Kurotsuki's Abyss Titan shadow towered behind him, swallowing the broken rooftop in darkness. The wind carried the screams of the ice-stricken monsters, the frozen forms of Tsubaki, Ranmaru, Hikaru, and Ayame barely moving under Noah's Glacier Fang attack.
"You think that's enough?" he hissed. "I control the shadows. You can't fight what you cannot see."
Noah shifted his stance, sword in hand. Frost still clung to his body."Then I'll just have to make it visible."
Emma spins her blades in both hands. "We're not dying here. Not today."
Kurotsuki snapped his fingers.
The shadow surged forward.
It split into hundreds of shadow tendrils, writhing like snakes, striking at Noah and Emma from every angle.
Emma leapt high, dodging one tendril, then another, slicing one into two with a quick slash. The shadows hissed, recoiling like angry serpents.
Noah's sword cut through the frozen dragon's wing, then through the T-Rex's jaw, but the shadows twisted around him, slowing his movements.
"Damn," he muttered. "This is… going to take some work."
Tsubaki shook the ice from her scales and roared, shattering the frozen ground. Flames erupted from her mouth in a wide stream, melting ice and sending shards of stone flying toward Emma.
Emma somersaulted through the fire, spinning her blades in a wide arc. "Take this!"
Her twin blades sliced into Tsubaki's neck and shoulder, but the dragon only hissed and snapped back, swinging its claws wildly.
"Crazy strong," Emma muttered under her breath. She dodged the claws, each swipe shredding the rooftop beneath her.
Noah rushed forward to meet her attack, slashing Ranmaru's frozen chest with a Glacier Fang shockwave. Ice exploded outward, throwing Ranmaru back.
Hikaru, still frozen from the attack, let out a pained roar, but the claws of the lion monster now had cracks running through the ice.
Noah smirked. "Now we're talking."
Ayame, the black phantom snake, slithered through the shadows, invisible. One second, she was behind Emma; the next, she struck like a whip.
Emma barely dodged, rolling across the icy floor. "Ugh… too fast!"
Ayame flicked again, forcing Emma to jump high, landing awkwardly on a pile of frozen debris. A piece of metal tore across Emma's thigh. She stumbled, hissing in pain.
"Emma!" Noah shouted, rushing to her side.
Emma shook her head. "I'm fine… keep going!"
Noah's eyes narrowed. "Fine. But you better watch yourself."
Kurotsuki's titan shadow raised one massive arm, slamming it into the rooftop. The impact sent a shockwave of darkness across the area, lifting ice, stone, and debris into the air.
Noah and Emma were thrown back, sliding across the cracked rooftop. Noah slammed his sword into the ground to stop their slide.
Frost crackled around him.
"Vector Manipulation—Anchor!" Noah muttered. The surrounding shadows snapped like chains, halting the debris mid-air.
Kurotsuki laughed. "Impressive, but shadows don't break so easily!"
His titan hand slammed again. Noah blocked with his sword. The force bent the steel.
Emma glanced at Noah. "He's insane…"
Noah grinned. "Yeah. But so are we."
Emma leapt toward Tsubaki again, blades flashing. "Twin Blade Draw—Phantom cyclone!"
A white cyclone of blades spun around her. Tsubaki's scales were shredded as the wind cut into her, the dragon screaming in rage.
Ayame hissed from behind Emma, flicking her venom spikes. Emma ducked, but one caught her arm. Blood ran down her sleeve.
"Damn it…" Emma muttered, gritting her teeth. She swung one blade, slicing the spike and the snake's tail at once.
Ayame screamed, recoiling into the shadows.
Noah noticed Emma's cut. "Don't get careless."
Emma grinned despite the blood. "I'm not done yet!"
Ranmaru and Hikaru shook off their ice restraints, roaring in unison. The frozen fractures healed rapidly thanks to their Devil Fruit powers.
Noah pointshis sword at the two, frost cracking along the blade. "Let's finish this."
He thrust forward. Vector Manipulation—Glacier Fang. Ice erupted from the sword like a river of knives.
Ranmaru's T-Rex chest froze solid, the claws of Hikaru shattered into icy dust. Noah swung again, shattering the ice and sending both monsters flying backward.
Kurotsuki shadow tendrils wrapped around Noah's legs. "Too slow, Destroyer!"
Noah gritted his teeth. "Then I'll go faster."
Ghost Step. He phased through the tendrils, appearing behind Ranmaru, sword slicing diagonally.
CRUNCH!
Ranmaru's arm broke mid-bite.
Hikaru tried to pounce—Noah turned his body into mist, allowing the claws to pass harmlessly. He reappeared, driving the sword through the lion's chest. Hikaru roared, falling dead.
"Almost… done…" Noah muttered.
Kurotsuki slammed both fists into the ground.
The ground cracked and Shadows surged like waves.
Noah and Emma jumped over the shadows, landing on broken debris.
"Vector Manipulation—Absolute Reflection!" Noah muttered. The shadows reflected back at Kurotsuki.
Kurotsuki's eyes narrowed. "You dare defy me?!"
Emma's blades gleamed. "We're not defying anyone.
The titan swung, each hand the size of a building.
Emma rolled under the first swing, slashing the shadow hand. Making the shadows hiss.
Noah ran forward, sword glowing with frost. "Time for something insane."
He pointed the sword at Kurotsuki's titan and shouted:
"Vector Manipulation—Glacier Fang—Overdrive!"
The ice spread faster, cracks forming across the shadow titan's body. The shadow shrieked like a wounded beast.
Emma cheered. "That's it! Keep going, Noah!"
Ayame slithered silently behind Emma. Before Emma could react, the black phantom snake lashed, biting her shoulder. Blood sprayed.
Emma fell to her knees, screaming. "Ugh—"
Noah's eyes went wide. "Emma!"
The shadow tendrils from Kurotsuki reached forward, pushing Emma further into danger.
Noah rushed, lifting her with one hand. "You're staying with me!"
Emma gritted her teeth, weakly gripping her blades. "I… I'm fine… keep… fighting!"
"I told you… your my crew."
He planted his feet firmly, frost cracking across the ground, wind howling, blood spraying from Emma's wound.
Noah's gaze softened for a moment. "Hold on, Emma." He focused, swirling vectors around her body.
Vector Manipulation—Heal.
A wave of energy flowed from Noah into Emma. Her wound sealed slowly, the blood disappeared.
Emma gasped, standing up again.
Noah's eyes hardened. "Kurotsuki… now I'm mad."
He points his sword at the titan shadow looming over them.
"Plunge this world into darkness!"
FULL DRIVE.