Chapter 46: Dance of Shadows and Sound
<hr>
The Edge of Reality
The entire battlefield shifted.
Valeria wasn’t just moving fast anymore.
She was phasing in and out of existence, stepping between the gaps in reality itself.
Every time Axel blinked, she was somewhere new—striking, fading, striking again.
Pain exploded across his ribs as another shadow-laced fist crashed into his side.
He twisted mid-air, barely catching himself before her next attack came from behind.
No warning. No wind-up.
Just pure, predatory instinct.
Axel clenched his teeth. This wasn’t just speed.
This was warping.
She was using her Abyssal Wraith’s power to step into the shadows of reality itself.
And if he didn’t figure something out soon—
He wasn’t just going to lose.
He was going to be humiliated.
Tempo landed beside him, guitar-axe buzzing with unstable energy.
"Alright," Tempo muttered. "This is officially bullshit."
Axel exhaled. "Yeah."
He wiped blood from his mouth.
Then—he grinned.
"Guess we’ll have to break the rules, too."
<hr>
Shifting the Tempo
Tempo flicked his fingers over the frets, switching the tone of his music.
The wild, erratic rock solo slowed—but didn’t weaken.
Instead, it became sharper.
More precise.
Axel adjusted his stance.
Instead of trying to match Valeria’s speed, he studied her pattern.
Every time she vanished—where did she reappear?
Was there a rhythm to it?
A method?
The next attack came.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
From his right—no, behind!
Axel barely dodged, her strike grazing his shoulder.
But this time, he didn’t fully evade.
He let her hit—just enough to confirm something.
Her attacks weren’t random.
There was a pattern.
And if he could hear it—
He could break it.
<hr>
Breaking the Unreadable
Axel exhaled, focusing everything on the rhythm.
Valeria’s shadows pulsed.
She vanished again.
Axel counted.
One. Two.
There—a flicker of movement!
She was about to reappear—
He moved first.
Before she could fully step out of the abyss, Axel was already striking.
His fist collided with her ribs.
CRACK.
Valeria’s eyes widened.
The attack sent her skidding backward.
The crowd lost their minds.
Axel grinned. "Gotcha."
<hr>
A New Phase Begins
Valeria stood, rolling her neck.
Then—she laughed.
"Mercer," she murmured. "You are so damn annoying."
Axel smirked. "You’re just mad I figured you out."
Valeria cracked her knuckles.
"Not quite."
The Abyssal Wraith pulsed.
The shadows around her grew deeper.
And then—
The entire battlefield changed.
Darkness consumed the arena.
Axel’s stomach dropped.
Because now?
Now he wasn’t just fighting Valeria.
He was fighting inside her domain.
<hr>
The Abyssal Battlefield
The world shifted.
The battlefield warped, consumed by the living abyss.
Axel’s senses faltered.
He couldn’t see. Couldn’t hear properly. Even the weight of the air felt different.
He tried to step forward—but the ground beneath him was gone.
This wasn’t just darkness.
It was nothingness.
"Welcome," Valeria’s voice echoed, coming from everywhere at once.
"To my real battlefield."
Axel clenched his fists. Think. Think.
His eyes darted around.
If this was her territory—then she had full control.
He needed to disrupt it.
And there was only one way to do that.
Sound.
"Tempo," Axel muttered. "Crank it up."
Tempo grinned. "Now you’re speaking my language."
And then—he played.
<hr>
The Sound That Cuts Through Shadows
The moment the first note hit, the abyss shook.
The distortion of the guitar-axe ripped through the nothingness, tearing holes in the darkness.
Light flashed through.
Valeria’s voice wavered.
Axel grinned. Found you.
He moved.
Instead of dodging blindly—he followed the music.
Tempo’s melody guided him, illuminating the battlefield one soundwave at a time.
A shadow lashed out.
Axel twisted, dodging by inches.
Valeria appeared—but this time, Axel was ready.
A counterstrike—faster than before.
His fist met her side.
Valeria grunted—but this time, she didn’t stagger.
Instead—she grabbed his wrist.
And smirked.
"Not bad, Mercer."
Then—she pulled him into the abyss.
<hr>
The Descent Into Madness
The world fractured.
Axel’s vision blurred as he was dragged through the abyss, his body spiraling through endless void.
For a split second—he saw things.
Things that shouldn’t exist.
Whispers. Shapes in the dark.
Something watching.
Something waiting.
His heart pounded.
Then—light.
Axel crashed back into the real world, gasping for breath.
Valeria stood over him, wiping blood from her lip.
"Still standing?" she mused.
Axel gritted his teeth. "Always."
Valeria exhaled. "Good."
She raised a hand.
"Because I’m not done yet."
Her Abyssal Wraith howled.
And the final phase of the battle truly began.