Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Darian hesitated, taking several cautious steps back.

His expression shifted, not out fear, but something bordering on unease.

Ivaim's gaze narrowed past Darian, locking onto a figure emerging from the shadows.

The man was stark naked, his body a living canvas of intricate tattoos, twisting and spiraling across every inch of his skin.

Faint glimmers of unnatural light shimmered across the markings, making them look almost alive.

Despite his lack of armor or clothing, he exuded an ominous presence.

'Is that the one who currently bears the curse?'

Ivaim thought.

His limited field of vision caught a strange transformation... the tattoos, one by one, were fading from the man's body, dissolving like ink in water before slithering toward his arm.

There, they pooled into a swirling mass of black liquid, forming a perfect, ominous circle.

Nathan, however, had no interest in making observations.

Without a word, he raised his hand, metal fragments responding instantly to his will.

They twisted and sharpened into gleaming spears, hovering briefly before he launched them toward the tattooed figure in a deadly barrage.

Just as the spears cut through the air, the man opened his mouth wide... far wider than humanly possible.

Then came the sound.

A piercing, high-frequency screech erupted, cutting through the air like a blade.

It wasn't just sound—it was pain incarnate.

The sixteen corpses hanging from chains above mirrored the man's grotesque action.

Their lifeless mouths stretched open, releasing the same gut-wrenching, bone-vibrating screech.

Ivaim's eyes widened in horror as the metallic spears halted midair, shuddering violently before clattering uselessly to the ground.
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The sound seemed to command them, stripping them of momentum.

He clamped his hands over his ears, but it was futile.

The screech wasn't just external, it wormed into his very bones, robbing him of control.

His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground, trembling.

'Shit! I can't move—'

Beside him, Nathan fared no better.

Blood trickled from his nose as he fought to stay upright, but the relentless sound forced him down.

He hit the ground with a heavy thud, steel fragments falling around him heavily.

The world spun, noise overwhelming every sense—until suddenly, silence.

A black veil suddenly covered both of them, which seemed to stop the noise from the outside from reaching them.

The Black Veil Master emerged from the veil, her eyes glinting coldly.

"His tattoos..."

She said quietly but with clarity.

"They seem to be a manifestation of the curse... He's stripping them away, piece by piece. Once they're gone, he'll most likely attempt to pass the curse onto Darian immediately."

Her gaze flickered toward the tattooed man, whose body still glimmered faintly under the eerie light, the ink shifting like serpents along his skin.

The black markings had receded from his chest to his arms, coiling toward a dark, circular pool on his forearm—a grim sign of the curse's impending transfer.

"He manipulates sound."

She continued, her voice sharp.

"I can maintain this silent space for a while, but it'll take all my focus. Nathan will need to strike hard and fast."

Her tone brooked no argument as she concluded.

"Ivaim, don't let Darian interfere."

Ivaim nodded, his jaw tightening.

His baton hummed faintly as he activated [Coin of Fortune], flipping a coin in his palm to fortify his chances.

"Got it,"

He said, steeling himself.

Nathan wasted no time.

With a swift motion, he raised his hand, the steel fragments scattered around them vibrating in response.

The shards melded together, forming razor-sharp spears that hovered ominously in the air.

The Black Veil Master extended her arms, thickening the shadows until they formed a dome that shielded them from external noise.

Her veil writhed like a living creature, absorbing stray vibrations before they could penetrate.

The tattooed man scowled, frustration darkening his expression.

His lips moved as though forming commands, but no sound emerged...

It was completely muffled by the Black Veil Master's barrier.

Suddenly, he twisted his jaw unnaturally and slammed a hand against the fractured ground.

His entire body trembled, muscles taut as rippling waves pulsed outward...

He was using vibrations to control the environment!

The ground quaked violently, cracks splitting in chaotic patterns beneath their feet.

Invisible vibrations surged through the battlefield, warping the air with destructive force.

Nathan narrowed his eyes, sharp and calculating.

The tremors were fierce, shattering metal fragments strewn across the ground into dust.

But Nathan had no time to think too much.

He extended a hand, manipulating scattered shards of steel into long, jagged spears that hovered ominously in the air.

The vibrating waves distorted the path of the hovering weapons, causing them to waver.

Nathan's expression remained stoic as he clenched his fist, exerting precise control.

The spears twisted and zigzagged against the invisible forces, adjusting their trajectory to avoid the worst of the tremors.

In a fluid motion, Nathan launched the spears toward the tattooed man, their metallic tips gleaming under the fractured light.

The tremor-wielder slammed both fists against the ground, sending shockwaves outward.

The air rippled violently, shattering two of the spears mid-flight.

Nathan's stance shifted as he adjusted to the shifting ground, his boots grinding against the cracked surface.

Another wave surged toward him, threatening to knock him off balance.

Reacting swiftly, Nathan molded a thick shield from the remaining steel fragments, anchoring it into the quaking earth.

The tremors struck the shield with a deafening clang, but Nathan held firm, sweat beading on his brow from the strain.

Across the battlefield, Darian moved with deadly intent.

His gauntleted hand gleamed faintly as he charged toward Nathan, clearly intent on disrupting the assault.

Ivaim's instincts flared.

He saw the danger in Darian's swift approach and didn't hesitate.

Flipping a coin between his fingers, he activated [Whisper], threading his influence through the chaotic scene.

"Stay put."

Ivaim commanded firmly, his voice cutting through the tremors like a blade.

Darian's body jerked mid-stride, his muscles locking in place as if invisible chains had wrapped around him.

His eyes flickered with defiance, but his movements faltered, rooted against his will.

Flicking a coin into the air.

Ivaim infused it with [Coin of Fortune], twisting it into a curse laced with misfortune.

The coin gleamed darkly as it spun, slicing through the trembling air toward Darian.

Clang!

The cursed coin struck Darian's gleaming gauntlet, sending a harsh vibration through the metal.

For a split second, nothing seemed to happen—until one of Nathan's previously deflected spears, still hurtling through the air, suddenly veered wildly off course.

The spear spiraled downward toward Darian with terrifying speed.

Darian's instincts kicked in.

He twisted sharply to dodge...

But before he could fully move, another [Whisper] hissed into his ear, sharp and commanding:

"Hesitate."

The command struck like a hammer.

Darian's reaction faltered, his body caught in the fleeting grip of indecision.

He shifted just barely in time—

Shhhhnk!

The spear sliced past his neck, close enough to draw a thin line of blood before embedding itself in the ground with a metallic thud.

Darian's breath came ragged as he steadied himself, sweat beading on his temple.

His pulse thundered in his ears.

'That cursed coin's bad luck almost killed me... from a stray spear no less.'

His eyes narrowed, calculating Ivaim's next move.

But Ivaim didn't wait for retaliation.

Twirling another coin between his fingers, he stood ready to unleash another twist of fate.

Before either could strike, a soft, melodic voice rose above the battlefield, weaving through the thick air like a gentle breeze.

The Black Veil Master was singing.

Her song was ethereal, lulling and heavy, tugging at the senses.

The vibrations in the air seemed to dampen, as though the world itself were being draped in a veil of sleep.

Darian's eyes flickered as he struggled to stay focused. Even the tattooed man wavered, his fists lowering slightly.

But then the man's lips parted, though no sound emerged within the silent dome.

His body shuddered as if channeling raw energy.

The hanged figures swaying above followed his lead, their mouths opening wide.

A strange, guttural resonance reverberated through the air—distorted, unnatural, like the grinding of stone against bone.

The Black Veil Master's song wavered, shifting into something warped and unsettling.

What had been a lullaby now felt like a jagged knife scraping against flesh.

The painful dissonance gnawed at the senses, making Ivaim grit his teeth.

Nathan wasn't so lucky.

His face contorted in visible discomfort, muscles tightening as he struggled against the sound.

The metallic hum of his ability flared to life, raw frustration sparking his next move.

"Enough of this..."

Nathan growled under his breath.

With a powerful heave, he hurled a massive scrap-metal ball toward the tattooed man.

Twisted shards gleamed in the flickering light as the makeshift weapon cut through the air like a wrecking force.

The tattooed man didn't flinch.

His lips parted silently, channeling unseen vibrations that rippled outward in invisible waves.

BOOM!

The metal sphere detonated midair, fragments scattering like deadly shrapnel.

Sparks hissed against the ground as molten shards rained down, narrowly missing Nathan.

Nathan gritted his teeth, readying another attack.

But the man moved first, shifting his weight as energy built up around him—a dangerous prelude to a devastating counterstrike.

Before he could unleash it, a glint of silver streaked through the chaos.

Thwack!

The coin struck the man square in the forehead with pinpoint precision.

"Headshot!"

Ivaim cheered for himself with a smile.

The coin was Ivaim's [Coin of Fortune]...

One that he had been gathering badluck with for the past 5 months that he was in this Fractured Reality.

The man's face turned grim.

He sensed immense danger that was close to death!