Death Guns In Another World

The oppressive silence of Nyx’s inner world was broken only by the slow pulse of dark energy that echoed through the void. The gravity was unbearable for most mortals, but for Alex, it was familiar—like the weight of expectation and ambition pressing on his shoulders.

The black platform stretched endlessly in every direction. Shadows twisted at the edge of his vision, stretching and folding like ink in water. Above him, far in the abyss, the throne of Nyx loomed. And now, she stood—not in her throne, but before him.

Nyx held a sword.

Its edge was midnight, glimmering with the light of distant stars trapped in the blade. She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. Her eyes met his, and in that moment, the challenge was clear.

Alex narrowed his gaze, tightening his grip on his own blade. The air trembled as the two figures stood still—an unspoken countdown ticking between them.

And then they vanished.

The first clash was soundless. Metal met metal in a flash of sparks, too fast for the eye to follow. The shockwave that followed rippled through the realm, scattering the encroaching shadows like dry leaves in the wind.

Alex was the first to be pushed back. He skidded across the platform, the soles of his boots digging grooves into the stone-like floor.

She’s faster than before, he thought, sweat already forming along his brow.

Nyx was on him before he could recover. A sweeping arc of her blade nearly took his head. He ducked, countered with a slash of his own—but she leaned back, effortlessly evading. Her counterattack was brutal: a downward strike aimed at his shoulder. Alex raised his sword just in time, but the force sent him flying backward like a cannonball.

He smashed into one of the tall black obelisks surrounding the field, cracking it down the middle.

Gritting his teeth, he stood. Blood ran from a cut along his temple.

‘Damn… not even one hit in.’

He charged again.

This time he mixed in footwork from his spear training, his movements swift and serpentine. He spun, ducked, and slashed. The gravity was a crushing weight on his spine, but he moved like he was born in it. Each swing carried his full weight—every muscle screaming in defiance.

Nyx parried it all with one hand.

Each flick of her wrist was elegant, efficient, and utterly merciless. Alex’s blade was deflected again and again—he couldn’t even find an opening. Not one.

She spun, slashed at his chest—he blocked, but she was already behind him. A heavy kick to his side sent him flying again, blood spraying from his mouth.

Still, he rose.

“I’m not done,” he muttered, eyes blazing.

Nyx didn’t respond. But for the briefest second, her eyes flickered—an acknowledgment of his will.

Alex changed tactics. Drawing his spear from his item box, he twirled it and planted it into the ground, channeling his mana.

“Crushing Spiral!” he roared.

The spear exploded with motion, a spiraling tempest of mana radiating outward. He launched himself forward, spinning with the weapon like a cyclone of steel and fury. It was fast. Faster than before.

Nyx finally raised both hands.

For the first time, she moved.

She met his spiraling strike head-on. The air cracked with the force of the clash. Waves of pressure rippled outward, forming cracks in the void. The impact sent Alex tumbling backward—but Nyx had been forced to move a step.

One step… I pushed her back one step, he thought, coughing.

He drew his bow next.

Within seconds, magical arrows shimmered into being, each infused with elemental energy. Fire, ice, wind, lightning—they flew in bursts, tracing unpredictable patterns in the air. It was a storm of mana.

Nyx didn’t dodge.

She walked forward through the storm, her blade dancing through the air like a conductor’s baton. Each arrow shattered before it reached her.

Alex snarled. “Take this—!”

He launched three arrows at once, a tri-elemental shot. They curved in from multiple angles—but Nyx moved like water. She twisted mid-air, flipped upside down, landed on her feet, and carved a spiral into the platform with her blade.

Then she disappeared again.

Alex barely raised his sword in time.

Clang!

She was above him.

Clang!

Now behind him.

Clang!

To his right—too fast!

Finally, she kicked his leg out from under him, slamming him into the ground. Her blade hovered at his throat.

Alex gasped, coughing up blood, vision flickering.

“I… still haven’t landed a hit,” he groaned.

Nyx stood above him, unmoving.

Then, silently, she took a step back and let him rise again.

“…You’re giving me another chance?” Alex asked.

She didn’t answer. But the blade she held shifted slightly, as if inviting him.

He switched back to the sword, gripping it tighter.

Mana surged from his core. His body was battered, bruised, but his spirit burned hotter than ever.

This time he didn’t rush. He walked toward her.

Each step was deliberate.

His mind raced—not just to match her speed or strength—but to understand her flow, her rhythm.

And then, in one blur of motion—he struck.

Nyx parried—but he anticipated it.

He twisted, used her momentum, and spun behind her. A slash aimed at her back—it was his fastest yet.

And finally, finally—

A thin line of crimson bloomed across Nyx’s cheek.

The world seemed to stop.

She slowly raised a hand and touched the wound. A faint trace of blood. Her eyes widened—not in anger, but in acknowledgment.

Alex stood panting, blade shaking in his grip.

“I finally got you,” he whispered.

Nyx stared at him silently for a long moment.

Then she nodded.

And in that instant, the gravity around them ceased. The black platform melted into shadow. The training session was over.

Alex collapsed onto his knees, breathing hard. His muscles ached, bones felt like they’d been shattered and glued back together. But a smile spread across his bloodied lips.

“I’ll get stronger,” he said quietly to the void.

“Next time… I won’t just land one hit.”

Far above, in the shadowed throne, Nyx had returned to her seat.

She watched him quietly, and for the first time, a small, imperceptible smile touched the corners of her lips. Her master was growing steadily.