Chapter 59:

The Hunter Awakens

Veil of the Shadow Hunter


The air around Leegna crackled with raw energy. His dark blue eyes gleamed under the shroud of his Velvet Cloak, which expanded and shifted, making him seem larger than life, more than human. The battlefield, now a desolate wasteland twisted by broken time, echoed with the remnants of the shattered realm. Yet Leegna stood tall, his body coursing with power he had never fully understood until now.

In his hand, the Lost Rapier of Dark Matter pulsed. Shadows danced along its edge, and its blade shimmered as if it could cut through reality itself—both the physical and the ethereal. It held no burden on his body, unlike many weapons of its kind, but Leegna knew better. The more he pushed the rapier, the more likely it was to recoil, reverting to an inactive shadow. For now, though, the weapon remained powerful in his grip, a perfect extension of his will.

He had reached a new height of strength, yet something nagged at the back of his mind. The power he wielded wasn't his alone—it couldn't be. With each precise strike, each devastating blow, a truth lingered beneath the surface. The eyeless creature that followed him silently, the human Yuj had brought, and the lingering absence of Yuj himself—there was a connection. But what was it?

The thought vanished as quickly as it came. The battle demanded his focus.

Leegna moved with fluid grace, faster than his enemies could react. Every attack was perfectly timed, every strike a reflection of the immense power he now held. His enemies—Time Guardians—fell before him, unable to match his speed and strength. His Velvet Cloak billowed as he danced through the battlefield, cutting through the temporal fabric of the realm as easily as flesh.

Each movement was effortless, yet Leegna knew this power came from something deeper—something not entirely of his own making. The eyeless creature, its featureless face observing, seemed to feed into his strength, amplifying it. Yuj was missing, but Leegna could still feel his presence. Could it be that Yuj had bound more than a pact with him? Was this power granted by Yuj's unseen hand?

The connection was undeniable, but Leegna couldn't dwell on it now. There were enemies to slay.

Leegna glanced to his side, where the human ally Yuj had brought stood firm. His presence was more than a mere distraction. The weapon he wielded, a gun-like device crafted by Yuj, was as strange as it was powerful. Each shot from the weapon unleashed a blast that destabilized both material and ethereal forms, weakening the Guardians' defenses just enough for Leegna's rapier to strike them down.

Together, they made quick work of the Guardians. The human's strange weapon and Leegna's unparalleled combat skill created a devastating combination that tore through their enemies.

Leegna felt a rush of appreciation for his ally's tactical contribution, and he nodded in acknowledgment. For now, their partnership was key to this swift victory. But somewhere in his mind, Leegna knew that there were still layers of Yuj's plans left to unfold.

And what of this human? Why was he so indebted to Yuj?

Victory felt closer now. The tide of battle had shifted in his favor, and for the first time in this brutal war, Leegna felt truly in control. His enemies—those who had once seemed untouchable—were crumbling. His power had grown beyond what they could have anticipated. The Guardians fell, one by one, unable to withstand the onslaught. But beneath the thrill of battle, a darker truth loomed.

The power coursing through him wasn't just his own. It was Yuj's. It was the eyeless creature's. It was something else, something more. As his rapier sliced through time and space, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake, Leegna felt the creeping realization that he was no longer bound by the limits of his soul. But why?

The battlefield shifted, the air thickening with tension. Leegna paused for a fraction of a second, sensing a disturbance ahead. A presence, dark and powerful, was approaching. Stronger than any foe he had encountered thus far. The shadows themselves seemed to recoil from the force emanating from this enemy, as if reality itself was bending under its weight.

Leegna narrowed his eyes, the dark blue irises shimmering as his precognitive ability activated. The world blurred around him, time slowing as a fractured vision began to form. He saw glimpses of the future—of this new threat, of the danger it posed—but something more, something critical.

Then it hit him.

A strange pull surged from deep within. For a moment, it was like his instincts screamed at him, urging him to use his Time Leap ability. But why? The battle was going in his favor, the Guardians were falling, and victory seemed close at hand. Yet the urge gnawed at him, irrational and forceful.

2 remaining leaps.

Leegna's breath hitched. He blinked, and in that instant, the number seemed to flash before his eyes—counting down.

2... and then, suddenly, it was 1.

A sense of unease crept in, though nothing around him had changed yet. Leegna gripped his rapier tighter, his mind racing. Why did he feel the need to leap, to escape, when he was finally winning? Was the approaching enemy a greater danger than he had anticipated? Or was this something deeper, some unseen force manipulating the flow of time itself?

The vision shattered as he snapped back to reality. His hand gripped the rapier tightly as the figure emerged from the shadows, fully revealing itself. Leegna's mind raced. The answer was there, lingering at the edge of his perception.

But it wasn't complete.

The fight was far from over, and the strongest enemy was yet to be defeated. Yet, Leegna had seen enough. He now held the key to something important, something that could change everything.

Libeln
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