She lunges at Akira again, her body a blur of lethal grace. Her movements are fluid, almost poetic in their precision, but each strike carries the weight of death. The air whistles as her claws slice through it, the sound sharp and menacing. Akira grits his teeth, his instincts screaming as he shouts, activating Soul Infusion.
A surge of power floods his body, his aura flaring brilliantly as his eyes glow a faint, ethereal white. The oppressive weight pressing him down lessens as his strength multiplies, but even this newfound power feels fleeting against her overwhelming might. His muscles burn with the strain, every fiber of his being pushed to its limit.
At the last possible moment, he dodges her vicious swipe, her claws slicing through the air where his head had been just a heartbeat ago. He counters with a swift strike of his Pantho Blade, the blade it bites into her arm. But the attack barely leaves a scratch—a faint mark that fades almost instantly, as if mocking his efforts.
The woman freezes, staring at the faint mark on her arm before smiling wickedly."How delicious," she purrs, her voice dripping with venom as her crimson eyes ignite with hunger. The more the prey resists, the better it tastes." She licks her lips slowly, savoring the thought like a connoisseur anticipating a fine meal. Her fangs glint in the eerie blue light of the dungeon, and the faint scent of iron—Akira's blood—hangs in the air.
Akira's face darkens, his grip tightening on his sword as the two burst into action once more. The sound of her claws clashing against his blade rings throughout the dungeon, each strike sending shockwaves of energy through the chamber. Loose stones are hurled into the air, and the walls tremble under the force of their battle. The rest of the party watches in stunned silence, unable to move under the crushing weight of her Blood Domination.
Cha-Jong's eyes are wide, his knuckles white as he grips his sword. "How… how is he keeping up with her?!" he mutters, his voice a mixture of awe and disbelief. His mind races, torn between admiration and guilt. "I'm supposed to be the leader… but I can't even move. He's fighting for all of us, and I'm just standing here."
Garrett, his face pale from exhaustion, stares in incredulous anger. "That's insane! He's not just holding his own—he's fighting back! Who the hell is that kid? Yeah damn We're damn lucky he applied to the same dungeon as us." He shakes his head, regret flashing in his eyes. "I even teased him before… I had no idea he was this strong." His fists clench, frustration boiling within him. "If we survive this, I owe him an apology… and a damn drink. Hell, maybe even two."
Mira whispers to herself, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and terror."I'm really curious now… about him" Her mind races, trying to piece together the mystery. "His ID said C-Rank, but this… this is beyond anything I've ever seen. What is he hiding? And why?"
Lyra eyes brimming with tears. "He's risking everything… just so we can have a chance." Her voice cracks, guilt weighing heavily on her. "I can't even move… I can't heal him, can't give him a buff, can't do anything.What kind of healer am I if I can't even protect the one person fighting for us?"
The woman is unstoppable. She darts and strikes with unerring precision, each attack quicker and more brutal than the last. Akira's breathing grows heavy, his muscles screaming in protest as he barely evades her claws. His counters are swift but ineffective—she's like a phantom, untouched and untiring, reveling in every moment of the fight.
"You're slowing down," she taunts, her voice a cold purr as she sidesteps another of his desperate slashes. "That power of yours… impressive, but fleeting." Her crimson eyes gleam with sadistic delight, her movements almost playful as she toys with him.
Akira doesn't reply, but his thoughts race."Tch…She's right. My body is reaching its limits. My strikes are growing sluggish, my dodges less precise." Sweat pours down his face, and his chest heaves as he fights to draw breath. The weight of exhaustion is unbearable, but he refuses to yield." She's too fast, too strong. I can't match her speed, but maybe… maybe I can outthink her." He feints left, drawing her into a predictable pattern. "If I can bait her into overcommitting, I might get one clean shot." His eyes dart to the dungeon walls, the faint blue light reflecting off her claws. "The magic stones… if I can lure her close enough, maybe I can use the environment."
But then the woman stops abruptly, her gaze locking onto his trembling form. Is this all you have, human?" she mocks, her smirk widening.
Akira grits his teeth and invokes White Lightning with a desperate shout. A blinding bolt of energy shoots toward her, but she tilts her head lazily, and it passes harmlessly by her.
"You've done well," she says, her tone almost respectful. But before Akira can react, she vanishes. Her speed blurs reality, and in an instant, she reappears before him, her claws gleaming like shards of obsidian.
"Time to end this."
With one swift swipe, her claws tear across Akira's left hand. Pain erupts through him, his scream tearing from his throat as blood splatters the floor. He stumbles backward, clutching at his mangled hand, his vision swimming as agony courses through his body.
"Did you really think you could win? Even if I fell for your little trick you thought of, do you truly believe it would make a difference?" Her crimson eyes gleam with cruel amusement, her lips curling into a venomous smirk. "You're nothing but a fleeting distraction, a momentary amusement before the inevitable."
The air grows heavier as she closes in on him, her gaze locked on his trembling form like a predator savoring its prey. Blood drips continuously from his mangled hand, pooling on the cold stone floor. Akira clutches his injury, his breathing ragged, yet his defiance burns brighter than the pain coursing through him.
"You bitch!" Akira spits, his voice raw with fury and desperation. His glare could pierce steel as he steadies his stance, raising his sword with his good hand. "Don't get in my way!"
The woman chuckles, a light, venomous sound. Her crimson eyes gleam with cruel amusement as she circles him, her steps unhurried."Oh, such spirit," she purrs mockingly. "Losing a hand and still refusing to bow. How… amusing."
She stops abruptly, leaning forward just enough for her chilling whisper to reach his ears. "But you know something? You've crossed the line too many times now. You've insulted me countless times, and now… you've made me beyond angry." Her voice drips with venom, each word a blade aimed at his resolve. "And when I'm angry, I don't just kill… I destroy."
With that, her aura changes. The playful malice in her demeanor shifts into something far deadlier.Her clawed hand flicks outward, sending a pulsating wave of dark energy tearing through the air toward Akira.
Instinctively, Akira raises his Pantho Sword, the blade crackling faintly with lingering lightning. The impact strikes like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through his body as he's hurled backward, skidding painfully across the jagged stone floor.
"E.B.!" Mira screams, her voice trembling with fear. "Get back!"
Akira struggles to his knees, his body shaking with exertion, blood trickling from his mouth. He looks up at the woman, returning her stare with blind fury, warring against the crushing weight of his injuries.
"Pathetic," she sneers, her voice a cutting blade. "You actually thought you could stand against me.You're nothing but a pest—a fragile, insignificant toy for me to break."
Her words are daggers to Akira's pride, but he doesn't bend. He forces his body upright, his vision swimming and his breath labored, but his resolve never falters.
"You're not… killing me… yet," he growls through gritted teeth, though he's barely standing.
The woman tilts her head, an amused smirk curling her lips."Oh, I'm afraid I am."
She raises her hand, her claws gleaming wickedly in the dim light. "And I'll make it slow enough for you to regret every moment you dared defy me."
In an instant, she's upon him. Her strikes blur quicker than he can follow, each blow more vicious than the last. Akira weaves through her attacks as best he can, but exhaustion weighs him down like lead. A crushing blow slams into his side, hurling him into the cold, unforgiving wall.
The boy couldn't handle her at his best—fully powered, uninjured, and at his peak. Now, with a missing hand, battered body, and wounds that screamed with every movement, he was like the land beneath his feet: unyielding, unresponsive, and utterly spent. No matter how much you jump, walk, or run on it, the land doesn't respond. It simply endures. And that was Akira now—enduring, but with nothing left to give.
His Status Window pops before his eyes, the glowing text a grim reminder of his dire state:
[STATUS WINDOW]
[URGENT ALERT]
[HP CRITICAL: The user's health has dropped to an alarmingly low level.]
[WARNING: Immediate intervention required to prevent fatal consequences.]
[CONDITION: Life-threatening injuries detected.]
[RECOMMENDATION: Cease combat or seek emergency aid.]
[USER LIFE IN DANGER!]
[Proceeding without action may result in irreversible damage.]
"Damn… it… I'm really… dying… from this… damage…" Akira's thoughts are fragmented, his mind struggling to process the pain and exhaustion. Cracks in the stone behind him provide a stark contrast to the guttural cough that wrenches from his chest, blood splattering the ground. He slumps to his knees, darkness folding over his vision.
Cha-Jong clenches his fists, his frustration palpable. "Damn it, E.B.!"
The women looms over him, her clawed hand raised for the final blow. "Goodbye, pest," she sneers.
Akira's mind races as her hand falls. "This is it… I'm losing the second chance I was given. My vengeance… gone. I couldn't keep my promises to Mother. I can't avenge Dad. I overestimated myself… and now I'm paying the price.Pathetic. Just like everything else I've ever done.I'm just… I'm just a joke."
"Someone who wants to take revenge on the people who destroyed my family, yet I can't even save my own ass."
A cold, bitter laugh escapes his throat. He had sought redemption, power, and vengeance—but all he had now was regret and defeat.
"I thought I could be more now that I've awakened… do more… but I was always just this. Trash. Weak. Worthless."
"Everything… everything is over."
Her claws are just inches from him when suddenly…
EVERYTHING STOPS.