A sinister aura spread across the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
The already oppressive atmosphere grew heavier as a dark, unfamiliar energy seeped into the surroundings. It did not behave like Haki, nor did it resemble any known Devil Fruit ability.
It was chaotic.
Unrestrained.
Black streams of energy leaked from Saint Roselith Seraphina's body, coiling into visible strands like threads of darkness, writhing violently in the air as if alive.
They expanded outward in all directions wild, untamed, and dangerously unstable.
"Teacher… what is happening to you?!"
Kuina's voice trembled as she stared at the scene before her.
Seraphina was half-kneeling in the garden, her body trembling under immense pressure. Her pristine white Marine coat had already been stained by the creeping black aura, as if the darkness itself sought to devour her.
At her waist, one of her twin blades remained sheathed but the other had been driven into the ground, its hilt clenched tightly in her hand, serving as an anchor to keep her from collapsing.
A layer of pitch-black armor flickered across her body.
It appeared and disappeared intermittently, unstable and violent, like a beast struggling to break free from its cage.
Her face had gone pale.
All color had drained from her skin.
The aura continued to surge.
Kuina stood frozen, her mind unable to process what she was witnessing.
No matter how she called out, Seraphina did not respond.
The moment Kuina tried to step closer, a violent force repelled her.
It felt as though countless invisible blades were cutting into her skin, followed by an overwhelming shockwave that forced her backward.
She could not approach.
Not even a single step.
Bruce, who had arrived first, wore a grave expression.
He had already attempted to get closer.
And failed.
As a CP0 agent proficient in Observation Haki, he could clearly sense it
This power was far beyond ordinary comprehension.
More importantly…
Seraphina was fighting it.
She was suppressing it with everything she had.
"If she succeeds… it will stabilize," Bruce muttered under his breath. "If she fails…"
He did not finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Anyone present could already feel it.
This power was too violent.
Too destructive.
It was not something meant to coexist with a human host.
Inside her mind
A crushing pressure bore down upon Seraphina.
The moment she attempted to draw out the power granted by the system, it erupted uncontrollably, flooding her body without restraint.
There was no gradual release.
No adaptation.
It was as if a sealed abyss had been forcibly opened.
A voice echoed in her mind.
Not a thought.
Not a whisper.
A roar.
Kill.
Kill.
Kill.
Over and over again.
Relentless.
Endless.
An insatiable urge for destruction surged through her consciousness, threatening to drown her will entirely.
"Damn it…!"
Her grip tightened around her blade.
"I won't… lose control…!"
Bruce immediately pulled out a black Den Den Mushi and made a call.
Only one person nearby could handle this.
"Admiral Kizaru! Did you feel that just now? Get here immediately we need your assistance!"
Despite the urgency, Bruce remained composed.
Training had drilled that into him.
Panic would only make things worse.
Nearby, Saint Roselith Victor had completely lost his composure.
"My daughter! What is happening to you?! Answer me!"
His voice cracked with panic and fear.
The dignified demeanor of a Celestial Dragon had long since vanished.
What remained was simply a father.
Overwhelmed by anxiety and anger, his blood pressure spiked violently
And he collapsed.
"Saint Victor!"
The guards panicked instantly.
Chaos spread.
"Think… think…!"
Seraphina forced herself to focus.
That voice
That impulse
It wasn't her.
It was trying to overwrite her will.
"To turn me into… a puppet of slaughter…"
Her teeth clenched.
"Then I'll suppress it!"
A sharp chill erupted.
Her blade trembled
And a freezing aura burst forth.
"Frozen Domain…!"
A wave of icy energy spread outward, intertwining with the violent black aura.
The freezing force did not erase it but it slowed it.
Stabilized it.
Gave her
A moment.
A single breath of control.
Sweat poured down her face.
But her eyes remained steady.
"Yo~ you don't look too well, Seraphina."
A lazy voice echoed.
Admiral Kizaru had arrived.
His usual nonchalant tone remained unchanged but his eyes were sharp.
He had already assessed the situation.
That power
Even he would not take it lightly.
Yet just as he observed
Something changed.
The air shifted.
Darkness surged again.
The flickering black armor suddenly stabilized
This time, it fully manifested.
Solid.
Complete.
The presence that rose was no longer merely unstable
It was hostile.
"Kizaru… be careful," Bruce warned.
But it was already too late.
The black-armored figure moved.
A clawed hand lashed out at Kizaru.
"Hmm~"
In an instant
Light scattered.
Kizaru's body dissolved into photons.
The attack passed through empty space.
He reformed a short distance away, expression slightly more serious.
"So it can move on its own… troublesome~"
The black-armored figure looked at its hand, as golden particles drifted away.
Then
It attacked again.
Faster.
More violent.
"Yasakani no Magatama "
Kizaru's leg flashed with light.
A high-speed kick struck the armored figure directly.
It staggered back several steps.
"…That's harder than I expected."
The impact had connected but the defense was abnormal.
The black armor adapted quickly.
Seraphina's blade rose
Now coated in dense, jet-black Armament Haki.
The darkness wrapped around it unnaturally, distorting its edges.
The strike came down.
"Amaterasu Sword."
A blade of pure light formed in Kizaru's hand.
Steel met light.
A violent shockwave erupted.
Sparks scattered across the garden.
Kizaru immediately sensed something off
He disengaged.
Retreated.
That "Haki"
It wasn't normal.
It carried a corrosive, devouring quality.
Meanwhile, the black-armored figure showed no technique.
No swordsmanship.
Only raw aggression.
Pure destruction.
"Absolute Defense!"
Adolf stepped forward.
He had been observing until now, hesitant to act.
But the situation had crossed the line.
Victor was still nearby.
He could not risk it.
A transparent barrier expanded instantly, shielding the surrounding area.
Kuina was pulled within its protection.
"Teacher…!"
Her voice trembled.
For the first time
She felt completely powerless.
"Absolute Space!"
Adolf unleashed his full ability.
The Shield-Shield Fruit activated to its maximum.
Layers upon layers of defensive fields compressed outward, sealing the surrounding area and preventing the spread of the destructive energy.
The expanding black aura collided against the barriers
And was contained.
Barely.
Even so, the pressure continued to rise.
The garden trembled under the strain.
And at the center of it all
Seraphina stood
Fighting.
Resisting.
Refusing to fall.
✦ [SYSTEM] ✦
Warning: Host mental state under extreme corruption risk.
Undying Demon Body synchronization incomplete.
Recommendation: Stabilize willpower or risk loss of self.
The battle was no longer external.
It was within.
And only one outcome remained possible
Either she would master this power…
Or be consumed by it.