"Huff… huff… huff…"
The night wind howled, and the iron roof of the abandoned factory gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
Diluc stood high above, his crimson hair whipping in the gale, his fiery red eyes fixed coldly on the black-robed figure below.
The strange creatures stood motionless, the darkness beneath their hoods like an abyss, staring back at him.
Time seemed to freeze.
Suddenly, all the robed figures turned in unison—as if to leave.
But Diluc's fingers had already closed silently around the hilt of the Blackrock Slasher.
They won't leave.
BOOM—!
Just as expected, in the next instant, a near-silent rush of air tore through the shadows behind him!
Diluc spun around in a flash. The Blackrock Slasher was already in his grip, and blazing flames erupted from the blade like an enraged dragon!
BOOM!
The fire-wreathed sword struck true, cleaving through a black shape that lunged from the darkness.
It was another robed figure—one that had been hiding in wait. Its razor-sharp claws had been mere inches from Diluc's throat before the blade sent it reeling backward.
The steel bit deep into its chest. Scorching flames instantly vaporized the blood gushing from the wound, and the stench of burnt flesh filled the air.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The figure staggered back, clutching its wound and letting out guttural, incoherent cries. Its hood slipped off, revealing its true form:
Dark blue skin. A smooth, hairless head. Sunken eye sockets. And… that grotesque fissure splitting its chin.
A Reaper.
"It's you again…" Diluc sneered.
The black-and-red flames coiling around the Blackrock Slasher surged anew.
At that moment, the robed figures—who had only pretended to retreat—whirled around and charged at him with terrifying speed!
"SHHHHH—!!"
Their movements were ghostly fast. Dozens of shadows flickered in the moonlight, cutting off every possible escape route.
But Diluc was no slower.
"BOOM! BOOM—!"
He leapt into the air, sweeping the Blackrock Slasher in a wide arc. A crescent wave of fire exploded outward, forcing the nearest Reapers back.
"UGHHHHHHHH!"
One Reaper failed to dodge and was swallowed by the inferno. It shrieked—a high-pitched, agonized wail—before crumbling into charred ash.
"PFFFT!"
Another Reaper struck from the side, its grotesque mouthparts lashing out like a venomous serpent, aimed straight for Diluc's throat!
"ZZZT—!"
Diluc sidestepped and seized the slimy tendril with his left hand. Flames raced up his arm and reduced it to cinders in an instant.
"URK—!"
The Reaper howled in pain and tried to retreat—but Diluc was already upon it. He drove the Blackrock Slasher through its chest, pinning it to the iron wall behind.
"BOOM—!"
Fire detonated on impact. The Reaper's body shattered under the heat, collapsing into a pile of black ash.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The battle raged on. Diluc weaved through the Reapers' encirclement, each swing of his blade unleashing torrents of roaring flame.
He took advantage of the factory environment, sometimes using the terrain to leap onto containers, sometimes flipping over and vanishing into the shadows, then launching sudden counterattacks.
Though the Reapers were incredibly fast, Diluc had far more combat experience and could instantly spot the flaws in every confrontation.
"Puff!"
A Reaper swooped down from high above, attempting a surprise attack—but Diluc anticipated it and severed its legs with a backhand slash.
"Ughh…"
It plummeted with a scream, but before it hit the ground, a second strike had already split its skull open.
"Puff…"
Another Reaper seized the opening, lunging from behind—its claws aimed straight at Diluc's back.
"Swish!"
Diluc didn't even turn his head. The Blackrock Slasher spun in his grip like a living thing. The blade carved a perfect arc through the air—and the Reaper's arm was severed clean at the shoulder!
"Bang! Bang—!"
Before it could react, Diluc whirled around and kicked it dozens of meters away, smashing it through a brick wall.
"Boom!"
A wave of fire followed, engulfing the creature completely.
The battle lasted less than five minutes. In the blink of an eye, only two of the dozen Reapers remained.
The survivors stood amid the ruins, their sunken eye sockets fixed on Diluc. Cracks along their chins trembled—not just with rage, but with fear.
"Krrk…"
Diluc flicked the ashes from the Blackrock Slasher. Black-and-red flames still danced along the blade.
"Now," he said, "it's your turn."
The two Reapers exchanged a glance—and nodded.
"ROAR—!"
Suddenly, one charged at Diluc while the other turned and fled!
"Swish!"
The charging Reaper swung its claws wildly, its mandibles lashing like whips—as if it intended to sacrifice itself to buy time for its companion.
Its assault was chaotic, desperate—a true fight to the death.
"Ding! Ding! Ding—!"
"You're brave," Diluc muttered, sparks flying with every parry from the Blackrock Slasher, "but you're still going to die."
"Puff!"
After just three exchanges, Diluc exploited an opening: one slash severed its mandibles, and a backhand chop cleaved it horizontally. The Reaper's head soared into the sky; its headless body staggered a few steps before crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Plop…"
But by then, the last Reaper had already reached the factory's edge—and was about to vanish into the night.
Diluc narrowed his eyes. The flames on the Blackrock Slasher suddenly condensed.
"Trying to run?"
He hurled the blade. It streaked across the night sky like a meteor wrapped in fire.
"BOOM—!"
The Blackrock Slasher struck the earth just behind the fleeing Reaper. The resulting explosion of flame knocked it off its feet.
But the creature scrambled up instantly, ignored the charred wound on its back, vaulted over the wall, and disappeared into the darkness.
Diluc watched the vast night—then chose not to pursue.
"Swish!"
He raised his hand. The Blackrock Slasher flew back into his palm, its flames slowly fading.
As the night wind blew through the ruins, only scorched debris remained in the abandoned factory.
Meanwhile, the blinding flames and thunderous explosions had awakened the nearby residents.
Someone drew back the curtains and gasped at the sight: thick smoke billowing from the distant factory, orange-red tongues of fire licking at the sky.
"My God," muttered a middle-aged man, rubbing his eyes. "Hasn't that run-down factory been abandoned for over a decade? Could some leftover chemicals have caused an explosion?"
A grim thought crossed his mind.
Hearing him, his wife snatched up her phone and dialed 911. The moment the call connected, she said urgently:
"Hello? Is this the NYPD? There's been an explosion at the old industrial park in Brooklyn! The fire is massive—and there might be a chemical leak!"
Down the street, a convenience store owner was already shouting into his own phone:
"Yeah, it's that old factory zone! I saw fireballs explode into the sky with my own eyes—this is no ordinary fire!"