CHAPTER 2040: SHADOWS WITHOUT END

The pitch-black expanse of Nyx’s inner world pulsed faintly as Alex stepped inside. The air was heavy, thicker than before, almost syrupy with shadow mana. His boots made no sound against the endless obsidian floor, but every step sent a ripple through the darkness. Above him, there was no sky—only an infinite void speckled with drifting fragments of pale silver light, like stars drowned in black water.

From the far end of the expanse, her throne awaited. Nyx sat there, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of the midnight sword across her lap. Even at rest, her presence was suffocating—an unyielding ocean of pressure that gnawed at Alex’s skin, his bones, his very heartbeat. She didn’t speak. She never did before a fight.

Alex gripped his sword and inhaled deeply, letting the mana inside him circulate. His last two encounters with her had ended in humiliating defeat. This time, he was determined to close that gap—even if victory was impossible.

The shadows stirred as Nyx finally rose from her throne. Her movement was slow, deliberate, like the steady draw of a blade from its sheath. The moment she took her first step forward, the entire arena’s gravity doubled. Alex’s knees buckled, but he forced himself upright, gritting his teeth.

Not again, he told himself. I won’t break before the first clash.

Her sword angled downward, but Alex could feel the killing intent sharpen with every heartbeat. A single flicker of silver light ran along her blade—then she vanished.

Alex reacted instantly, twisting his body to the right. A razor-thin arc of black energy split the space where his head had been a moment ago. Before he could recover, Nyx appeared directly above him, her blade descending like the executioner’s axe.

Fast—!

He raised his own weapon in a two-handed guard. The impact detonated like a thunderclap. The floor cracked beneath his feet, black shards of stone exploding outward. The sheer force sent him skidding back several meters despite his stance.

She didn’t pursue immediately—she was testing his reaction time.

Alex’s eyes narrowed. His breath fogged faintly in the cold, oppressive air. He couldn’t afford to let her dictate the rhythm.

He lunged forward, sword flashing in a diagonal cut. Nyx parried with almost casual precision, her blade intercepting his without even a shift in her stance. The impact rang like steel bells, and before the sound faded, she had already countered with a horizontal slash.

Alex ducked under it, spun, and tried a reverse upward cut. She sidestepped, letting the strike pass harmlessly, then flicked her wrist. A ripple of condensed shadow surged from her sword toward him.

He reacted on instinct, channeling mana into his feet to leap back—but the wave erupted midair into dozens of needle-like shards that homed in from every direction.

Tch!

Mana flared along his blade, and Alex began slashing in a blur, deflecting each shadow needle as sparks and black dust filled the air. When the last one shattered, Nyx was already in front of him.

Her thrust came like lightning.

Alex barely twisted aside, the tip grazing his shoulder armor and leaving a cold sting that seeped deep into his skin. She didn’t let up—her sword danced in an unbroken storm, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next. It wasn’t simply speed—it was inevitability.

Alex felt his arms ache under the relentless parries, his breathing starting to hitch. The gravity here pressed down like lead weights on every joint, forcing him to spend twice the energy just to keep moving.

Finally, she broke the chain of attacks with a sweeping cut that forced him to leap back. That moment of distance was his only opening.

He drew mana into his legs, compressing it until the floor beneath his boots cracked. Then he launched forward, closing the gap in an instant, and unleashed a flurry of strikes—aiming not at Nyx herself, but at the trajectory of her dodges.

For the first time, her expression shifted—just slightly.

She leaned aside to avoid the first, parried the second, but the third forced her to take a half-step back. Alex didn’t slow. He pressed harder, chaining feints into true strikes, mixing his footwork unpredictably.

But the deeper he attacked, the colder her gaze became.

The air around them dimmed further, shadows stretching unnaturally. Nyx’s mana surged like a tide, the temperature dropping until Alex’s breath misted thickly. She deflected his final swing and, in that same motion, dissolved into a black blur.

The next moment—

His vision spun.

Pain exploded in his ribs. He didn’t even see the slash—just the aftermath, his body hurtling across the arena before he crashed into the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

Alex forced himself to roll aside just in time as her sword stabbed down where his chest had been. The blade pierced the stone with a shriek, black cracks spiderwebbing outward.

Sweat ran down his temple. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

"...Heh," Alex exhaled, wiping blood from his lip. "Still can’t even scratch you, huh?"

Nyx said nothing. Her eyes were unreadable—yet there was a faint glimmer in them. Not mockery. Not pity. Something closer to... expectation.

He rose, gripping his sword tighter. "Fine. Let’s make this interesting."

He shifted his stance, mana pouring into his weapon until it shone with a faint, silvery-blue glow. Nyx tilted her head slightly, acknowledging the change.

This time, Alex was the one who disappeared first.

He reappeared at her flank, unleashing a sweeping cut that carried a wave of mana with it. Nyx caught it on her blade, but Alex followed immediately with a downward strike, forcing her to pivot.

Then—he let go of his sword mid-swing, catching it with his other hand to slash from an unexpected angle.

It almost worked.

Her body shifted with inhuman precision, the attack passing an inch from her throat. In retaliation, she stepped in, pressing her shoulder into his chest, and slammed the hilt of her sword into his sternum.

The blow sent a shockwave through his body, and before he could recover, her knee struck his gut. The impact forced bile into his throat.

Alex staggered—but didn’t fall.

In the next heartbeat, he dropped low, sweeping his leg to knock her balance. It barely moved her—she simply floated back, as if gravity didn’t apply to her.

But the motion gave Alex the split-second he needed to close in again. His strikes came faster now, tinged with desperation, each one fueled by the refusal to yield.

Their blades clashed again and again, sparks spraying into the dark. The sound was deafening, echoing endlessly in the void.

Then—Nyx’s mana spiked again.

The arena’s gravity tripled.

Alex’s knees hit the ground before he even realized it. His sword felt like it weighed fifty kilos, his breath ragged. Every muscle screamed.

Nyx approached slowly, blade lowered, as if to remind him of the distance still between them.

No... Not yet.

With a roar, Alex forced himself upright, his vision swimming. He poured every last scrap of mana into his weapon, the blade now glowing so brightly it pushed back the surrounding darkness.

He dashed forward, his speed breaking the oppressive air for a moment, and brought his sword down in an all-or-nothing strike.

Nyx caught it.

The clash exploded like a thunderstrike. Black and silver light swirled violently around them, the pressure making the ground disintegrate beneath their feet.

For a brief moment—it felt like he might push through.

But Nyx’s strength was absolute.

She shifted her stance, redirected his momentum, and sent him flying once more. His sword tumbled from his hand, clattering across the floor.

Flat on his back, chest heaving, Alex stared up at the endless void above. His limbs refused to move. The fight was over.

Nyx walked over, stopped beside him, and looked down. Her expression hadn’t changed—but there was no cruelty in her gaze.

Without a word, she turned, walked back to her throne, and sat down.

Alex closed his eyes, breathing hard. Despite the pain, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"...Closer," he muttered. "I lasted longer this time."

The darkness around him faded as he exited her world, but the memory of her overwhelming power burned in his mind like a brand.

And with it—the unshakable determination to face her again.