The Extra Who Shouldn’t Exist

The reality itself warped as Alex swung. The arc of his blade didn't just cut forward—it split the air and existed in two separate points of time simultaneously.

The first strike rushed at Alyssa, but the second vanished, reappearing in a delayed echo somewhere else in the timeline.

Alyssa's pupils contracted. 'That damned sword art again… how could something so broken even exist… and of all people, it had to be him who learned it.'

Her instincts screamed danger. She raised her hand and whispered, "World Sanctuary."

The world bent violently around them. In the blink of an eye, Alex found himself standing in a different space altogether. A wide grassland stretched endlessly, mountains looming far in the distance. The entire environment carried an oppressive weight—Alyssa's personal dimension.

The first strike tore across the field, but Alyssa flicked her fingers. Ten perfect clones burst out of the air, intercepting the slash.

The second strike warped back into reality, bending time itself to predict her possible location. It crashed with a deafening roar, shattering the ground and creating a crater that swallowed half the field.

When the dust cleared, Alyssa stood there, unharmed.

Without warning, she appeared in front of him. Her speed blurred beyond sight, each step bending the dimension itself.

BAM. A punch landed on Alex's ribs. CRACK. Bones splintered.

Before he could recover, a kick slammed into his jaw, snapping his head sideways. Another elbow crashed into his chest, forcing blood to spray from his mouth.

Alex staggered back, trying to gain distance, but Alyssa was relentless. Every attempt he made to retreat was crushed by her sheer speed, her fists and feet battering him again and again.

'Dammit! I can't even see half her strength and speed!'

Finally, as she lunged again, Alex's eyes gleamed. He twisted, planting his feet, and shouted,

"Heavy Strike!"

[ Heavy strike - Activated ]

His sword flared with power, his strength multiplying several fold. He swung with all his might, a devastating arc aimed right at her chest.

Alyssa's instincts screamed—her arms crossed just in time.

BOOM!

The impact hurled her backwards, her body crashing through the grasslands and gouging a massive trench. Smoke and dust erupted as her body tumbled, her arms cut deeply as they dangled from her elbows.

Alex clicked his tongue. "Tch. She managed to shield in time."

Before his eyes, Alyssa's wounds sealed, her arms regenerating instantly.

Alex raised his blade and yelled, "This isn't fair! You made an entire dimension just to fight me. I can't do that yet—I'm still not even at Grandmaster rank!"

Alyssa's cold voice echoed across the field. "If you were normal, I wouldn't have to. But you're not normal a normal brat. Against you, I'll do anything I can."

Blue aura surged from her body, compressing into pure constructs. With a sharp gesture, weapons began forming—swords, spears, hammers, bows—hundreds of them, all gleaming with transcendent rank power.

In a blink, they shot forward.

The sky screamed with the sound of blades.

Alex's eyes widened as explosions ripped the ground behind him, each impact leaving massive craters. He dashed frantically, but the weapons were endless.

"Shadow Step!"

His body flickered, teleporting kilometers away in an instant. A sword narrowly missed his neck, slicing past and embedding itself into a massive boulder—which exploded into dust.

Alex landed, panting. 'She's trying to skewer me alive!'

He came to a sudden halt, grinning. "All right then. Let's try this too."

His aura surged. From his body, weapons began materializing—mirroring Alyssa's technique perfectly.

Dozens of blades, spears, and axes formed from his energy, whirling around him like a storm. He pointed his sword forward.

"Go!"

The two storms of weapons clashed violently, detonating in midair. Shockwaves shredded the grassland, mountains in the distance crumbling under the sheer force. The entire dimension trembled violently.

Alyssa's eyes widened. 'This boy… he just saw it once, and he already learned it?! Infuriating brat...'

Her lips curled into a dangerous smile. "All right, then. How will you handle this?"

She rose into the sky, her aura spiraling upward. "Meteor Shower."

The sky darkened. Hundreds of blazing meteors materialized above, each one large enough to erase a city block. They rained down like divine punishment.

Alex's face twisted. "Oh great. She's seriously trying to kill me."

He inhaled deeply, steadying his stance. His sword hummed as he whispered, "Astral Void Rend…"

The blade blackened, runes etching across it in jagged lines.

In his mind, he called out, 'Partner, let's do this.'

[ Replacing mana with Cosmic Essence!…

Success ]

The runes pulsed purple, the blade thrumming with otherworldly power.

"Fifth Form—Dimensional Sever."

He swung.

A slash of pure darkness erupted, tearing through reality itself. The blackened arc howled, devouring the meteors one by one. Each collision sent shockwaves that rattled the dimension, the meteors vanishing as if erased from existence.

The slash didn't stop—it kept going, racing toward Alyssa herself.

Her eyes widened. "Impossible!"

The dark arc split the heavens, descending upon her.

But just before it struck, her lips parted. "Manifest Astral Form."

---------

A blinding white light engulfed Alyssa's body.

The moment Alex's slash connected, the entire dimension shattered like glass. Reality folded back, and both of them were thrown violently into the training hall.

Alex stumbled, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. Sweat poured down his forehead, and his arms trembled from the sheer strain of channeling that much Cosmic Essence.

Meanwhile, Alyssa floated a few feet off the ground, her entire body glowing with a divine white brilliance. Her presence radiated something untouchable, something beyond mere flesh.

Alex wiped blood from his lips and laughed hoarsely. "So this is your soul form… or what do you call it? Astral form, huh? I finally managed to force you to use it against me!"

He broke into hysterical laughter despite his exhaustion.

Alyssa's mouth twitched. In a blink, she drove a devastating kick into his chest.

But Alex braced himself this time, . The impact rippled through his body, but instead of crumpling, he absorbed the blow with gritted teeth.

"Not bad," he muttered, and in a swift maneuver, he threw a counterpunch straight at her glowing face.

His fist passed straight through her.

Alex froze mid-motion, his eyes widening. "What the hell… what's this now?"

He slashed with his sword, aiming quick and precise cuts. But every strike phased harmlessly through her form like smoke.

Frustration surged inside him. He growled, "Vitality Drain!"

Black tendrils erupted from his body, writhing and stretching toward her glowing figure. Yet, just like his blade, they slipped through without so much as a ripple.

'Nothing's working… I can't even touch her!'

Before he could process the situation, Alyssa appeared behind him and unleashed another kick. The force sent Alex flying across the hall, crashing into the wall with a thunderous crack.

He coughed blood and tried to rise, only to hear her chuckle.

"How can you drain strength from something you can't even touch, idiotic boy?"

She blurred forward again, a kick slamming into his leg. Alex collapsed to one knee, his body battered and broken.

Hovering above him, Alyssa flared with overwhelming mana, her aura pressing down like a mountain.

Slumped against the ground, Alex clenched his fists. 'It's impossible… her speed, her power, I can't keep up with it in this form of her.'

Finally, he let out a bitter laugh. "Okay, okay—I admit defeat."

Alyssa's expression softened slightly, but instead of stopping, she leaned down and smacked him across the cheek with a loud *slap.*

Alex's head snapped to the side. "Ow! What was that for?!"

She stepped back, folding her arms. "Nothing. I'm just annoyed at how monstrous of a brat you are… forcing me to use my Astral Form against you."

Alex grinned despite his swollen cheek. "I know, right? Even I'm astonished at how amazing I am sometimes."

A vein popped on Alyssa's forehead, her fist sparking with mana.

Alex quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Kidding, kidding! Don't hit me again!"

But his eyes narrowed with seriousness as he asked, "What the hell was that form? No matter what I tried, I couldn't touch you in that form."

Alyssa sighed, then smirked. "That's the perk of breaking through to Transcendent rank. You gain the ability to manifest your Astral Form. In that state, only attacks that target the soul can harm me. Physical attacks won't work at all."

Alex let out a long whistle. "Wow… that's some badass shit."

"It is," she replied with a smirk. "That last attack of yours in the dimension—it was aimed purely at my physical body, wasn't it?"

Alex nodded. "Correct."

"That's why it didn't work," Alyssa said.

Alex tilted his head back, groaning. "So, looks like I need to learn attacks that can hit the soul, huh?"

Alyssa facepalmed. "Sometimes I wonder if you're an idiot."

"Huh? What did I say wrong this time?" Alex muttered.

She shot him a sharp glare. "You already have that ridiculous sword art. It's not normal. If you understand it more thoroughly, it will absolutely be able to hurt souls. I could tell just from watching it."

Alex blinked, stunned into silence. 'So the Astral Void Rend… can even harm someone in Astral Form? But that means… I have to master it completely.'

Alyssa's voice cut through his thoughts. "But to do that, you need to reach Grandmaster rank first. Every breakthrough expands your understanding of the world and its laws. With that comes deeper comprehension of the universe with then of body and soul."

Alex exhaled, nodding solemnly. "Got it."

Alyssa stretched her arms. "All right. Let's end the training session here."

"Fine by me," Alex muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "I've got somewhere to visit anyway."

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd just go back to sleep."

"Believe me, I'd love to," Alex said with a tired grin. "But I've got promises to keep. I have a sister who looks up to me, and I don't plan on letting her down. So no rest for me."

Alyssa frowned. "Where are you going, then?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder as he walked toward the exit. "To help a friend… who isn't really a good friend."

He waved lazily with one hand as he left the hall.

Alyssa rubbed her temple, sighing. "I'll never understand what he's thinking and saying."

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A/N:

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