Chapter 20: Noble Darkness

The blackness was perfect, a sort of visual silence that could send chills through anyone's spine.

The two captains were squaring off in the void dark room.

Max, being able to use seismic sense was freely maneuvering through the darkened room.

Kelly on the other hand was barely able to block some of Max's attacks.

It was truly a one-sided battle.

The room was completely pitch-black and she was being forced to heighten all of her other senses in order to keep up with Max.

Black zone was one of the techniques that Max used proficiently as an assassin.

The fact that he was using a technique that he swore never to use again shows just how formidable Kelly was.

At the start of their confrontation, Max had taken considerable damage from Kelly's scythe which drains power from the victim's soul directly.

It was a completely agonizing experience for Max who was used to all sorts of pain.

He experienced the same type of pain that he usually feels whenever he trades his life force to his relic for more power.

'If I don't do something quick she'll turn me into a lifeless husk.' That was Max's thoughts as he activated the black zone.

The only downside to black zone was that he can't use his other shadow techniques thus he has to fight without his relic's abilities.

He leaps forward in the blackness and throws a flying punch which hits Kelly in the head.

"Now!"

The very moment he touched her, she instinctively swung her scythe in his direction.

"Argh!"

Max grabs his bleeding chest as the scythe once again drains a portion of his life force.

'I can't be too reckless with her.'

"Hahahaha! You're way over your head if you thought that a little darkness will help you win this fight."

She raises her scythe and holds the center section as she begins to spins the scythe at an incredibly fast pace.

The weapon of death started glowing a faint purple light as she imbues her aura into it and the light glows more.

"Reaper's fest!"

Suddenly a strong wind current began to enclose the room.

The purple-colored aura released from the scythe spread out like a visible shockwave and travels across the room slashing ace in several parts.

Ace was sent flying as the Black zone dissolves.

"Ahh... Morning already." Kelly mocks as she sticks the rear of her scythe to the ground.

"What other tricks do you have?" She added as she yawns.

"She broke black zone!"

Max exclaims as he realizes that his opponent was not an ordinary opponent.

'I can't trade my life force anymore.'

There was a one-week cool-down period before Max could use shadow apex again his strongest buff technique.

To add fuel to the re, he was running low on relic power having used a field-effect technique earlier.

He looked pale also from having his life force drained.

Kelly didn't ease up on her assault either. Her scythe glowed once again as the life energy she drained from Max started to swirl around her.

This was the technique that was famous for singlehandedly taking out a small army.

"Soul spawns!"

Just then the swirling life force started to spread around the room and touch the floor.

What emerged from the spots were lookalikes of Max in their astral forms.

This was the true devastating power of the grim reaper's scythe. The ability to take the very life force of its victim and create an army of clones!

Max was awestruck and silent at the recent turn of events.

Kelly bursts into maniacal laughter only for her to pause with a nervous expression on her face.

Although the one thing that made her feel uncomfortable was that there was no agitation on Max's face, it seemed like mere obstinance.

A small smile spread on Max's face, which had remained unchanged despite the desperate situation.

He chuckles as he dodges more of Kelly's attack.

"Tsk. Have I finally driven you to the point of losing your mind? What's so funny."

Anyone would react the same way Max was just now. Her opponent had a wide grin on his face as his life force is being slowly drawn away. His skin was as pale as a vampire's right now.

What Kelly didn't expect was that her opponent was having fun.

"This is exactly what I signed up for!" He exclaims as his eyes shone brightly.

Kelly became anxious. She had to question her hearing for a moment.

She needed to check whether he heard wrong.

But she was sure. Her opponent who had his life force drained, who was facing a horde of clones forged from his soul, was having fun.

"Sorry, it's just that this is my first battle against another clan." Max explains as Kelly tilts her head in confusion.

"You are enjoying all of this?"

"You've got that right!" He says with a grin.

"The thrills, the excitement of the unknown, heated battles like this. This is all part of my adventure. From the very moment I decided to leave my past life behind."

"Excitement? Adventure? I started the Titans to take my revenge on the people that wronged us. The people that ruined our lives. The only thrill I'll ever experience in my life again is the thrill of seeing the heads of our enemies rolling on the ground!"`

"Honestly, I don't care. Everyone in this world is selfish. Your selfishness lies in taking revenge whereas mine lies with my clan. I made a deal with Rohan so he could join Band of misfits after we save his brother and I intend to keep my promise!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You say this now because you have never experienced a darkness so great you feel as if there's nothing worth living for. You become overwhelmed by the ever-growing despair that eats away your heart."

"Darkness? What do you know about darkness?"

His voice became cold as he continues.

"Despair? What do you know about despair?"

Max's expression took a 180 as he channels his remaining power into his fists using doping and casts his shadow to wrap itself around his fists.

"I grew up in the darkness. I was fed by the darkness. I learned from the darkness and I worked for the darkness."

He then channels his aura into the shadow after it took the form of a pair of spiked knuckles.

"I used the darkness and it used me. I learned to accept the fact that I and the darkness have become one. My victims looked upon me with despair as their very souls lingered away from their body."

He slams his knuckles together as they make a hard clank sound.

"But don't worry, if it's a lesson about the darkness you want, I'll be more than happy to offer up my knowledge for I am the noble darkness!"

He jumps high up into the air and crashes into the middle of the clones generating a powerful shockwave that sent tremors throughout the entire mansion.

"I-impossible! How could you have so much energy left?"

All the clones were destroyed with a single strike as the stolen life energy slowly returns to its host.

Kelly looks at Max with a dreaded expression on her face. Her body was trembling at the sight in front of her.

Tall, thin, pale as the chalk cliffs of Dover in a full moon, still, vigilant, lurking in the shadows, staring, like a cobra seeking its prey, wide eyes dark blue as the starry night, dark shadows under sunken eyes.

With an evil glint in his eyes and slow movements, he moves as if he has no bones at all.

He steadily approaches the fazed reaper.

She still had a decent amount of power left. She could just use reaper's fest again. She could charge at him with everything she's got. She knows she could wound him furthermore.

But she just couldn't control her body anymore. She was shaking excessively over the sinister figure that was approaching her like the personification of death itself.

Her body wouldn't listen to her and she seems to understand just why.

The man in front of her wasn't using aura burst to intimate her.

He was simply letting loose of his killer intent.

Chills ran through her spine as she sweats uncontrollably.

She could feel it.

'If I move he will kill me.'

"Revenge is for stupid people who lack positive direction." She watches silently as the lips of the end in front of her move slowly emitting a voice so cold it lacked any emotion.

He was standing right in front of her as she gazes into the void of his eyes.

It was the eyes of someone who had experienced pain far worse than she could have ever imagined.

The look Max was giving her felt as if her skin would peel off and then her flesh would catch on fire.

She barely mustered enough courage to move her lips.

"I-i-i. I surrender."