The figure's senses heightened as he felt the looming danger so he quickly moved his body back, arching his spine in the process. A split second later, the black pond of darkness swallowed his body before it spat him out a little bit farther away from where he was a moment ago.
Aria's sword slashed through thin air before it stopped near her waist. Standing where the shadow figure was, her stoic face didn't change at all.
'She's way stronger than before. Interesting. Did she increase her strength during this period of time? But this growth is certainly abnormal.' He thought to himself as he glanced at Aria.
"You really are full of surprises, aren't you?"
However, the girl didn't respond as she simply pointed her sword at him. "Next time, I won't miss."
"Ohoh? Well, there won't be a next time, Aria as you already lost."
"Hm?"
Realizing what the shadow figure meant, Aria looked down only to see herself standing in the middle of a pond of shadows. The pond was moving slowly like a lake. Small arcs would appear on the rather calm pond before vanishing, akin to the ever-changing surface of the sun.
"Shadow Chains." The shadow figure murmured as instantly, countless chains appeared from inside the shadow.
Aria quickly moved, trying to avoid the attack. However, it was far too late. The chains grabbed into her arms and legs, strapping her to the ground.
Her sword fell out of her hand and her neck was completely captured as the chains slowly suffocated her.
"That was quick." The shadow grinned as he approached her.
Aria tried to resist but she couldn't pull herself out of it.
"Don't even try. Shadows aren't physical objects. As long as you look at it from the right angle, the shadow of a normal person could even lift a building. Their power is endless!" He said.
"..."
"Now, sorry, but I can't have you be awake so I will make you lose consciousness. Nothing personal, Aria. I'm doing my job." The shadow figure said with an amused tone.
He didn't seem the least sorry or sympathetic. If anything, he sounded like he was enjoying his time.
However, Aria didn't seem to be concerned, or at least she didn't show that on her face at all
"You're still the same dog licker of that man, aren't you? Have you never realized that you're nothing but a tool to him?" She asked.
"I'm not a tool. Or maybe I'm the most expensive and precious tool he has."
"But you're still a tool. Given the right circumstances, he will throw you away just like how he's trying to throw me away now."
"Tsk, tsk, don't compare me with you, Aria. I'm far greater than that. My powers are the closest ever to invincibility. I can't be killed, I can't be injured and I can't be beaten."
"A very strong loyal dog is still a loyal dog that can't do a thing for themselves."
"You really like to run your mouth, don't you? Sorry, but the conversation is over."
"Yeah, it is over."
Aria's fingers suddenly flickered as she cut open her hand with her nails. Blood trickled out before it suddenly floated in the air, forming a sharp needle-like object.
Before the shadow figure could even react, the needle was already a millimeter away from his eyes. For a second, his heart stopped and he felt the looming death approaching. Moving his head with pure instinct, the needle barely avoided his face, but he didn't come out of it unscathed.
Glossing over his eyes, it sliced it open. A loud groan of pain echoed in the room, sending the man back as he grabbed his face.
Using that opportunity, Aria used her strength before she cracked open the chains and quickly grabbed her sword. Then, she dashed toward the stumbling shadow figure.
"FUCK… YOU!!" Yelling through his gritted teeth, the shadow figure quickly submerged into the darkness again.
"Tsk…" Aria clicked her tongue before she turned around and dashed toward the door of the room.
"You're going nowhere!"
Saying that spikes of darkness emerged from the wall, the ceiling, the ground, and every surface in the room. In a split second, the whole place was turned into a spiky trap, a very deadly one.
Then, without any warning, all the spikes flew toward Aria, at the same time.
"Blood Sarcophagus!" Murmuring those words, the still freshly cut hand of Aria suddenly exerted a huge amount of blood as it quickly surrounded her body, creating a barrier of crimson energy.
*BOOOOOOM*
The spikes collided with the sarcophagus violently, shaking the whole room. The barrage of attacks didn't stop for a while.
'He is still able to manipulate shadows even when he's hiding inside of them. His control of his ability has improved too.' Aria thought as she kept the sarcophagus active.
However, she knew that she couldn't keep taking in attacks for long. She needed to leave this place as soon as possible. He can't attack her in public since he would get in deep trouble.
So, using a small amount of blood, Aria glossed her hand over the blade of her sword. Immediately, the sharp weapon turned into a horrifying red color.
"Blood Coating." She murmured before she took a deep breath and clenched her fist. Immediately, the Sarcophagus of blood exploded into smithereens, sending all the broken spikes flying back.
Using that opportunity, Aria dashed toward the door. Her hand moved like a flash as she sliced through all the spikes that didn't get caught in the barrier.
The bloody sword was so sharp, fast, and precise that it couldn't even compare to before. The blood coating seemed to somehow enhance its abilities.
"Aria!!" The shadow figure yelled as he tried to follow after her, only to realize something. Aria's blood had coated the whole entrance which meant that he couldn't pass through it.
'That brat!!'
Since blood can't reflect light, not in this situation at least, the shadow figure quickly emerged from his safe, dark cocoon and quickly chased after her.
Aria dashed through the corridors of the hotel at top speed. Behind her, looming darkness was following suit, closing the distance between them slowly.
The reason for that was the disorientation Aria was starting to feel. Her mind turned slightly hazy as her feet swayed a little with each step.
Reaching the stairs, she jumped all the way down before she turned around and jumped the next set of stairs too. Meanwhile, the darkness slowly descended the stairs along with her. Stretches of dark limbs extended as it tried to catch the girl.
Its speed was impressive to the point where Aria couldn't keep the distance for any more than a few more seconds.
'I have no other choice.' She thought as she looked at the window in front of her.
From what she counted, she was now on the 74th floor. A jump from here would be suicide, even for someone like her unless she found a way to lessen the impact.
Without hesitation, she quickly dashed to the window and jumped, destroying the fortified glass with ease. The open world opened its gates to her as the strong wind her face. However, before she could even start descending down with the magic of gravity, the stretches of darkness escaped the window and grabbed her arms and legs.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The tentacles twisted around her arms tightly before a fifth one flew out and pierced her stomach. Aria's face twisted with pain as she spat out a mouthful of blood. But, she ignored the pain and summoned the last ounce of Blood she could manifest.
"Blood Slicer." The blood's shape turned into that of a blade and cut through the tentacles of darkness.
"No!" Before falling down, Aria heard the faint sound of her enemy.
Her eyes were turning unfocused but she had no time to lose consciousness. Her death would be inevitable if she closed her eyes so she bit her tongue. The sharp pain coupled with the metallic taste of her own blood gave her mind a pump of energy.
Looking down, Aria's senses scanned the area she was falling into. Luckily, it was the most optimal place she wanted to fall into. A parking street near the hotel is filled with cars. Those were her best options to lessen the impact.
'I can… do it.' She murmured as she twisted her body before she hugged herself, closing her limbs together as she covered her head and neck.
Then, she waited for the impact.
*BOOOOOOOOM*
A few seconds later, Aria felt the crushing pain upon contact with the surface of a car. The metal roof was crushed and the glass was pulverized.
"Ugh!!" Blood splattered out of Aria's mouth as she found herself unable to breathe. The hit was strong… far stronger than she anticipated.
People looked at the sight with shocked expressions as screams echoed in the large street. Nobody expected to see a woman suddenly flailing down from the sky. Some even thought she committed suicide and were about to call the police.
However, what they saw next shocked them, the unknown woman rolled down from the broken car and then slowly rose to her feet. Her shape was terrifying, to say the least. Blood covered every part of her body. A huge, gaping hole could be seen in her stomach that was seeping out blood.
Grabbing her stomach, Aria stopped the bleeding before she started walking away from the scene as fast as she could. Since the street was dark and people didn't have a great look at her face, she was able to run away before people recognized that it was none other than Claire Redsky.
"Kai…"