Some time before, when Noel stepped out of the first store with the pocket watch in hand, a small thought crossed his mind — maybe he should keep it in his pocket. Just in case.
He did that with the quiet notion that maybe... he should be careful.
And now, as he stood at the center of a ring of mirrors — locked in a sudden fight against an opponent stronger than him — he couldn’t help but feel like he had made the right call.
He also made a mental note for the future.
’Always keep ten Null Points on hand. Or at least leave one free simulation.’
Why was he thinking about that now?
But if one were to see the current state of things — mirror-like walls surrounding him, Gavin’s reflection flitting from surface to surface, a dagger flashing from multiple angles, while Noel stood in the middle, blood trailing from shallow cuts, barely able to dodge — it’d be clear.
The situation was completely different than it was at the start.
At first, Noel had thought the recoil — the reflective force — was the real danger. But that turned out to be only part of it. After reaching a certain limit, the recoil didn’t increase. Instead, the true threat came when Gavin’s attacks emerged from the mirrors the moment Noel tried to strike them.
Each punch, each attempt to escape, was met with a counter — sharp, well-timed slashes that pushed him deeper into defense.
Even so, Noel smiled wildly.
Because despite how it looked — despite the pain, the blood, and the odds stacked against him —
He didn’t feel like losing.
He was already getting used to Gavin’s attacks.
His body, once foreign to him, wasn’t the same anymore.
Noel was adapting — not just to the rhythm of the fight, but to the power now flowing through him.
Whether it was the raw strength from the Blood Refinement Path, or the talents he had gained — he was adjusting.
Through his sixth sense, he dodged more and more of Gavin’s assaults.
His dense bones let him endure the backlash whenever he struck the mirrors — his flesh tearing, but his frame holding firm.
Endurance Bloom, too, finally showed its worth, with his stamina staying high.
And tying it all together — was raw, unflinching physical power.
"All that talk, and this is the best you’ve got?"
Gavin’s voice, once again, echoed from all directions — sharp, mocking.
And Noel, drenched in blood, grinned.
He dodged another slash aimed at him and replied, "They say dogs bark more when they’re scared... So tell me, what does that make you?"
As his words faded, Noel once again tried to break the barrier around him.
The sound of his punch tearing through the air rang out — but he was interrupted.
Gavin struck from another side, nearly landing a blow as he snarled, "You’re really begging for death."
But, Noel didn’t answer.
He stepped back with a slight twist of his feet after dodging, then moved toward another mirror, while Gavin’s voice kept coming
Noel was past the point of listening, though.
All his attention was on the fight... on the fight that he was enjoying.
It seemed like Gavin was still looking down on him — but he knew that wasn’t the case, after all.
Gavin’s attacks were growing weaker.
Not to a visible extent, but they were slowly losing the sharpness they once had.
While he... was becoming stronger.
Despite all the cuts across his body, and the blood now soaking the ground beneath them — he was becoming stronger.
And when he took an injury, instead of screaming in pain, he just laughed... as if it didn’t bother him at all.
That kind of madness — it made Gavin scared.
He was regretting ever getting involved with this lunatic.
All for something that may or may not be a relic...
When he knew there was a nearby dimension that could offer him far greater benefits.
But regret couldn’t solve anything.
That’s why Gavin was now determined to end it — to finish Noel off with a decisive strike, before his stamina ran too low.
His soul power wasn’t infinite, after all.
And manifesting his Law to this extent... was already pushing him too far.
He was reaching his limits.
Gavin suddenly paused in his attacks, making a brief opening — one that Noel immediately took, landing a powerful strike on the mirror.
Gavin returned to the assault more fiercely right after, but a crack had already formed in the mirror-like barrier.
Despite that, for the first time since the battle began, Gavin had a genuine smile on his face.
He had finally noticed Noel’s weak point.
Noel had a strong body.
The Law he practiced seemed tied to physical strength.
But that wasn’t the key.
Up until now, Gavin hadn’t felt Noel use his soul power.
And now, as he sharpened his senses, trying to feel it more clearly — his grin widened.
He couldn’t see the exact condition of Noel’s soul, but he could tell.
And that was why Gavin decided to squeeze out the last of his power — and strike a decisive blow... one directed at his soul!
Unaware of his thoughts, Noel kept fighting with all he had.
He dodged... and then punched.
...Until, finally, he broke the barrier — shattering it completely and escaping from his entrapment.
"Are we playing hide and seek this time?" Noel asked, scanning the area, unable to spot Gavin’s true body anywhere.
But Gavin just laughed and replied,
"Hide and seek? No... I’m just giving you a few last moments to enjoy being whole."
Noel chuckled at the reply but didn’t say anything more.
Instead, he turned his attention to the remaining barriers still standing — and decided to break all of them for now.
He would appear by then, right?
Noel chose to keep things simple as he began his counterattack.
But he had barely broken the second barrier, when suddenly, Gavin started laughing.
Gavin, who had finished preparing his soul attack despite the strain gnawing at him, had regained his confidence.
And that’s why, just before unleashing it, he sneered,
"You should’ve crawled away while you had the chance."
"Now die, choking on the regret of ever thinking you were worthy to face me."
Noel felt something was wrong.
He sensed it in Gavin’s change — in his tone, in his presence.
But he didn’t have time to piece it together.
Because suddenly, Gavin’s voice rang out again — loud, sharp, final.
And as the word left Gavin’s mouth, Noel felt it.
A jolt ran through his skull — like something shaking deep inside him.
He clutched his head, gritting his teeth as pain stabbed through his mind.
Gavin, seeing it, laughed even harder.
Then, slowly, he stopped channeling his power and dismissed the mirror-like barriers.
His real body appeared, exhausted but triumphant.
Noel raised his head, asking with a voice full of ridicule.
He had already figured out what kind of attack it was — it had to be a soul-based strike.
And he even had a guess as to why it hadn’t worked properly on him.
But of course, he wouldn’t say any of that.
Despite Gavin already being a dead man in his eyes, there was still no reason to reveal anything to him.
"Impossible!" Gavin screamed.
He turned and started running — already too drained to summon more power.
Gavin barely managed a few steps before Noel’s fist — now just bone with strips of torn flesh hanging off — slammed into his face.
"Aaagh!" Gavin screamed as the blow sent him flying.
He smashed against the alley wall, bricks cracking around him from the force.
He didn’t hesitate. He began pummeling him — blow after blow, relentless and savage.
Gavin screamed between hits, trying desperately to resist again, but the barrier he summoned was too weak.
Noel shattered it like glass.
After some time, Noel reached down and lifted Gavin — barely alive — by the neck.
"I asked you not to die too fast," he said, voice low. "So why are you trying so hard to disappoint me?"
Despite everything that happened, despite how long it felt — the fight had barely lasted fifteen minutes.
And so, Noel was simply reminding Gavin of his first words.
His grin stretched wide.
He was satisfied — this had been good training.
But then, Gavin, voice hoarse and broken, whispered,
"P-please... spare... me..."
Noel’s smile vanished.
Naturally, he wasn’t moved in the slightest.
Instead, he tightened his grip — slowly — until he finally heard the crack.
The sound of a neck breaking.
He watched as Gavin’s wide, terrified eyes went empty.
Then, without any thought, he tossed the corpse aside.
The body hit the ground.
And, right after the sound of clapping echoed through the alley.
A voice followed — bright, amused... and completely unhinged.
"Ah~ What a beautiful ending...! You really do know how to make a girl fall in love."