The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: A Reflection of Despair

"Are you done?"

Leonora’s voice was calm as she stood several meters away, her sword resting loosely in one hand.

Number Four stared at her.

Blood was running down several parts of his body, staining his clothes as his breathing became increasingly heavy. Yet despite his injuries, he refused to lower his weapon.

"Y-You..."

His voice carried a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"How are you capable of this?"

Leonora tilted her head slightly.

"My, my. Are you frightened now?"

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"It seems you’re finally beginning to understand the difference in power between us."

Number Four’s expression darkened.

He had fought countless battles.

He had faced swordsmen, mages, monsters, and even individuals whose strength exceeded the limits of ordinary humans.

But never had he encountered someone who could fight him so effortlessly.

And she was still standing there without revealing the true extent of her power.

"What if..."

Leonora’s smile widened.

"...the person standing before you wasn’t actually me?"

Number Four’s eyes narrowed.

"What?"

A second voice suddenly came from behind him.

"And what if there were another one?"

He turned around.

Another Leonora stood behind him.

His expression froze.

Then another voice came from his left.

"And another."

He looked toward the sound.

A third Leonora stood there.

Another appeared behind him.

Then another.

And another.

Until seven identical figures surrounded him from every direction.

Each one possessed the same appearance.

The same expression.

The same calm smile.

Number Four’s face finally changed.

"Impossible..."

The seven Leonoras stood silently around him.

He could sense their magical presence.

They weren’t illusions.

They weren’t simple projections.

Every single one of them possessed an aura powerful enough to threaten him directly.

"Seven..."

His breathing became heavier.

"Seven copies with the same presence..."

He tightened his grip around his sword.

"Such power at your age..."

Leonora smiled.

"You seem rather impressed."

Number Four’s expression hardened.

"This information must reach the higher-ups."

His eyes moved rapidly between the seven figures.

"People like you cannot be left unchecked. If Eclipse continues interfering with our operations, sooner or later, you’ll become a serious threat to everything we’ve built."

Leonora’s smile became colder.

"That would certainly be possible."

She raised her sword slightly.

"Provided you’re capable of leaving this place alive."

The six clones moved.

BOOM!

The ground beneath their feet shattered as they accelerated simultaneously.

Number Four barely managed to raise his sword.

CLANG!

One blade struck his weapon from the front.

Another came from his right.

CLANG!

He twisted his body and blocked it.

A third blade descended from above.

SHING!

He narrowly avoided the strike, but another Leonora was already behind him.

"Too slow."

SLASH!

Blood sprayed across the floor.

Number Four gritted his teeth and spun around.

"Get away from me!"

He released a violent burst of magical energy.

WHOOOOM!

A shockwave exploded outward, forcing several of the Leonoras backward.

For a brief moment, he created enough distance to breathe.

Then one of them appeared directly in front of him.

CLANG!

Their swords collided.

The impact sent a violent pressure through the chamber.

BOOOOM!

The floor beneath them cracked.

Number Four’s eyes widened.

Another Leonora attacked from behind.

He blocked.

A third struck from the side.

He dodged.

A fourth swept low toward his legs.

He jumped.

The fifth appeared above him.

SLASH!

He raised his sword just in time.

The force of the impact drove him into the ground.

CRACK!

He immediately rolled away as another blade pierced the stone where his head had been.

"Dammit!"

He swung his sword in a wide arc.

SHRAAAK!

A powerful magical slash tore through the room.

One of the Leonoras vanished from its path.

Another jumped over it.

The remaining figures continued advancing.

Number Four fought desperately.

He blocked one attack.

Dodged another.

Countered a third.

But there were simply too many.

CLANG!

SLASH!

CLANG!

THUD!

SLASH!

Blood continued to appear across his body.

His shoulder was cut.

His side was torn open.

Another slash crossed his back.

His breathing became ragged.

Yet the seven Leonoras never slowed.

They moved with perfect coordination, forcing him to defend from every direction while denying him even a moment to recover.

After several more exchanges, Number Four finally dropped onto one knee.

His sword remained in his hand, but his arm trembled from exhaustion.

Blood dripped onto the floor.

Drip.

Drip.

Number Four’s breathing had become noticeably heavier, yet the arrogance in his expression had not completely disappeared.

Number Four clenched his teeth.

"You..."

He lowered his gaze.

For several seconds, he remained silent.

Then his expression changed.

"Seems I have no choice."

He reached into his clothing.

Leonora watched without interfering.

Number Four pulled out a small metallic container filled with a dark red substance.

One of the Seven Reapers immediately raised her weapon.

"Lady Leonora."

"I know."

Leonora continued watching.

Number Four removed the cap.

Without hesitation, he drove the injector into his arm.

CLICK!

The substance entered his body.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

THUMP.

His muscles suddenly tightened.

Veins spread across his arms and neck.

His body began expanding as magical energy erupted from within him.

BOOOOOOM!

The stone beneath his feet cracked.

His shoulders became broader, his muscles thickening as his entire body grew slightly larger.

His eyes changed as well, their pupils narrowing while a strange crimson glow appeared within them.

Number Four slowly raised his head.

A twisted smile spread across his face.

"Hahaha..."

He clenched his fist.

The air itself seemed to tremble.

"Now..."

He stood upright.

"...let’s see if you can still look down on me."

"The substance is enhancing your physical capabilities and increasing the amount of magical power your body can release."

Number Four laughed.

"That’s right."

He raised his sword.

"With this power, I’m already capable of fighting two Swordmasters at once."

His grin widened.

"You should be proud. Very few people have ever forced me to use this."

Leonora stood several meters away, her sword hanging loosely at her side as she observed him with an almost amused expression.

"Would you look at that. You can’t even land a single hit on me."

Her smile widened slightly.

"Perhaps you simply can’t accept that a woman considerably younger than you is stronger."

Number Four’s expression darkened.

"Shut up."

His grip tightened around his sword.

"I know you’re frightened. You’re only pretending to be confident so the others can retreat while you keep me occupied."

Leonora tilted her head.

"Is that what you believe?"

She glanced briefly toward the others standing beyond the barrier before looking back at him.

"Then perhaps we should settle this properly."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"How about fighting yourself?"

Number Four’s eyes narrowed.

"What?"

Leonora raised one hand.

A strange distortion passed through the space beside her, and Eclipse gathered into a human silhouette.

The figure gradually took shape.

Its clothing.

Its posture.

Its face.

Even the sword in its hand.

Everything was identical.

When the transformation finished, another Number Four stood directly in front of the original.

The man’s expression froze.

For several seconds, he could only stare.

Then Leonora smiled.

"Surprised?"

Outside the barrier, Eclyra and Vanessa exchanged glances before breaking into laughter.

Eclyra brought her hands together in a light applause.

"Magnificent."

Vanessa shook her head with a faint smile.

"Even I didn’t expect her to reproduce him that perfectly."

Number Four’s face twisted with disbelief.

"You’re kidding me..."

He looked at the copy before turning toward Leonora.

"How can you possibly do something like this?"

His voice finally carried a trace of unease.

"You..."

He pointed his sword toward her.

"You’re a monster."

Leonora placed a hand against her chest, pretending to be offended.

"How rude."

Her expression remained elegant, but the smile in her eyes became colder.

"Calling a beautiful woman like me a monster is hardly appropriate."

She paused.

"Although I suppose I’ll forgive you this once."

Number Four’s expression hardened.

"What exactly are you?"

Leonora’s smile disappeared.

"That is something you no longer need to know."

She looked toward the laboratory surrounding them.

"And besides, did you really believe this little performance would work?"

Number Four’s eyes narrowed.

Leonora continued before he could answer.

"We already knew."

Her voice remained calm.

"From the moment we entered this facility, the absence of guards was suspicious. The corridors were too quiet, the defensive formations had already been abandoned, and the central chamber had been left completely open."

She took a slow step forward.

"You deliberately allowed us to reach this place."

Number Four’s expression changed.

"You..."

"You intended to use this laboratory as bait."

Leonora’s smile returned.

"You wanted Eclipse to discover the facility, enter it, and eventually encounter someone strong enough to capture us."

She raised her hand slightly.

"Did you truly think we would fail to notice something so obvious?"

Number Four’s face became increasingly tense.

"You knew?"

"Of course."

Leonora gave a soft laugh.

"We simply decided to see what you were planning."

Her eyes became cold.

"After all, it would have been rather disappointing if you had actually managed to deceive us."

Number Four remained silent.

The realization slowly settled over him.

They had walked directly into the trap.

Yet the people who had entered his trap had known about it from the beginning.

Leonora looked toward the others.

"Stay outside."

Eclyra and Vanessa immediately understood.

"Yes, Lady Leonora."

Leonora turned back toward Number Four.

"Now then."

She raised one finger.

"Why don’t we just enjoy the scene?"

SNAP.

She flicked her finger.

A transparent barrier immediately expanded around the two figures.

WHOOOOM!

The entire chamber trembled as a massive dome of Eclipse enclosed Leonora, Number Four, and the copy.

Number Four immediately rushed toward the barrier.

He struck it with his sword.

CLANG!

The impact sent a powerful shockwave through the room, but the barrier remained completely motionless.

His expression changed.

He struck it again.

BOOOOM!

Nothing.

Leonora watched quietly from within the barrier.

"There’s no need to waste your strength."

Number Four slowly turned around.

His copy was already standing behind him.

The figure raised its sword.

Number Four’s expression hardened.

"So that’s how you intend to fight me."

The copy remained silent.

Then it disappeared.

SHING!

Number Four barely raised his sword in time.

CLANG!

The collision sent a violent wave of pressure across the barrier.

The stone floor beneath their feet cracked.

Number Four immediately retaliated, swinging his sword with enough force to produce a crescent-shaped blade of magic.

SHRAAAK!

The slash tore through the chamber.

The copy moved aside and reproduced the same technique.

BOOOOM!

The two attacks collided in the center of the barrier, releasing a violent explosion that shook the surrounding walls.

Outside, Eclyra and Vanessa watched without concern.

Eclyra’s expression carried genuine admiration.

"As expected of Lady Leonora."

Vanessa nodded.

"There’s no wasted movement. She isn’t even using her own ability directly against him."

Eclyra smiled.

"That is the strength of one of the Four Black Roses."

Inside the barrier, the battle continued.

Number Four attacked with overwhelming force, every strike carrying the power of an experienced swordsman.

The copy answered every attack.

When he changed his stance, the copy changed its stance.

When he accelerated, the copy accelerated.

When he increased the power behind his strikes, the copy matched him.

CLANG!

CLANG!

BOOM!

SHRAAAK!

The repeated collisions sent waves of magical pressure through the chamber.

Number Four’s breathing gradually became heavier.

His movements were beginning to lose their previous precision.

"This is impossible..."

He narrowly avoided another slash before twisting his body and striking from the opposite direction.

The copy blocked.

CLANG!

Number Four immediately followed with another technique.

The copy reproduced it.

His eyes widened.

Again.

Another technique.

Another response.

Again.

Another variation.

The same result.

"No..."

His confidence was finally beginning to disappear.

Even a Swordmaster would struggle to withstand the power I possess after the enhancement.

Yet this thing is fighting me as though it possesses the same strength, the same speed, and the same understanding of swordsmanship.

He gritted his teeth.

I’m fighting myself.

Number Four suddenly changed his stance.

His sword lowered.

The magical pressure surrounding his body shifted.

The copy remained motionless.

For the first time since the battle began, Number Four smiled.

"Then let’s see how you handle something you haven’t seen before."

He disappeared.

BOOM!

The force behind his movement shattered the stone beneath his feet.

He appeared beside the copy and unleashed a technique he had deliberately concealed until that moment.

The copy failed to reproduce it.

Number Four’s eyes widened with satisfaction.

"There."

He swung again.

SHING!

The copy was forced backward.

Number Four pursued immediately.

CLANG!

Another strike.

BOOM!

Another.

The copy continued retreating.

Number Four’s confidence returned.

"So you can’t copy everything after all."

Leonora watched silently from the edge of the battlefield.

Her expression remained calm.

She had no intention of correcting his misunderstanding.

Number Four continued attacking, convinced that he had finally discovered the weakness in her ability.

He had not.

Leonora’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The copy deliberately maintained its distance.

It was waiting.

And Leonora was waiting as well.

The battle continued for several more exchanges until Number Four finally slowed.

His breathing had become ragged.

Blood was running from several wounds across his body.

His clothes were torn, and one side of his armor had been completely destroyed.

The copy, however, remained almost completely unharmed.

Number Four stared at it.

For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes.

"No..."

He took a step backward.

"That shouldn’t be possible."

The copy advanced.

Number Four raised his sword defensively.

"Wait."

The copy stopped.

Number Four swallowed.

"Listen to me."

His voice had lost nearly all of its former arrogance.

"There is no reason for us to continue this."

The copy remained silent.

"I can tell you everything."

He lowered his sword.

"Names, locations, the remaining laboratories... everything you want."

Outside the barrier, Vanessa’s expression remained indifferent.

Eclyra watched quietly.

Number Four continued.

"Just let me live."

The copy tilted its head slightly.

Then it lowered its sword in exactly the same manner.

"Just let me live."

Number Four’s face went pale.

The copy took another step forward.

"Please."

Number Four stared at it in disbelief.

The copy repeated the same word.

"Please."

Eclyra covered her mouth, barely suppressing a laugh.

Vanessa sighed.

"He really thought that would work."

Inside the barrier, Number Four’s desperation became obvious.

"Stop copying me!"

The copy immediately raised its sword.

"Stop copying me."

Number Four’s expression twisted with anger.

"You bastard!"

"You bastard."

His anger turned into panic.

"Stay away from me!"

"Stay away from me."

He stumbled backward.

"Please... spare me."

"Please... spare me."

The copy’s voice remained perfectly emotionless.

Number Four’s face had completely lost its color.

He turned and attempted to run.

The copy disappeared.

SHING!

A flash of light crossed the chamber.

Number Four’s leg was struck.

"AAARGH!"

He collapsed onto one knee.

THUD!

His sword slipped from his hand and clattered across the floor.

He desperately crawled backward.

"No... wait..."

The copy approached slowly.

"Wait..."

Number Four looked up in terror.

"Please, I don’t want to die."

The copy repeated his words with the same tone.

"Please, I don’t want to die."

Number Four’s breathing became frantic.

He looked toward Leonora.

"You... please stop this!"

Leonora simply watched him.

There was no anger in her expression.

Only a faint, almost elegant smile.

"You should have considered that before attempting to make us your prey."

Number Four’s eyes widened.

The copy raised its sword.

Number Four tried to crawl away.

"Please..."

The sword descended.

SHING!

The chamber fell silent.

The barrier dissolved moments later.

The copy disappeared as well, leaving only the remains of Number Four behind.

Leonora turned away without another glance.

Eclyra and Vanessa approached.

Eclyra looked toward the fallen man.

"So there are more people like him."

"There almost certainly are," Leonora replied.

She remained thoughtful for a moment.

"We need another meeting."

Vanessa nodded.

"We’ll inform the others."

"Do that."

Leonora’s expression became serious.

"Until then, none of you are to recklessly reveal yourselves. We now know that the laboratory network is not simply a collection of researchers and guards. There are individuals capable of fighting at a level comparable to the Four Black Roses."

Eclyra’s expression became more serious.

"And if someone like him was waiting here..."

"There may be others considerably stronger."

Leonora looked toward the destroyed laboratory.

"If I had not accompanied you, you would have been in serious danger."

Neither Eclyra nor Vanessa argued.

They both understood the truth of that statement.

Vanessa bowed her head slightly.

"Thank you for coming with us, Lady Leonora."

Eclyra followed.

"We’re grateful."

Leonora gave a small nod.

"Don’t worry about him."

She glanced once more toward Number Four’s corpse.

"I already looked through his memories before the fight ended."

Vanessa’s expression changed.

"You did?"

"Yes. That’s why this meeting is necessary."

Leonora turned toward the exit.

"The information inside his mind confirms that there are others like him, and some may possess even greater authority."

She paused.

"We cannot afford to lose another member because we underestimated them."

Her expression softened for only a moment.

"Master would not be pleased if he learned that one of his people had been lost because we acted carelessly."

Eclyra and Vanessa immediately nodded.

"Understood."

"Tell the others to return for the time being."

Leonora walked toward the exit.

"We’ll analyze what we learned before making another move."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!