Dancing on the golden ashes

No one had the time or heart to celebrate their newly gained powers; the news struck us like a tidal wave, rendering everyone speechless.

My stomach dropped—I'd never imagined I'd have to fight my own friends. Even if the system called it a spar, with our power levels, injuries or even death seemed inevitable. He's definitely enjoying himself up there...

"Why do we need to fight?" Eun-Woo asked, his voice filled with displeasure. He slammed his massive shield into the ground, his stance declaring, I won't fight this battle without a reason.

"Yeah! I'm not fighting my big sister!" Jieun pouted, crossing her arms in clear defiance.

Kim Seong-Hoon, on the other hand, locked eyes with me, his battle spirit rising. I could tell he was itching for a rematch. "Personally, I'm up for it," he declared, dropping the bomb on the others. "What do you say, big sis? You're not going to back down—I know you." He grinned, as if he'd already read my answer.

Malrang stood beside him, her stance declaring her resolve as well. Through our connection, I could sense her desire to test her powers against me. I knew she wouldn't hurt me, but Malrang understood me—and my fighting style—better than anyone.

I sighed. Even if I wanted to back out, there was no way we could with the Creator watching. "I don't think I have much of a choice anyway. Let's keep it clean and avoid any finishing moves."

"But Gaon, this is absurd! If we fight each other now, then in the future…!" Eun-Woo stepped toward me, his posture open but tense, one hand reaching out, as if to reach for my soul. His eyes were filled with sincerity, his brows drawn together in worry. Even his shoulders seemed to slump slightly, as though the weight of the situation was bearing down on him. He was doing his best to calm everyone down.

"[I BELIEVE I NEVER MENTIONED NEGOTIATIONS]"

The system's voice now sounded irritated, with an unusual edge of impatience.

"[IF YOU REFUSE TO FIGHT, I WILL END ALL OF YOUR LIVES. THERE WILL BE NO SECOND CHANCES. DECIDE QUICKLY—IF I'M NOT ENTERTAINED ENOUGH, YOU WILL ALL FAIL]-

A chill ran through my body. For some reason, the Creator's voice felt like a final decree—refusal wasn't an option in his presence. What an unreasonable maniac. It makes me want to kill him even more. But… the fire in my heart blazed brighter. I want to fight. I want to win. I need to win… Unbeknownst to me, my neon purple eyes darkened slightly—something only Kim Seong-Hoon noticed.

"Big sis..." he muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with both concern and curiosity.

"[TO MAKE IT MORE ENTERTAINING, SINCE YOU SEEM UNWILLING TO SPAR, LET ME UP THE STAKES. YOU ARE NOW REQUIRED TO FIGHT TO THE DEATH AS A PENALTY. FEAR NOT... YOUR BODIES AND SOULS WILL BE PRESERVED AFTER THE FIGHT. I QUITE LIKE THE FIVE OF YOU; IT'S NOT YET YOUR TIME TO DIE]"

There we go... I knew this would not end well.

"But—!" Kang Eun-Woo protested, making one last attempt to resist.

"Shut up!" Kim Seong-Hoon roared. "Haven't you already made things worse? How much longer are you going to keep crying about it? This is just a friendly battle—it's not like we're falling out." He took a loud, powerful step forward and, in an instant, punched Eun-Woo square in the nose, causing him to stumble and fall. Kim Seong-Hoon quickly mounted him, landing punch after punch with unrelenting force.

"Let's just get this over with! Do you think any of us would fight without a reason? Stop being a baby and show Gaon what you're capable of! She's not weak—we need to work together to take her down!" His voice carried a mix of frustration and determination; he understood the situation well, which drove him forward, even if it meant pushing his friends to their limits.

"Big brothers, please don't fight!" Jieun quickly intervened, trying to pull them apart.

"Enough!" I raised my voice, fed up with this display. At this rate, we'd be stuck in this trial world forever. "Instead of fighting like a bunch of schoolboys, come at me and show me what you've got. I bet I can handle all four of you with ease." I snorted, hoping to intimidate them and swift their attention on me.

My words were like a bucket of cold water, drenching them and snapping them out of their inner conflicts. Kim Seong-Hoon and Eun-Woo ended their pointless struggle, exchanging apologetic looks as a competitive fire lit up in their eyes.

"Let's go, all of you!" Kang Eun-Woo roared, his armor shining with an intimidating radiance. He pointed his hammer at me as he stood up. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that, Gaon. I'll make it up to you through this fight!" I gave him a competitive smile in response.

[Your party has been temporarily disbanded]

A new system message popped into my mind. Good… this way, Eun-Woo can enhance them without holding back.

"I hope you're ready—and sorry for what's about to happen." I taunted them, noticing Jieun standing slightly apart, still hesitant to join the fight. "Jieun! Just think of this as a game. You and I will always be sisters; this is the only fight we'll ever have. So cheer up and show me what you've got!" With a dark swirl, my scythe manifested in my hand, and I gave her a reassuring thumbs up.

"Okay..." She nodded, still reluctant but with a small fire igniting in her eyes. Malrang swiftly moved in front of Jieun, understanding my intentions perfectly. She knew I'd target the powerful long-range fighter first.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Woo!" She barked at me, as if saying "Try if you can!" I smiled warmly, even though Malrang had grown taller, she was still irresistibly cute.

"[LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!]"

As the Creator's voice resonated through the air, the same towering ethereal pillars of light we'd seen before began to rise from the ground, sending tremors through the earth. The pillars glowed with an intense, otherworldly aura, casting an almost blinding light. Beneath our feet, a pristine white marble floor emerged, its surface smooth and immaculate, lending the battlefield a sense of elegance and power that felt almost royal. The ethereal light spread outward from the pillars, forming a vast, shimmering barrier that enclosed us in an area spanning three to four thousand meters. The barrier pulsed gently, sealing us within its luminescent walls and turning the battlefield into a sacred arena.

My aura surged, filling the space around me with darkness. I understood now why the Creator elevated my friends to Rulers; without that status, they could not withstand the force of my soul power pressure, submitting to my Rule. But his true motives remained a mystery to me, giving me a headache. Was his focus on me alone, or all of us? Or was there an even deeper scheme at play?

FWOOOOSH!

A powerful celestial flame hurtled toward me, aiming to consume me. Childish... Something inside me snapped, and a dark force surged within, awakening a deadly urge to destroy everything around me. "Darkness Shield!" I shouted, summoning a powerful barrier—an evolved version of my kinetic shield. Now, I could infuse it with elements, and darkness, my passive element, responded eagerly. The celestial light collided with my shield, only to be devoured almost instantly.

"This won't do—come at me with more power! Ha... Ha... Hahaha..." I feel incredible. This power... I feel like I'm the ruler of everything. Darkness is so... inviting. I was losing myself to the thrill of the fight, craving to push my limits even further. It's not enough. More... more! I didn't know if it's truly me speaking, or a voice from deep within.

"Is that our Gaon?" Kang Eun-Woo squinted his eyes, looking at me as if I were some kind of monster. A chill ran down his spine; the fierce, almost predatory and dark energy radiating from me was something he'd never seen before.

"Why? You want to find out?" I moved in a flash, my scythe slicing through the air, aimed straight at his throat, ready to take his life.

My scythe, however, was met by a dragon sword lined with massive, sharp teeth, each one grinding against my weapon, trying to break it in half. "Kim Seong-Hoon..." Rage surged within me; lately, he'd been getting on my nerves, and I wanted nothing more than to slice him into little pieces.

He looked at me with cold dragon eyes. "You're not yourself, big sis… I have no choice but to snap you out of that darkness within you," he said in a chilling tone. From the eye on his weapon, a powerful soul attack shot toward me, trying to consume my very soul.

"You're joking!" I retaliated with Soul Bite, sinking into his soul. Kim Seong-Hoon staggered, clutching his head in pain. "You're no match for my soul power! I'm the one at the top!" I screamed, unleashing a fire slash in his direction. The flames were tinged with darkness, infused with my dark desires. But Malrang quickly countered, sending her own hellfire breath to deflect my attack. She growled at me, most likely sensing something within me.

A celestial cage shot down from the sky, aiming to trap me. It was magnificent, at least ten meters wide, adorned with what looked like stars themselves, radiating a heavy pressure from above that restricted my movements. This was likely a new ability Jieun had gained from her Ruler passive.

Superior Space Distortion... My body felt at least ten times faster than before the skill evolved. Moving swiftly, I dodged the celestial cage and closed in on Jieun, slashing at her in an instant. With a loud BOOM, the cage slammed into the ground, shaking the entire battlefield. She was left defenseless, still in the middle of casting her ability.

I was mere inches from slicing her in half when a powerful, scorching solar radiance blasted me, burning a hole through my soul armor and sending my body flying.

"You'll have to get past me first, Gaon!" Kang Eun-Woo roared. His hammer expanded, slamming down from above. I wanted to dodge, but a frost dragon quickly flew in from Kim Seong-Hoon's direction, sinking its freezing teeth into my waist, holding me in place and icing over a chunk of my flesh. Hellfire blasted from all directions as Malrang circled me at incredible speed, breathing flames and cutting off any escape path. To make matters worse, a concentrated ball of celestial light danced in the air, streaking straight toward my chest.

They leave me with no choice... "Darkness prison..."

Title: "Life and Death Battle Against Friends (Part 1)"