hear me..."
A red battery symbol appears on the lens.
Ryuichi (with suppressed anger):
> "Damn... I can't fight without it... my mana vision is limited... my techniques are completely dependent on it..."
He looks at the battle, where Ryoko is retreating in pain, and Takeru is still motionless, studying the masked man's movements meticulously.
Jihan walks over to Ryuichi, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.
Jihan:
- "Stay with us... Even if you don't fight, your mind is still our most powerful weapon."
The battle between Ryoko and the masked man gets more and more violent, Ryoko tries to use the "Speed Splitter" technique, moving at three times his normal speed, leaving shadows behind, but even this misses the masked man!
A blow misses his hand, another goes over his head, and the masked man doesn't even move. All he does is a slight tilt of his body... as if he knows the shape of the attack before it's executed.
Ryoko (screams):
- "Fuck you... seriously fight me!!!"
But the masked man whispers again:
The Masked One:
- "You're fighting in the late dimension."
Suddenly, in the midst of the struggle, a slow step is heard. The floor shakes with a quiet echo... Takeru steps forward.
His crimson eyes light up slightly, and the aura around him grows heavier, as if the room is getting denser.
Takeru (with an authoritative calm):
- "Enough fooling around..."
He puts his hand in front of him, and red mana sparks form around him in the form of symbols resembling ancient inscriptions, slowly rotating. Then, suddenly, he disappears!
The masked man slowly turns around... but Takeru appears right behind him, and delivers a concentrated blow, using only his two fingers, to the energy center at the back of the neck.
The masked man budges for the first time. He takes a step back.
The Masked One (in a calm voice):
- "...hmmm...this is the first time I've been hit in a long time."
Takeru (in a low voice):
- "And this is the first time I've fought someone who twists the path of the senses..."
---
The real fight begins now. Takeru moves as if his eyes are seeing him from more than one dimension. He uses a technique similar to "reflections in time," hitting the masked man with irregular frequencies.
But as Takeru gets closer to revealing the masked man's movement pattern, the masked man's eyes begin to flash a glowing blue color...
The Masked One:
- "You won't understand it... Perception is not a tool, it's a limitation. And I am free of them."
A sudden blow from the masked man pushes Takeru backwards... He stabilizes his feet firmly, but his neck is bleeding a little...
Jihan screams:
Jihan:
- "Takeru! Your blood...!"
But he smiles a slight smile, wipes off the blood and says:
Takeru (in a soft, sarcastic voice):
- "Yes... if I continue further, I will reach the second stage... but the price will be high..."
---
In this scene, we see Ryuichi whispering to himself:
Ryuichi (anxiously):
> "...if he uses the second stage now...maybe he won't be the same..."
As Ryoko gasps, exhausted and covered in bruises, the masked man looks at him without emotion, then slowly raises his right hand...
The Masked One (in a strange whisper):
- "Strain of Burned Perception: Reflection Fracture..."
Suddenly, the distance between him and Ryoko shrinks, and then, in a flash, a mana wave is unleashed, invisible, but causing everyone's bodies to shake.
Ryoko is knocked to the ground. For the first time, he doesn't stand up. His body falls like a doll, his eyes trembling.
Ryoko (internal voice):
> "... I didn't see him... I didn't feel... Shit, when...?"
---
Takeru sees the scene. He stops for a second. His crimson eyes shake, then light up like never before.
Takeru (in a hushed voice):
- "No choice... the time has come."
He raises his head toward the sky, hands outstretched to the sides, and a huge mana aura explodes from his body, shaking the ground beneath him.
Red symbols with fire-like branches form behind him, and the smile on his face begins to fade, replaced by a deep, regal silence.
Takeru (internal voice):
> "Crimson Dominion: Phase Two..."
---.
At this moment, time stops around the masked man, multiple red eyes begin to appear in the air above him, and his body stabilizes as if he had been fixed by absolute command.
Takeru (with fiery eyes):
- "Stop. Don't move. Don't think. Don't be."
The masked man doesn't budge, and for a moment... it's as if Takeru has him completely under control...
But seconds later... Takeru's body begins to shake. Drops of blood drip from his eyes, then from his mouth, and his body slowly retreats.
The masked man (in a whisper):
- "This power... it's not yours yet."
Then with a single blow from the Masked One, via a concentrated mana wave, Takeru is knocked away, his body slamming into the wall, unconsciousness dragging him along with it like a whirlpool.
---
Silence falls over the room.
Ryoko is motionless... Takeru is unconscious... only Jihan and Ryuichi are standing...
Jihan (screams):
- "Takeru!!!"
Ryuichi (spits on the floor):
- "...fuck...even Takeru...?"
He sees the masked man approaching with confident steps, as if he's walking over a world he's burned to the ground.
Ryuichi pulls out the glasses again... he tries to turn on Aura, but it doesn't respond...
Ryuichi (internal whisper):
> "If you don't act now... we're all finished."
The basement is shrouded in the shadows of the finished fight, Takeru and Ryoko on the floor, Erica still tied up, while the masked man stares at Ryuichi and Jihan...
The masked man (low voice and unblinking eyes):
- "You seek the truth... but what kind of truth is born in a world built on deception?"
Ryuichi (clenching his fist):
- "We don't need your poisonous philosophy, you've ruined too much..."
Jihan (cautiously):
- "Why are you doing all this? Why are you hurting others?"
The masked man approaches quietly, his footsteps touching the ground like echoes of a timeless theory.
The masked man:
- "Because pain is the only teacher in this time... No one is born a hero, everyone is born a slave to the system... What I do... is to liberate the truth."
Ryuichi (asking himself):
> "Liberation? Is he crazy or does he know something we don't?"
The Masked One (eerily calm):
- "You... don't understand... maybe one day, you'll thank me."
He pauses, raises his right hand, and begins to channel black energy that condenses around him, ready to attack.
Disguised:
- "Now... it's time for the end."
Jihan (screams):
- "Ryuichi!!!"
And in an instant... before the Masked One unleashes his energy...
💥 A huge crashing sound is heard, and a silver flash pierces the void from nowhere, striking the masked man's body with devastating force, knocking him to the ground!
Dust is kicked up, everyone is in shock...
The Masked One (from the ground in a hoarse voice):
- "...what..."
Out of the smoke and shadows... a familiar figure emerges.
🔷 A firm voice:
- "I'm late... but it looks like I'm just in time."
It's... Sigma.
Ryuichi (stunned):
- "Sigma...? You're alive?"
Jihan (teary-eyed):
- "We thought you were... killed in the explosion...!"
Sigma stands up, his features stronger, his clothes partially torn from past battles, his eyes shining with determination.
Sigma (looking at the masked man in question):
- "I've been following him for a long time... and this place is where the cards are revealed."
[The masked man rises, dusts off his cloak, and looks at Sigma with eyes filled with contempt.]
The Masked One (with a wry smile):
- "Sigma... champion of the underdog... your wounds are bleeding again... or have you come to receive your second defeat?"
[Heavy silence, Sigma doesn't respond... not with a word... he lowers his head slightly, closes his eyes... then opens them, their luster gone.]
💥 In an instant, he's gone...
⚡ A violent blow lands on the masked man, knocking him back several meters, followed by a series of precise attacks, each one hitting its target with ruthless precision.
The Masked One (angrily trying to block the attacks):
- "What is this...? His movements have changed..."
Sigma (appears behind him with a cold voice):
- "This is not the same battle... nor the same man."
The Masked One (with a cold smile as he adjusts his hand position):
- "I didn't expect all this from you... but you're still too young to..."
💨 The sound disappeared... A slight explosion was heard in the air!
⚡ Sigma has reappeared behind the masked man, delivering a blow with his palm covered in a luminous white aura.
Sigma - Technique: "Stellar Burst"
> A precision-guided strike that releases intense thermal energy from the palm of the hand at the moment of contact, forming a light vortex upon impact, confusing the senses and shaking the nerves.
Masked (his spectral shield is instantly activated - Technique: "False Veil / False Veil")
> Flexible armor that manipulates light reflections around his body, creating an optical illusion that reflects his true location.
[The attack only penetrates the illusion, and the Masked One suddenly appears from the left side, striking Sigma with a fist imbued with glowing black energy.]
The Masked One - Technique: Mirror Seal
> A blow that emits distorted energy that restrains the body and temporarily blocks energy pathways, returning any technology back towards the user.
Sigma quickly retreats, taking part of the blow, and part of his jacket collapses, revealing a tattoo that glows sky blue underneath.
Sigma (in a low voice):
- "This body... is not what you think..."
Sigma - Technology: "Blue Pulse Core / Azure Pulse Core"
> Activating the artificial heart he has implanted in his body, it beats with raw energy of pure mana, tripling his senses and reflexes for a limited time.
💥 The battle becomes unseen by the naked eye...
Both sides exchange blows, sounds shatter, and the light spectrum mixes blue and black in a fiery blur.
The Masked One - Technique: Void Puzzle
> A dimension-penetrating technique that divides his body into separate pieces invisible to the eye, enabling him to dodge the strongest attacks and appear anywhere in an instant.
Sigma recognizes the trick - and concentrates all of his remaining mana into his right palm.
Sigma - Technique: "Full Flash/Full Radiance"
> A pure beam of white mana, fired as an instant "lightsaber," cuts through the dimensional fields.
[The blow hits the masked man's shoulder, partially dropping his cloak, revealing part of a broken mask. His face is still not fully visible.]
The Masked One (breathing slowly):
- "It's okay... I'm starting to get really interested... Sigma."
Sigma (advancing at a steady pace):
- "Me too... I want to know... who you are...
After exchanging back-to-back blows, both parties stop in the center of the hall. Light smoke, and a cracked floor between them. Their eyes are glowing.
Sigma (in a low voice, almost without moving his lips):
- "Is that... all you got?"
The masked man (his only visible eye glowing red):
- "I haven't started yet, Lost Code Man."
[They both suddenly lunge forward - in a split second - and their forearms collide!
Light and shadow collide, and a huge shockwave explodes in the center of the basement.]
At the moment of impact, all sounds stop, and then...
They stare into each other's eyes... a silent stare that holds only the promise of destruction.
Then, in perfect synchronization, they unleash a frenzied torrent of blows!
---
⚔️ [Exchange of successive blows - insane speed]
Sigma - "Third Blast Pulse"
> A back-to-back attack that relies on energy bouncing off the scars on his body, making his blows bounce like more than one hand.
The Masked One - "Shadow Reflect / Shadow Refract"
> Doubles the shadow from behind his body to duplicate each of his blows, as if they were coming from two bodies at once.
[Attacks intersect - only heard:
Knock! Knock! Foam! Dash! Zoom! - in an accelerated rhythm beyond the ear's ability to catch up.]
Ryuichi (inside, watching the fight):
- "Are... these people still human?... no... they're beyond reason..."
[The ceiling of the bunker begins to crack, sparks fly from every point of contact, and the walls shatter from the energy of the collision.]
Sigma (dashes lightly around the Masked One, opening a huge side slash from behind)
Masked (spins on his ankle pivot, spins quickly, blocks the blow and fires a counter thrust straight from his palms)
[Both retreat a short distance, panting slightly... but still with the same gleam in their eyes: The desire for decisiveness.]
The fight between Sigma and the masked man continues like a hurricane...
But suddenly, the masked man stops for a moment. He lowers slightly, his right arm moving lightly in the air, as if drawing an invisible symbol.
The masked man (in a soft voice that breaks the stillness):
- "...fragmentation reflection - displacement phase..."
[The ground beneath his feet whispers with a faint crackling sound... and then: 💥 A silent explosion of shadows!
Around his body, three dark clones are suddenly generated, each taking the exact same pose as him.]
Sigma (takes a step back, his eyes light up):
- "...is this an optical illusion? These are real spectral copies..."
[The three copies fire like bullets! Each one attacks from a different direction.
Sigma blocks the first, dodges the second, but the third leaves a deep scratch across his chest.
The blows keep coming - and each time he destroys one, another is reborn from the earth's shadow.]
The masked man (his voice echoes from all directions):
- "Your resistance is beautiful... But you do not yet know who I am. This is only the tip of the iceberg."
[In a synchronized moment, a black circle on the ground opens up behind the masked man, from which a pulsating red light emanates.
His arm rises... and a red tattoo appears on his palm, gradually glowing, as if a fire is burning from within.]
The Masked Man - "The Eye of Dissociation: Split Will."
[His single eye opens wide, with three overlapping circles slowly rotating, each with a different symbol.
As soon as he looks at Sigma, the latter suddenly stiffens, as if something inside him has stopped obeying.]
Sigma (trying to move, sweating):
- "...my body...isn't responding?"
The Masked One (approaching slowly, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the basement):
- "This is not a physical ability, Sigma... your very realization is cracking right now."
[One of the clones suddenly appears behind Sigma and hits him square in the neck, knocking him to his knees.
The three clones now surround him, the masked one in the center, like a lord ruling his kingdom.]
Jihan (in a whisper):
- "Sigma...? Did he... lose?"
[Erica sits tied up, her breath quickening, sweat pouring from her forehead, despite the blindfold covering her eyes.]
Erica (in a hushed voice to Jihan, while the masked man is busy):
- "Jihan... release me now... please."
Jihan (hesitates in her eyes, then quickly cuts the ropes):
- "So be it... I won't let you remain a prisoner for another moment."
---
[Sigma is now trapped inside the hooded perimeter, his body showing signs of exhaustion. His wounds are bleeding, his jacket is torn, and his left eye is half-closed.]
The Masked One (in a mocking voice):
- "Is that all you've got? Who was once considered a Shadow Killer?"
[The clones attack one by one, but the real Masked One doesn't move, just watches the battle like a sculptor watching his sculpture crumble.]
Sigma (panting):
- "I'm not done yet..."
[In a sudden moment, Sigma uses his fist to blast the ground beneath his feet, creating an earthen barrier that pushes one of the clones towards him and blows it up with a straight blow.]
Sigma - "Reverse Transformation Fist!"
[Dark blue light radiates from his forearms, pulses racing... but he falls to his knees immediately afterward.]
The Masked One (suddenly appears in front of him as a flash):
- "Slow reflexes... it's time to end."
[The masked man aims his palm at Sigma's chest - a small vortex of darkness appears, gradually expanding.]
Sigma (meaning himself):
- "I can't... continue at this pace... I have to stop him, or..."
---
[A voice emanates from the other end of the room, quiet at first... then turns into an energy echo that shakes the room.]
Erica's voice (stern, strong, clear):
- "Get away from them."
[The masked man freezes for a moment, slowly turning around.
In front of him... Erica stands.
The blindfold has fallen from her eyes, a silvery-white aura surrounds her, her hair is slowly flying, and the glass markings on her arms are glowing].
The Masked One (retreats half a step, eyes narrowing):
- "This is... extraordinary mana... no... it's reflexive!"
🪞 Erica's Technique: "Total Reflection Matrix - Thousands of Mirrors."
[Mirrors begin to appear one by one in the air around her, at an ever-increasing speed - bright glass circles that multiply endlessly.
They form a spiral tunnel of mirrors around her body.]
Erica (extends her hand forward):
- "The heart of light... the point of explosion."
[Each mirror reflects its energy into one small dot in front of her palm... a glowing ball of pure white, like a small sun about to explode.]
The Masked One (looking at her blankly):
- "That technology... is not of this world."
[Sigma's eyes open and on the floor, he whispers, smiling:
- "Finally... you've shown your true power..."]
An explosion of light fills the room... and then - everything stops. Silence.