Black World/Negura

Chapter 7: Brother vs Brother

The air felt… wrong.

Alex noticed it first.

Standing on the rooftop, staring at the city, something deep inside him shifted.

Not fear.

Recognition.

“They’re here…” he whispered.

Behind him—

The shadows stretched unnaturally.

Longer.

Sharper.

Waiting.

A Tear in Reality

Suddenly—

The sky cracked.

Not metaphorically.

A literal fracture split open above the city, like glass breaking across the air itself.

People below screamed.

Energy systems flickered.

“What the—?!” Eron shouted from the training yard below.

Kai looked up instantly.

“…That’s not natural.”

Nyx’s eyes narrowed.

“…It’s a portal.”

“No,” she corrected herself.

“…It’s worse.”

The Arrival

The c***k widened—

And tore open completely.

A massive portal formed, swirling with unstable energy.

From it—

Five figures stepped out.

The moment their feet touched the ground—

The pressure hit.

Heavy.

Crushing.

Like the world itself was rejecting them.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me,” Leo muttered.

Mira’s flames ignited instantly.

“Those aren’t normal opponents.”

Alex didn’t move.

He couldn’t.

Because he recognized one of them immediately.

“…Darius.”

Face to Face

Darius stepped forward slowly.

Older.

Stronger.

His presence alone felt overwhelming.

The blue stone around his neck now glowed with a deeper, more dangerous energy.

His eyes locked onto Alex.

“…You made it.”

Alex’s chest tightened.

“You’re alive…”

A pause.

“…I thought—”

“I know what you thought,” Darius said calmly.

“And yet here I am.”

Something about his voice—

Was off.

Not empty.

But… distant.

“Darius,” Alex stepped forward slightly, “what is this? Why are you here?”

“To take you back.”

Silence.

“…What?”

“You don’t belong here,” Darius said. “You were never meant to reach this timeline.”

Kai stepped in front of Alex.

“Yeah, he’s not going anywhere.”

Darius barely glanced at him.

“You’re irrelevant.”

Kai smirked slightly.

“I get that a lot.”

The Crews Clash

The others behind Darius moved forward.

Power surged.

Weapons formed.

Energy cracked through the air.

“Alright,” Eron said, stretching his neck, “guess we’re doing this.”

“Stay sharp,” Mira added.

Nyx stepped closer to Alex.

“…Don’t lose control.”

“I’ll try,” he said quietly.

Darius raised his hand slightly.

“Last chance,” he said.

“Come with me willingly.”

Alex shook his head.

“I’m not leaving.”

Silence.

Then—

“…Alright.”

Darius lowered his hand.

“Take him.”

War Begins

Everything exploded into motion.

Leo charged first, slamming into the armored giant from Darius’s team.

The impact shattered the ground.

Mira unleashed flames across the battlefield, clashing against the girl of shattered light.

Eron blurred across the field—only to be intercepted mid-speed by the silent warrior.

Kai twisted gravity, bending the battlefield itself—

But the shadow-covered figure countered him instantly.

And Alex—

Faced Darius.

Brother vs Brother

They stood a few meters apart.

Everything else faded.

“You’re stronger,” Alex said.

“So are you,” Darius replied.

“…Then why does it feel like you’re holding back?”

Darius didn’t answer.

He moved.

In an instant.

Alex barely reacted—

Shadows surged up, blocking the strike.

The impact cracked the ground beneath them.

“Good,” Darius said.

“But not enough.”

He attacked again—

Faster.

Stronger.

Alex struggled to keep up.

“You’re not fighting me,” Darius said.

“You’re reacting.”

“Maybe I don’t want to fight you!” Alex shouted.

Darius’s expression hardened slightly.

“You don’t have that choice.”

The Truth Comes Out

Their clash paused for just a second.

Alex stepped back, breathing hard.

“…Why did you send me here?” he demanded.

“Because you would have died.”

“That’s not an answer!”

Darius’s eyes darkened.

“…You don’t understand what you are.”

“Then explain it!”

Silence.

Then—

Darius spoke.

“That power inside you?”

A pause.

“It’s not yours.”

Alex froze.

“…What?”

“It’s a fragment of something ancient,” Darius continued.

“Something that destroyed entire timelines.”

The words hit hard.

“…You’re lying.”

“I wish I was.”

Darius stepped closer.

“I didn’t send you here to save you.”

A pause.

“I sent you here… to delay you.”

Everything Stops

“…Delay me?” Alex repeated.

“Yes.”

“From what?”

Darius looked directly into his eyes.

“From becoming the thing that ends everything.”

Silence.

The world seemed to pause.

Even the battle around them faded for a moment.

“…That’s insane,” Alex said.

“Is it?”

Darius raised his hand slightly.

“Then why do you think you lose control?”

No answer.

“Why do you think your power doesn’t feel like yours?”

Alex’s hands trembled.

“…No…”

“Because it isn’t.”

Control Breaks Again

The shadows reacted.

Violently.

Stronger than before.

“No—!” Alex tried to suppress them.

But this time—

They didn’t listen at all.

“You see?” Darius said quietly.

“It’s already happening.”

The darkness exploded outward again.

Bigger.

Wilder.

More dangerous.

Alex screamed—

“I DON’T WANT THIS!”

The battlefield shook.

Everyone stopped.

Even the enemies.

Because this time—

The transformation was worse.

The shadow monster began to form again.

But bigger.

More unstable.

More… real.

Darius Moves

“…Damn it,” Darius muttered.

He stepped forward instantly.

Before the transformation could complete—

He placed his hand on Alex’s chest.

The blue stone flared.

A portal opened—

Small.

Precise.

Focused directly on Alex.

“What are you doing?!” Alex shouted.

“Stopping this,” Darius replied.

“Wait—!”

Too late.

The portal swallowed the energy.

Forced it back.

Contained it.

Alex collapsed to his knees.

Breathing heavily.

“…Why?” he whispered.

Darius looked down at him.

“…Because I’m still your brother.”

Retreat

The battlefield calmed slightly.

Both sides pulled back.

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

Darius turned away.

“We’re leaving.”

“Already?” one of his teammates asked.

“This isn’t the right time.”

He glanced back once.

At Alex.

“…Get stronger.”

Then—

The portal opened again.

And they were gone.

Aftermath

Silence filled the destroyed area.

Eron exhaled.

“…Okay. That was insane.”

“No kidding,” Mira added.

Kai looked at Alex.

“…You alright?”

Alex didn’t answer immediately.

He stared at his hands.

The shadows were quiet again.

Too quiet.

“…He wasn’t lying,” Alex said.

Nyx stepped closer.

“…I know.”

Alex clenched his fists.

“…Then I’ll prove him wrong.”

Final Scene

That night—

Alex stood alone again.

But this time—

He wasn’t afraid.

“…If this power is going to destroy everything…”

The shadows moved slowly around him.

Listening.

“…Then I’ll control it.”

A pause.

“No matter what it takes.”

The darkness pulsed once.

As if—

It accepted the challenge.