Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Substance D
The atmosphere in the chamber changed almost immediately.
The two men who had confronted Nao and Saora moments earlier were no longer fighting with the same restraint. Their movements had become sharper, their mana output considerably denser, and the pressure radiating from their bodies was strong enough to make the surrounding air feel heavy.
One of them wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glanced toward his companion.
"We have no choice."
The other nodded.
"Agreed."
Without another word, both men reached beneath their robes and produced small glass containers filled with a dark, crimson-colored substance.
Neil’s eyes narrowed.
"What are they planning?"
The answer came almost immediately.
The men drove the injectors into their arms.
CLICK.
The substance disappeared beneath their skin.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then their bodies began to tremble.
Their muscles tightened as veins spread visibly across their arms and necks. A violent surge of mana erupted from their bodies, sending a shockwave across the chamber and forcing several nearby guards to step back.
BOOM!
The stone floor beneath their feet cracked.
One of the men slowly raised his head.
A grin spread across his face.
"Now... this is more like it."
His companion flexed his fingers as an immense amount of power circulated through his body.
"I told you. We weren’t showing our true strength before."
Nao looked at them without changing his expression.
"So that’s what the injection was for."
The man laughed.
"You should be afraid. Substance D dramatically increases physical strength, reaction speed, magical output, and pain tolerance. Even if your bodies are stronger than ordinary humans, you won’t be able to maintain an advantage against us now."
Saora glanced toward Nao.
Nao met her eyes.
Neither of them said anything.
A moment later, both moved.
BOOM!
The two enhanced men vanished from their positions.
Their swords came down simultaneously.
CLANG!
Saora caught one attack with her umbrella while Nao swung his coffin upward to intercept the other.
The impact shook the entire chamber.
RUMBLE!
Saora’s boots slid several meters across the stone floor.
Nao’s arms tensed beneath the force.
"So they really did become stronger," Nao muttered.
The man in front of Saora smiled.
"Finally realizing it?"
He pushed harder.
Saora’s umbrella groaned beneath the pressure.
Then her expression changed.
Not fear.
Amusement.
"Certainly."
Her umbrella began to rotate.
WHRRRRRRR—
The speed increased with every revolution.
The pressure surrounding the weapon suddenly intensified.
"But unfortunately for you..."
Saora twisted her wrist.
"...that still isn’t enough."
BOOOOM!
The umbrella exploded outward with a concentrated burst of force.
The enhanced man was thrown backward.
He twisted in midair and landed several meters away, his boots carving two deep lines into the floor.
"What...?"
His expression finally changed.
Saora lowered her umbrella.
"You became stronger after injecting that substance into your body."
Her smile disappeared.
"But you made one mistake."
She took a step forward.
"You assumed that becoming stronger would automatically make you strong enough to defeat us."
The man gritted his teeth.
"Don’t get arrogant!"
He rushed forward.
His sword flashed.
SHING!
Saora raised her umbrella.
CLANG!
The impact sent another tremor through the chamber.
The man followed immediately with a horizontal slash.
WHOOOSH!
Saora leaned backward.
The blade passed barely a few centimeters from her face.
She stepped to the side and opened the umbrella.
CLICK.
A compressed current of air erupted from its edge.
FSSSHHH!
The man barely managed to raise his sword.
BOOM!
He was driven backward again.
Across the room, Nao was dealing with the other enhanced fighter.
The man swung repeatedly, each attack carrying considerably more force than before.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Nao blocked the first.
Deflected the second.
Then used his coffin to absorb the third.
The impact pushed him several meters backward.
The man grinned.
"Are you kidding me? How can you even swing easily something that enormous?"
Nao glanced at the coffin resting against his shoulder.
"You mean this?"
He casually adjusted his grip.
"It’s adjustable."
The man’s expression tightened.
Nao smiled.
"What if I told you this isn’t even its full size?"
"What?"
The coffin suddenly expanded.
CLICK—KRRRRR!
Its frame grew larger, the black structure unfolding until it became almost absurdly massive.
Nao swung.
WHOOOOOM!
The coffin slammed into the man’s body.
BOOM!
His feet left the ground.
He was thrown across the chamber and crashed into a stone wall hard enough to crack it.
CRAAASH!
Dust filled the air.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the man slowly pushed himself away from the wall.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Nao stared at him.
"What a tough guy."
The man wiped the blood away.
His breathing had become heavier.
"Are you alright?"
His companion called from across the room.
"Yeah."
He straightened himself with difficulty.
"I was careless."
His eyes narrowed as he looked toward Nao.
"These people aren’t ordinary."
He clenched his sword.
"Even after using Substance D, I still can’t overpower him."
Nao tilted his head.
"Substance D?"
Neil, who had been observing the battle from behind, immediately looked toward him.
"So that’s what you’re calling it."
The man realized his mistake.
"...Damn."
Neil’s expression remained calm.
"Interesting."
He turned toward the five Harbingers.
"Search every room. There may still be people inside."
The Harbingers immediately moved.
"Yes."
The five disappeared into the surrounding corridors.
Their objective had changed.
The laboratory itself could be dealt with later.
First, they needed to make sure no one remained trapped inside.
Meanwhile, the two enhanced fighters continued their assault.
The man facing Saora suddenly changed his stance.
His sword was lowered slightly.
His breathing became slower.
Then—
SHING!
He disappeared.
Saora’s eyes followed him.
Sword skill.
The blade appeared from her left.
CLANG!
She blocked it.
The man twisted his wrist and immediately redirected the strike toward her neck.
Saora stepped backward.
The blade missed.
The man continued.
Another slash.
Then another.
Each attack carried enough force to split stone.
SHING!
SHING!
SHING!
Saora avoided every strike by the smallest possible margin.
"You’re good at running," the man said through clenched teeth.
Saora smiled.
"I’m not running."
She suddenly stepped inside his range.
"I was waiting."
His eyes widened.
Her umbrella opened.
CLICK.
The man immediately recognized the danger.
"Damn—!"
FSSSSHHHH!
A compressed blade of wind tore through the space between them.
He twisted his body at the last second.
The attack still cut deeply across his shoulder.
"GHH—!"
Blood sprayed across the floor.
Saora didn’t give him time to recover.
She swung the umbrella again.
CLANG!
The man blocked.
His knees buckled.
Impossible.
He pushed himself back.
How can someone this young possess this kind of strength?
He gritted his teeth and launched another series of sword strikes.
Saora met every attack.
Their weapons collided repeatedly, each impact echoing throughout the chamber.
Meanwhile, Nao’s battle had become equally violent.
His opponent was faster now.
Much faster.
The man’s sword repeatedly struck the enormous coffin, sparks scattering with every collision.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Nao was forced backward.
He’s considerably faster than before.
Nao adjusted his footing.
Substance D really does amplify the body.
The man suddenly disappeared from his sight.
Nao’s eyes narrowed.
There.
He swung the coffin sideways.
BOOOOM!
The man’s sword collided with it.
The enhanced fighter’s expression twisted.
"You saw me?"
Nao smiled.
"Barely."
He rotated the coffin.
The weapon’s massive frame swept across the chamber.
WHOOOOOM!
The man jumped over it and landed behind Nao.
"Too slow!"
He thrust his sword forward.
SHING!
Nao twisted his body.
The blade pierced his cloak instead of his body.
Nao immediately turned.
"That’s rude."
The coffin came crashing down.
BOOM!
The man barely blocked it.
His arms trembled.
"Ghh...!"
He pushed himself away.
Both fighters were breathing harder now.
The effects of Substance D were beginning to show their limits.
The increased strength had allowed them to fight at a level far beyond their natural capabilities, but it could not eliminate exhaustion.
Their movements were becoming slower.
Their breathing heavier.
Their bodies were beginning to fail under the strain.
Still, neither side stopped.
The enhanced man suddenly lunged at Saora.
She met him head-on.
CLANG!
Their weapons locked.
He gritted his teeth.
"No matter how strong you are..."
He pushed forward.
"...there are always people stronger than you."
Saora stared directly into his eyes.
"Is that so?"
Her umbrella rotated.
The man’s expression changed.
WHRRRRRRR—
The pressure increased.
"Then you should have brought them."
BOOOOM!
The force shattered his stance.
He stumbled backward.
Saora moved.
One step.
A turn.
A flash of steel.
SHING!
His sword arm was cut.
"GHHH!"
His sword fell from his hand.
He staggered backward, clutching his arm.
Nao’s opponent looked over.
"Damn it!"
He tried to rush toward his companion.
Nao intercepted him.
The coffin slammed into his chest.
BOOM!
He was thrown backward.
He landed heavily and struggled to stand.
His breathing had become ragged.
"This... can’t be..."
He looked at his trembling hands.
Even after Substance D...
His eyes widened.
We’re still losing.
The other man was in an even worse condition.
He dropped to one knee.
Blood stained his robe.
Saora stood several meters away, completely composed.
The man looked up.
"You may have won here..."
He forced a laugh.
"But the higher-ups won’t overlook this."
His voice became increasingly unstable.
"They’ll investigate. They’ll send people far stronger than us. Every one of you will eventually be hunted down and killed."
Saora stared at him.
Then she laughed.
Not softly.
Not politely.
It was a strange, almost delighted laugh that echoed through the chamber.
"Hahaha..."
The man’s expression stiffened.
Saora’s smile slowly disappeared.
Her eyes became cold.
"Wow."
She tilted her head.
"That sounds terrifying."
She raised her umbrella.
"But what if I told you something?"
The man stared at her.
"Among the Orders..."
Saora’s smile returned.
"...we’re only among the lower members."
Silence.
The man’s face froze.
"What?"
Even his companion looked toward her in disbelief.
Saora continued.
"You thought this was the full strength of Eclipse?"
She lightly tapped the tip of her umbrella against the floor.
"You haven’t even come close to seeing what our organization is capable of."
The man struggled to breathe.
An organization with warriors this powerful...
His gaze moved between Saora, Nao, Neil, and the Harbingers returning from the corridors.
And they’re calling themselves lower members?
He swallowed.
"What... exactly are you people?"
Saora smiled.
"That’s something you’ll never find out."
She moved.
SHING!
The man’s body collapsed.
At almost the same moment, Nao’s opponent attempted one final attack.
Nao stepped aside.
The coffin swung.
BOOM!
The man slammed into the floor and didn’t rise again.
Nao looked down at him.
"Seems like we’re done here."
Saora glanced around the chamber.
"There are still others."
Some guards had already fled.
Others were hiding behind equipment, desperately hoping they would not be noticed.
A few had dropped their weapons entirely.
Saora’s expression remained indifferent.
"They’re running."
Nao rested the coffin against his shoulder.
"Let them."
He looked toward the ceiling.
"Master will probably destroy this place soon."
Neil glanced toward the laboratory’s deeper corridors.
"Then we shouldn’t stay here longer than necessary."
Saora nodded.
"Agreed."
She turned toward the remaining guards.
"Take care of the rest."
The Harbingers stepped forward.
The remaining guards finally understood.
There would be no rescue.
No reinforcements.
No chance to turn the battle around.
Some raised their swords despite their trembling hands.
Others tried to escape through the corridors.
A few simply froze.
The Eclipse advanced without hesitation.
Steel flashed through the laboratory.
SHING!
THUD!
CLANG!
The screams that followed echoed through the underground complex as the remaining resistance was crushed, while the prisoners who had been locked away were gradually freed from their cells.
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