Chapter 301: It’s Over [5]

"...show me what you’ve got."

’...Is this guy stupid? Or is he really crazy?’ Aeshvin stared at Soren, the corner of his mouth twitching. He almost laughed at the absurdity of it. After everything, this man was actually giving him an opening. ’No, wait... Could it be... he has some kind of trump card too?’

The thought gave him pause, but only for a moment.

’No... It doesn’t matter.’

His twisted smile returned, blood still staining his teeth. Even if the crazy bastard had a trump card, he would tear it apart and take it for himself. This was the moment everything would change.

’Moron, you should have killed me when you had the chance!’

"Since..." Aeshvin opened his mouth to speak, to mock, to unleash everything he had left. However, the words came out broken, barely audible through his cracked lips. "Y-you... want... to... die... s-gh!"

Soren’s fist slammed into his face.

"W-Wai-"

Another punch.

"S-Sto—!"

Another.

Each blow landed before Aeshvin could even finish a word, his head snapping back and forth, blood spraying from his mouth and nose. The world blurred, and through the swelling and the pain, he could only watch as Soren pulled out another potion and forced it down his throat.

’W-What the hell is wrong with him?!’

The wounds began to close, the pain fading just enough for him to think again. But the relief was short-lived as the beating started all over once more.

’He’s insane... He’s completely insane!’

Aeshvin knew he was insane himself. He had done terrible things and enjoyed most of them. But being on the receiving end of this cruelty made him realize there were different kinds of madness. His own was born from greed and amusement. This... this was something else.

There was no joy or thrill in the bastard’s eyes, only chilling patience, as if breaking him were no different from a task that had to be finished.

"What? Are you angry?" Soren paused, his bloodied fist still raised. "Angry because there’s nothing you can do?"

’Since you wanna die so badly...’

"How does it feel to be the one who’s completely helpless?"

’Then I will grant your wish.’

"You’ve tormented so many people like th-"

"DIE!"

Aeshvin’s voice cracked as the word left his mouth.

In that instant, the air around them shifted, and both bodies went still. Soren’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped to the cave floor, his body limp.

Aeshvin’s head dropped back against the stone, the light fading from his eyes as his heartbeat slowed... and then stopped.

The cave fell quiet.

───────

’...’

’Where... am I?’

Aeshvin opened his eyes, but there was nothing but darkness. It stretched in every direction, swallowing any sense of place or direction. His body felt weightless, like he was suspended in a void with no beginning or end.

’Did I... fail?’

However, as he checked his surroundings more thoroughly, his lips curled up.

’No, I made it!’

This was the bastard’s soul space. And now that he was inside, it was only a matter of time before it belonged to him.

’Even though I hate you... I should still thank you for blessing me with such a perfect body. So thank you, bastard. I’ll make sure to use it well~.’

His grin widened at the thought of soon owning the body.

’Let’s start, shall we?’

He stretched his senses outward, searching for the core of Soren’s soul. Fortunately, it didn’t take long. Somewhere in the distance, a faint light flickered, small but stubborn against the endless black.

’Found you!’

Aeshvin laughed and attacked immediately, with no time to waste. Once the original soul recovered and woke up, the battle would become far more dangerous. A soul defending its own body was never an easy opponent, no matter how strong the invader. So he would end this before the bastard even had the chance to open his eyes.

His form surged through the void, dark tendrils lashing out one after another toward that small, flickering light. Years of training, countless treasures, and the souls of everyone he had ever devoured had gone into forging his power. Every strike was backed by all of it, a relentless assault meant to snuff out the bastard’s soul before it could even stir.

’Don’t blame me,’ he thought as he closed in. ’You’re the one who let me in.’

’Now, die!’

The first wave of attacks landed.

Boom-!

Flicker~.

The light dimmed under the onslaught as his tendrils tore into it. Aeshvin pressed harder, pouring more of himself into each strike, determined not to give the bastard even a second of reprieve.

But a moment later, the light brightened again.

’W-What? T-This must be a self-defense mechanism!’

He guessed and attacked again, faster this time, his form twisting and coiling around the soul like a serpent. He struck without pause, each blow carrying enough force to shatter the soul into fragments. The light wavered, nearly vanishing under the pressure... and then flared back to life, perhaps a bit stronger than before.

’No... No, no, no!’

Aeshvin’s confidence cracked, just a little.

’This must be an illusion! My eyes must be playing a prank on me!’

He consoled himself and then threw even more power into the next barrage, his attacks growing wilder and more desperate. But...

’...How?’

’...How is he still not dead?!’

No matter how many times he thought he had won, no matter how close the light came to dying, it always returned, and each time, it came back brighter, more powerful, and more intense than the last.

On the other hand, his own form kept getting weaker as he poured more and more of his essence into each attack. What had started as an invasion was slowly turning into a losing battle, and he could feel it slipping through his grasp.

’No... I can’t... I can’t lose like this! It’s not over yet!’

He gritted his teeth. But deep down, he realized that if he kept going at this rate, he would burn himself out before the bastard’s soul even woke up, let alone break.

’I... I have to gamble... I need to use everything I have in this last strike!’