"Why not just kill yourself?"
When Valkas uttered those words, it wasn't a declaration of dominance. Instead, it was his quiet admission of defeat.
In the Deathmatch Arena, suicide was a valid option. The moment a participant took their own life, the match would end, and the chip's restrictions would resume. Valkas wouldn't even have the chance to desecrate the body.
As long as Ash died with an intact corpse, the prison medics could use their spirits to connect to the Void Realm and retrieve his soul, placing it back into his body.
Valkas knew the moment Ash survived his Earthbreaker miracle, he had already lost. His subsequent attacks were desperate, fueled by vain hope. Even if he managed to win, he wouldn't fulfill his mission: to completely eliminate Ash Heath.
Yet it wasn't just failure that gnawed at Valkas. What stung the most was standing witness to the meteoric rise of a genius, a talent who was using him as a stepping stone to ascend.
No matter his age, experience, or pride as a 100-year-old elven swordsman, the situation infuriated him. Why me?
Feeling his composure crumble, Valkas blurted out the shortcut to escape, desperate to end this nightmare:
"End it already."
But Ash merely wiped the blood trickling down his forehead, his lips curving into a stubborn grin.
"Why should I? I haven't lost yet."
"Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" Valkas's laughter was tinged with incredulity. "Oh, yes, let the bards sing your story: 'Ash Heath, untrained in swordsmanship, defeated an arrogant elven swordsman in a single battle. This marked the beginning of his undefeated legend.'"
"Ah, merciful Ash, I beg you to at least mention my name in your autobiography. Let me go down in history as a tragic jester."
"Still talking about your memoirs?" Ash chuckled weakly, his hand trembling as he cleared the blood obstructing his vision.
"I have no choice but to win."
"And why is that?"
"I need to know... was it Shilin Dohr who sent you? Is there a deeper conspiracy behind my imprisonment?"
Valkas flicked his blade, dislodging blood and dust. "And how does winning relate to that question?"
"If I lose, would you answer me?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Even if I did, could you discern the truth?"
"That same question was asked of me earlier." Ash exhaled sharply, his stance steadying. "They wanted me to solve a riddle. I said, 'If I lie, can you tell?' They said they could."
"And you believed them?"
"No. But I thought, beating the answer out of them would bring me closer to the truth than simply asking."
"It's been a long time since I heard such naïveté."
For the first time since entering the arena, Valkas's elegant demeanor cracked, revealing something primal. His voice carried a sneer:
"But if you don't surrender now, you truly may die."
"Then it's a matter of whether your sword is faster than mine."
"You're challenging me to kill you before you can kill yourself? Amusing. I accept."
"Well, actually, that's not quite what I meant..."
Ash tightened his grip on his sword, every muscle coiling like a spring.
"I don't plan on retiring here. If I can't surpass a stepping stone like you, what right do I have to dream of escape?"
"Insolent!"
The fragmented ground erupted once more. Invisible sword energy carved jagged furrows through stone, their outlines made visible by clouds of pulverized rock, like an enormous blade striking from the earth.
Ash didn't blink, his focus razor-sharp as he weaved through the chaos. He relied on instinct, minimizing wasteful movements to conserve what little strength he had left.
Swordsmanship wasn't his goal. Survival was.
But even as his body moved, his mind absorbed Valkas's techniques, dissecting them moment by moment. The Earthbreaker miracle, once an impenetrable wall of devastation, began to reveal cracks. With each clash, Ash saw opportunities—a wrong angle, an opening in Valkas's guard.
The outlines of a solution formed in his mind.
"Just a little more time..."
Boom!
Ash grunted as his leg gave out, the pain threatening to steal his consciousness. Cool waves of energy surged through his mind as his latent spirit eased the agony, but the damage was undeniable.
He dared a glance at his leg and immediately regretted it.
"Your progress is truly astounding," Valkas admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "But you're bleeding out. From the start, you've been hemorrhaging strength. Your body's failing you. You've lost too much blood."
Valkas approached, his sword poised for the final strike.
"You've fought well, Ash Heath. But now, your sword can no longer keep up with mine."
Ash's heart sank. So, this is my limit...
The words Valkas had said earlier echoed in his mind:
"No matter how gifted, maggots don't become butterflies."
Even with knowledge shared from Swordmaiden, even with his inhuman adaptability, the gulf between him and Valkas was insurmountable.
"Life isn't about miracles," Ash thought bitterly. "They belong to others."
He raised his sword to his throat. If nothing else, he would deny Valkas the satisfaction of a kill.
But then—
"If it hurts, just pretend it's happening to someone else. Then it won't hurt at all."
The voice wasn't his own.
It was hers.
In that moment, Ash felt the mental prison around him shift. His spirit surged, but the invisible chains that shackled him held firm.
Snap!
A shift, faint but undeniable.
Knowledge couldn't be locked away. Like caged birds, it would always find a way to fly.
The Stand-In Spirit, dormant until now, came alive.
Ash didn't hesitate. He didn't retreat or defend. Instead, he charged straight at Valkas, his sword blazing with determination.
"Foolishness!"
Valkas swung, and his Earthbreaker miracle erupted. The ground tore apart, a devastating wave of destruction enveloping Ash.
The arena fell silent as the dust settled. Valkas lowered his blade, his expression a mixture of triumph and regret.
"It's over."
And then—
Pop!
The sound of bursting air made Valkas's stomach drop. He squinted through the debris and realized, too late, that Ash's body had dissolved into shimmering light.
"A stand-in?!"
Valkas whirled, but the dust obscured his vision. Ash had used the chaos to close the gap.
"It's over," Ash whispered.
His blunt sword drove into Valkas's throat with the precision of a needle.
Clang!
Valkas's sword fell to the ground as his body slumped forward, his defeat undeniable.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"Victory: Ash Heath!"