The battle against the Darkness Incarnate was like nothing Jane had faced before. She had fought against strong opponents, but this... this was different. It wasn't just the power of the creature, the way its sheer presence distorted the air and pressed down on her chest like a physical weight. No, it was the way it moved—fast, unpredictable, and worst of all, relentless.
"My Lady, I won't fail you," Jane whispered under her breath, glancing toward Josephine. The lady, with her radiant light and untouchable aura, stood tall in the background, watching. Always watching. Jane had known Josephine for as long as she could remember, and her loyalty to her was beyond question. But this time, something was different. The usual sense of protection she felt around Josephine was missing—deliberately so, Jane knew. She was on her own, and the Darkness Incarnate would not stop.
The monster lunged again, a black mass of tendrils and sharp limbs crashing down on her. Jane barely rolled out of the way, her heart pounding as she dodged one strike after another. Each attack felt like it tore the air apart, the weight of the darkness sending shockwaves through the ground. She wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough. She was only a 5th tier assassin, and this thing was... beyond anything she had ever trained for.
But she couldn't afford to fall. Not now.
Jane gritted her teeth and dashed toward the Darkness Incarnate, her twin daggers flashing as she struck out at the creature's side. Her blows barely connected, bouncing off the thick darkness that shrouded it. Her arms burned from the effort. Her chest heaved with every breath. No matter how fast or how precise her attacks were, it was as though they simply passed through the creature, leaving no mark.
"My Lady is watching," Jane muttered. "I must prove myself worthy."
She threw herself at the Darkness Incarnate again, pushing her body to its limits. Each movement felt like fire in her veins, her muscles screaming from the strain, but she didn't stop. Couldn't stop. She couldn't let her lady down—not after all they had been through.
As the battle raged on, something in Jane began to shift. It wasn't a sudden, miraculous surge of power; it wasn't some dramatic awakening. It was more like a slow, steady climb, an inching forward in a fight that felt destined for failure. Her movements became more fluid, her strikes more deliberate. Her body, exhausted and trembling, started to adapt. She had always been quick, but now her speed was on another level. Where before she was barely able to keep up with the creature's attacks, now she was evading them with precision, reading the Darkness Incarnate's moves just before they happened.
How long has it been?
Tier Six. She could feel it, a new level of awareness unlocking within her. Her senses sharpened. The world around her became clearer, the movements of the creature more predictable. But even as she rose to this new tier, it wasn't enough.
The creature lashed out again, and this time, Jane wasn't fast enough. One of the Darkness Incarnate's tendrils whipped across her side, sending her flying into the ruins of an old building. The impact knocked the wind out of her, pain radiating through her body as she struggled to her feet.
"I can't... fall now," she gasped, clutching her side. The wound wasn't deep, but the pain was enough to slow her down. She glanced over at Josephine again, who stood, unmoved, in the distance. "My Lady, I will not let you suffer alone."
Jane staggered forward, forcing herself back into the fray. The Darkness Incarnate roared, its form rippling with dark energy as it prepared to strike again. This time, Jane was ready.
How long has she been doing this?
Her movements were sharper now, more refined. She felt herself pushing past another limit, another breakthrough. Tier Seven. Her strikes were no longer bouncing off the creature's form. They cut deeper now, her daggers glowing faintly with the energy that came from her rising tier. Each strike hit harder, faster. She was beginning to push the creature back, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough.
The creature reared back, gathering its strength for a final blow. Jane could feel it—this would be the end if she didn't stop it. She clenched her teeth, her hands shaking around her daggers. The darkness around her pressed in, suffocating, overwhelming. Her body screamed at her to stop, to give in, but her mind refused.
"My Lady," she whispered again, her voice shaking with the effort. "I cannot fail you."
With a roar of defiance, Jane launched herself at the Darkness Incarnate, her daggers cutting through the air like lightning. She didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Her strikes grew faster, more brutal, fueled by the sheer force of her will.
How long did she endure?
Tier Eight. She could feel the power surging within her now, her body pushing past every limit she had ever known. Her daggers glowed brighter, the energy surrounding her sharpening into a deadly aura. Each strike she landed sent shockwaves through the creature, its form beginning to waver under the onslaught.
But still, it wasn't enough.
The creature lashed out one final time, its massive tendrils crashing down on Jane with a force that could shatter mountains. And yet, as the blow came, Jane didn't flinch. She didn't dodge.
Instead, she met it head-on.
In that moment, something within Jane broke. Not in the way that implied defeat, but in the way that signaled a final, irreversible change. She could feel it—her entire being shifting, breaking through the final barrier that had held her back for so long. Her vision sharpened, her body moved with a grace and power that felt almost otherworldly.
Just how on earth and how is this humanely possible?
Tier Nine.
Her daggers, now glowing with a blinding light, sliced through the Darkness Incarnate with ease. The creature roared, its form dissolving under the power of Jane's strikes. She moved with a speed and precision that was beyond anything she had ever known, her body a blur as she tore through the creature's defenses.
With one final, powerful strike, Jane drove her daggers into the heart of the Darkness Incarnate, the creature letting out a final, agonized roar before it dissolved into nothingness.
The battle was over.
Jane stood there, panting, her body trembling with exhaustion. She had done it. She had broken through to Tier Nine. She had defeated the Darkness Incarnate.
But more importantly, she had proven herself to her lady.
Turning, Jane knelt before Josephine, bowing her head. "My Lady... I will never leave your side."