The specter of Ethan's former self continued to exude tendrils of grey-black vapor, twisting and braiding them into chains that slithered through the air, each one lunging toward him with malicious intent.

Ethan's true form observed it all with detached calm, his expression utterly indifferent. The chains, steeped in every imaginable shade of negativity such as rage, despair, and corrosive self-loathing, struck his body again and again, only to be repelled as if they had collided with an invisible wall.

It was a silent and deeply surreal confrontation unfolding across the fractured landscape of his own psyche. One side attacked with frantic desperation, pouring everything it had into each strike, while the other defended with an almost unsettling tranquility. Yet beneath Ethan's placid exterior, time was running out. He could feel his already weakened strength slowly bleeding away. Wisps of that poisonous emotional energy were beginning to seep through his defenses, staining the surface of his soul-form with thin, inky black lines that spread like poisoned veins beneath translucent skin. His body shuddered faintly, betraying the strain.

This was a battle without clashing blades or thunderous impacts, only the quiet, relentless erosion of will.

The moment the Heart-Devil noticed Ethan's gradual corruption, its manic delight surged back to the surface.

"Kekeke… let's see how long you can hold out!"

"Heh heh… just give up. Even at your peak, you couldn't erase me!"

"You are me, and I am you. We were always one and the same!"

"Surrender. Let us merge into one!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

The specter's voice spilled out in a nonstop torrent, a deliberate flood of psychological noise meant to grind down resistance through sheer repetition. Most of it washed over Ethan like static, irritating but unfocused. Then one line cut through everything else, striking something deep inside him.

"You are me, and I am you. We were always one and the same!"

Ethan's head, which had been slightly bowed, snapped upward. A dangerous crimson glint flickered into his eyes as they locked onto the specter. "You say we're one?" he asked, his voice rough from disuse. "That we should merge?"

The sudden question clearly caught the Heart-Devil off guard. "Yes! Kekeke… this time, I will be the dominant consciousness!" it replied eagerly. "What, have you finally seen reason?" It leaned forward, twisted features trembling with cautious hope.

Ethan nodded slowly, his face solemn. "Yes. I've seen reason."

"HA! Excellent!" the specter shrieked in triumph. "Very wise! I'll be the one to handle the fusion. You don't have to disappear completely… when I'm in a good mood, I might even let you out for some fresh air! Kekeke…"

Still chuckling, it drifted closer, though a faint trace of wariness lingered beneath its excitement. Ethan, who had kept his gaze lowered, finally lifted his head fully.

A thin, dangerous smile curved his lips.

"Merge…" he said softly, the smile still intact.

Then his expression twisted, the civility peeling away to reveal something feral and savage.

"Merge with this, you piece of shit!"

He was smiling when the first two words left his mouth. By the last, his face was a mask of ruthless fury.

The Heart-Devil froze just a few steps away. "You—"

SMACK!

The sound was sharp and shockingly loud, echoing through the otherwise silent inner realm.

"AAAGH!" The specter was sent reeling, clutching its right cheek in stunned agony. "You… you…!" it stammered, pointing at him with a trembling finger.

Ethan, still seated cross-legged, tilted his head and flashed a grin full of teeth. "Me? What about me?" he said, his voice sinking into a low, chilling register. "You wanted me to embrace the darkness, right?" A soft chuckle escaped him. "Then let me show you what that really looks like."

As he spoke, the whites of his eyes flooded with crimson, transforming into pools of blood-red light. He rose smoothly to his feet, and an aura exploded outward from his body. It was not the grey-black mist of the specter, but a violent, swirling haze of deep crimson energy that thrashed like living fire.

"What are you doing?" the Heart-Devil demanded, its brow knitting in genuine confusion. Ethan looked like someone who had completely fallen. His aura was saturated with madness, raw and unrestrained. Yet it did not feel like loss of control. More disturbingly, all of that hostility was directed squarely at it.

That was not how this was supposed to happen. When the core consciousness succumbed to demonic influence, it should become an empty, pliable shell, easy to swallow and dominate. Every promise it had made about coexistence had been nothing but lies. A Heart-Devil and its host could not truly share the same existence. Only one would walk away from this place.

Its earlier use of the Gate of Ascension had been nothing more than a ploy to drain Ethan's Soul Power. It never expected him to blow the damn thing apart. Now, even if it managed to win, repairing the Gate and reclaiming control of the body would take precious time.

Nothing was unfolding as planned. The host had indeed embraced his inner demon, but it was not its demon. The blood-red energy coiling around Ethan carried no despair, no self-hatred.

It was the unmistakable aura of a Slaughterer.

"Impossible! This is impossible!" the specter shrieked, staggering backward.

"Nothing's impossible," Ethan rasped, blood-red flames licking from the corners of his eyes. "You think you're my Heart-Devil. But actually…"

"Actually what?" the specter snarled.

"Actually, you're just a lingering obsession," Ethan said, his bloody smile dripping with mockery. "A stubborn ghost."

The word obsession struck the specter like a physical blow. It stumbled back another step. "Obsession… Heart-Devil… past… me…" it muttered, its thoughts unraveling in real time. "What… what am I really?"

It finally looked up at Ethan, its expression collapsing into a vortex of madness. "WHAT AM I?" it screamed.

Ethan, standing amid the roiling crimson energy, offered a faint, almost pitying smile. "Obsession, Heart-Devil, ghost of the past. Call it whatever you want. It doesn't matter anymore. It's time to cut you loose."

He took a single, deliberate step forward.

"Cut me loose? Kekeke… you're dreaming!" the specter shrieked, eyes bulging. "You can't kill me!"

Ethan sighed, the sound weary despite the blood-red aura boiling around him. "Was I really this much of an idiot in my past life?" he muttered. "Let me ask you something. Did that slap hurt?"

He raised his hand slowly.

"What… what do you mean?" the specter asked, genuinely baffled.

"Huh. I thought you could read minds," Ethan said casually. "Can't you do that anymore?"

The specter could only stare at him, thrown off balance yet again.

Ethan didn't wait for an answer. Under the stunned gaze of his own twisted past, he brought his hand down in a swift, clean chopping motion.

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