"Next," Ethan said.
A heavy, unnerving silence descended upon the arena as chaos chose to disregard Ethan's presence as if dismissing his existence entirely. The absence of any immediate response from chaos sent a chill through the group, their instincts alerting them to an impending revelation. They braced themselves for what chaos had in store.
In a sudden twist, the atmosphere seemed to shift as if the very fabric of reality warped before their eyes. Dark tendrils of chaos snaked through the air, entwining themselves around the consciousness of Ethan's friends. The group's expressions shifted from anticipation to a mixture of confusion and intrigue as they were drawn into a shared experience.
Still, since they didn't have his powers, Ethan assumed that his friends would be fine… until the shadows began to explode and enveloped everyone.
"This might not be so good…" Ethan said upon realizing that he couldn't help anyone. They had to deal with that themselves.
As the alternate memories woven by chaos enveloped Ethan's friends, a profound and agonizing suffering settled upon them. Each member of the group was subjected to a deeply personal torment, forced to witness the twisted illusions conjured by chaos. The fake memories dug deep into their psyche, exploiting their vulnerabilities and fears and leaving them vulnerable to the emotional turmoil unleashed upon them.
Ethan knew that his friends were strong, but mental attacks sure were troublesome. Feel people could endure them, and that wasn't something that you could just use a skill to defend against.
Ethan gulped when he saw his friends dropping to their knees while holding their heads and screaming…
"So feeble and weak-minded, what can you possibly accomplish by facing me with this much resolve? I am just trying to bring balance."
"You can say it as nicely as you want, but you are just only looking for food," Ethan said and then touched the shoulders of Anna and Mary.
Ethan tried to control his power to take those memories away from them, and he actually managed to pull that off after a while… However, getting more of those bad memories made him sweat cold.
From their perspective, Ethan saw them being underestimated due to their age and lack of experience as heroes. Usually, that was something that he wouldn't mind. Still, since chaos was playing on their insecurities, Ethan felt as bad as them. Still, at least that made them recover.
"In the end, they are this much weak-minded, and they can't deal with those realities by themselves,"
"... Give it back," Anna said when she opened her eyes. "I won't let anyone underestimate me."
"I don't want to be a burden… I want to help here as well," Mary said, even though the fear was clear in her face.
After all that hard work… Ethan felt like sighing, but he gave them back the memories. As expected, they began to struggle with them, but they eventually stopped agonizing over it.
As the grip of chaos' false memories began to loosen, a sense of resilience settled upon Ethan's friends. They had endured the onslaught of twisted illusions, recognizing them for what they were—fragments of other people's lives, not their own. With this awareness, they found solace and strength in the knowledge that these memories held no power over their true selves.
Exhaustion etched lines upon their faces, evidence of the emotional turmoil they had weathered. Yet, behind their weary expressions, a glimmer of determination flickered. They knew that chaos sought to manipulate their emotions, to weaken their resolve, and to cloud their perception. But they were not so easily swayed.
"It is pretty embarrassing that I can only deal with that while looking like this instead of shrugging off like Ethan, but…" Dante said and then took a deep breath. "I will consider this as an absolute win."
"... This isn't an experience that I would like to deal with again," Aline said after a long sigh.
"What is the next attraction?" Emily asked. "I feel like I am getting infected by Ethan's stupidity."
Anna and Mary didn't feel like taunting chaos since they were still feeling shivers over those memories, but they couldn't look weak either. As for Ian, he tried to keep a poker face, but he was pale as well.
"It seems that your plan failed, and you lost a bit of your power by summoning those shadows, right?" Ethan asked. "What is the next stupid and useless thing that you are going to do?"
"... I could do a lot of things with you all since I have all the time in the world. You comprehend the mere tip of the iceberg, the surface of what I can unleash upon you. Shadows of your loved ones, monsters from Earth, the eternal grip of battle until the twilight of your existence. Oh, the possibilities are endless. However, all that would be too light for you all who make light of my goal."
As the dimension quivered with an ominous energy, an unsettling transformation took place at the heart of the disturbance. The very fabric of reality seemed to contort and warp, giving birth to a massive, swirling vortex of purple clouds. The clouds coalesced, growing in size and intensity until they formed a gargantuan sphere, spanning ten kilometers in both width and length.
Within this colossal sphere, a grotesque visage began to take shape. A monstrous head emerged, its features nightmarish and unsettling. A massive mouth stretched wide, lined with jagged teeth that seemed to gnash with anticipation. A single eye glared with a malevolence that pierced the very soul. Around the head, writhing tentacles undulated with an eerie grace, adding to the sense of otherworldly horror.
The sight of this monstrous entity sent chills down the spines of Ethan and his friends. They stood in awe and trepidation, their hearts pounding in their chests. It was a sight that defied the laws of nature, an embodiment of chaos and darkness that seemed to mock their every effort.
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