A quick glance back found the formed hole closed up completely. He had to set his gaze forward again as he found himself immediately pursued by the man.
The distance was crossed in that single moment as he leaned to the side, avoiding that knife that passed by like a spear.
At that moment, the system brought him an identification—
[
Special Entity Recognized.]
[Major Arcana: "The Devil"] [Level: 0]
'Zero?'
He repeated.
Maintaining his footing after leaning almost entirely onto his left foot, he pushed his right hand against the bare abdomen of the killer:
["
Touch of Rot
"]
–He sought to burn a hole through the nameless man's gut, though he only touched for a split-second before that knife came down on his wrist. Before he could be down a hand, he flipped back, landing with a nimble slide.
["
Phantom Flow
"]
Using the formless rotation of shadows beneath his foot, he drifted backwards while keeping his eyes on the "Devil."
'Rot won't work at all. He's too fast, too aggressive–if I try to push that too much, I'll lose a hand or worse,'
he decided.
Though he thought he had a clear idea of the nameless killer's path while in the rusted corridor, he found that idea intercepted as the shaggy-haired figure slipped into one of the doors to the side.
'A different room? Is he trying to draw me to him? I won't fall for obvious bait like that–'
Finn thought.
From the footsteps he heard, he realized it wasn't just a single room, but that they must've been interconnected, realizing the man returned from Hell was trying to use the walls to get closer.
'The left–'
Finn realized.
He pivoted around, surfing on the shadows as he faced the left wall, only to hear the one right behind him split open. Spinning around again, he found the repulsive figure rushing at him from the right side of the corridor, even though it made no logical sense.
'That's right–this entire place is his to manipulate as he sees fit. What a pain in the ass,'
he recalled.
Using the torrent of shadows, it was easy enough for him to slide to the side while ducking down, avoiding a slash that would've split his throat open. The fear that once paralyzed him wasn't completely gone, but it was manageable; he was able to move freely, undisturbed and focused.
Though he avoided the initial slash, he had to keep skating the darkness following under his boots as the man without an identity relentlessly pursued him. There wasn't an opportunity to go for an attack of his own, entirely focusing on protecting himself against that brutal knife.
Only a single blade; that's all he had to watch out for, but a single mistake would lead to his guts being strewn through the hall.
'He's like a damn beast–I don't know if this dude has taken a single breath, he just keeps pointing that blade for my vitals,'
For the first time, he claimed the initiative against the relentless killer–
["
Spring Foot
"] [0:59] ["
Supercharge
"]
He pushed off of one foot, covering the distance of the corridor in an instant as he slashed at the taller man's throat. A makeshift Blink Slash; not quite as fast, but one with more momentum behind it.
The nameless man leaned away from the dagger's range, dropping low and sweeping for the leg. Finn glanced down as that leg closed in, flipping back though not before letting his weapon slip from his fingers.
It was a purposeful dismissal before–
["
Blade Warp
"] [Mana: -100] [3800/4500]
There wasn't a millisecond between the time he avoided having his leg swept and being right back there beside the killer as he warped to his blade, just a meter away from his position. For the first time, it seemed he truly got the upper hand in an exchange as the eye hidden beneath the hair of the killer was only just then glancing over at him–
["
Magenta
"]
A bolt of deep-purple lightning shot from his hand, striking it against the side of the nameless one's body. From such close proximity, having the thunder roar through the foul corridor, the impact sent the killer flying through the wall on the other side.
The recoil of it sent his shoulder cocking back, though the pain was dulled as he didn't so much as flinch at it.
'It still wears on me, but I can deal with this–I can handle this better now. This "Zombie" body–it can take a whole lot more punishment,'
he recognized.
The sound of rapid footsteps led him away from thinking he'd have any time to think even after sending a lightning bolt right against the man's body.
["
Mineral Armor
"]
When considering the various defensive options, rather than using the scale armor, he opted for the rigid one made of stone as it crawled over his body. Before the pale, stone suit could completely form, he found the blur of the killer swiftly cutting in from the corner of his eye.
Before his hands could move, he found the man with his gaze, instinctively flexing as his ocular organs heated up–
["
Ocular Blast
"] [Mana: -200] [3600/4500]
A release of fluctuating light pushed out of his eyes, burrowing through the stitched hallway and crashing against the nameless figure. With that blood-stained knife, the "Devil" blocked the ocular blast, though was slammed back several meters.
"Phew–"
Finn breathed out, having to close his eyes briefly, feeling as though he had just dunked them in chlorine. They were no doubt bloodshot, blurring his gaze for a moment as he began moving without wasting a moment.