The villain's side of the novel

Chapter 229 Lyla's Battle

A surge of power crackled through the air which resembled colossal whips of energy, twisting and writhing with a ferocity that echoed the turmoil within. Fray, a figure cloaked in blur-like speed, raced toward this epicenter of raw energy.

As he arrived, he halted gracefully upon a massive branch, overlooking a breathtaking scene.

Lyla, her form battered and wearied, stood at the epicenter of the maelstrom. Two electrifying whips of red energy crackled menacingly in her grasp.

Before her, a mysterious figure darted and weaved with incredible agility, like a shadow in the night. His face remained obscured, shrouded in the enigma of the battle.

The clash was a spectacle of power and finesse. Lyla's energy whips lashed out with a resounding *CRACK*, striking the forest floor with searing intensity.

Clash!!

Each impact carved deep fissures into the earth, sending tremors reverberating through the ancient trees.

The mysterious man danced on the edge of danger, his movements punctuated by the *WHOOSH* of narrowly avoided strikes. Leaves and debris spiraled in the wake of his evasive maneuvers.

Fray, hidden in the treetops, strained to see the man's face, but it remained an elusive mystery.

As Fray continued to peer intensely through the tangled branches, a sense of confusion gnawed on his expression as he felt that there was something about the mysterious that he found very familiar.

" I need to get closer..."

Suddenly, before Fray could finish his words the enigmatic figure pivoted in his direction before Fray could identify the man, In the blink of an eye, an intense, blinding flashlight pierced through the shadows, searing Fray's retinas with searing agony

"Ugh! What!!!..."Fray couldn't suppress a cry of pain, his vision overwhelmed by the brilliant, piercing light.

It felt as though a thousand needles were piercing his eyes, and the pain threatened to consume him.

Clash!!

Whosh!!

"Ahh!!!..."

As Fray gritted his teeth in pain he could hear several loud noises Fray couldn't help but imagine what it was but just after the series of noises the pain suddenly became a little weaker.

Then mustering every ounce of willpower, Fray managed to open his eyes slightly, adjusting to the blinding intensity.

Through his partially blurred vision, Fray could see Lyla who was alone breathing heavily amidst the surging energy that enveloped her, while there was no trace of the mysterious man that he had seen before.

As Fray's vision gradually cleared through the pulsating agony, he cautiously approached Lyla. Her once fierce countenance was now marred by madness. Her energy whips crackled like serpents, their erratic movements casting eerie shadows, and her eyes gleamed with an unhinged fervor.

"Lyla," Fray called out, his voice laced with concern.

Lyla turned towards him with a shocked expression, her voice carrying an unsettling mix of surprise and resentment. "H- How are you still alive?"

Fray was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

But Lyla offered no explanation. Instead, she launched herself at him with her electrifying whips, a *whosh* of energy slicing through the air as they closed in on him.

Confusion gripped Fray as he desperately defended against Lyla's relentless assault. He ducked, twisted, and weaved, the lingering pain from the earlier blinding flash still throbbing in his eyes.

"Die!" Lyla's voice was laced with anger as she continued her ferocious attacks, each strike aimed to incapacitate.

Fray struggled to make sense of the situation amidst the chaos. He managed to dodge her attacks but couldn't fathom why Lyla, someone he'd fought alongside, would suddenly turn on him.

"Lyla, what's happening? Why are you attacking me?" Fray implored as he parried her strikes.

"Did you think you could attack me without consequences? You started this," Lyla declared with a hint of confidence, raising her hand slowly.

*Whosh! Whoosh!*

Fray's mind raced as he dodged her intensified onslaught" I didn't attack you! What do you mean?" Fray shouted.

"Do you think I'll listen to you again? Die!" Lyla's voice held a chilling resolve as the whips surrounding her merged into a single, high-energy vortex, poised for a devastating strike.

In the midst of their frenetic battle, Lyla's energy whip coiled into a single, formidable entity, crackling with searing power.

Whosh!!

With a burst of speed, Fray lunged forward, narrowly evading the deadly energy whip as it struck the forest floor with a thunderous *CRACK*. Leaves and debris are scattered in all directions, marking the point of impact.

( This is getting dangerous I have to end this ) Fray closed the distance between himself and Lyla.

As Fray was close enough to strike with blurred speed Fray directed tens of punches blow after blow all of them towards Lyla's body.

Punch! Punch!

" Ugh.." Lyla's erratic movements faltered under Fray's relentless assault. Her energy whip, once her weapon, now seemed like a burden as it flailed wildly.

Fray's relentless punches staggered Lyla, her defenses crumbling under the barrage. With one final, powerful strike, Fray sent her sprawling to the ground, her energy whip dissipating into the air.

As Fray looked at Lyla's fallen body he sighed slowly before he started approaching her.

Lyla, Injured and defeated, felt Fray approaching with an angry tone she mumbled, "I won't die alone," as she desperately reached for a hidden scroll.

With her last reserves of energy, Lyla triggered the scroll, causing it to explode in a blinding burst of energy.

Boom!!

"..." Fray, caught off guard and too close to the explosion, was enveloped in the devastating blast.

His vision filled with searing light, and the shockwave sent him tumbling through the air before he lost consciousness.

After a while...

"Ugh!.." As Fray slowly regained consciousness,?throbbing pain coursed through his body. His vision was blurred, and he felt disoriented.

Fray struggled to sit up, propping himself against a nearby tree. As he sat back against a tree, he noticed something incredibly strange.

The sun was descending on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the forest. Fray's brows furrowed in confusion.

(It should have been close to midnight when I lost?consciousness )?As Fray thought, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small pocket clock.

Fray opened it and his eyes widened as he saw the time. It indeed displayed the current time is the beginning of the night.

( Did I lose consciousness for an entire day) Fray's thoughts swirled with questions, but there was something even more perplexing.

As he looked around, he realized something even more strange ( there is no sign of the battle, And... where is Lyla's body?) Fray thought as he looked at the surroundings.

As Fray quickly realized that Lyla's body was gone, and the once-devastated forest floor was now pristine as if the fierce clash had never occurred.

Fray couldn't make sense of the situation. He rubbed his temples, trying to clear his thoughts. "What happened here?" he muttered to himself.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his body. Whatever had transpired, he needed to find answers.

Fray set off through the forest, determined to unravel the mysteries of the past day and the enigmatic events that had unfolded.