C607
[You've taken quite a while this time, haven't you?]
Chaos raised its head and spoke.
Today, on the first day of October 1801, Jin had entered Chaos' domain three months after their last encounter.
It was the first time he had engaged in battle in a month.
"I've brought you a gift."
Jin replied quietly.
That calm response was imbued with a deep hostility towards Chaos.
To those who could discern such deep enmity, Jin would seem almost like a demon.
"A gift?"
Over the past year and three months, Jin had undergone significant changes.
Through challenging battles of the past, he had regained almost half of his strength and accumulated new power through training.
However, until now, he had not become a match for Chaos.
Even the record he achieved in their last bout, a battle lasting 18 minutes and 27 seconds, could barely be considered a proper fight.
Most of the time, he focused on evading and ultimately retreated.
However, Jin believed today would be different.
"Well, have you brought a toy for me?"
Chaos snorted.
'Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique... Has he come after perfecting the technique he used to think about every time he fought?'
In this space, Chaos could read Jin's thoughts.
That's why, in every battle, Chaos would gain information about all martial arts Jin was learning, including the Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique, and easily thwart him.
He didn't even need to do anything to be accurate.
Even the technique that seemed somewhat decent he hadn't executed entirely because it lacked the power he possessed.'
Until now, what had irritated Chaos was solely Jin's sheer enmity.
Just by sensing that enmity, Chaos felt uneasy.
Chaos rose and looked at Jin. As always, in its eyes, Jin seemed weak enough to be killed simply by squeezing with its forelegs.
However, after a while, Chaos felt Jin's enmity suddenly fading away.
"Oh, what's this? Have you realized it's no longer effective against me... Eh?"
And that wasn't all.
Not only that, along with the decrease in enmity, Chaos realized Jin's inner thoughts were no longer readable.
It was also the first time.
"What have you done?"
Jin didn't respond.
Suddenly, Bradamante appeared in his right hand, dyed black by Shadow Energy, and Chaos couldn't help but be surprised to see it.
It was because Chaos hadn't perceived at all the moment Jin unsheathed the sword.
An ominous premonition sent a chilling shiver down its spine, and its scales stood on end.
"What is this!"
Shaak!
Chaos swiftly swung its foreleg, but it didn't feel the impact of a solid blow.
Even swinging its foreleg again or hastily striking the surroundings with its tail yielded the same result.
Where did he go?
No matter how much it turned its head, Jin's figure was nowhere to be found.
It was as if Jin had never entered this space.
'There's no trace of him opening the door and fleeing.'
Therefore, if Chaos released its energy throughout the space, Jin would inevitably be caught.
However, Chaos was worried about a problem that might arise if it did so, but now wasn't the time to be so relaxed.
Chaos' vision suddenly became blocked.
"My eyes...!"
For a moment, Chaos had no choice but to mistakenly believe it had gone blind.
This subspace was originally composed of Chaos, but Chaos' color and outline and Jin's body were not covered by empty darkness.
But not now. Even though Chaos put its forelegs and tail in front of its face or turned its head to look at its wings, all it saw was absolute darkness.
Invisible.
Only then did Chaos realize what had happened. Jin's hostility hadn't disappeared; it had just been blocked as if its vision had suddenly vanished.
Chaos didn't even have to think about what was blocking them.
Shadow Energy.
In an instant, Chaos' energy that composed the entire subspace was shrouded in Shadow Energy.
"It seems that this time it affects even you..."
When Jin's deep voice was heard again, Chaos twisted its body reflexively.
Chaos couldn't tell from which direction it started.
At that moment, Chaos was explosively releasing energy in all directions without any concern, but it didn't even feel the sensation of striking Jin.
Since the dawn of life, darkness had never shed the symbol of "terror" even once.
That's why Chaos, for the first time, was enveloped in fear.
"Hey, wait, wait. How is this possible? This is my territory...!"
"Finally showing your true panic-stricken self, huh?"
"This bastard!"
"Oh, I suppose you can't read my thoughts in this state either? If you had kept your mouth shut, I wouldn't have known."
It was a "sign" that Chaos' vision was blocked when the Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique was unleashed.
The sign naturally colored the subspace from the moment Jin decided to use the Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique, and from then on, all his senses dulled without Chaos realizing it, and it was at that moment Jin drew his sword.
Chaos hadn't noticed Jin's sword because it had let its guard down.
"Thanks to that, I've gained more confidence."
During the past year and three months, the Shadow Sword Technique, which had plunged Jin into despair countless times, was beginning.
Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique - First Move
First Night
The darkness enveloping Chaos deepened. Though Chaos opened or closed its eyes, only infinite darkness disturbed Chaos' mind.
Its mind felt distorted.
It wasn't a feeling.
Chaos was aware that its known senses were fading away one by one like flickering candles.
After sight.
The sensation of moving its body, the feeling of the air touching its skin, the sense of sound reaching its ears... all these senses were fading away.
It was as if it had become an inanimate object.
Despite the overwhelming fear, it couldn't even express its frustration.
No sound came out, as if its throat had suddenly closed.
Chaos couldn't see, move its body, or emit any sound.
It couldn't even feel the struggle to wriggle. Chaos couldn't do anything but die, like a puppet with its strings cut.
Thoughts... even thoughts?
The last thing to be blocked was consciousness.
The darkness covering all sides was eroding Chaos' mind like water.
It desperately tried to cling to its fading consciousness, but it was futile.
No...!
With that thought as its last, all of Chaos' senses and consciousness were extinguished.
However, it couldn't be in a more vulnerable state.
Chaos had been in a state where no matter how much it was attacked, it couldn't wake up, and it couldn't even feel the pain of the impact.
Swoosh...
Finally, Jin's figure emerged, slowly approaching Chaos in the darkness.
Unlike Chaos, Jin was capable of recognizing exactly what he was doing.
Chaos remained motionless, gripped by the curtains of Shadow Energy.
It's different from when I used it with Sister Goddess of Battle.
'I'm able to succeed like this only because he was nothing more than a strong demonic creature.'
Jin observed Chaos for a moment.
Jin didn't relax.
It was because he was so exhausted that he couldn't do anything else for a moment while unleashing his Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique.
'Certainly, as the brothers said, the Shadow Sword feels more like an ability than a technique.'
Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique - First Move, First Night is based on the First Shadow Sword Technique: 'Soul Slash.'
-By the way, didn't you say that the Soul Slash is the beginning and end of the Shadow Sword?
-Yes.
-Then, even if you master the Soul Slash, does it mean leaving a sword mark only 100 steps away in this training field is the limit?
-If you only master the Soul Slash, that's the limit. However, when you reach the pinnacle of the martial art called the Shadow Sword, the Soul Slash isn't a technique but becomes an ability.
The conversation Jin had with Garmund when he began training for the Shadow Sword in Lafrarosa.
Back then, Garmund had said that if Jin reached the pinnacle of the Shadow Sword and executed a Soul Slash, he could end the life of anyone weaker in will than him at any moment.
The First Night could be considered an intermediate stage leading to the ability to wield the "Soul Slash" at that level.
If Chaos had a stronger will than Jin's, the outcome would have been completely different from now.
"Whoa..."
Jin took a deep breath, adjusting his posture.
It was time to end Chaos and put an end to this long nightmare.
Swoosh, slash!
Jin leaped through the darkness of the Shadow Sword enveloping the surroundings, wielding Bradamante.
Each time, flashes of sharp black energy cut through Chaos.
Like shattering glass.
Chaos' body broke into pieces.
Jin had never landed a single blow on Chaos until now, but as soon as he mastered the Ultimate Shadow Sword Technique, he effortlessly slashed Chaos.
The feeling of having easily defeated Chaos filled Jin with both helplessness and excitement.
It was also the pleasure of finally regaining his power.
Every time Chaos' body was cut into pieces, one by one a piece that shone like mineral was revealed, all of which were Jin's strength that Chaos had stolen.
Jin snatched them away and replenished his energy, increasing the speed of his sword strikes.
In no time, Jin was able to recover all the strength Chaos had stolen from him.
Jin's eyes widened at the power filling his entire body, and what he saw right after was Chaos' body disintegrating beyond recognition of its original form.
When the First Night technique ended, I was overcome by such intense exhaustion that it eclipsed the feeling of having regained all my strength.
'No, if I tire out like this now.'
Jin still wasn't convinced he had put an end to Chaos. It almost seemed like it, but there was still plenty of room for Chaos to recover.
And in a matter of seconds, the fear became reality.
"You, damn...!"
Chaos, which had reformed before anyone realized, now floated in the air, staring fixedly at Jin.
Fortunately, it was incomparably weaker and smaller than before.
On the other hand, Jin was only temporarily exhausted, so if he could overcome this crisis, he would undoubtedly secure a complete victory in the next battle.
"Bastard!"
Chaos descended and thrust a punch at Jin's chest.
Jin managed to block the first three, but the fourth was inevitable.
The fourth punch aimed at his face, and if it connected, his head would disappear.
Jin gritted his teeth and raised his sword, but it was a little too late.
Has he stopped?
For some reason, the punch ceased to move before Jin's eyes.
If it hadn't stopped, it would have ripped off at least half of his face.
Seizing the opportunity, Jin could have opened a rift with the Shadow Sword and escaped, ensuring victory in the next battle.
However, Jin suppressed the impulse to do so and made eye contact with Chaos.
"You can't kill me, can you?"
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SYS (Novel)