The marble floor shattered under the force of his attack. As the Abyssal Strings shook and danced to bring the destruction of the mortal world, everything in their path broke down into nothingness. The Bringer of Chaos lived true to its name once Niki witnessed the devastation it brought.


    "The might of an Abyssal Art," the manifestation of the skill with the giant talisman next to muttered. "It is no wonder that whoever sought such arts was killed by Celestia."


    Niki was breathing heavily, with no strength left in him to do anything. He fell to his knees as he took out thest piece of the talisman and grabbed it.


    "Here is your reward, and wee to the end of your journey."


    "Am I... getting the skill?" Niki wondered as the two pieces merged to form a giant circle. Then, the circle began to spin to create a sphere.


    "Not yet," Niko began to dissolve. "You will have to face thest challenge by yourself, after all."


    "You sick bastard, just give me the skill already!" Niki growled threateningly, but he coughed blood in the process. Niko simply grinned as half of its face disappeared, leaving only the mouth.


    "Don''t worry, this might be a challenge, but it''s also a reward. Just call it... tough love," as he finished the words, the sphere began sucking Niki into it.


    "Wait, what do you mean?!" Niki shouted, but the current was too powerful, and he got further and further away from the manifestation.


    "Now, now. You''ll have the time to be scared. This is thest goal: don''t break."


    Niki witnessed as the world turned into a spherical view as if he was staring at a crystal. Then, the images gathered before him into a dot and disappeared, leaving him traveling in space.


    "Dammit," Niki wiped away the blood with his sleeve as his crimson eyes shone brighter with his rising rage. "I knew an absolute skill would be difficult to obtain, but this is simply suicidal."


    As he was getting dragged through the infinite space, he suddenly mmed into hard ground. He coughed up blood again, and his Blood Energy could barely keep up to heal him.


    "Enough!" Niki mmed his fist on the ck floor, but there was nothing but darkness here. His mastery over darkness allowed him to see better than he could in the light.


    Then, he heard footsteps. Niki turned in that direction, and he could see a pair of legs from his location. As he slowly raised his head, the hair on his body stood up like a scared kitten.


    "Hello again, my dearest," the smile on her face was the same, a grin of absolute confidence and conviction. "Oh my, you have changed beyond recognition."


    Niki''s hands began shaking as he hurriedly looked at the ground. His heart was screaming of rage and revenge, but something seized his fear and amplified it.


    "Not a word of greeting?" she stopped walking and simply grinned at him. Her scarlet hair rested on her shoulders as her blue eyes red at him. "I guess I taught you too lightly."


    "Shut up!" Niki roared as he mmed the ground and began to stand up. When he looked at her again, her ears were longer than earlier as a sword appeared on her waist. "You aren''t real. This is a test."


    "Maybe, but don''t you think that you are seeing me a bit too much?" the Elven Princess twirled her hair around her finger. "Almost as if you still love me, but that''s impossible. After everything I did to you," she grinned. "My dearest can''t be this pathetic."


    Niki stood there rooted as he red at her, but scarlet energy now surrounded her. Her aura grew stronger, and it raised his fear as well.


    "Why are you here, Lilith?" Niki wanted to shout, but he retreated instead.


    "Didn''t you want to kill me?" she said as she unstrapped her sword before dropping it, and it sank into the darkness. "This is your chance. But, of course, I might be a fantasy, and I might be a reality. But regardless, this is your reward."


    Niki blinked, and the scenery changed. He was in a room covered in sheets. As he jumped, he began to recognize this ce. It was Lilith''s private room back at the fortress, and this memory was one of thest before everything went wrong.


    A knock came on the door, and Lilith opened the door. As his rage arrived, it disappeared along with his memories. Niki realized that whatever happened until now was a dream.


    "My dearest," Lilith walked toward him with a slight smile. "You saved me once again. How are your wounds?"


    The concern in her voice made him nauseous, but it disappeared just as fast as it came. Niki wanted to attack her, but he forgot why he would do such a thing. She was the person he loved the most in the world, and she knew it.


    "I don''t know," Niki grabbed his head as memories kept disappearing. However, he knew that she would hurt him. He knew what was going to happen a day from now. "I''m not hurt."


    "Then, I''m relieved," Lilith sat beside him and grabbed his hand. The warmth sent a jolt of ecstasy in his body as he suddenly calmed down. "The attack that you were struck with forged memories in your head to turn you against me, but none of them is true. They tried to turn you against me, but my dearest would never do such a thing."


    ''Forged memories?'' A sudden headache struck Niki''s head. ''So, everything was a lie? Lilith wouldn''t hurt me?''


    But at least, it made sense now. It didn''t make sense that she would hurt him like that. It was impossible. Now, he could finally rest assured that it was simply an attack to manipte him.


    "Are you alright now?" Lilith asked as she touched his forehead, and Niki blushed and nodded. "That''s good." She smiled and stood up from her spot. "There''s something I need of you, so can you follow me?"


    A sense of Deja Vu struck Niki, and he wanted it to end. It made him uneasy, as if he knew that whatever was going to happen would break him. He will be pushed down the path of no return.


    "Where is Sergio?" Niki asked, trying to break the unease.


    "Hm?" Lilith turned around with surprise. "Ah, the alchemist. I guess you haven''t given up on your lousy friendship with him. But, no worries, he is unharmed. Thest of my reports said that he is still living with the beastmen."


    "So, he isn''t dead?"


    A memory resurfaced again, one of the many of Lilith trying to break him. It was one where she told him of Sergio''s fate. But, he didn''t know about his situation all that time, and Niki never went to help him.


    "Why, do you think I''m lying?" Lilith grabbed his face with displeasure. "Are you doubting me, my dearest?"


    There was an edge to her voice that struck fear in his heart. Why would he ever dare doubt her? What was he even thinking?


    "No, I would never."


    "Good, now follow me without silly questions," Lilith let go of him and turned toward the door. Niki stood up, and he saw his reflection in the mirror.


    For some reason, he looked older than he remembered. As he shook his head, Niki saw his weapons on the bed beside him. His dagger and precious gun were there waiting for him, and Niki didn''t hesitate to grab them to follow after his Lord.


    The world narrowed down as he walked toward the door, and his body screamed for him to run. There was a memory that was trying to resurface, and it kept repeating the same world.


    ''Kill her.''


    ''Kill her.''


    ''Kill her.''


    The words filled his entire being, and there was nothing but those two words. However, Niki shook off the feeling. These must be the memories they forged within him. After all, Niki remembers being struck by that attack.


    Niki''s skin began to unpeel as he walked toward the door where she was staring at him. His flesh began to fall off, but he knew it was an illusion. All he had to do was to go toward the door, and everything would be alright.


    "What''s wrong, my dearest?"


    There was a gleam in Lilith''s eyes that made him scared, but he didn''t dare to show it. Niki gave his brightest smile as his flesh fell from his face the closer that he walked toward the door.


    ''If you don''t protect yourself, who would?''


    A voice talked to him. Niki paused as it was his own. Then, as he turned, he saw the figure of someone standing behind him. It was a youth with white hair and unparalleled beauty to him.


    ''Shon?''


    ''Protect yourself, Niki.'' It was his voice, but Shon''s face. Something screamed within him as Niki grabbed his dagger and attacked.