Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Leonora’s Power
The passage leading toward the seventh laboratory was considerably narrower than the routes they had used during their previous operations.
It was an old maintenance tunnel that had apparently been forgotten long ago, its walls reinforced with weathered stone and covered in layers of moss. The entrance had been concealed beneath the remains of an abandoned storage building, and although the passage was barely wide enough for two people to walk beside one another, the group had managed to make their way through without much difficulty.
For most of them, at least.
Eclyra was having considerably more trouble.
She had already squeezed through the narrowest section of the passage when she suddenly stopped moving.
"Vanessa."
"What?"
"I appear to be stuck."
Vanessa turned around.
The sight in front of her was enough to make her close her eyes for a moment.
Eclyra was wedged firmly between both sides of the passage, her large chest pressing against one wall while her hips had become caught against the other. She tried shifting herself forward, but the cramped space left her with almost no room to maneuver.
Vanessa released a quiet sigh.
"I told you that passage was too narrow."
"I thought I could make it."
"Seriously."
"C-can you just help me?."
Vanessa stared at her.
Eclyra smiled awkwardly.
"Well, technically, most of me made it through."
"That’s not how passing through a passage works."
One of the Harbingers standing behind Vanessa covered her mouth, clearly trying to suppress a laugh.
Vanessa finally stepped closer and grabbed Eclyra by the arm.
"Stop moving for a moment."
"All right."
"On my count."
Vanessa pulled.
Nothing happened.
She pulled harder.
Still nothing.
The two Harbingers behind her eventually joined in, grabbing Eclyra’s arms and cloak as they tried to pull her free.
"One, two, three!"
"Ugh!"
With a final coordinated effort, Eclyra suddenly came loose and stumbled several steps backward, nearly falling onto the others.
Vanessa immediately released her.
"Seriously, you shouldn’t have come through here when you knew this would happen. You’re slowing everyone down."
Eclyra straightened her clothes and laughed.
"Ahahaha, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it."
She glanced toward Vanessa’s chest before smiling mischievously.
"Perhaps you’re just jealous because you don’t have the same problem."
Vanessa’s expression froze.
"W-What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I’m talking about."
"I’m still young."
Vanessa folded her arms and turned her face away.
"They’ll grow eventually."
Eclyra laughed again.
"That’s what everyone says."
"Enough."
The voice came from one of the female Harbingers.
She had remained silent throughout the exchange, her face partially concealed beneath the hood of her cloak.
"Whatever the two of you are discussing can wait. We have already spent enough time here."
Eclyra immediately stopped smiling.
"Understood."
Vanessa nodded.
"Let’s continue."
The group moved forward once more, leaving the narrow passage behind.
The light from their magic lamps gradually became brighter as the tunnel widened, revealing traces of an underground structure hidden beneath the earth.
This was the seventh laboratory.
Unlike the previous facilities, however, the number of guards they encountered along the way was noticeably lower.
Eclyra glanced toward the empty corridor.
"There are fewer guards than expected."
Vanessa slowed her pace.
"You’re right. There should have been more stationed around the outer sections."
One of the Harbingers carefully examined the surroundings before speaking.
"Have you found anything unusual?"
"We have."
The hooded woman pointed toward several discarded weapons lying beside the corridor.
"According to the information we received, the laboratory was already aware that Eclipse had discovered its location."
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
"So they abandoned the outer defenses."
"That is what it appears to be."
Eclyra looked farther down the corridor.
"Then they are either evacuating the facility..."
"Or preparing something for us."
The woman’s voice remained calm.
"Either way, we should assume the latter."
The others nodded.
"Understood."
They advanced carefully.
The deeper they went, the more obvious it became that the laboratory had been abandoned in haste. Doors had been left open, documents had been scattered across several rooms, and numerous pieces of equipment had been disconnected from their power sources.
There were signs that personnel had fled only recently.
Yet there was no evidence of a battle.
That was precisely what made the silence so unsettling.
Eventually, the group reached the central chamber.
The enormous room was completely empty.
Eclyra looked around.
"There’s nobody here."
Vanessa slowly drew her weapon.
"Which is exactly what concerns me."
The hooded Harbinger remained near the entrance.
"Stay alert."
A slow clap suddenly echoed through the chamber.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Everyone immediately turned toward the source.
A man stepped out from behind one of the large experimental structures positioned near the far wall.
He wore a dark coat over his uniform, and the expression on his face carried none of the panic one would expect from someone whose organization had already lost six laboratories.
Instead, he looked almost pleased.
"So you finally arrived."
His gaze moved across the group.
"You must be Eclipse."
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
"As expected."
The man smiled.
"Judging from your appearance, you’re considerably younger than I anticipated. I suppose that explains why your organization has managed to remain so difficult to identify."
His gaze settled on the cloaked figures.
"Young as you are, however, you should understand something."
He spread one hand.
"You will not be leaving this facility alive."
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
"You’re remarkably confident for someone who has already lost six laboratories."
The man’s smile did not disappear.
"You misunderstand the situation."
He raised one finger.
"Those laboratories were expendable."
He snapped his fingers.
"Capture them."
The sound of footsteps immediately erupted from the surrounding corridors.
Ten men emerged from hidden passages, surrounding the Eclipse group from every direction.
Their equipment was considerably more advanced than that of ordinary guards, and the mana surrounding their bodies was dense enough that even the Harbingers immediately recognized the difference.
Eclyra’s expression became serious.
"These aren’t ordinary soldiers."
"No."
Vanessa adjusted her stance.
"Stay focused."
The hooded woman stepped forward.
"Leave them to me."
Vanessa turned toward her.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
Her voice remained composed.
"Do not waste your strength here. Deal with the others."
The woman lowered her hood slightly.
"Lady Leonora has given us her orders. We will follow them."
The name finally escaped into the open.
"Yes, Lady Leonora."
Leonora stepped forward.
A faint metallic sound echoed through the chamber as a sword formed within her hand, its blade emerging from a concentrated layer of mana.
Number Four watched her with interest.
"So you’re the one giving the orders."
Leonora raised her sword.
"That depends on what you intend to do next."
He smiled.
"I intend to find out how strong you are."
His figure vanished.
The floor beneath his feet cracked from the force of his acceleration.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Leonora, his sword already descending toward her shoulder.
CLANG!
Leonora caught the attack with a single motion.
The impact sent a sharp pressure through the chamber, scattering loose documents across the floor.
Number Four’s eyes narrowed.
Leonora had not been pushed back even an inch.
"You’re stronger than you look."
He withdrew his sword and immediately attacked again.
This time, the blade came from below.
Leonora rotated her wrist and redirected the strike before stepping sideways.
Another slash followed.
Then another.
The man’s movements became progressively faster, his sword tracing overlapping arcs through the air as he attempted to overwhelm her with continuous attacks rather than relying on a single decisive strike.
Leonora blocked every one.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Each collision produced a sharp metallic shock that reverberated through the chamber.
The surrounding Harbingers had already begun fighting the ten soldiers, but even they occasionally glanced toward the center of the room.
Number Four’s expression gradually changed.
"How are you keeping up with this?"
Leonora said nothing.
She simply met another strike with her blade.
The force of the collision created a violent gust that swept through the chamber.
Number Four stepped back.
"Interesting."
He lowered his stance.
"Then let’s see how you handle this."
Mana surged around his sword.
The next slash released a crescent-shaped blade of compressed energy.
WHOOM!
The magical slash tore through the chamber.
Leonora disappeared from its path at the last moment.
The attack struck the wall behind her and carved a deep scar through the stone.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Number Four glanced toward the damage before looking back at her.
"Fast."
Leonora stood several meters away, her expression unchanged.
"You have decent speed as well."
Number Four smiled.
"Are you frightened?"
"Not particularly."
She raised her sword again.
"You’re going to have to do better than that."
The man’s expression hardened.
He rushed forward.
Their blades collided again.
This time, the exchange was so fast that the surrounding soldiers could barely follow it.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Each strike was followed by another before the previous sound had even faded.
Number Four changed the angle of his attacks repeatedly, targeting Leonora’s shoulders, ribs, legs, and neck, but she continued to intercept every strike with precise movements.
He finally broke away.
"Impossible."
His breathing had become slightly heavier.
"How can you block every attack?"
Leonora tilted her head.
"Is that all?"
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Number Four’s expression darkened.
"You think you’ve already won?"
Mana erupted around his body.
"Don’t misunderstand."
The pressure within the chamber suddenly increased.
"I haven’t even begun fighting seriously."
Leonora’s smile widened slightly.
"Then stop talking and show me."
Number Four’s eyes sharpened.
"Very well."
His mana condensed around his sword.
The weapon changed.
Its blade became surrounded by a dark aura, and the pressure coming from it increased several times over.
He swung.
Leonora blocked.
The impact forced her backward by several meters.
Her boots scraped against the stone floor.
Number Four immediately followed.
Another strike.
Leonora blocked.
Another.
She blocked again.
He continued attacking without giving her an opportunity to recover.
The force behind each blow was tremendous, yet Leonora continued to withstand them through pure technique and precise control of her mana.
Number Four’s expression became increasingly frustrated.
"How are you still standing?"
Leonora’s eyes remained calm.
"Is this supposed to be impressive?"
He vanished again.
A blade flashed toward her back.
This time, Leonora did not turn.
The sword struck.
SHNK!
Blood splattered across the floor.
Number Four froze for only a fraction of a second before his expression twisted into satisfaction.
Leonora’s body staggered forward.
He laughed.
"Hah..."
The laughter quickly grew louder.
"I finally got you."
He looked toward the other Eclipse members.
"It doesn’t matter how strong you are. I’ll take all of you alive and use you as experimental subjects."
He stepped toward Leonora’s fallen figure.
"With abilities like yours, your bodies should provide excellent results."
A woman’s voice came from behind him.
"What makes you think you’ve already won?"
Number Four’s expression changed instantly.
He turned.
A sword came toward his neck.
CLANG!
He barely blocked the attack before the force sent him several meters backward.
He landed and immediately looked toward the body lying on the floor.
There was blood.
He had clearly seen the blade strike.
"How?"
Leonora stood behind him.
Number Four’s eyes widened.
"The blood..."
Leonora glanced toward the corpse.
"Ah. You mean that?"
She raised one finger.
Snap.
The body dissolved into black particles before disappearing completely.
Number Four’s expression hardened.
"A clone."
Leonora smiled.
"Apparently."
He stared at her.
"So that’s what you’ve been doing."
Leonora raised her sword.
"You managed to push my clone further than I expected."
Number Four’s expression became colder.
"Then I’ll simply have to kill the original."
Mana exploded around his body.
The pressure filling the chamber became considerably heavier than before.
"With that ability of yours, you’ll make an excellent subject."
Leonora looked at the mana surrounding him.
"That power of yours..."
She raised her sword.
"...isn’t particularly difficult to understand."
Number Four frowned.
"What?"
Leonora moved.
Their swords collided again.
CLANG!
The moment their blades separated, Leonora’s mana changed.
The same dark aura that had surrounded Number Four’s sword appeared around hers.
Number Four’s eyes widened.
"What is this?"
He immediately attacked.
Leonora answered with the same technique.
The two blades collided with identical force.
Number Four’s expression became visibly disturbed.
"Are you copying my ability?"
Leonora smiled.
"Perhaps."
He attacked again.
A second technique.
Leonora reproduced it.
A third.
She reproduced that as well.
Every time Number Four altered his attack pattern, Leonora adapted almost immediately, recreating the principles behind his techniques and turning them back against him.
Eclyra watched from across the chamber.
"As expected of Lady Leonora."
Vanessa blocked an incoming attack before replying.
"She doesn’t appear to be having any difficulty."
"That is the strength of one of the Four Black Roses."
Number Four heard them.
His expression darkened.
How is this possible?
He had fought swordsmen stronger than most commanders and defeated opponents who possessed abilities specifically designed to counter his own.
Yet this young woman was doing something that should have been impossible.
She was not merely imitating the shape of his attacks.
She was reproducing the underlying principles.
His techniques.
His mana control.
Even the strength behind them.
It was as though he were fighting an opponent who had spent years mastering his own abilities.
"Impossible..."
He changed his stance.
"How can you copy every technique I use?"
Leonora stepped forward.
"You’re beginning to notice the difference in our abilities."
Number Four’s jaw tightened.
Even a Swordmaster would have difficulty confronting me directly.
Yet this woman is reproducing everything I do as though she’s already familiar with it.
And the strength is nearly identical.
He suddenly changed his technique again.
A concentrated blade of mana formed around his sword.
Leonora’s eyes followed it carefully.
For the first time, her expression changed.
She staggered.
Her breathing became heavier.
Her sword lowered slightly.
Number Four noticed immediately.
His eyes widened before a slow smile appeared.
"So that’s it."
He pressed forward.
Leonora barely managed to block.
"Your ability has a limit."
Another strike.
She was forced backward.
"You’ve been copying my techniques continuously, and now your mana is beginning to run out."
Leonora gritted her teeth.
Eclyra’s expression changed.
"Lady Leonora!"
Number Four laughed.
"So your name is Leonora."
He continued attacking.
"I admit that you’re exceptionally strong. But everyone has a weakness."
His blade crashed against hers.
"Even you."
Leonora’s footing slipped.
The next strike caught her across the left side.
SHNK!
She was thrown across the chamber and struck the stone wall.
BOOM!
Dust burst from the impact.
Number Four stared at her for a moment before slowly raising his sword.
"This ends here."
Mana gathered around his blade.
Leonora did not move.
Number Four brought the sword down with all the strength he could muster.
SLASH!
The blade tore through her chest.
Blood sprayed across the floor as Leonora’s body collapsed.
Number Four stood motionless for a moment.
Then he laughed.
"Hahaha..."
His laughter echoed through the chamber.
"That was considerably more interesting than I expected. I never imagined someone so young could force me to fight at this level."
He lowered his sword.
"You people really are not ordinary."
A calm voice came from the other side of the chamber.
"Heh, Is that so?"
Number Four’s laughter stopped.
He slowly turned.
Leonora was standing several meters away, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
There was not a trace of blood on her.
His expression froze.
"Impossible."
Leonora glanced toward the body lying on the floor.
"Good work defeating my clone."
Number Four stared at the corpse.
Then back at Leonora.
His face gradually lost its confidence.
Another clone?
The realization struck him harder than any attack.
The woman he had been fighting had never been the original.
He had spent the entire battle measuring his strength against an imitation.
And the imitation had pushed him to this point.
His breathing became heavier.
For the first time since the battle began, genuine caution appeared in his eyes.
"No..."
His grip tightened around the sword.
"This is impossible."
Leonora pushed herself away from the wall.
Number Four instinctively stepped backward.
"No opponent I’ve fought has ever forced me this far."
Leonora smiled faintly.
"Then perhaps you’ve finally found someone worth fighting."
Eclyra watched her from across the chamber.
"The power of Lady Leonora..."
Vanessa’s expression remained composed, but even she could not hide the respect in her eyes.
"Even her clone possesses that level of strength."
Leonora’s gaze remained fixed on Number Four.
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