But sothing surprising happened. The giant blob of darkness contracted and swelled suddenly before shrinking into a human-sized blob. Then it transford into a human figure.
Orion's eyes widened as the massive blob of darkness swiftly morphed into a human-sized figure. The transformation was almost fluid, as the amorphous mass shrank and solidified into the form of Patrick.
But this wasn't the sa Patrick who had entered the fight; this version radiated a nacing aura. His entire body was cloaked in swirling shadows, and his presence seed to warp the very air around him.
The shock was brief, as Orion's wind-infused slash was already slicing through the air toward the newly transford Patrick. The razor-sharp crescent of wind, powerful enough to cleave a man in two, hurtled directly at him.
But Patrick moved with inhuman speed. His shadow-covered hand extended and morphed into a massive, clawed appendage. With a swift, calculated motion, he swiped at Orion's attack. The impact was imdiate—Orion's wind blade t Patrick's shadowy claw, and instead of cutting through, it encountered overwhelming resistance.
The collision sent shockwaves rippling outward, shaking the ground and making the air itself tremble. The two forces clashed—wind against shadow—in a fierce struggle for dominance. For a brief mont, it seed as if the two might cancel each other out, but then sothing unexpected happened.
Boom!
The explosion hurled Patrick through the air, his shadowy figure spinning wildly. The blast would have knocked out most, but just as he was about to slam into the hall's wall, Patrick's body dissolved into a shadowy mist, vanishing as if he'd never been there.
In an instant, he reappeared, erging from Orion's own shadow like a phantom. His clawed hand, wreathed in dark tendrils, lunged forward, aiming to strike Orion from behind.
But Orion's reflexes were honed to perfection. The mont he sensed the danger, he reacted. A powerful gust of wind erupted from his back, forming a protective barrier. The swirling vortex was strong enough to shove Patrick away before his claws could find their mark.
Patrick was flung back, his attack foiled by the sudden gale. He skidded across the ground, his shadowy form flickering but quickly steadying itself.
"I understand now," Orion said, looking at Patrick. "You've beco faster and stronger and can teleport through shadows, but beyond that, you're just a normal human."
"I guess you're right. Also, you're even faster than , and your control over wind is so precise that I haven't landed a blow on you yet," Patrick replied to Orion for the first ti since their battle began.
Orion smiled and said, "Is that so?" He paused for a mont before asking, "Why don't you give up? You're clearly no match for . Your shadows may materialize, but if they can't hit , they're useless, aren't they?"
He had already copied Patrick's curse when he got close to him earlier, so Orion felt that continuing to fight was a waste of ti.
"This isn't the full extent of my power," Patrick shook his head with a bored expression. "If I give it my all, I sotis lose control over the shadows, or in other words, they beco too powerful and develop their own consciousness. But I believe I can defeat you with that technique."
"Oh," Orion beca interested and recalled the curse he had copied earlier, quickly checking its description.
[Talent: Shadow Possession.]
[Curse: Shadow Nesis: When you overuse your talent, your shadow cos to life. It can attack the shadows of those dear to you and swap positions with you, putting you in dangerous situations. Be aware of your own shadow at if that happens.]
After reading the description, Orion understood that whatever technique Patrick was talking about would likely lead to the activation of his curse. This explained why he ntioned that his shadows could beco sentient and uncontrollable.
"I see. Then you might as well give up," Orion said to Patrick. While he would love to fight Patrick at full strength, he didn't want to at this mont. He had achieved what he wanted, and ending the battle seed like the best choice.
"No, Patrick, don't give up," Josh interjected. "Our guild leader and all the other powerful mbers are here, so just use your full strength and show this new guy what you're really capable of. Let the higher mbers handle anything concerning the shadows."
"Damn that Josh!" Orion muttered under his breath.
"You can indeed use your full power, Patrick. There's no need to fear," Erza added before turning to Zemiri. "Big Sis, isn't that right?"
Zemiri nodded with a slight smile. "You can go ahead."
Orion shot a foul look at Erza and almost cursed at her when he noticed she was smiling at him.
"I'll do it then," Patrick said after considering the situation. He looked at Orion and said, "Ray, be prepared. This attack is so powerful that I usually only use it against boss-level monsters and rarely against humans, so be cautious."
Orion sighed. "Alright, do it and show your ultimate move."
With a slow, deliberate movent, Patrick spread his arms wide. The shadows clinging to his form began to peel away, slipping from his body like a dark mist. His features returned to their human state, revealing the man beneath the shadowy guise. But this return to normalcy was only a prelude.
The shadows didn't dissipate; instead, they surged with renewed vigor. Like a living entity, they gathered with purpose, swirling around both Patrick and Orion. The darkness coiled and twisted in the air, growing denser with each passing second.
Then, the shadows, now fully unleashed, converged around the two combatants. The air thickened with an ominous energy as the mass of shadows ford into a swirling do, its walls opaque and impenetrable. The do expanded rapidly, enclosing both Patrick and Orion within a world of darkness, sealing them off from the outside world.
Orion was surprised by the sight, which reminded him of sothing—the battle against the god Quent in the dungeon where he first transmigrated. It reminded him of Quent's use of a Domain and what Quent had ntioned:
'No human has ever been able to form a Domain of their own. Only by successfully mastering the Three Divine Ways and surpassing the final stage can one master a Domain.'
Orion understood this very well, but Patrick's shadow technique resembled a Domain attack. He closed his eyes for a mont to see if he could move inside his dinsion and discovered that he could. This ant only one thing—Patrick's attack wasn't a true Domain, but rather an outer shell of a Domain without its inner workings and laws.
'Even though it's a false Domain, it's interesting,' Orion noted, thinking the technique could be very useful with his arsenal of curses.
"Ray, it's coming," Patrick warned as he launched his attack.
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