MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 501: Dark Hemisphere

Dark Hemisphere

The first time Clement unleashed this technique was during his first clash with Anthony, back when he dared challenge him on their way to the floating island.

But much has changed since then, Dark Hemisphere has evolved.

Now, it no longer shrouds mere meters. It blankets entire kilometres beneath a dome of absolute darkness.

Within this darkness, any attack Clement unleashed would deal five times its normal damage.

Conversely, any damage inflicted upon him would be diminished by ninety percent.

He could teleport freely to any point within the dome.

Every movement within the Dark Hemisphere was laid bare before his eyes, nothing escaped his vision.

The world was instantly swallowed by utter darkness as a pitch-black dome surged outward from Clement’s position, cloaking everything in shadow and darkness.

Spectre’s vision was swallowed by darkness in an instant, as though he had been struck blind. Even his night vision, a skill honed for pitch-black environments, proved utterly useless here.

Then, without warning, sight returned to him. He understood instinctively: it was Clement who had restored his vision.

Clement moved without a sound, not by walking, not by running. He teleported.

In a blip, his form materialized before the motionless Anthony, whose eyes remained closed, his body utterly still and unresponsive.

Clement’s dagger sliced through the air, aimed to sever Anthony’s hand in one swift motion. But just as the blade closed in, the dazed and motionless Anthony moved, instantly.

His katana flashed, intercepting the dagger mid-swing. Yet no clash of metal rang out, no sparks flew, only silence, cloaked by the absolute darkness surrounding them.

The moment Anthony blocked, he was violently hurled off his feet, his body propelled backward as he tore through the darkened space.

’How?’

Clement’s mind reeled with confusion.

He had deliberately poured sand into Anthony’s eyes just before activating Dark Hemisphere, forcing him to shut them.

Clement knew Anthony possessed the ability to see within the darkness, but the sand was meant to nullify that advantage, to blind him completely.

And yet, Anthony had still managed to block the attack, as though he could see everything.

Clement didn’t hesitate. He teleported again, reappearing directly in Anthony’s path of movement. Without a word, his daggers flashed, aiming for Anthony’s spine from behind.

But mid-air, Anthony twisted, gracefully, precisely, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. His katana met the strike, halting it cleanly.

This time, he wasn’t sent flying. His body remained firm, unmoved, as though the fivefold boost behind Clement’s attack had no effect on him whatsoever.

Anthony was no stranger to the Dark Hemisphere, Clement had used it against him years ago. But back then, its buff had merely doubled Clement’s attacks, not amplified them fivefold.

The reason Anthony had been thrown backward earlier wasn’t due to weakness, it was simply because he had accounted for only a twofold increase in strength.

Clement clicked his tongue in frustration. Even after activating Dark Hemisphere at full strength and blinding Anthony with sand, it made no difference.

He teleported once more, his form materializing high above Anthony.

[Clement Dagger Technique: Dark Bestowment]

In an instant, a million reflections of Clement burst into existence, each a perfect replica, moving with eerie synchronicity. In one unified motion, they raised their daggers, each blade cloaked in pure darkness.

Without mercy, they all struck at once.

A million Clements, each empowered with five times their normal attack strength, an overwhelming storm of shadow and steel, poised to obliterate anything in their path.

”Using one of my own techniques against me?”

Anthony said calmly, his voice steady amidst the chaos.

”Color me surprised”

Above him, a million dark blade arcs converged from every direction, each one threatening to bury him beneath an onslaught of overwhelming force.

He recognized the attack immediately, it was the very same technique he had once used to defeat Clement. And now, Clement had turned it against him.

Anthony’s expression didn’t change.

”Well... it doesn’t matter”

Fire erupted around Anthony, untouched by the encroaching darkness. The temperature surged under his command, flames coiling around his katana like a living serpent of heat and fury.

With fluid precision, Anthony dropped into a stance. Then, in an instant, he spun, graceful yet fierce, executing a full 360-degree cutting slash.

[Endless Technique: Katana Series: Infernal Spiral]

A vortex of flames exploded outward, spiraling in all directions. Every dark blade arc that dared draw near was melted into nothingness, consumed by the inferno.

Devastation followed in its wake. Trees ignited and burned to ash, shadows were shredded, and the very ground split open with scorched trenches. The collision of black and crimson energies tore through the land like a cataclysm, birthing an apocalyptic storm of destruction.

Lightning crackled violently around Spectre, forming a protective dome as he braced himself against the storm of destruction.

The blazing inferno surged outward, reaching for Clement, but he vanished just before impact, teleporting beyond the blast’s radius.

He now floated high above, his gaze locked on Anthony, who stood calmly amidst the chaos.

”How can you still see?”

The question slipped from Clement’s lips, he couldn’t help but ask.

”I never said I needed my eyes open to see. You just assumed I was bound by such limitations”

Anthony calmly replied.

”I shall show you the cost of a wrong assumption”

Anthony spoke in finality.

His katana rose once more, the flames encircling it surged with renewed vigor, then transformed, shifting from a deep crimson to a radiant gold, as though reflecting the very essence of the sun.

Then it reached its peak, no longer merely burning, but rampaging with untamed fury. It did not just sear; it erased, it annihilated. In the presence of this rising sun, the darkness began to wither and retreat.

Anthony made a single motion, a solitary, deliberate slash before him.

[Endless Technique: Katana Series: Solar Bloom]

In an instant, the single slash multiplied, once, then twice, then a hundred, a thousand, a million, ten million. The golden slashes spiraled around him, forming a radiant dome that pulsed with life itself.

And then, with but a thought.

It bloomed.

The dome of solar slashes shimmered, then detonated outward in every direction. Blazing sword arcs of golden light tore through the darkness, cutting across kilometers with divine accuracy.

The world was bathed in a golden brilliance so overwhelming that even the darkness could not swallow it. The infamous Dark Hemisphere, once thought impenetrable, shattered, burst apart like an overfilled balloon, unable to contain the radiance.

The world slowly returned to form, light restored, and fragmented images fell back into place. But with that clarity came devastation. The military base lay in ruins.

Chaos reigned.

Fumes and dust choked the air as molten ground bubbled beneath their feet. The very earth had turned to lava, stones liquefied by unimaginable heat.

Storms of flame swept violently through the space, the temperature spiking, each wave of fire searing through the atmosphere like wrath incarnate.

Spectre stood bloodied, his body marked with countless sword strikes. One arm severed, lying uselessly beside him, while his remaining hand clutched his katana with grim resolve. Blood trickled steadily, pooling at his feet, yet his gaze remained fixed.

Fixed on Anthony.

Anthony stood untouched, his eyes closed, as if the world itself was too ugly to gaze upon.

”I’ve seen all I need to see, Let’s end this test, shall we?”

Anthony said calmly, his voice cutting through the storm like a blade.