The Blood Realm twisted around them, an endless sea of crimson stretching in every direction, the land drowned in darkness. Lilith's thousands of blood spears shrieked through the air, ready to tear Alex apart.

But just as they were about to collide with him, a calm, mechanical voice echoed in Alex's mind:

[ Using Cosmic Essence to create blood elementals. ]

In that instant, as the storm of spears closed in, identical crimson lances materialized behind Alex. They mirrored Lilith's creations down to the smallest detail, formed in the blink of an eye. With a single flick of his hand, Alex unleashed them forward.

The two storms met midair.

*Boom!*

Spears of blood crashed into one another, exploding in rapid succession, shaking the entire realm. The shockwaves churned the bloody sea and split the dark skies.

Lilith's eyes widened as she saw Alex standing unharmed behind his own line of blood spears.

'He… he copied my technique after seeing it once? No—that was less than a second. Just a fraction of a heartbeat and he imitated my blood spears perfectly. What kind of monstrous growth is this?!'

For a moment, her chest tightened—not with fear, but exhilaration. A wild smirk spread across her lips, her scarlet eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Perfect…" she whispered, before her voice rose into a manic laugh. "Perfect! Let's go all out, Alex! Try to tear me apart, as I do the same to you!"

Her laughter echoed across the Blood Realm, crazed and beautiful.

When the dust finally settled, Alex's body bore only a few shallow scars. He reached up, tugged the skeleton mask off his face, and locked his piercing gaze onto Lilith's. His amethyst eyes burned like galaxies.

"Is that enough for passing the test?"

Lilith licked her lips, smiling slyly. "Mmm… I'm still not satisfied."

Alex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why do I have to satisfy everyone these days? First the Tower, now here… this is getting annoying."

Straightening, he muttered under his breath, "Let's try what Alyssa showed me then."

"Aura Blade."

A sword of pure violet aura shimmered into existence in his hand, its energy radiating with lethal sharpness. His aura flared outward in a violent storm, shaking the very dimension.

"Here I come," Alex said.

And then he vanished.

Before Lilith could react, a flash of purple light cut across her body. Both her arms and legs were severed cleanly, falling uselessly to the ground.

For a fraction of a second, surprise flickered in her eyes as her torso collapsed. Alex stood behind her, his sword dripping with her blood.

But then—something strange happened.

Alex staggered, his knees buckling. His vision blurred, his head spun. He coughed violently, a mouthful of blood splattering across his hand.

Lilith's mocking laughter rang out, even from her dismembered form. "Surprise, surprise, darling. Can you guess what just happened?"

Alex glanced down at his own body and froze. Tiny cuts covered his skin, shallow but refusing to close. His regeneration—usually instantaneous—was sluggish, almost nonexistent.

'No… impossible. These wounds should've healed already.'

The truth struck him like lightning. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "Those blood spears… they were poisonous."

The system's voice confirmed immediately.

[ Correct, host. Your body is now flooded with a deadly blood poison. Do not panic—your physique is already adapting. However, due to its strength, adaptation will take time. Your movements will be slowed until the process is complete. ]

Alex cursed under his breath, blood dripping from his lips.

And then—another shift.

The entire sea of blood surrounding them trembled, then surged toward Lilith's broken body. Rivers of crimson fused into her flesh, her severed limbs melting into the tide before regenerating in an instant.

In seconds, she stood tall again, whole, stronger than before. Her grin was wicked, seductive.

"Looks like you figured it out," she said, her voice a velvet purr. "Yes, I poisoned you. But what's strange, darling, is that poison was strong enough to kill Monarch-rank powerhouses in seconds… and yet, you're still standing. Still glaring at me with those defiant eyes."

She stepped forward slowly, swaying her hips, her scarlet gaze burning with hunger.

"Interesting… so very interesting."

Her hand cupped his cheek gently, mockingly intimate, her nails grazing his skin. "How can someone like you exist? What kind of power do you hold? Even Nyx couldn't figure you out—and she's a Primordial, for gods' sake."

Her seductive whisper turned violent.

*Crack!*

She slammed his head into the blood-soaked ground. The earth splintered beneath the force. Before Alex could recover, her figure vanished in a blur, reappearing high above in the crimson skies.

Then she plummeted down like a falling star.

*BOOM!*

The impact shook the entire Blood Realm. The ground cratered, exploding outward as Lilith landed atop Alex, her foot pressing firmly on his chest.

She leaned forward, her expression both mocking and expectant. "Darling… are you done already? I thought you had more in you. After all, you survived the first floor of the Tower of Ascention and shattered every record. Even mine. Even that monstrous boy's. So get up. I expect more from you."

Her words were a taunt, a challenge, a demand.

And then—Alex's body flickered.

The bracelet on his right hand snapped apart, shards of metal scattering into the blood-soaked ground. His hair cascaded into pure silver, shimmering with ethereal brilliance. His eyes snapped open in deep blue galaxies swirling in their depths.

Alex's expression hardened into something colder than steel as he forced his trembling body to rise. His silver hair gleamed under the bloody sky, his galaxy-like eyes radiating unshakable dominance.

In a blur, Lilith closed the distance, a blood-red sword forming in her grasp. Her aura surged like a tempest as she cried, "Show me more, Alex! Satisfy me—prove to me that you're the one!"

Her blade whistled through the air, inches from his neck.

But Alex's right hand snapped up.

*Clang!*

His palm closed around the crimson edge, stopping it dark aura coated around his hand. From his other hand, he shot forward, fingers clamping around Lilith's throat. Her eyes widened in shock as his crushing grip tightened, choking the breath from her.

His voice was low, cold, and venomous.

"You went too far, princess. You should know better than to push someone too far when they're trying to be polite."

Lilith's body froze, her power suppressed entirely. Before she could respond, Alex released the blade and shifted his grip, seizing her face in a vice-like hold.

And then the world turned upside down.

With a thunderous roar, Alex soared skyward, dragging her with him. The wind howled, the air split apart. And then—

*BOOM!*

He slammed her into the earth like a meteor, the impact blasting open a crater, shockwaves tearing across the battlefield, flattening everything in every direction.

But he wasn't finished.

Alex straddled her half-buried form, his silver hair wild, his fists raised high.

And then came the storm.

Punch.

Punch.

Punch.

Punch.

Each strike cracked the ground, each blow resounded like thunderclaps. Dust and debris erupted around them, the land itself trembling beneath his relentless assault.

The Blood Realm groaned, fissures ripping across the terrain.

And Alex? He laughed. A wild, unrestrained laugh—proud, merciless, uncaring.

Suddenly, the system's voice rang in his mind.

[ Host, your body has adapted to the poison. Movements restored. ]

But before he could exhale relief, Lilith's body glowed crimson. Her wounds vanished as rivers of blood surged into her, healing her entirely. She rose with a wicked grin, the blood sea itself feeding her strength.

Alex's gaze turned colder.

'Partner,' he called inwardly.

The system responded.

[ Creating Death Energy using Cosmic Essence. ]

The Aura Blade reformed in his hand, its edge now wreathed in a chilling black mist laced with violet runes—Death Energy.

Alex's body flickered, disappearing from sight. In the next breath, he reappeared high above. His voice cut through the air.

"Astral Void Rend…"

His form blurred as he descended.

"Second Form—Phantom Rend!"

He slashed downward, and the blade ripped reality itself.

A catastrophic explosion erupted.

*BOOOOOOM!*

When the dust finally settled, Lilith staggered, her breath caught in her throat. Her crimson eyes widened at the sight before her.

The Blood Sea—her will, her lifeline, her immortality—was gone. Completely obliterated.

Drained dry.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed, coughing blood violently. And yet, a twisted smile clung to her lips.

'This… this is impossible. That sea was the core of my realm. Even if someone destroyed my body a thousand times, the sea would always bring me back. But now—it's gone. Drained completely…'

Her thoughts spiraled in disbelief.

'Even Father couldn't do this. He—what is he?'

Then, a voice echoed in her mind, urgent and stern.

[ Lilith! Admit defeat immediately. Do you have any idea what he just used? ]

Lilith chuckled weakly. 'Come on… it was just starting to get fun.'

The voice roared again, laced with desperation.

[ You fool! This is not playtime. He used Death Energy! If even one of his strikes lands, your body and soul will be obliterated. Even I might not be able to save you. Admit defeat, NOW! ]

Lilith's smirk faltered, her expression hardening. "Death Energy…?" she whispered.

But before she could finish, Alex was already standing before her.

Death Energy poured from his body in waves, saturating the realm, corroding even the shadows. His blade hummed with annihilation, his aura suffocating.

For the first time in her life, Lilith felt it—fear.

Her body moved instinctively, retreating, each step back heavier than the last.

Alex's eyes burned cold as he walked forward, every step echoing like a death knell.

"I warned you, princess," he said, his voice carrying the weight of inevitability. "Don't push your luck."

The Blood Realm itself trembled as everything started to break like a mirror.

------

A/N:

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