--Pierce--
Undergoing the battle that was more dodging then attacking coming from the assassin Solan was getting tired.
It had been a while already since their fight began.
'To be honest I'm not completely sure if I can fight against this person. I might have more strength and power in my attack but I can see how this guy moves...'
He know I can't fight.
In all honesty I had no idea how to fight against other people, especially if they possessed a vessel. For years I've only served on the lighting division hunting Leviathans, and unlike leviathans people actually have brains to comprehend their current situation to a higher extent.
--Clang!--
--boom!--
The sound of their different weapons clashing against each other was eminent. Switching between his spear and flintlocks Solan kept backstepping to create a gap with his long range weapons. As long as he kept the gap viable the assassin would never reach him with his dagger.
'For now the only thing I can do is try distract him and wait for the other members to arrive'
"Don't let your guard down" The assassin muttered behind Solan.
"W-What!?".
Solan had left his guard down for just the slightest of second and now the assassin was behind him ready to strike at any moment, with the fastest of survival instincts entering Solan's head he clad his back with layers of scales that ripped torn a bit of his uniform.
"...You even got armor?" The assassin asked surprised.
It was a sudden decision Solan had made. Even if he wanted to hide his powers away from the assassin knowing there were no possibility of killing him.
--Clang--
As the shadow-clad dagger came into contact with the black scales the assassin felt something eerie entering his mind, a series of low voices streaming through his eardrums.
It came out of the blue and his mind felt foggy for a second but snapping out of it quickly regaining consciousness again he was met with Solan's imbued fist about to sucker punch him in the face.
"Oh shoot".
To Solan's surprise the imbued punch layered with both exo-skeleton and resurgence it went straight through him.
"What? I don't work-".
Just a moment later Solan found himself consumed in the shadows dispersing from the assassins body — similar to how an octopus grabs their prey with their tentacles leaving no sight of anything except death ahead.
".....".
There was only darkness around him. Standing in the middle of a void Solan felt familiar, he wasn't too surprised nor too shocked — after being in a similar place like this several times before the concept of a dark room didn't face him any longer.
'This shit is so clique....". Was Solan's first thought before darting around.
"This is my world, what do you think of it?" The assassin's voice was echoing throughout the void similar to speaking at the end of a corridor.
"...I'm confident to say I know what this is". Solan remarked.
"This is the conscious of your own mind".
"Really? why do you think so?"
"Because I've been somewhere like this by using the secrets of my own vessels".
Trevon and I did research together some time ago and what we discovered was a huge scientific find. Consuming a elder's blood is the same as letting another entity become a part of you — scientifically explained the blood manipulates your own DNA creating a stronger version of your original one. It creates more room for human growth and according to Trevon it opens up a non-existent room within your body. A place where the substitute DNA course through and returns back to you, the non existent room is what I call 'The source'.
If you know the basics of utilizing a vessel you can get closer to this 'source' and at some point even force more source out from your body which can create more room to develop your vessel — and its all thanks to my own blood samples that we found it out.
"In this place is I can create rules and set boundaries for the two of us, as long as your here everything is in my control". The assassin's voice exclaimed.
"There must be a limit to those big words your saying, creating rules and boundaries? your speaking like your one of those divine entities that the south worships".
"Well... There is some limits but I think its enough to kill you".
--Whoosh--
In the distant of the void the assassin appeared. His body was covered in a shadow armor that left no openings of his own body beneath.
Solan lifted his own hand trying to summon his spear but was met with an error. The vessel that was supposed to materialize was distorting within the void.
"I've already set a few rules for you Solan".
"Solan the Leviathan hunter is not allowed to utilize his own vessel nor is he allowed to move from his current position".
Solan found his body frozen just after his remark. Trying to lift his hand nothing came to work — not even a finger movement either.
"..Really? thanks for thinking about me beforehand" Solan exclaimed with a smile beneath the mask. Despite the life-threatening situation Solan could learn a bit now that he was faced with someone who was apparently close to the 'source'
Solan felt cuts running back and forth across his body. The shadows were turning into some kind of bullets that left just scratches of blood to run down his white uniform.
--Zoom... Zoom!--
One after one the hundreds of bullets came flying past him, not letting him move at all it was only his mind and himself staying there taking the attacks like a good boy.
"...Killing a famous individual from the marine like yourself will give me quite the paycheck you know".
Solan stood there silent, his expression darkened thinking of a way to get out of the current situation. The mere scratches weren't as hurting as he thought it'd be having experienced things worse then this.
If this really was source of his vessel it meant that everything he was seeing right now was a important organ to strike him down. But how exactly? everything was seemingly made out of shadow which meant just trying to attack it was like trying to mindlessly charge into nothingness.
That was what Solan thought before a light bulb appeared above him. Couldn't he just counter the assassin with his own source?
Thinking firstly there were no way to bring it out. Solan knew himself that his body was too unstable to even use such power of the resurgence. Even if he did manage to somehow pull it off he would already be defeated by insanity following right after.
Solan realized something.
Where did the overwhelming power of telekinesis go?
Where did his unimpregnable armor go?
And what could lead to such a humiliating situation?
"....".
I can't cut through the thickest of boulders like my master.
I can't command and voice ideas like grandmaster Lumine.
I can't be as admirable as captain Cain who have gained a title through his willpower and fortitude.
I'm weak.
"....".
It feels like that I've had this conversation with myself before.
Yeah I have.
Back at the ancient cave.
Back then I felt hopeless too.
Have I always been this hopeless?
Why... Why don't I just let the insanity take over for once.
The Insanity which desires me dont it?
Why not let it out to see where it takes me?
My head is feeling tired. I feel like sleeping.
I'm already feeling sleepy from this continuous work.
What's stopping me... from just resting for the day.
"....".
Once Solan closed his eyes in a sleepy daze the last thing he heard was his name being called out again by the resurgence.
"...Solan~".
***
Shortly after, the assassin who was now staring at him from the void noticed a change in Solan's presence. A sea green aura was slowly forming and radiating from his body, did he have something up his sleeve? Is he possibly thinking of unbounding himself to this world's restricted with absolute rules?
There's no way?
Right?
Just as the assassin thought there was no way he was suddenly met with Solan appearing Infront of him staring at him menacingly his eyes shining in a bright neon green.
"W-What the!?"
Caught off guard he was startled.
There was something off about him. He could move inside the 'source' which shouldn't have been possible at all.
"I made my rules? so how can he move?!"
Solan's hand reached inside the void and grabbed the assassin out of the darkness with his strength alone.
There were voices appearing from Solan yet he hadn't even moved his mouth.
"W-What? are these people?!"
The assassin used the shadows to form a blade cutting Solan's hand completely off — leaping backwards he created a gap between them not sure of what he was facing.
The assassin was dumb-folded by what he was hearing. The voices of separate people was echoing through his mind, he wasn't sure what or who they were but one thing was sure — it wasn't Solan he was fighting any longer.