1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 73: Blackout

All he heard was his heart in his ears, watching all variations of Van close in. Like beasts on the prowl, stalking their prey, each copy of the assassin took slow, calculated strides before–

They were within striking range. He immediately sensed the sharp rise in bloodlust, raising his foot and stomping it as they closed in.

[Quake Stomp]

The thunderous impact shattered the stone at his feet, forcing each copy to nimbly withdraw. It was a reset, creating distance between them.

The leftmost Van called out, "I observed your first yesterday with Lacian."

Rightmost, the second followed up, "I’ve studied the way you fight. I did for each participant left in the tournament."

The foremost doppelganger added, flipping one dagger into a reverse grip, "I know you possess tremendous physical prowess. You can summon an unspecific number of high-grade spirits. I also know you withheld most of your abilities, wisely, if I may compliment."

It was jarring to be spoken to by the same person from three different sources, like conversing with a hivemind.

’So far, this isn’t anything I haven’t already seen from Bido. If it’s going to be the same, I’m much stronger now, but–it’s not going to be that simple,’ he readied himself.

The confidence he had was challenged quickly as from three directions, the doppelgangers launched throwing knives born of smoke.

[Tinti]

He ducked down and sprinted, evading being touched by the countless projectiles as he set his sights on the foremost copy. Pulling back his axe as he got within range, he went for a swing aimed at Van’s midsection before–

A feint.

The heightened reflexes of the assassin brought his dagger already motioning to counter his axe–just as Noah hoped. Rather than swing his axe, his other hand pointed a single finger towards his opponent.

"Zap," he quietly invoked.

A bolt of cerulean lightning emitted from his fingertip, hissing mightily as it struck deadcenter onto the rogue. The direct hit was enough to completely shatter the stability of the clone, reducing it to nothing more than fading smoke.

’You observed me yesterday, but I’ve learned since then. It’s pointless to rely on old information,’ he thought confidently.

Without needing to turn around, he crouched down, sweeping his leg behind him to intercept the approach of the remaining two "Van." Both leapt from his leg, leaving him swiping his axe upward at the pair of twin assassins.

One Van blocked the axe with his daggers, while the other flipped behind Noah. He contested the one in front of him, only glancing back as the other attempted to stab him from the back.

[Projection] [A-Rank Mage Skill]

A translucent mirage of his axe appeared behind him, swinging right for the flanking assassin. It forced the other back, allowing him to focus on the enemy in front.

[The Snake’s Eye]

Van’s daggers were plunging from both sides, aiming to pierce his shoulders. In the world of heightened perception, he maneuvered out of the way, placing his hand against the rogue’s abdomen.

Between the fabric of Van’s sleek coat and his palm, electricity coiled before firing—ZAP.

The weightlessness behind the impact immediately informed him of what his eyes confirmed; the figure faded into smoke. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

’Then the one behind me...’ He realized, turning around.

As he faced towards where he last saw the now solo rogue, his own senses deceived him.

"Blackout."

—That singular word was all he heard before all he saw was darkness. Accompanying that overwhelming nothingness was silence, and a complete deprivation of sensation.

’I can’t feel anything...My senses—they’re all gone? A spell?’ His mind raced.

From the outside, Noah appeared totally motionless to the rest of the arena.

"What’s he doing? C’mon, Noah—!" Otto cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting from the stands.

"He can’t sense anything...I didn’t think he’d face a user of shadow magic, not of this mastery," Astrid said worriedly, clutching her skirt.

The announcer confirmed it for the polarized crowd, "NOAH’S BEEN ROBBED OF HIS FIVE SENSES! WHAT TERRIFYING MAGIC FROM VAN!"

While the newcomer was left motionless with wide eyes that stared a thousand yards away, the assassin casually paced around him.

"Blackout is a powerful spell, but it has an equally grueling condition before it can be cast," Van explained while circling the senseless rookie. "The user must be out of view of the target when it’s cast. Since you had your eyes on me from the start, I used my doppelgängers to divert your gaze. Of course, you can hear none of what I’m saying."

It was like having a fly caught in a web, and the assassin was the spider, practically licking his lips at the ease as it would take only one stroke of his blade. Van stepped in front of the young man deprived of his senses, casually bringing his dagger up before bringing it down towards his chest–

CLANG.

"Huh–?" Van let out in complete shock.

With a blank look in the eyes of the man that couldn’t see, let alone see or hear, Noah brought his axe up to completely deflect the attempt on his flesh. Van swallowed his surprise, simply flipping his dagger around before swiping it again, this time aiming for this newcomer’s midsection.

Again, Noah’s arm moved as if entirely seeing the slash coming, countering it as sparks flew.

[Auto-Reflex]

"HOW...HOW IS NOAH DOING THIS?! IS IT A MIRACLE...OR SOME DEGREE OF SKILL THAT GOES BEYOND MASTERFUL!?"

In the stands, those who supported Noah were equally confused and relieved, while those a bit more in tune with the prodigy’s antics weren’t as surprised.

Otto held onto the stands with a confident smirk, "Hell yeah, Noah! Keep it up!"

"How’s he doing that? Blackout should leave him completely defenseless," Rain questioned, putting a hand to her chin. "Well, at this point, why am I surprised? It’s Noah."

"Now you’re getting it," Redrum, Astrid, and Otto all shared the same sentiment.

The rogue who undoubtedly favored a cool head and tempered thinking exhibited frustration, failing so theatrically to finish a helpless opponent in front of the audience. Van huffed, exuding the mystical smoke to create a doppelganger, unleashing slashes and stabs from both sides.

Noah slid his boots over the coarse stone footing, standing sideways to address each attacker, swiftly moving his axe and ducking to avoid each slash. It went beyond skillful, it was masterful; the axe was tossed from one hand to the other, moving to intercept each of the four daggers aiming for him.

’How–?!’ The thought surfaced in the assassin’s mind. ’How is he managing this?!’

From Noah’s perspective, he saw none of what was happening, though some sensation began to return; he felt a tingling in his fingertips each time his axe clashed against the daggers.

’Without Auto-Reflex, I’d be in a bit of trouble. Thankfully, I’ve developed enough skills to be ready for situations like this. Now, the question is–how do I break this magic?’ He questioned, left in the dark void.