Iron Revenant stood tall, clad in pitch-black armor, his eyes glowing red behind his helmet, radiating fury. In his hand was a massive axe with a thick dark aura surrounding its blade—Shadow Cleaver. Dark energy crackled around it, as if consuming the light nearby.
"You... killed them like slicing through butter," his voice was deep and thunderous, like rolling thunder.
I shrugged. "Oh please, such drama. What are you, a hero of justice or something? Stop acting so important."
He ignored my words. Suddenly, he raised his axe, unleashing a deadly strike toward me with enough force to shatter a cliffside.
I lifted Heavenly Sword of Ragnarok and blocked the attack. The intense impact shook the ground beneath our feet, sending shockwaves that destroyed the floor. However, I stood firm, not moving an inch.
Iron Revenant looked shocked, his eyes glowing even brighter. "How...?"
I chuckled. "Oh, I just wanted to know if you were serious about that attack. Because if you were, well... I didn't feel a thing."
He roared, activating the skill Abyssal Strike. A thick black aura enveloped his body, and his axe grew larger and heavier, radiating an even more malevolent energy. He swung again, this time with even greater power.
I blocked the attack again with Heavenly Sword of Ragnarok, but this time I had to apply a bit more pressure. The energy from the impact shattered the floor around us, obliterating everything in its path.
"Impressive," I mocked, tilting my head, "but seriously, still not enough. You're like a final boss who forgot to train."
Iron Revenant grew even angrier, suddenly leaping back. "Dark Mist!" he shouted, activating his next skill. Thick black mist began to spread from his body, covering the entire room in an instant. The mist swallowed up the light, plunging the room into total darkness. I couldn't see anything.
I sighed. "Ah, cheap tricks."
From within the mist, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps. He used Shadow Blink, disappearing from sight and reappearing behind me, swinging Shadow Cleaver in a deadly strike. But I had already sensed it.
With quick reflexes, I spun around and blocked his axe just before it struck me. Once again, I didn't budge. The full-force blow only created a loud, ear-piercing clang of metal.
"You really love darkness, huh?" I laughed. "But honestly, I'm tired of these dark, edgy tricks."
He attempted a barrage of attacks, combining Shadow Blink and Abyssal Strike, disappearing and reappearing within the black mist, attacking me from all angles. But every time he struck, I blocked it with ease, standing completely still.
"Seriously? This is your best plan?" I taunted, growing increasingly bored. "You're like a circus clown trying to be a ninja."
Iron Revenant growled. "I will destroy you!" He raised his axe high, drawing dark energy from the ground. "Dark Judgment!"
From below, black shadows began to spread across the ground, transforming into massive pillars of malevolent energy that shot toward me at high speed. Each shadow pillar that exploded around me left craters in the floor, destroying everything in their path.
But I stood there calmly, deflecting each pillar that came toward me with Heavenly Sword of Ragnarok, not even breaking a sweat.
"Dark Judgment, huh?" I smirked. "Dude, this isn't a court trial. This is just a boring match of 'who can last the longest without getting tired.' And you're losing badly."
He attacked again, this time with Soul Rend, fusing his axe with the energy of lost souls. Each swing unleashed agonizing wails from the trapped spirits. His axe was now heavier, more dangerous, but I still blocked it effortlessly, unfazed.
I shrugged. "Honestly, this is nothing."
Iron Revenant backed off again, this time clearly out of breath. His breathing was heavy, likely surprised that I was still standing without a scratch.
He growled, "What is it you want?"
I pointed my sword at him. "Honestly, I don't care about your stupid plans. Kill everyone, take over the world, start a crazy cult, I really don't give a damn."
I slowly approached him, my gaze turning cold. "But one thing that pisses me off... you lied to me about the 1,000-year-old ginseng on Mount Cheonggyesan."
He looked confused. "You... are angry about that?"
I laughed bitterly. "Yeah, of course. I wasted my time climbing that stupid mountain, and all I got was... cold air. And now, I have to kick your ass because of that lie."
Iron Revenant glared at me with his burning red eyes, full of hatred. "You will regret this."
I pointed my sword at his chest. "No, bro. You're the one who's going to regret it."
I twirled Heavenly Sword of Ragnarok in my hand, staring at Iron Revenant who was still panting in front of me. It was clear he was out of energy, but his anger still burned. Yet, I felt... bored.
"You know what," I said nonchalantly, putting Heavenly Sword of Ragnarok back into my inventory. "I think this sword is too much for someone like you."
Iron Revenant tensed, his eyes narrowing with hatred. "What do you mean by that?!"
I shrugged, pulling out an ordinary black samurai sword from my inventory. Simple, lightweight, and no special aura—just a katana. I glanced at it with a small smile. "Yeah, this seems more appropriate for someone like you. Don't worry, I won't use something too overpowered."
Iron Revenant looked even more enraged, gripping his axe tightly. "You mock me?"
I chuckled. "Nah, not really. I just feel sorry for you. You're clearly trying hard, but you still can't make me move even a single step. So yeah... I'm giving you a fair chance. More balanced, you know?"
I began to walk toward him casually, holding the black katana in one hand. "Come on, give me your best shot again."
Iron Revenant roared in fury. "I will tear you apart!"
He charged at me with Shadow Cleaver still glowing in dark energy, Abyssal Strike powering him once again. He swung at me with all his might.
I effortlessly blocked his attack with the ordinary katana. No tremor, no massive impact—just the sound of metal clashing. I didn't even move from my spot. Again.
"Wow, your attack is... tickling," I said with a grin, then kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him flying several meters back.
Iron Revenant crashed to the floor with a heavy thud. He spat blood but struggled to stand again.
"Come on, get up. You wanted revenge, right?" I stepped forward again, casually swinging the black katana in my hand.
With his body trembling, he stood up once more. The dark energy enveloped him again. He growled, his eyes glowing even brighter with rage.
"It's impossible... I lost to someone like you!" he screamed, launching his ultimate attack—Soul Rend. His axe grew darker, filled with tormented, wailing souls, creating a piercing, shrill cry. He swung it toward me with immense power.
I smirked and blocked his attack with my black katana. This time, I did it with less force, and the impact pushed me back slightly, though I showed no sign of pain or strain.
"Wow, not bad. It actually hurt a bit if I'm not serious," I said, glancing at his axe, which had started to crack under the pressure of my sword.
He was shocked. "You... you're a monster!"
I chuckled. "A monster? Nah. I'm just someone really pissed off about being scammed over a thousand-year-old ginseng. That's all."
I watched him start to back away, his steps staggering. His body was too weak to continue the fight. I casually spun my katana, then looked at him with a mocking smile.
"All done?" I asked. "Well, in that case, it's time for me to show you my favorite trick."
I raised the black katana, spinning it in the air. And with a voice filled with satisfaction, I whispered:
"Final Release... A Thousand Shadow Blades."
Suddenly, the black katana in my hand shattered into thousands of tiny blade fragments that swirled in the air. The fragments looked like black sakura petals, spiraling around the Iron Revenant at high speed.
His eyes widened in terror as he saw the thousands of tiny blades encircle him. "What is this...?"
I looked at him with a victorious smile. "Welcome to hell, buddy. This is just the end of all the nonsense you've brought."
With a single hand gesture, I directed the blade fragments toward the Iron Revenant, and the thousands of blades surged toward his body from every direction. His screams of pain echoed as the tiny blades slashed him repeatedly, tearing apart his armor bit by bit, slicing his skin until blood poured out.
The Iron Revenant tried to hold on, but his body could no longer withstand the brutal assault. The blades kept attacking, relentlessly, until finally, his body stopped moving.
Yet, as I stepped closer, I saw that he was still breathing. His body was covered in wounds, blood flowing profusely from the cuts all over him, but he was still alive. His eyes, now filled with hatred and pain, glared at me with burning resentment.
I grinned, sitting on the ice throne that the previous boss had abandoned, then stared at him. "Oh? Still alive? Well, that's interesting. So, what do you have to say now?"
The Iron Revenant tried to open his mouth, but only blood came out. His body trembled, on the verge of death, but I knew he hadn't completely given up. He was still trying to rise, despite the futility.
I let out a long sigh. "Well, good for you. At least you didn't die in one hit like the others. I have to give you credit for that."
I stood in front of the Iron Revenant, who was now half-dead, his breath ragged, his body covered in blood, but his eyes... his eyes still burned with hatred. Even though his body was nearly destroyed, he hadn't surrendered. I grinned—this would be fun.
"Let's play a little," I muttered softly, then activated my most sadistic skill. The world around me suddenly slowed down. Time... slowed.
The Iron Revenant tried to move, but in such slow motion, all his efforts were in vain. I could see how desperate he was now, his eyes slowly realizing that no matter what happened next, he couldn't escape what was coming.
"This will feel long... very long," I whispered. "But don't worry, I'll make it... painful."
I grabbed his hand and pulled at his fingers one by one. Slowly, I started twisting and pulling, tearing his fingers as if they were mere threads. He groaned, but his voice sounded faint, as if sucked into the slowing of time. His first finger came off—blood spurted out like a fountain. But I didn't stop.
One finger. Two fingers. Three. Each pull, each twist, brought him more agony. I felt a strange delight seeing him writhe in hopeless pain. The blood flowed more and more, staining the icy floor around me.
"Oh, look at that, your hand is lighter now," I chuckled, spinning his fingers in my hand as if they were tiny toys. "But we're not done yet."
I grabbed his arm now. With a single movement, I pulled his arm, slowing time even more until every second felt like an endless minute. His arm was pulled slowly, his bones cracking, his muscles stretching until they snapped from the joints.
The Iron Revenant couldn't scream loudly, but I could see the pain in his eyes—the deep despair. He tried to speak, maybe to beg for mercy, but I didn't give him the chance.
"You're probably thinking this is a nightmare, huh?" I smiled wide, pulling his left arm until it tore off completely. Blood gushed out, drenching my entire arm. I grinned as I looked at him. "But unfortunately, this is very real."
I continued my work, cutting off parts of his body one by one, each move agonizingly slow for him. I could see in his eyes the pain and helplessness. Every part of him that I separated made it clearer to him that he wouldn't leave here alive. But still... he hadn't spoken.
"Such loyalty, huh?" I said, grabbing his ankle and starting to pull it slowly. I could hear his bones crack and break. Blood mixed with the ice on the floor, creating a strange but satisfying sight.
His leg came off, falling to the ground with a soft, sickening thud. I looked at the Iron Revenant, now just a bloodied torso. His body was covered in wounds, his breathing weaker and weaker, but his gaze remained hard—still full of hatred.
I tilted my head, a little curious. "You know, I'm starting to admire you. Seriously. Up to this point, you still haven't said a word."
I stepped closer, bringing my face near his bloodied, pale face. "Does that mean your life is worth less than your loyalty? Is your leader really worth protecting to the death?"
The Iron Revenant stared at me with eyes almost devoid of life, but he remained silent. He said nothing.
I sighed deeply. "Well... I guess we have our answer."
I stood up, looking down at him with a mocking gaze. "I thought nothing could be worth more than a person's life, especially for someone like you. But it seems I was wrong."
Slowly, I raised my sword, aiming it at his blood-soaked neck.
"I think your loyalty to your leader is foolish. But who am I to judge, right?" I smiled coldly. "At least, you won't see tomorrow."
And with a swift motion, I swung my sword, severing his neck until his head dropped to the floor with a soft thud, blood pouring from his decapitated body.
I looked at the lifeless body of the Iron Revenant. There was no more sound, no more pain. Only eerie silence.
"I hope they think of you as a hero up there," I said, sheathing my sword.
After that, I walked away, leaving his dismembered body behind. For me, this was just a small chapter in my long journey of revenge. The Iron Revenant was merely one part of the cursed cult I had to annihilate.