He snapped his fingers.
CLANG!
Another chain shot out of Max’s body—
And the moment it left him—
His vision blurred.
His strength weakened.
His entire being trembled, as if something vital had just been torn away.
The black flames flickered weakly—
And before they could even reach the man—
They vanished.
Dispersed.
Like a candle being snuffed out.
Max’s breath turned ragged.
His knees buckled.
’Shit. Shit. Shit!’
He was losing.
He was being ripped apart.
And if he didn’t do something fast—
He was going to disappear.
’I have to try... This is my only chance!’
Max gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.
Even as his chains were being ripped away, even as he felt his very existence weakening, he pushed forward—
And willed the black flames toward the man.
FWOOOSH!
The dark fire surged, roaring like a vengeful storm, seeking to engulf the phantom.
But—
BZZZT!
The flames halted mid-air.
Blocked.
An invisible wall stood between the flames and the man, rendering them useless.
Max’s eyes widened.
’What the—?’
The middle-aged man sneered, his expression filled with amusement.
"I told you already…"
His tone was mocking, superior.
"Flames will do nothing to me."
Max’s fist clenched.
"My soul force is a hundred times stronger than yours."
The man’s violet eyes gleamed as he took a slow step forward, towering over Max.
"I did sense something unusual about those black flames."
He glanced at them, observing them with a flicker of interest—
Then shrugged.
"But if they can’t even touch me… then they’re useless."
The black flames crackled, still struggling against the invisible force, but they could not advance.
"The pressure from my soul force is enough to ward off your flames."
The man’s smirk widened.
"Give up, boy."
The chains tightened.
More of Max’s essence was being pulled away.
His vision blurred further, his very soul trembling.
He was running out of time.
And nothing was working.
Panic surged through Max’s veins.
He could feel himself slipping away, his very existence peeling off link by link as the chains were ripped from his soul.
’I have no choice.’
His eyes hardened with desperate resolve.
Gritting his teeth, he summoned all his black flames, condensing them onto his hands.
SIZZLE!
The dark fire crackled violently, surging with uncontrollable energy.
Then—
He looked down.
At the chains leaving his body.
At the very thing pulling him toward non-existence.
’Fck it. I don’t care.’
Without hesitation—
He grabbed the chains with his burning hands.
FWOOOOSH!
A violent eruption of black flames engulfed the chains, consuming them instantly in roaring fire.
The moment the flames made contact—
BZZZZT!
A massive shockwave burst through the Soul Palace, the pressure so intense that it sent both Max and the man staggering.
But then—
The flames didn’t stop.
They raced down the chains—spreading, expanding—
And before the man could even react—
THE BLACK FIRE REACHED HIM.
The middle-aged man’s violet eyes widened.
For the first time since this battle began—
His face contorted in shock.
"WHAT?!—"
Then—
The black flames erupted across his ethereal body, scorching his soul directly.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the Soul Palace.
It was not just pain.
It was agony.
It was the first time in centuries this man had felt pain.
His body convulsed, his form flickering violently, as if it was being torn apart from the inside.
Max, still gripping the burning chains, panted heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"You—!" The man’s voice was filled with both rage and disbelief.
The flames refused to go out.
Even as the man tried to push them away, even as his powerful soul force tried to suppress them—
THEY ONLY BURNED BRIGHTER.
His soul was burning.
Something he had never thought possible.
Something that should have been impossible.
And Max?
Max wasn’t done yet.
’The black flames don’t affect me at all.’
He realized this instantly.
Even as the fire engulfed the chains, even as the phantom screamed in agony, the flames did not harm him.
And now—
It was time to end this.
A dark glint flickered in Max’s eyes.
Then—
He activated his final move.
"Devour."
The moment the ability activated—
The middle-aged man’s body stiffened.
Then—his expression changed.
From pain.
To panic.
To absolute horror.
"NO—!!"
His soul force began unraveling.
At an even faster rate than before.
Faster than the black flames eating away his life chains.
Faster than he could resist.
Max felt it—
The raw energy flooding into him.
His soul force increasing at rapid rate.
His soul grew heavier.
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And the man?
He was withering.
"NO! BOY, STOP! STOP!"
His voice shook with desperation.
His regal arrogance—gone.
His superiority—shattered.
For the first time, he was truly afraid.
"WE CAN MAKE A DEAL! I WILL GIVE YOU ALL OF MY TECHNIQUES! JUST STOP!"
Max didn’t even blink.
His gaze remained cold.
Unmoved.
"Just die."
His voice held no emotion.
No pity.
No hesitation.
Pure, merciless finality.
The black flames roared.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
However, the man suddenly started laughing wildly at this moment.
Max’s breath hitched, confusion flashing in his eyes.
The man’s expression had changed.
The fear? Gone.
The desperation? Vanished.
Instead—
His violet eyes gleamed, filled with an unnerving satisfaction.
Then—
"You are good. Very good."
His voice dripped with both praise and mockery.
"To force my soul clone into such a situation… I’ll admit, I underestimated you."
Max’s eyes widened.
’Clone?!’
Then—
The phantom smirked.
"But alas… it’s only a clone. A mere fragment of my true self."
Before Max could even process those words—
SWISH!
Five grey swords suddenly materialized before him, floating midair.
Before he could react—
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The swords crossed in an instant, tearing through his body.
Max’s form was sliced apart—
But—
His body pieces didn’t fall.
They simply… floated.
For a split second, it looked like nothing had happened.
Then—
Pain.
A sharp, unbearable sensation erupted through him.
His soul trembled.
His vision blurred.
His form began flickering—
Dimmer. Weaker.
Max gritted his teeth, his mind struggling to stay focused.
’No… this is different…’
It wasn’t like a physical wound.
It wasn’t even like a normal soul attack.
This wasn’t just cutting his form—
It was cutting his existence.
And the worst part?
He could feel it.
His soul force was leaving him.
His thoughts were slowing down.
His entire being was breaking down, piece by piece.
He was slowly dying.
And this time—
It wasn’t something he could simply endure.
This was true erasure.
Max staggered, his entire body feeling heavy.
His breathing turned ragged, every function of his body taking a toll just to work.
He was on the brink of collapse.
And the phantom?
He simply watched.
Grinning.
Because this time—
He knew Max wouldn’t survive.
’Damn… I didn’t expect that at all.’
Max’s thoughts churned, but his body betrayed him.
His soul form grew dimmer and dimmer, his very existence fading.
And then—
A new voice entered the space.
"How is it? Did you like it?"
A second figure emerged, stepping beside the first man.
Max’s dazed eyes flickered toward him—
And his breath hitched.
It was him.
The exact same man as the previous phantom middle aged man.
The second man smiled, his expression filled with deep satisfaction as he observed Max’s fading presence.