The air around Akash didn't just vibrate; it shattered. As he pulled the emerald thread, the girl, Yang, was yanked forward like a ragdoll. Her face, which was once filled with arrogance, was now frozen in a mask of pure terror.
"Sister!" Yin screamed, launching a wave of black shadow spikes toward Akash.
Akash didn't even look at him. He raised his left hand, and a wall of crimson-black lightning obliterated the spikes before they could even reach him.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: BERSERK MODE ACTIVATED]
[CURRENT CULTIVATION: UNMEASURABLE]
[WARNING: SOUL CORRUPTION AT 40%]
"You... you're not the lizard," Yang stammered, her voice trembling as Akash's hand closed around her throat. "What are you?"
Akash didn't answer. His voice was a dual-tone—part human, part demonic growl. "You wanted a feast? I'll show you what it feels like to be consumed."
[SKILL ACTIVATED: SOVEREIGN'S HUNGER - REVERSE EXTRACTION]
Suddenly, the emerald Qi that was leaking out of Akash's chest reversed its flow. It turned into a dark, swirling vortex that began to suck the life out of Yang. She shrieked as her youthful skin began to wrinkle and her green eyes faded.
"Brother! Help me!" she cried out.
Yin charged forward, his body transforming into a massive shadow beast. "Let her go, you monster!"
Akash finally turned his gaze toward Yin. The ring of crimson lightning in his eyes spun faster. He reached out with his other hand and caught the shadow beast's claws mid-air. The ground beneath them collapsed, forming a crater ten feet deep.
"Monster?" Akash's voice echoed like a thousand souls screaming at once. "I am the one who built the cages for monsters like you."
CRUNCH!
With a single twist, Akash snapped the shadow beast's claws. He then slammed Yin and Yang's heads together with such force that the emerald dome surrounding the roof exploded into a million shards.
[SYSTEM: ENVY SOUL-LINK DETECTED]
[ADVICE: DESTROY BOTH CORES SIMULTANEOUSLY TO PREVENT REGENERATION]
Akash stood in the center of the destruction, holding both twins by their throats. Meera and Master Yun watched from the edge, frozen in fear. They couldn't recognize the boy they loved in this black-eyed demon.
"Akash... stop..." Meera whispered, her voice barely audible. "This isn't you!"
Akash's head tilted slightly, the crimson lightning flickering. For a split second, the blackness in his eyes wavered, but then the Sovereign Armor pulsed with a blood-red light, and the darkness returned even stronger.
"The lizard is dead," the voice within Akash growled. "Only the Sovereign remains Akash's grip tightened around the throats of the Twins. Yin and Yang, once the heralds of terror, were now gasping for air, their small bodies twitching as the Reverse Extraction siphoned their essence directly into Akash's cracked core.
[SYSTEM ALERT: CORE REPAIR IN PROGRESS - 65%]
[WARNING: SOUL CORRUPTION INCREASING - 55%]
[CRITICAL: HUMANITY AT RISK]
"Please... mercy..." Yang choked out, her ancient eyes finally showing the fear of a true child facing a predator.
"Mercy is for the weak," the dual-voice of Akash hissed. "You lusted for my foundation. Now, I will use yours to pave my path."
Akash began to channel his Black Nirvana Lightning into his hands, but this time, the lightning was tainted with a dark, blood-red aura. The power was so immense that the space around his palms began to warp and tear.
[FINAL STRIKE READY: DUAL CORE OBLITERATION]
"Akash, NO!" Master Yun yelled, dragging his broken body forward. "If you kill them while in this state, the 'Hell-Gate' protocol will seal your soul forever! You will never be Akash again!"
Akash's head snapped toward Master Yun. The crimson ring in his pitch-black eyes glowed with murderous intent. He raised a finger, and a bolt of red lightning struck the ground inches from Yun's face.
"Stay back, old man," Akash growled. "The Sovereign does not take orders from the fallen."
Meera, seeing the man she loved disappearing into the darkness, did the only thing she could. She ignored the toxic rain and the crushing pressure, running straight into the crater. She threw her arms around Akash from behind, pressing her forehead against the cold, vibrating Sovereign Armor.
"Akash... I don't care about the Sovereign," she sobbed, her voice muffled against his back. "I want the boy who was too clumsy to hold a sword. I want the friend who promised we'd see the sunrise together. Please... come back."
The air went still. The red lightning around Akash's hands flickered and dimmed.
[SYSTEM: INTERNAL CONFLICT DETECTED]
[HOST WILL VS. SOVEREIGN PROTOCOL]
Akash's body began to shake violently. He dropped Yin and Yang, who collapsed into the dirt, barely breathing. He clutched his own head, screaming as the blackness in his eyes fought against a sudden surge of violet light.
"Get... out... of... MY HEAD!" Akash roared, his own voice finally overpowering the demonic growl.
With a final, massive burst of energy, Akash discharged all the corrupted Qi from his body. The shockwave was so powerful it cleared the blood-red sky for miles, revealing a glimpse of the stars above.
[BERSERK MODE: DEACTIVATED]
[SYSTEM: EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN INITIATED TO PRESERVE SOUL]
Akash's eyes returned to their normal violet color before rolling back into his head. He collapsed backward into Meera's arms, unconscious and cold.
The Twins of Envy lay nearby, their cultivation shattered, but they were still alive. Yin looked at his sister, then at the unconscious Akash. For the first time, there was no envy in his eyes—only pure, unadulterated terror.
"We... we need to leave," Yin whispered, dragging his sister into the shadows before Master Yun could recover The emerald fog finally evaporated, leaving behind a scarred battlefield. Meera held Akash tightly, her own Qi nearly exhausted from the emotional and physical strain. Master Yun crawled toward them, his breathing heavy and metallic.
"He did it..." Yun whispered, looking at Akash's peaceful yet deathly pale face. "He fought back the 'Hell-Gate' from the inside. I've never seen a will that strong."
[SYSTEM: EMERGENCY LIFE-SUPPORT ACTIVE]
[CORE CONDITION: STABILIZED AT 68% - CRITICALLY DAMAGED]
[SOUL CORRUPTION: RECEDING... CURRENTLY 15%]
[WARNING: HOST WILL REMAIN IN COMA UNTIL RECOVERY]
Meera looked up at the stars that were now visible through the clearing red clouds. "He's so cold, Master. We need to get him somewhere safe before the other Sin-Eaters realize what happened here."
"The Sovereign's Tomb," Yun said, nodding toward the ruins. "The Twins didn't manage to open it. Inside, there are healing pools and ancient seals that will hide his presence while his Core repairs itself."
Together, Meera and Yun carried Akash into the depths of the tomb. As they crossed the threshold, the heavy stone doors sealed shut behind them with a final, echoing thud.
Outside, the city of 'Envy' remained in ruins, but the oppressive aura was gone. However, deep in the shadows where the Twins had vanished, a new presence was watching. A figure wrapped in bandages, carrying a book made of human skin.
"Interesting," the figure hissed. "The little lizard has a soul that even the darkness cannot swallow. The Master will be pleased to know the game has finally become fun."
[SYSTEM LOG: CHAPTER 16 COMPLETE]
[PROGRESSION: STAGE 3 CLEARED]
[RANK: SURVIVOR - SSS]
[REWARD: SOVEREIGN'S BLOODLINE AWAKENING (INCOMPLETE)]