"Voltage Needle!"

The words left Noel's lips like a command to the storm itself. A sharp beam of lightning tore through the night, striking the illusory figure chasing Noir. It exploded on impact—yet what followed was only smoke, not blood.

Noel's eyes narrowed, Revenant Fang already raised. 'A decoy?'

From the drifting haze, a man stepped forward—young, perhaps around Noel's age. His expression was empty, almost lifeless, but the mana radiating from him was ancient and suffocating.

Noir landed beside Noel, her violet eyes burning with intensity. 'Dad… that's him. One of the twins.'

Noel's grip on Revenant Fang tightened. "So you finally decided to show yourselves."

The man said nothing. He unsheathed his own weapon—a pitch-black blade veined with faint red cracks, humming with unstable mana.

The air trembled. For a heartbeat, the two only stared at each other—the calm before a storm.

Then both moved.

Blades collided in a burst of sparks. Noel twisted his wrist, channeling mana into his weapon. "Ignition Surge!"

Revenant Fang erupted in flame, slashing forward in a blazing arc. The stranger parried without hesitation, the clash of fire and corrupted energy lighting the garden.

'He's fast,' Noir warned, her tail raised high. 'His movements are off… it's like he's not thinking at all.'

'I noticed,' Noel thought, shifting his stance. 'Keep circling—go for his back if he lunges.'

'Got it.'

Noir darted to the side, blending into the shadows as Noel pressed forward. "Fire Arc!" The curved wave of flame tore through the air, forcing the man to sidestep—only for Noir to emerge behind him with a snarl, her claws glowing with black mana.

The man deflected her strike effortlessly, twisting and kicking her aside. She landed smoothly, unharmed but cautious.

Noel exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. 'I know. But that doesn't matter. If he bleeds—he can be stopped.'

He lifted Revenant Fang again, flames still licking along its cursed edge.

Steel met steel again and again, the ring of each clash cutting through the night. Sparks burst between Revenant Fang and the black blade, their strikes fast enough to blur into motion.

Noel's breath came steady, his eyes locked on the man's every twitch. He moved like a machine—no hesitation, no emotion—each swing clean, efficient, meant to kill.

'He's reading your rhythm, Dad,' Noir warned, her voice sharp in his mind. 'He's adjusting after every strike.'

'I can tell,' Noel thought back, stepping to the side as another slash grazed his shoulder. The heat of it burned through his jacket. 'But he's not unpredictable—he's repeating patterns.'

He countered low, blade cutting toward the man's legs. The Pillar pivoted effortlessly, parrying with brutal precision and bringing his elbow toward Noel's temple. Noel ducked, using the momentum to twist around and thrust upward.

Metal screamed. Revenant Fang caught against the black blade again, both locked in a deadly push.

The man's strength was unreal. Noel's arms trembled under the weight of it. 'He's stronger,' Noir said, her tone low. 'You can't win by brute force.'

'I wasn't planning to,' Noel replied. With a burst of movement, he kicked at the man's knee. The hit connected—barely—but it broke the deadlock for a moment.

Both stepped back, circling each other. Breath visible in the cold air.

'He's fast but not used to adapting mid-fight. Try baiting him.'

'Already ahead of you.'

The Pillar lunged first this time, blade slashing downward in a vicious arc. Noel sidestepped, catching the blade's edge on Revenant Fang and shoving it aside, twisting his body to strike at the exposed flank.

The man caught his wrist mid-motion and slammed his knee into Noel's gut, sending him sliding back through the dirt.

'Dad!' Noir's voice hit his mind.

'I'm fine.' Noel straightened, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. 'He's no mindless beast. He's testing me.'

Noir bared her teeth. 'Then test him back.'

Noel smiled faintly, raising Revenant Fang once more. "You picked the wrong opponent to train on."

The two blurred again—silent fury, shadows clashing under the moonlight, each swing heavier than the last.

The tempo of the fight shifted.

What had been chaos moments ago began to take form—fluid, precise, terrifyingly coordinated.

Noel and Noir moved as one.

The Pillar swung his blade low, aiming for Noel's side, but Noir was already there—her small form darting from the shadows, intercepting with a burst of black mist that forced him to redirect. The moment his balance shifted, Noel stepped in, blade sweeping upward, his strike grazing the man's ribs and tearing through part of his coat.

No sound came from the Pillar. Only his eyes flickered—wariness, confusion.

He slashed again, this time in a diagonal feint that would've caught most off guard. Noel ducked beneath it instinctively, knowing Noir would lunge exactly then. She emerged behind the enemy, claws cutting across the air as Noel spun, their movements seamless, no words needed.

The two collided with him from opposite sides—a human and his shadow. Sparks rained again as he blocked both, the pressure forcing the earth beneath their feet to crack.

For the first time, the Pillar hesitated.

His attacks lost their flawless rhythm. He began to adjust his footing between swings, his eyes darting from Noel to Noir, as if uncertain which one would move first.

Noel's boots slid across the dirt; he shifted back into stance, chest heaving. "What's wrong?" His tone was calm, cold. "Not used to fighting two who think the same?"

The Pillar said nothing. Only a pulse of corrupted mana rolled off him, twisting the air.

Noir circled wide, eyes glowing violet in the dark. 'Dad,' her voice echoed through his mind, smooth and certain. 'Left next. I'll take his blind side.'

'Go.'

The Pillar lunged forward, but his swing met nothing but an afterimage. Noel slipped to his flank, blocking low as Noir burst from the ground behind, striking like a phantom. Their timing was perfect—every dodge, every strike feeding into the next.

For the first time, the Fourth Pillar faltered—his guard staggered by the precision of two beings moving as one soul split in two.

Their blades met one final time—an echoing ring that split the air.

Noel pressed forward, Revenant Fang burning with red fire, his momentum unstoppable. Noir leapt from his shadow, a streak of violet tearing through the haze. The Pillar caught both strikes—barely. His boots dug into the ground, carving a deep trench through the dirt as he slid back.

He looked between them, that same lifeless calm in his eyes—but now, there was something else. A flicker of uncertainty.

Noel's stance didn't falter. "You're good," he said, voice low, steady. "But not good enough."

Noir growled, shadows curling around her paws like smoke. 'He's slowing down, Dad. We can finish this.'

Noel nodded once. They advanced together, blades and fangs glinting under the pale moon. But just as they moved, the Pillar's mana pulsed—once, sharp and heavy.

A surge of black mist exploded outward, covering the garden in an instant. Noel shielded his eyes, heat and pressure slamming against him. He swung Revenant Fang through the haze, but met only air.

When the smoke cleared, the space before him was empty.

Noir appeared at his side, her form lowering defensively. 'He's gone.'

Noel scanned the area, his breathing slow, controlled. The smell of ash and blood lingered faintly in the night. "Tch. Knew he'd pull something like that."

He lowered Revenant Fang, its flames dimming, the metal still glowing faintly from the heat. Noir brushed her head against his arm, worried.

'He was strong… but not invincible.'

Noel gave a short nod. "Yeah. And now he knows we're not either."

For a moment, he stood in silence, staring at the trail of mana dissipating into the dark sky. His mind raced—not from fear, but calculation.

'Fourth Pillar confirmed… meaning the third must be close too.'

Noir's tail swayed gently. 'What now, Dad?'

He exhaled through his nose. "Now…" He sheathed Revenant Fang with a quiet click. "We prepare for the real fight."

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