Chapter 23 虚無の具現 —Kyomu no Gugensha— Manifestation of Nonexistence.

...My laughter slowly faded, replaced by a cold calm that settled over me. Ume, in her desperate flight, had managed to escape my blade, but I knew her end was near. Naboru was already doomed to the flames. All that was left for me to do was to distance myself from this inferno, to avoid perishing in the chaos I had unleashed.I cast one last glance at the house—my house—which was now nothing more than a heap of burning rubble. A sense of bitterness welled up inside me. Everything I had built, everything that had been mine, was consumed before my eyes. A part of me wanted to rush inside, to save what could still be salvaged, but I knew it was useless. The house was lost, just like those still trapped within its walls.With a resolute motion, I turned away, distancing myself from the ravenous flames. The crackling of the fire and the howls of the collapsing manor echoed behind me, but I didn't look back. It was time to leave this place, to survive this hellish night.As I took a step to distance myself from this nightmare, a searing pain shot through my back, freezing my body in place. The air seemed to still around me, and my breath halted abruptly. I slowly lowered my gaze, and what I saw—or rather, what I felt—plunged me into an indescribable terror.It was like a spike, as hard as steel, yet at the same time, it felt soft, almost elastic, piercing into me with disconcerting ease. My mind blurred, unable to comprehend what was happening. This spike—no, this tentacle—was everything and its opposite at once.It seemed to be every color, vibrating with a myriad of hues, yet it had no color at all, as if it absorbed all the light around it. In one instant, it was invisible, melting into the air like a mirage, and in the next, it was the most tangible, the most real thing I had ever felt.I wanted to turn my head, to see what had impaled me, but my body no longer responded. I felt as if this thing was as light as a breath of wind, barely caressing my skin, yet the pain it inflicted was unbearable, as if every nerve in my body was on fire.It was there, palpable and unreal at the same time, an abomination that defied logic itself. How could something be both soft and sharp, visible and invisible, everything and nothing? Reality twisted around me, and my mind, unable to reconcile these contradictions, plunged into utter confusion.

A scream pierced the air, both monstrous and gentle, feminine and imbued with an immense strength. That scream… I recognized it.

It was Ume.

Before I could even react, the pain intensified, and the tentacle—or spike, or band of indescribable matter—I don't know how to describe it—threw me violently backward, hurling me into the garden like a rag doll. My body hit the ground with a crash, and I felt the air leave my lungs in a painful gasp.I lifted my head, my vision blurred by pain, and saw her approaching. Ume... but she was no longer the same person. From her back emerged two enormous bands of matter, impossible to define—one still stained with my blood, the other holding the lifeless body of Naboru. She stood like a ferocious beast. She seemed like a spider, a wolf, a demon, everything imaginable but not human.I stared at the sight in horror. How was this possible? How could a man as powerful as I, who had dominated armies, broken wills, and controlled metal as an extension of my own body, have failed to cut down a wretch like Naboru?I saw him there, hanging lifelessly in the grasp of that abominable substance, and yet… I remembered the sensation of cutting metal, the force with which I had struck. I was certain I had sliced him in two, reduced him to ashes, wiped him from this world. And yet… he was there, intact, as if my blade had never touched his flesh.My mind, first engulfed by pain, now drowned in confusion. Nothing made sense. Ume… she couldn't do this. She was just a simple servant, a shadow among shadows, not this creature advancing toward me, her eyes burning with a fury I had never seen in her before.And then, everything became clear, like a lightning bolt tearing through the night. This power… it wasn't just any power.

虚無の具現 —Kyomu no Gugensha— Manifestation of Nonexistence.

This legendary and terrifying power, capable of generating destructive objects from nonexistent matter, of manipulating the void, abstraction itself. It wasn't just a gift; it was a curse.The legends spoke of a power so dangerous it had sparked a war—a war in the region where Ume came from. A war I knew well, for that's where I had found Ume, bought for a pittance by desperate villagers, sold for a few miserable pieces of gold. They simply wanted to survive, not knowing that the one they betrayed carried within her the very power that an entire army had sought to eradicate.That war… it had been fought for a reason. The rumors said the bearer of this power was dead, that the threat had been eliminated. But no. This power had not disappeared. It had hidden, concealed in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. Ume, this simple servant, this quiet and unassuming woman, had carried this secret within her all this time.How had she hidden such power? How had she deceived me, who thought I knew everything about her, who believed I knew her better than anyone? This void, this incarnate inexistence, had been there, right before my eyes, masked by humility and submission. And now, she stood there, finally revealing her true nature, like a storm ready to ravage everything in its path.Why? Why had she waited so long to reveal this power? Had she always intended to destroy me, or was it Naboru who had triggered everything? A dull rage rose within me, mingled with a terror I had never felt before. I wasn't just facing an angry woman. I was facing the very incarnation of nothingness, destruction made flesh.Why her? Why this power? Nothing made sense, and yet everything was becoming terrifyingly clear. I had underestimated Ume, believed her worth was no more than the gold coins I had paid for her. I was wrong. She was so much more than that. She was the embodiment of the end, a power that should have remained buried, annihilated with those who had sought to control it.

And now, it was my turn to pay the price.

No, I couldn't stop here. Not now, not after everything I had sacrificed, everything I had lost. My home in flames, my body broken, and now this revelation, this waking nightmare. But I couldn't give up, not in front of her, not in front of this monstrous power.I forced myself up, my muscles screaming in pain, but my will stronger than ever. My eyes, burning with determination, locked onto Ume, this woman I thought I knew, but who now revealed herself to be something far more terrifying.

"You're a monster, Ume!"

I shouted, my voice echoing through the air thick with smoke and ashes.

"This power... Kyomu no Gugensha... it's an abomination! A horror that shouldn't even exist! Do you really think I'll let you live after this? That I'll allow such a destructive power to continue existing?"

I felt anger rising within me, fueled by fear and hatred. "I'm going to kill you, Ume! I'll annihilate you and that cursed power! For everything you've done, for everything you are! This world doesn't need you, doesn't need such a power! You shouldn't even be alive!"

"Gladius!"

I cried, summoning the steel forged by my rage and determination.

The gigantic sword materialized behind me, an immense and formidable blade, its edges glinting with a murderous light. I controlled it by sheer will, making it levitate in the air before seizing it with a firm hand. The two indistinct appendages emanating from Ume's back undulated, as if reacting to my murderous intent. They seemed to be made of the very substance of nonexistence, blurry and concrete at once, elusive yet terribly real. Without hesitation, I lunged toward her, the massive blade tracing an arc of blinding light. The sword cut through the air with devastating power, each movement tearing the space around us, as if the world itself bent under its force. Ume, however, did not retreat. Her expression was calm, almost resigned, in stark contrast to the violence of the battle. The appendages of Kyomu no Gugensha lashed out, twisting unpredictably, each extending with lightning speed. They struck my blade with incredible force, sending a shockwave through my arm. The impact made my bones tremble, but I refused to give in. I pushed forward, forcing the sword to drive deeper, to pierce those horrible appendages. One of them wrapped around my blade, its texture both slippery and sticky, resistant yet strangely fragile. I gritted my teeth, trying to slice through the indefinable material, but it slipped away, changing shape, splitting into multiple smaller segments that attacked from all sides. I jumped back, dodging a downward strike that could have sliced me in two. The ground cracked under the impact of the appendage, the earth exploding into debris. Ume stared at me with a cold, almost absent intensity. I could see the internal struggle in her eyes, but it no longer mattered to me. All that mattered was destroying her, and that abominable power.With a sharp gesture, I sent Gladius spiraling, the blade spinning with lethal speed. It cleaved the appendages of Kyomu no Gugensha in two, but to my horror, they immediately reformed, even more menacing than before. A second appendage shot out, coiling around my leg before violently hurling me backward.I crashed into a tree with enough force to break its trunk. Splinters of wood flew in all directions as I stood up, breathless but not yet defeated

"I won't give up!"

I roared, channeling all my energy into Gladius.

The sword glowed with a fiery light, pure force radiating from its blade. I charged again, directing it straight at Ume's heart. She raised her appendages to defend herself, but this time, I knew where to strike. I dodged her first attack, sliding under the appendages, drawing dangerously close to her. My blade descended with all the power of my determination, slicing through the air with such intensity that the ground itself began to tremble.One of the appendages managed to intercept the blade at the last second, but I forced the sword forward, each inch gained bringing me closer to victory. Yet, as the blade progressed, I could feel something strange, as if Ume's power was absorbing the very force of my attack, turning it against me.My blade continued to crash with unmatched violence against Ume's appendages, the flashes of light blending with the shifting shadows of her devastating ability. She did not retreat, her movements imbued with a chilling determination. Her appendages, formed of inconceivable material, moved with a troubling fluidity and precision, every attack and defense eluding my strikes.Suddenly, Ume hurled Naboru into the air with such force that the impact with the ground was avoided, leaving me once again facing her. Naboru's body described an arc in the air, but before it even hit the ground, Ume sent it flying again with a nearly desperate movement. Her appendages moved with increased intensity, Naboru's body swinging between earth and sky like a puppet.Ume's murmurs of rage were almost inaudible, guttural sounds of despair and determination. Her eyes reflected an inner struggle, a battle between fear and anger. She was focused, almost hypnotized by the urgency of the situation, and I could read in her gestures a will to protect what remained important to her.

"You can't... escape...!"

she murmured, her voice betraying fatigue but also an unyielding determination. The words were almost lost in the tumult, but I could perceive the depth of her conflict.

I stood, continuing to face the undulating appendages that seemed to reform instantly after every blow struck. The battle was a macabre dance between my blade and the extensions of her power, each one twisting, reforming, and counterattacking with renewed force. Naboru, still in the air, was held in suspension, Ume's appendages moving with a terrifying precision, swinging his body like a disjointed doll. Ume's movements were both methodical and desperate, each throw of Naboru highlighting the desperate aspect of her strategy.

"Ume!"

I shouted, trying to maintain my assault against the appendages, my muscles screaming under the strain.

"You killed him! It's your power that caused this chaos! All of this is your fault!"

Ume seemed to react, her movements slowing slightly, a nearly inaudible whisper escaping her lips as she threw Naboru again.

"I... I must…"

She struggled to speak, but her words were swallowed by the cacophony of the battle.

Sure, here's the translation:

☆*: .｡.Ume. .｡: *☆

Lysandros, in a desperate surge, channeled all his strength into his blade, making it grow to a colossal size. His figure distorted, strained with terrifying energy as he hurled it toward me with consuming determination. The air vibrated under the pressure of his attack, a destructive light ready to tear everything apart in its path. I knew this attack was fatal. His eyes reflected a rage and determination I had never seen before. In an instant, the world around me seemed to shrink to a scene of terror where only Lysandros and his immense blade held sway. His charge was inevitable, his intention as clear as crystal: he sought to end all this chaos, no matter the cost.But I wasn't going to let fear overwhelm me. With renewed determination, I unleashed my power, summoning the very essence of my being to counter this unleashed threat.

"霊覚:虚空無限の舞 —Reikaku: Koku Mugen no Mai— Spiritual Revelation: Infinite Dance of the Void,"

I murmured, my voice filled with calm assurance despite the storm of battle.

The power awakened within me, a wave of pure, infinite energy that filled the space around me. A dozen strands of non-existent material appeared, forming with impeccable precision. They rippled through the air with an almost hypnotic grace, encircling Naboru and me in a cocoon of pure abstraction. The strands were of terrifying beauty, floating like barely perceptible threads of silk yet charged with devastating power.

The strands unfurled like the petals of a cosmic flower, opening slowly before fragmenting into a thousand pieces. They spread across the ground, almost fusing with the terrain, absorbing and transforming everything they touched into intangible and shifting matter.I manipulated these strands with perfect mastery, my movements precise and fluid like a dance. I could create, separate, merge, and shape these strands with unparalleled speed and finesse. They moved at an almost imperceptible speed, shifting and reacting to Lysandros' intentions with disconcerting precision. Each strand had a specific function: some were as fine as silk threads, capable of slicing through the hardest matter; others were thicker, forming impenetrable barriers or blades of exceptional hardness. They fused and separated at will, creating forms and structures in perpetual evolution, reflecting the infinite dance of the void.Lysandros' attack, though powerful, collided with this fluid and omnipresent barrier. The gigantic blade, in an almost choreographed motion, was deflected, then absorbed and dispersed by the moving strands. The force of his blow was dissipated, the blade disintegrating into fragments of energy that mingled with the strands.I fixed Lysandros with an icy intensity, every movement of my power orchestrated with calculated precision. His rage and despair were palpable, but he was now confronted with a power that transcended the limits of his understanding.

I had never used this level of control before, but the circumstances demanded absolute mastery. The strands reformed, their structure shifting in response to every attempt Lysandros made to advance. The ground, enveloped in this void material, absorbed every impact, every attempt at breakthrough.

Lysandros tried to break through the barrier with brute force, but the strands instantly reorganized, adapting to each attack, circumventing every assault. His cries of frustration mingled with the whispers of the mist, his body moving with desperate rage. But every movement was anticipated, every attack was absorbed and transformed by the infinite dance of the void.Lysandros, on the brink of despair, let out a cry of pure incredulity. His eyes widened as he surveyed the surreal scene unfolding before him, his screams resonating with heart-wrenching intensity.

"This is impossible!"

he screamed, his voice full of astonishment and frustration.

"A Reikaku! It requires a level of mastery so rare, a skill that surpasses anything I've ever seen!"

He shook his head with desperate force, as if trying to dispel a reality he couldn't accept. His hands trembled as he continued his cry, every word tinged with disbelief.

"A power like this is unthinkable!"

he exclaimed.

"Mastering a Reikaku with such precision requires years, decades of practice and discipline! How is it possible that such mastery exists?"

Lysandros' words were filled with a mixture of anger and pure terror. The very concept of such power, perfectly controlled and harnessed, plunged him into a state of shock. He had underestimated me, believing that my strength and power were limited, but what he now saw surpassed anything he could have imagined.

"Years of practice! Years! And she has reached this level in so little time! It's inhuman, it's… it's a nightmare!"

he shouted, his voice breaking under the weight of his disbelief.

His gaze fixed on me with an almost fanatical intensity, still trying to understand how such power had eluded him, how he had been deceived by someone so seemingly ordinary. The reality of the situation hit him full force, and the power he now faced pushed him to the brink of madness.

"How is this possible?!"

I do not answer. I no longer need to answer. My silence is my greatest insult. My silence is my response. Every breath I take, every step I make, everything is calculated. I have waited so long for this moment. I no longer need to hide.

He charges again, his great blade floating in the air, growing under the effect of his rage and despair. He hopes to crush me, to obliterate me with his brute force. Poor fool. He doesn't know that it's all already over. It was decided long before he raised that weapon.My strands of non-existence multiply, streaking around me, drawing infinite arcs in the air. They touch the ground, anchoring themselves, as if the world itself bent under my control. Lysandros' blade descends on me, fast, colossal, ready to annihilate me.

I am not afraid.

The strands tighten, merge together. I feel the energy vibrate, the void opposing his force. He thinks he has me? No. He never had a chance.

The blade meets my strands. The impact resonates like a cry of rage and despair. Lysandros pours everything he has, every ounce of his desperate strength, into this attack. But I do not retreat. I am the representative of the void, and nothing can stop what has never existed.With disconcerting fluidity, I tighten my strands around his blade. They slide along the metal, like snakes. Invisible, visible. Hard, soft. Real, unreal. They are everything and nothing at the same time. And in this duality, they find their strength.Lysandros lets out a scream. A scream of frustration, of terror. A scream I have heard so many times, in so many others. A scream that means nothing to me anymore.I tighten my strands one last time, and with a sinister crack, the blade fractures. The metal gives way, unable to resist the power of the void.

I look at him, straight in the eyes.

And I smile.

To be continued...

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Hey there, amazing readers! I hope you're all doing fabulously well—I'm doing pretty great myself! So, here's the situation: I planned to write a simple author's note in the usual spot, but then, like the absolute clown that I am, I got carried away. I mean, seriously, I wrote so much that it couldn't even fit in the space I set aside for it. Ahah, what can I say? When I start writing, it's like my fingers take on a life of their own and refuse to stop.

So here we are, with this author's note tucked away in a completely different place because apparently, I have no concept of "enough is enough." Classic me, right? But honestly, who needs limits when you're just bursting with things to say? I'm basically the king/queen of word overflow, the reigning champion of "Oops, I did it again!" 

ah... Anyway ,I'll let you read the author's note, which is as follows.

"Dear readers,

I can hardly contain the emotion that fills me as I write this note, because the chapter you just read is undoubtedly one of the most significant and dear to my heart since the very beginning of this journey. It's not just another chapter for me; it's the culmination of years of thought, dreams, doubts, and relentless effort. For years, this scene between Lysandros and Ume has haunted me, playing over and over in my mind. I often imagined how I would bring this pivotal moment of the story to life, how best to capture the complexity of their emotions, the intensity of their clash, and above all, how to do justice to the depth of their characters.

From the very first moment I created Lysandros, I knew his journey would not be easy. This character, so full of pride, raw power, and determination, was bound to collide with something greater than himself. And that "greatness" has always been represented by Ume. But it was only recently that I truly understood just how much this confrontation would be more than just a battle. It is the culmination of an entire inner journey, not just for them, but for me as an author as well.

I am proud of this chapter beyond what words can express. It represents a leap into the void for me, a moment where I decided to give it my all, to hold nothing back. Every word, every description, every emotion has been carefully crafted, not just so you can visualize this scene with the intensity it deserves, but so you can feel the tension, the fear, and the determination of the characters as strongly as I did while writing it.

I hope with all my heart that this chapter transported you as much as it transported me while creating it. I've had moments of doubt, sleepless nights where I couldn't find the right words, but today, rereading this chapter, I feel like all that struggle led me here, to this precise moment where Ume finally reveals the full extent of her power.

aspect.

This chapter is only the beginning, a climax that signals more revelations and battles to come. But for me, it's also a point of no return, a moment where I felt the story truly came alive before my eyes. Lysandros and Ume are no longer just characters; they've become entities that have taken on a dimension far beyond what I could have imagined.

So, thank you. Thank you, loyal readers, for your patience, your passion, and your support throughout this journey. Thank you for believing in this story as much as I do, for following Lysandros and Ume through their adventures, and most importantly, thank you for continuing to inspire me to create, to write, and to tell stories.

I sincerely hope this chapter will stay in your memories as it will in mine, and I can't wait to share with you the continuation of this adventure. This is just the beginning of an even greater, even more intense conclusion, and I am more determined than ever to take you all the way to the end of this journey with me.

With all my gratitude and overflowing enthusiasm,"