Nova felt his body turn rigid as the system message flashed across his vision, confirming what he already knew. Cardinal Darius was dead by his hand, through the contract's judgment.

Annelie's face turned strange after hearing his words. "...What do you mean, killed him? Darius is dead?" The words came out barely above a whisper, like she feared breaking the heavy silence of the void.

Nova swallowed hard before answering. "He broke the contract. That could mean he intended to harm Millie." He kept his voice steady despite the weight of the words. "I had no choice but to enforce the penalty."

"Oh no… Did the madness get him?"

"I can only assume it did." Nova glanced back at the thread stretching into the darkness behind them. "But he seemed completely fine before we left, so it's strange…"

Annelie's small fingers worked nervously at the fabric of the pouch as she considered the implications. "Is it possible that the void is creating illusions of the contract getting triggered?"

"I doubt it." Nova shook his head firmly. "Unless they can affect things inside my body, that shouldn't be possible."

"Mmh, I don't think they can." Annelie shifted her weight, casting wary glances at the pressing darkness around them. "Only the strongest void beings are able to replicate all the senses perfectly."

"If I can't trust this, I can't trust anything I see in here. Even you." Nova spread his hands. "Besides, I can see his soul."

[Soul Sheet - Cardinal Darius Zuraski]

[Core Stats] [Soul Power: 2,467,390] [Soul Purity: Radiant] [Compatibility: 77%] [Time Limit: 5 sec]

[Essence] [2,684,519/13,422,598]

[Aspects] [Physical Force: 2,319,346] [Physical Control: 1,875,216] [Physical Resilience: 6,072,607] [Mental Force: 1,702,499] [Mental Control: 1,924,564] [Essence Generation: 1,899,890] [Essence Capacity: 1,825,868]

[Soul Traits] [Diamond Essence] [MYTHIC] [Combat Born (Evolved)] [LEGENDARY] [Blood of Immortals] [LEGENDARY]

'...Man, that's more than I expected. They're not the peak of prodigies for nothing. An evolved soul trait as well?'

[Combat Born (Evolved)]

[Your inherent understanding of combat is nearly at an inhuman level, and you learn much faster than others.]

[Evolved: As long as you're in combat, your senses are enhanced to detect any movement in your surroundings at a slowed pace. You can react and move with perfect clarity, using your essence as efficiently as possible.]

'...Now I really want to evolve some of my traits. This sounds nearly unbeatable. And two traits that make him more durable. This soul is priceless. But I feel bad for killing him like this. He should have gone out fighting.'

Nova tapped his chest absently where the new power rested, still processing the magnitude of what he'd gained. "It's quite something, this soul."

"Well, of course! He was a Cardinal! And probably the strongest in combat."

"Yeah, I believe it. Did you know traits can evolve?"

"Oh, yeah. They told me shortly after I arrived in Damascus." Her head tilted with curiosity. "Did he have one?"

"Yes, called Combat Born. It sounds overwhelmingly powerful."

"That explains his reputation." Annelie nodded, then turned to scan the endless darkness stretching ahead of them.

Nova's face darkened as his eyes fixed on the silvery thread, its glow somehow dimmer than before. The pressure of the void seemed to increase around them as he spoke. "...I don't like this, Annelie. If something got to him, it might only be a matter of time before the others fall. And then Millie will be unprotected, or worse…"

"What's the fastest solution, then?" Annelie stepped closer until she was barely an arm's length away. "Do you have an escape plan if you go back?"

Nova adjusted the heavy pack, buying time as he considered their options. "...Not one that won't force me to break a contract." His fingers drummed against the bomb's surface through the fabric. "But I could send Millie to Collport by using this soul to empower a teleportation formation."

"And then what?" Her grey eyes fixed on his face. "You come back here? Or you let everyone in the city die?"

'That's not even worth consideration… No matter how much I'd like for the church to disappear, it can't happen like this.'

"...I guess our only choice is to keep moving."

"I agree." Annelie's voice softened. "Though I completely understand your worry."

"Yeah… I should have arrived at that conclusion on my own."

"You would have." A warm smile spread across her face. "You're amazing, after all."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Ehm, thanks." Nova looked away, focusing on the path ahead. He didn't feel like she was acting quite right. But they were in the void, where strange behavior was almost a law.

The silence stretched between them as they continued through the suffocating darkness. The void seemed to turn denser with every step, but nothing had tried to attack them for a while.

Nova kept his senses sharp as they moved forward. 'I hope that's a sign we're getting close. If these creatures are avoiding this area, it might belong to someone else.'

"Hey… Nova?" Annelie's voice broke through the heavy silence.

"Yes?"

"...Have you ever…" Her arms twisted around the silver pouch by her chest. "Been in love?"

Nova stopped mid-step and turned to face her. "Huh? Are you okay?"

"Come on!" The force in Annelie's voice echoed strangely in the darkness. "Don't avoid the question!"

"No, you're definitely not okay." Nova reached for her wrist. "Let me check your pulse."

"Says you!" Annelie danced back a step. "Answer me, have you ever been in love?"

Nova advanced with growing concern. "No, never. Not romantically. And I doubt I will be starting now. Let me check your pulse properly."

"Never? How?" The pitch of her voice rose unnaturally.

"I don't know, I think something's wrong with me." Nova lunged forward, trying to grab her hand. "Give me your hand."

"In m—marriage?"

"Annelie! Snap out of it!"

Annelie blinked rapidly and pressed a hand to her forehead. "...What? Wait, I think I'm... losing control."

"Yeah, obviously!" Nova pointed at the black ground beneath them. "Lay down; I'll use the silver to perform a ritual!"

"No." Annelie's eyes glinted with an unnatural light. "You lay down on the ground."

"We don't have time for this, Annelie." Nova kept his voice firm but gentle, trying to reach her sensible side. "Focus on your thoughts, not your emotions. Breathe, and listen to my instructions."

Annelie took deep but shaky breaths. The silver pouch trembled in her grip and slowly slipped from her fingers.

Nova reached for the pouch, but Annelie moved with startling speed. Her hands transformed into gleaming black chitin, sharp and deadly. In one fluid motion, she ripped the bag into pieces, scattering the silver coins directly into Nova's face.

The coins sparked and flashed in the darkness. Before Nova could regain his bearings, a powerful force slammed him onto the ground. The bomb slipped from his back, landing right next to him.

Annelie loomed over him as her body expanded, growing larger and more monstrous with each passing second. Her robe tore to pieces around her, falling to the ground in shreds. The beast traits she'd absorbed warped her small frame into something both beautiful and terrifying.

"It's a bit early, but let's get married, Nova!" Her voice carried an unsettling mix of childish glee and primal hunger.

Nova stared up at the creature Annelie had become. His expression was still neutral. "Are you really going to force my hand?"

"You're out of options!" She pressed him harder against the ground. "I won the battle! You're mine now!"

Nova didn't struggle against her grip. 'Is this love an amplified version of your true feelings? Or are they just an effect of the void's influence? You said the feelings were positive, so I guess... you really do feel that way.'

He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. But he would have to figure it out later; her grip was becoming uncomfortably tight around his tiny arms.

[Fragment of Nova Noctis equipped.]

Nova traced a quick formation on the ground below them. Energy surged outward, launching both of them skyward with great force.

[You have learned the skill: Repulsor Formation (Master - 14%) {Grade 6}]

[The formation pushes anything above it with great force when it is activated. The energy used depends on the energy supplied, but it can never exceed 1 ton.]

'Yeah, yeah, I know! Get out of my face!'

Nova twisted in the empty air and drove both his feet into Annelie's armored chest. The impact sent vibrations through his legs, but he managed to loosen her grip on his arms. He kicked again, leaving Annelie in the air while he darted to the ground.

Annelie changed her form to considerably reduce her mass. Now, she looked much more like a praying mantis, with elongated limbs and a thin frame. "You want to play tag instead? I'm in!"

Nova activated the Cloak of Nova, letting it settle around him like a second skin. Every movement in the air, every shift in essence, became clear as crystal. Dark energy pulsed out from his body as he cast Veil of Shadows, briefly hiding himself from Annelie's transformed eyes in the black sphere.

Annelie landed on the ground with a quiet thud. "Aww, hide and seek now? My favorite!" Her voice carried an unsettling mix of playfulness and desperation.

'I won't say I told you so, I won't say I told you so…' Nova made silent promises to himself, already preparing for when Annelie returned to her senses. 'I need to restrain her. Or I could knock her senseless. But I prefer restraining.'

Annelie's elongated arm cut through the veil like a whip. But Nova had already felt the attack coming through his cloak. He shifted slightly left as her claws sliced through empty air.

His fingers moved with practiced speed, tracing patterns into the dark ground. The formation took shape within the veil, but he held back from activating it. Instead, he cast Grounded, locking his soles to the ground and multiplying his already enhanced speed.

He burst out of the veil, running straight toward Annelie with terrible speed. "Do you still remember how to dance?"

"I never thought you'd ask!"

They fell into a deadly dance across the void's surface. Nova darted between Annelie's attacks with fluid grace, his hammer whistling through the air as he sought weak points in her chitinous armor. Each impact rang out with dull thuds, barely penetrating her transformed shell.

Annelie's body twisted and changed with each movement. Spikes erupted from her shoulders only to retract and emerge elsewhere. Her arms stretched like rubber, trying to catch Nova in their grasp. The monster parts she'd absorbed gave her an endless array of weapons, but Nova's enhanced senses kept him one step ahead of each attack.

"I can end this at any moment, you know!" Nova called out between strikes. His hammer sparked against her armor. "I have powerful souls at my disposal!"

Annelie twisted away from his attack with unnatural grace. Her transformed face split into a predatory grin. "I know you, dear, your pride would never allow it! Besides, you're having so much fun right now!"

'...Really? Am I smiling?' Nova touched his face with his free hand, surprised to find his lips curved upward despite the intensity of their battle.

He launched a series of quick strikes, each one pushing Annelie back toward the dark veil. His movements appeared desperate, almost clumsy—a stark contrast to his earlier precision.

Annelie's laugh echoed through the void as she spotted his apparent strategy. She bounded backward with supernatural agility, avoiding what she thought was his trap. But her clawed feet landed squarely on the scattered silver coins.

'Oh no, I never expected her to see through it. Or did I?'

Nova's fingers snapped together, causing the formation hidden in the veil to burst to life. The silver coins lifted from the ground, spinning in an ever-tightening circle around Annelie's transformed body. The metal sang with celestial energy, creating a cage of pure light.

"Annelie!" Nova's voice cut through the void. "If you hear me, focus on staying still! I'll fix you soon!"

Her monstrous form trembled as the silver's power worked through her system. "Hurry!" The word came out as half-plea, half-growl.

Nova's hands traced the familiar patterns of Chains of Binding. Ethereal links materialized from the darkness, wrapping around her thrashing form. The chains tightened, locking both her physical form and essence in place.

The monster parts receded under the combined assault of silver and binding chains. Chitinous plates melted away, leaving Annelie's small frame completely bare in the darkness of the void.

Nova rushed forward, pulling his robe off in one smooth motion. He gently draped the fabric over her head, leaving the arms stuck close to her body, before beginning the purification ritual.

'I pray this works!'

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