"Hee hee... Hahahahaha..."

Her shattered body slowly mended itself. The girl rose gradually from the ground, laughing maniacally for no reason.

"Afraid? What... nonsense are you spouting?"

As she finished speaking, an ominous gray swiftly spread over her skin.

In that instant, Shadow moved.

"Soul Sever!"

Charging forward, her form flickered like a phantom. Five identical figures suddenly appeared before Yuri!

Next, five gray-white light arcs intertwined—a speed impossible for human eyes to track.

Yuri easily dodged the first shadow’s strike. She kicked the second one away.

But the remaining three slashed deep wounds across her body!

Each attacking shadow was real, yet illusory.

Yuri’s brows furrowed slightly. Pushing off her toes, she spun upward, evading Shadow’s follow-up attacks.

Yet airborne, she couldn’t dodge the next blow.

Slash!

"Soul Sever... Spiral!"

The five figures snapped together like lightning, converging into a single point.

Gray-mist-wreathed lightning screeched sharply, stabbing toward Yuri’s chest!

But just before impact, countless transparent threads webbed between them.

Threads scraped against the attack, shrieking a teeth-rattling sound!

They snapped completely within half a breath.

Still, Yuri flipped midair, narrowly escaping.

Boom!!!

Missing Yuri, Shadow’s strike didn’t stop.

With crushing force, the dark shadow pierced a distant wall, blasting a several-meter hole!

Steel and unknown materials at the edges vaporized instantly.

Seizing the gap, Yuri glanced at Useless. His fight with Mo had turned fierce.

Mo’s clothes hung in tatters. Blood streaks marred his exposed skin.

But his expression showed these were barely scratches.

Useless, though neat in attire, looked grim.

Too tough!

His threads couldn’t fully slice Mo’s body.

Each claw swipe or kick from Mo carried bone-breaking force.

He’d just helped Yuri, but next time, he might not get the chance.

"Don’t worry about me..." Yuri shifted, dodging a returning gray arc. She spoke calmly toward Useless. "I said I’d end her myself."

Useless didn’t reply. His fingers danced like a master puppeteer’s.

In the void, threads layered over Mo’s body like a spiderweb.

Yuri gave him one last look, then took a deep breath.

"I’m tired of this game. Let’s sing a final hymn to death..."

Facing Shadow’s next attack, the girl spread her arms as if embracing something.

"Fine. It’s been ages since I had real fun."

Thud!

This time, she didn’t dodge. Yuri’s body shattered under the force.

Shadow’s form materialized slowly on the other side.

She stared at the crushed remains, her gaze darkening.

"Dead?"

No—just beginning!

Scattered flesh instantly turned to blood mist.

Within the rising crimson fog, a blurry figure sharpened...

"Hahaha... Knew you weren’t dead."

Shadow froze, then grinned wildly. Her body blurred, closing in on the mist.

"Hey... what monster are you? Uh—"

Bang!

Inside the mist, she struck without hesitation.

Claws that shredded steel hesitated slightly on impact.

Crack!

Her wrist snapped under a crushing grip.

Yuri emerged unchanged—but now ink-black hair and clothes framed unnaturally pale skin and crimson, ominous eyes.

Her gaze held no calm well anymore. Only churning killing intent... and hunger!

Before Shadow’s disbelief, Yuri’s fingers clamped her face.

Boom!!

A monstrous force slammed Shadow into the ground.

The earth exploded. Bones cracked across her body.

Without her tough hide, she’d be pulp!

The head blow scattered her thoughts briefly.

Then—

Squelch!

Sharp teeth sank into flesh. Yuri, eyes blazing red, bit her neck.

Outer defenses crumbled like paper.

Gulp...

She swallowed the mixed blood greedily. Not tasty—but she craved more. Even monster blood.

As Shadow’s mind cleared, dizziness and suffocation surged back.

Scales and spines faded with her draining blood and power.

Yuri wouldn’t stop for a human face.

Devour! Devour!

In Shadow’s shrinking pupils, her lifeblood drained away.

"...Get off!"

She roared. Blood loss was unbearable.

Her gray-lit arm healed fast, grabbing for Yuri’s heart.

Yuri blocked. Shadow kicked her chest, then retreated.

"You bastard..." Dizziness made Shadow sway. She glared at the distant, expressionless Yuri, teeth clenched. "Monster! Damn monster!"

Yuri stayed silent. The ruined ground beneath her feet exploded again, leaving a crater.

With explosive speed, she slammed into Shadow—too fast to follow!

Boom!!

They crashed into a wall like cannonballs. Metal warped grotesquely.

Shadow’s face twisted in agony.

Body and soul ached, reviving that old fear...

"What... joke is this?"

Pain gnawed her nerves. Yuri pinned her to the wall, choking her neck.

Shadow’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.

"I’m... afraid? What... joke!!!"

Boom!!

Exhausted Shadow suddenly roared—a sound of taboo-shattering rage.

A gray storm shredded nearby metal, hurling Yuri away.

Hunched in the vortex, Shadow’s hair hid her face.

"You... made me taste fear again. Second time... second time someone did this. Unforgivable! Unforgivable!!"

She muttered madly. Gray mist spun wildly around her.

Nearby, Mo—locked in combat with Useless—paused at the disturbance.

Then he grinned strangely. "Forced Shadow to use that? Hahaha... No one leaves alive today!"

"You won’t."

Useless frowned, snorted coldly. Threads surged forward!

"You don’t understand... know nothing. Haha... You’ll see. Shadow’s a real monster!"

Mo laughed, strikes growing deadlier. His words sent a chill down Useless’s spine.

But he had no time to spare.

Meanwhile, Shadow lifted her head.

Her face unchanged—except her eyes, now filled with eerie gray.

A faint cyan tint swirled within.

A terrifying aura spread from her.

Even distant spectators Zuo Yuan and Maria felt a venomous chill—as if stared at by snakes.

"Die..."

Lips parting, Shadow raised her arm toward Yuri.

Boom!!!

The gray storm paused, then erupted like enraged bees!

Ground smoked with corrosive fumes under its touch.

The storm engulfed Yuri, melting earth and scarring metal in seconds.

Yet Yuri’s face stayed calm.

Only devouring hunger burned in her eyes like fire.

Facing the storm, she hummed softly and charged in.

Sizzle!

Contact made her body flinch.

Not just corrosion—the gray storm cut like knives!

Dozens of wounds opened on her skin.

Still, she advanced without pause.

Tearing winds, poison fumes! As movement grew harder, demon wings spread from Yuri’s back.

Watching her close in, Shadow’s twisted smile returned.

"Unforgivable..."