NOVPUBThe curved edge of his dark scythe glinting faintly under the strange moonlight of the Ethereal Grounds. Then, slowly, the air around the scythe's head began to change—dark mist started to gather, swirling quietly at first, like smoke coiling from a small fire. But as seconds passed, that mist began to take shape—forming into something more solid, more dangerous. It became a dark ball of concentrated energy, floating just above the blade's tip, pulsing like a heart filled with shadow.
Yoora's eyes widened as soon as she saw it, her chest rising and falling as she took a shaky step back. That shape, that aura, even the sound it made as it formed—she knew it.
She knew that skill.
It was her mother's.
"What… what do you think you're doing?!" she shouted, voice trembling with a mix of anger and confusion.
Seojun tilted his head slightly, his lips pulling into a small, knowing smirk. "You know what this is, right?" he said calmly, his voice low and steady. "You recognize it. You know who the original owner of this skill is, don't you?"
Yoora's hands shook as she clenched her fists tightly, her chains rattling faintly at her side. "How—how can you use that? That's hers! Did you do something to my mother?! Did you copy her?! Did you—hurt her?!"
She could barely hold her emotions now. The anger inside her was burning hotter than before, not just because of the fight—because Seojun had touched something personal.
Seojun didn't answer with words. Instead, he spun his scythe once, slowly, causing the dark ball of mana to flicker and hum louder, the pressure from it shaking the ground faintly beneath his feet. His smirk deepened, and his eyes narrowed in challenge.
"If I said yes," he muttered coldly, "what would you do?"
Yoora didn't hesitate. She screamed, "Then I'll never forgive you! I'll kill you with everything I have!!"
But Seojun didn't even blink. He raised his hand, and the dark ball of energy launched forward, flying through the air with a deep, low hum that shook Yoora's bones.
"Then," Seojun said sharply, "survive this first. Dark Nove 2.0"
Yoora's heart pounded as the ball came closer. Her chains moved instantly, wrapping around her like a cocoon, forming a thick shield of pure energy and metal. But just as the impact happened, her eyes widened again in shock—more dark spheres had formed while she was focused on the first one.
"W-What is this…?" she gasped.
A dozen dark balls now floated in the air, surrounding her from every side, pulsing like quiet death.
And then—Boom.
All of them exploded at once.
The impact rocked the Ethereal Grounds. Dirt flew into the air, forming a thick cloud of dust and broken earth. The ground cracked beneath the force, and the pressure blew across the battlefield like a wave. Even the air trembled.
For a long moment, everything was silent.
Then, a calm voice broke through the swirling dust.
"I'm amazed," Seojun said, stepping forward as the cloud began to settle. "You actually escaped it."
He turned slowly, his eyes falling on a figure stumbling forward through the smoke.
Yoora.
She was still standing, but barely. Her arms were bleeding here arms had turn to ash, cut by the backlash of her chains and the force of the explosions. Her hair was wild, face bruised, and blood was dripping down the side of her leg.
Even wounded, she refused to fall.
[She's adapting faster than expected. Physical damage rising, but emotional drive compensating. Keep pushing, Host.]
The dust continued to float around them, making it hard to see clearly
[Host, I'm in awe she escaped the Dark Nova with quick thinking. Impressive. Her shield wasn't strong enough to block it, but instead of trying to defend directly, she redirected the explosion's force. She opened a tiny hole at the last second using her chains, letting the blast push her out while minimizing the damage. She calculated the impact angle mid-fight—rare instincts for someone her age.]
Seojun raised one eyebrow slightly, not responding to the system but watching Yoora closely as she stood, bloody and shaky, but alive.
Yoora's hands trembled as she reached down, grabbing the edge of her torn shirt and ripping it with her teeth. Without a word, she wrapped the cloth tightly around her bleeding arm, tying it into a makeshift bandage to stop the blood. Her breathing was rough, her legs were shaking—but her eyes were still sharp.
And then, even as the blood dried on her fingers, she lifted her head and smirked. "That's not how Dark Nova works," she said hoarsely, voice cracked but still strong.
Seojun tilted his head, curious. "Oh?" he replied,
"Dark Nova," Yoora continued through gritted teeth, "is supposed to explode everything it touches from the inside—limb by limb, one by one. Once it touches your body, it's over. It spreads and kills. It's impossible to dodge or block once it starts."
She looked him dead in the eye.
"But you... That was different."
Seojun nodded. "You're right. the one I use is something else entirely. If I use it at full power... the effect is far beyond the original That you can't escape."
Yoora wiped the blood from her lip, and despite everything—her wounds, the pain, the danger—she grinned.
"I knew it," she said, her voice filled with defiance. "You're weak. You're just a copycat. You take other people's skills and pretend they're yours. You have no originality. You're nothing but a cheap shadow of the real thing."
For a moment, Seojun didn't say anything. He just looked at her, silently, his expression unreadable. Then, a small laugh escaped his lips—not angry, but... impressed.
Even like this—even when she was cut, bleeding, cornered—Yoora still had the strength to throw insults in his face.
"Well then, Min Yoora," Seojun said at last, stepping back with a calm breath. "Let me show you what this professor is really capable of."
He raised his palm slowly toward the sky, his fingers spread, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "Cursed Emberstorm."
The world went silent.
Yoora's breath hitched. A strange chill crawled down her back, even though there was no wind.
And then, from above— red lights began to appear. One by one, they lit up the sky like glowing stars, But these weren't stars. These were sparks of death.
Yoora's eyes widened as she stared up, her instincts screaming. She could feel it—this wasn't a bluff. She was in real danger.
Seojun's voice echoed across the field, clear and emotionless.
"Target: Min Yoora."
"Shit—!" Yoora cursed, immediately slamming her chains into the ground.
She didn't try to dodge. She knew she couldn't So she built.
Her chains shot upward and outward, weaving fast and thick, stacking on top of each other again and again. She wasn't making a shield this time—she was building a fortress. A solid dome, like a cave, with no entrance and no exit, just wall after wall of reinforced chains layered to take the hit. It was the best defense she could think of in the moment.
Outside the dome, Seojun turned and began walking away, calmly and without rush, like the battle had already ended.
The sky above the dome crackled with power as the red lights began to pulse.
"If I used this at full power," Seojun muttered to himself, "that shield wouldn't stand a chance." He glanced back, eyes narrowing slightly. "But I don't need to destroy her."
He let a slow breath out, his voice quiet and sharp. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
"Just breaking it... is enough."
