The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 187: Chapter 188: The True Power of the Dream Eater

The battle continued.

Andrea and Number Five moved through the frozen battlefield at speeds that made their movements difficult to follow. Their weapons collided repeatedly, each exchange sending shockwaves through the surrounding ice and shattered ground.

Number Five’s living sword changed shape with every attack, extending into long blades, splitting into multiple edges, and reshaping itself whenever Andrea found an opening. Andrea continued meeting each attack with precise movements, her own blade appearing and disappearing between exchanges as she blocked, redirected, and counterattacked without giving Number Five enough time to recover.

CLANG!

Number Five’s sword crashed against Andrea’s blade.

Andrea was pushed backward several meters.

Number Five immediately followed.

Another strike.

Andrea blocked.

Another.

She twisted aside.

The living sword changed shape in the middle of the attack and swept toward her from an unexpected angle.

Andrea caught it with her blade.

CLANG!

The two weapons remained locked for a moment.

Number Five’s breathing had become heavier.

"How are you keeping up with me?"

Andrea smiled.

"Hmm."

She pushed Number Five’s sword away.

"Seems like you misunderstood something."

Andrea stepped forward.

"I should be the one asking that, you know."

Number Five’s expression darkened.

"How dare you."

She swung again.

Andrea blocked.

CLANG!

The impact sent a tremor through the frozen ground.

Number Five attacked from the opposite side.

Andrea slipped past the blade and struck her shoulder.

SHING!

A shallow wound opened.

Number Five immediately retreated.

Andrea lowered her weapon.

"Seems like it’s time."

Number Five stared at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Andrea’s smile remained calm.

"Unfortunately, we need to go now."

She tilted her head slightly.

"I need to end this now."

Her crimson eyes narrowed.

"Is that alright with you?"

Number Five tightened her grip around the living sword.

"I’ll kill you before you get the chance."

Andrea smiled.

"Now then."

The atmosphere changed.

Andrea lowered her blade.

The darkness surrounding her began to spread across the frozen battlefield, but unlike before, it didn’t expand outward violently.

Instead, it gathered behind her.

A second figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

It looked exactly like Number Five.

The same face.

The same crimson eyes.

The same black hair.

The same expression.

Even the same clothing.

Number Five’s eyes widened.

"What..."

The figure stepped forward.

Andrea glanced toward it.

Then she smiled.

"Be careful with this one, okay?"

The Doppelganger slowly raised its hand.

"Even though this is your perfect clone..."

Andrea’s smile became slightly wicked.

"...she’s even stronger than you."

Number Five’s expression changed.

"What did you—"

The Doppelganger disappeared.

Number Five’s instincts screamed.

She raised her sword.

CLANG!

The impact struck her blade with tremendous force.

Her arms shook violently.

The force drove her backward several meters.

Her boots carved deep lines across the frozen ground.

Number Five’s eyes widened.

"What is this?"

The Doppelganger was already in front of her again.

Number Five swung.

The Doppelganger avoided the blade by a fraction of an inch.

It moved exactly as Number Five would have.

The same stance.

The same angle.

The same timing.

Number Five immediately changed her attack.

The Doppelganger changed with her.

Their weapons collided.

CLANG!

Number Five was forced backward.

She attacked again.

The Doppelganger copied her movement.

Another clash.

Another.

Another.

Each exchange became more violent.

Number Five’s expression slowly changed from anger to disbelief.

"How can it be this strong?"

The Doppelganger didn’t answer.

It simply smiled.

A wicked smile.

Number Five’s pupils contracted.

It wasn’t merely copying her movements.

It was improving them.

Every time Number Five changed her technique, the Doppelganger adapted.

Every time Number Five increased her strength, the Doppelganger became stronger.

Number Five suddenly released more corrupted energy.

The living sword grew larger.

She swung with everything she had.

BOOOOOOM!

The ground exploded.

The Doppelganger disappeared into the smoke.

Number Five immediately turned.

The Doppelganger appeared behind her.

SHING!

A deep cut opened across her back.

Number Five staggered forward.

Blood spilled onto the ice.

She turned and attacked.

The Doppelganger blocked.

CLANG!

Number Five attacked again.

The Doppelganger slipped beneath the blade.

Its sword flashed across Number Five’s side.

SHRAK!

Another wound opened.

Number Five gritted her teeth.

"You..."

She unleashed another burst of corrupted energy.

The surrounding ice shattered.

The Doppelganger was thrown backward.

Number Five rushed forward.

Her living sword transformed into multiple blades.

She attacked from every direction.

The Doppelganger moved between them.

One blade passed.

Another.

Another.

Then the Doppelganger stepped inside her guard.

SHING!

A cut opened across Number Five’s arm.

She recoiled.

The Doppelganger followed.

A strike to her ribs.

Another to her shoulder.

Another across her thigh.

Blood stained the frozen ground.

Number Five’s breathing became ragged.

She was losing.

No.

She was being overwhelmed by herself.

She suddenly reached into the pouch attached to her waist.

Her fingers closed around a small vial.

The Doppelganger stopped several meters away.

Number Five stared at it.

Then she smiled.

"Not yet."

She removed the stopper.

The liquid inside was dark and viscous.

Substance D.

Number Five swallowed it.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then her entire body convulsed.

Her veins darkened.

Corrupted energy erupted from her body.

BOOOOOOM!

The frozen ground beneath her feet shattered.

Her wounds began closing.

The living sword grew larger.

Her muscles tightened as her corrupted power surged far beyond its previous level.

Number Five slowly raised her head.

Her breathing steadied.

The confidence returned to her eyes.

"Now..."

She smiled.

"...try copying this."

She disappeared.

The Doppelganger’s eyes followed her.

Number Five attacked.

CLANG!

The impact shook the battlefield.

Another strike.

CLANG!

Another.

SHING!

This time, Number Five was faster.

Stronger.

More violent.

The Doppelganger was pushed backward.

Number Five smiled.

"I knew it."

She attacked again.

The Doppelganger blocked.

CLANG!

Number Five twisted her sword.

The blade changed shape.

The Doppelganger changed with it.

Number Five increased her speed.

The Doppelganger matched her.

She increased her strength.

The Doppelganger became stronger.

Number Five’s smile disappeared.

She attacked again.

The Doppelganger smiled.

Not a calm smile.

A wicked one.

It moved exactly like Number Five.

Then faster.

Its blade struck.

SHRAK!

Number Five’s shoulder opened.

She stumbled.

The Doppelganger followed.

Another strike.

SHING!

A wound appeared across her abdomen.

Number Five staggered backward.

"What?"

She raised her sword.

The Doppelganger was already there.

CLANG!

The impact nearly tore the weapon from her hands.

Number Five’s eyes widened.

"Impossible..."

The Doppelganger pushed her backward.

Every movement was hers.

Every technique was hers.

But perfected.

Every strength she gained was immediately surpassed.

Number Five desperately attacked again.

The Doppelganger answered.

Again.

And again.

The battlefield became a blur of blades.

CLANG!

SHING!

SHRAK!

Number Five’s wounds multiplied.

Blood ran down her arms.

Her breathing became increasingly unstable.

She tried to increase her strength again.

The Doppelganger became stronger.

She accelerated.

The Doppelganger became faster.

She changed her sword.

The Doppelganger copied it.

She attacked from an unexpected angle.

The Doppelganger had already predicted it.

The more Number Five struggled, the more hopeless the battle became.

Eventually, her legs stopped responding properly.

Her sword slipped from her hand.

It struck the ice.

CLANG.

Number Five fell to her knees.

Her breathing was heavy.

Blood covered her body.

The living sword slowly dissolved back into her arm.

She tried to stand.

Her body refused.

The Doppelganger stood several meters away.

Still smiling.

Number Five stared at it.

Her vision blurred.

"...I..."

She couldn’t finish.

The Doppelganger disappeared.

The battlefield became silent.

Andrea finally walked toward Number Five.

Her footsteps echoed softly across the frozen ground.

Number Five slowly raised her head.

Andrea stopped directly in front of her.

Then she placed one foot beneath Number Five’s chin and gently forced her head upward.

Number Five’s eyes met hers.

Andrea smiled.

"How unfortunate."

Number Five’s breathing became shaky.

"W-what are you going to do?"

Andrea tilted her head.

"Now then..."

Her smile widened.

"Let me look inside your memory."

Number Five’s expression changed.

"W-what do you... mean?"

Andrea placed one hand gently against the top of Number Five’s head.

Crimson light gathered around her fingers.

"Memory Theft."

"AAAAAHHH."

The light entered Number Five’s mind.

Her body immediately stiffened.

Images began passing through Andrea’s consciousness.

Fragments.

Names.

Locations.

Research facilities.

Experiments.

The identities of people connected to the laboratories.

The locations of hidden facilities.

The information Number Five had spent years protecting.

Andrea quietly watched everything.

She didn’t need to ask questions.

The memories were already revealing themselves.

One by one, the secrets Number Five had buried were exposed.

Eventually, Andrea withdrew her hand.

The crimson light disappeared.

She smiled.

Number Five remained motionless.

She was barely conscious.

Andrea looked down at her.

Then the world around Number Five changed.

The frozen battlefield disappeared.

The laboratory disappeared.

Everything disappeared.

Number Five found herself standing inside an endless darkness.

She looked around.

Nothing.

Then she saw herself.

Another Number Five stood several meters away.

The same face.

The same eyes.

The same body.

Number Five froze.

"...What is this...?"

The other Number Five smiled.

Then she attacked.

Number Five tried to defend herself.

Too late.

The blade pierced her chest.

She fell.

Pain exploded through her body.

Then everything reset.

She was standing again.

The other Number Five was waiting.

Again.

The sword pierced her.

Again.

She died.

Again.

The world reset.

Again.

And again.

Every time she died, she returned to the same place.

Every time, another version of herself was waiting.

Sometimes she was stabbed.

Sometimes her throat was cut.

Sometimes her body was torn apart.

Sometimes she was simply killed by the same sword she had used to kill others.

There was no escape.

No end.

No way to wake up.

Number Five screamed.

"STOP!"

The other Number Five kept coming.

"PLEASE!"

Another death.

"MAKE IT STOP!"

Another.

"I DON’T WANT TO DIE!"

Again.

And again.

Her own voice echoed through the endless darkness.

Every time she begged for it to end, another version of herself appeared.

Every time she tried to run, another Number Five appeared in front of her.

Every time she tried to fight, she was killed.

Then the darkness changed.

Countless enormous eyes opened around her.

One.

Ten.

Hundreds.

Thousands.

They surrounded the endless void, all staring directly at Number Five.

She looked around in terror.

The eyes did not blink.

They simply watched.

Number Five’s breathing became frantic.

"Please..."

Her voice cracked.

"Please, someone..."

No one answered.

Another Number Five appeared behind her.

The sword entered her back.

She screamed.

The world reset.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Number Five fell to her knees.

"I can’t..."

Her voice became barely audible.

"I can’t do this anymore..."

Another version of herself approached.

She tried to crawl away.

"Please..."

Her hands trembled.

"Just kill me."

The other Number Five smiled.

Then she raised the sword.

Number Five closed her eyes.

The blade descended.

Everything went black.

Then she was standing again.

The same place.

The same darkness.

The same eyes.

The same enemy.

Herself.

Number Five screamed until her voice broke.

She begged.

She cried.

She tried to fight.

She tried to escape.

Nothing changed.

The endless dream continued.

And above it all, the countless eyes remained fixed upon her.

Then Andrea appeared.

She stood far away within the darkness, watching Number Five without saying a word.

Her expression was calm.

Almost amused.

Number Five looked toward her.

"Andrea..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"Please..."

Andrea smiled.

Number Five crawled toward her.

"Please make it stop."

Andrea continued smiling.

"Are we perhaps close for you to call me by my name?"

Then she raised her hand.

The dream froze.

Every version of Number Five stopped moving.

The countless eyes remained open.

Andrea looked at her.

"You’ve seen enough."

Number Five trembled.

Andrea stepped closer.

Her smile remained.

"Now..."

She raised her hand.

A blade of crimson energy formed beside her.

Number Five looked up.

Her eyes widened.

"No..."

Andrea moved.

SHING!

The blade passed cleanly through Number Five’s neck.

Her head separated from her body.

The endless dream shattered.

The countless eyes disappeared.

The darkness collapsed.

And Number Five died within the Dream Eater’s illusion.

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