Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Zero vs Luci

The door creaks shut behind me, sealing out the echoes of the chaos I’d left in the previous chamber. Darkness wraps itself around me like a shroud, and the silence is thick. The floor beneath my feet feels solid, yet there’s something strange about it, as if the very ground is resonating with a slow, pulsing rhythm.

“Luci!” I call out, my voice slicing through the silence. “I didn’t come here to play hide and seek. You’re not fooling anyone with your cheap tricks.”

A cold laugh ripples through the darkness, bouncing off unseen walls, distorting in a way that makes it sound as if it’s coming from all directions at once.

“Oh, Zero,” Luci’s voice echoes, thick with mockery. “Always so confident, so… certain. And yet, you’ve no idea what awaits you here, do you?”

His words feel like a whisper against my skin, making the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I keep my composure, though; I know his games, his mind tricks.

“You can’t hide behind words, Luci,” I say with a smirk, keeping my stance steady. “Face me.”

“Oh, I’m right here,” he murmurs, his voice low, chillingly close.

A flicker of movement catches my eye—something barely there, a shadow shifting behind me. I spin around, only to find emptiness, darkness stretching endlessly.

Another laugh, softer this time, almost amused. “Getting jumpy, Zero?”

The sensation of his presence intensifies. One moment it’s behind me, the next it’s beside me. Each time I turn, there’s nothing. My grip tightens on my sword. He’s trying to unsettle me, but it’s not going to work.

I tilt my head back, smirking into the darkness. “I can see why you’d hide, Luci. A coward’s strategy, running around in circles.”

Silence again. Then, a low rumbling laugh, this time closer, sharper. “Keep talking. See how far it gets you.”

Without warning, he descends from above, his body a dark blur against the shadows. His fist hurtles down toward me, wrapped in crackling red energy. But I don’t even need to look; my instincts kick in. I raise my sword, blocking his blow effortlessly, the sheer force of it sending a resonant vibration through my blade. I hold my ground, my gaze rising to meet his as I smirk, unfazed.

“Not bad,” he sneers, pushing off me and landing with an unnerving grace. He studies me, his eyes glinting with a strange mix of fascination and disdain. “You’re better than I remembered.”

I twirl my sword, rolling my shoulders back casually. “Too bad for you, I didn’t come here to reminisce.”

He clenches his fist, his aura flaring around him. I watch as he channels that energy down his arm, his eyes never leaving mine. He lunges at me with his bare fists, each strike sharp and precise, his movements honed and lethal. But for every blow he throws, my blade is there to meet it, blocking, deflecting, countering.

Luci growls, stepping back, his expression twisted with irritation. “Using a blade like that… How quaint.”

I laugh, taking a step forward. “Not everyone needs fancy tricks. You know how this ends, don’t you, Luci?”

My words hit a nerve, and he surges forward again, his speed increased, his attacks more ruthless. I shift into a defensive stance, my sword a blur as I parry his blows. He’s powerful—every strike resonates with a force that would shatter stone. But he’s also predictable, every movement betraying his frustration.

“Is that it?” I ask, sidestepping one of his punches and delivering a swift kick to his ribs, sending him stumbling back.

He recovers, eyes blazing with fury. “Don’t get cocky, Zero!”

He charges, and we collide in a flurry of attacks and blocks. His fists pound against my blade, a relentless rhythm that shakes the air around us. But I’m in control. Every strike, every movement flows, a perfect counter to his aggression. I can see it in his eyes—he’s starting to understand just how outmatched he is.

“You really thought you could stop me with bare hands?” I taunt, dodging another of his punches and swinging my sword in a sharp arc that forces him to backpedal.

“You’re nothing, Luci,” I say, my voice cold and calm. “All your talk of revolution, of power… It’s meaningless if you can’t even stand against me.”

Luci straightens, wiping a thin line of blood from his lip. But instead of anger, a twisted smile spreads across his face. “Oh, I knew you’d be tough, Zero. That’s exactly why I came prepared.”

Before I can react, he steps back, his aura flaring up like a wildfire. His body pulses with energy, and his eyes lock onto mine, a dangerous glint in them. Slowly, a dark suit begins to form around him, materializing out of the shadows themselves. The suit clings to him, black as night, fitting his form like a second skin. And on his chest, that sinister red symbol blazes to life, its glow casting an eerie light across his face.

“Impressive,” I say, watching as his transformation completes. But I don’t let it shake me. “But a new outfit won’t change the outcome.”

He laughs, a dark, chilling sound. “Oh, but this isn’t just an outfit, Zero. This is power.”

Without warning, he vanishes, his speed doubled, and I barely manage to raise my sword in time as he appears right beside me, his fist glowing with energy as he strikes. The impact sends me skidding across the floor, my feet digging in to regain balance. He’s faster, stronger. This new aura around him isn’t just for show—it’s a manifestation of raw, unrestrained power.

Luci smirks, watching me with a predatory gleam. “Feeling a little less confident now?”

I smirk back, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me falter. “Not even close.”

We clash again, the sound of metal against raw power filling the chamber. I’m holding my own, but his strength is undeniable. Each time our blows connect, I can feel the force of his energy pushing against me, forcing me back. I focus, weaving around his attacks, using every ounce of my skill to stay one step ahead.

But he’s relentless. His attacks come faster, sharper, his fists now imbued with an aura that sears the very air. One particularly vicious punch catches me off-guard, striking my sword and sending it flying from my grasp. It clatters to the ground several feet away, coming to rest just behind Luci.

*Thud*

I fall back against the wall, the breath knocked out of me. Luci towers over me, his aura pulsing around him, casting long shadows across the chamber.

“Look at you now,” he sneers, crossing his arms. “The great Zero, backed into a corner. Where’s all that confidence now?”