Watcher 09 stood beside Elder Kasamaki's lifeless body, lifting his scythe with a cold, mocking smile. It was the smile of someone who felt superior, as though everything he did was inevitable and all life beneath him was insignificant.
"Your suffering... is merely a part of my entertainment," Watcher 09's icy voice echoed, no longer paying attention to William and the others. Instead, he focused on their failure. "You cannot escape your fate of being buried in a grave."
Harutemi's tears blurred her vision as she knelt beside Elder Kasamaki's body, unable to speak, her sobs choking her voice. Behind her, William stood resolutely, though his wounds bled profusely. Every inch of his skin screamed in pain, but the anger and defiance in his heart burned even fiercer.
Yet, against such a powerful enemy, their resistance seemed futile. Watcher 09's laughter grew colder, like a blade piercing their hearts, reminding them that all resistance would only amplify their suffering.
Suddenly, a warm, profound energy surrounded Harutemi, enveloping her in a feather-light yet indestructible layer of olivine. The stone's surface shimmered with faint light, its patterns flowing like rippling water yet brimming with protective strength. It felt like a wing of the heavens gently lifting her away from danger, shielding her from imminent peril.
This was Elder Kasamaki's final act of protection, pouring every ounce of his strength into his last moments. His body was lifeless, but the power coursing through the stone carried his will and his unwillingness to part.
"Young one... Little Haru, I entrust this to you…" His faint, dying words echoed across time, resonating in her ears. They were a gentle yet unyielding plea, etching themselves into Harutemi's memory and becoming an unspoken force that drove her forward.
Now, his voice was gone, but his raspy, firm plea lingered, like an unextinguished echo carrying unyielding hope, inscribed deep into the protective stone.
Harutemi barely realized she had been pushed away by Elder Kasamaki. She only felt herself propelled by an unseen force, her surroundings blurring. Turning to call out, she was already too late—her voice dissolved into helpless reverberations in the air.
In William's eyes surged a mix of infinite rage and sorrow. His clenched fists trembled, his grip tightening as he struggled to control himself. He knew this battle was no longer just about life and death but about avenging the unyielding souls who had fallen and fighting for all those who had once struggled for this cause.
Watcher 09, however, remained an unmoved observer, as if all life was within his grasp, awaiting another fatal strike.
William stood firm, his gaze fixed on Elder Kasamaki's fallen body, his heart a storm of emotions. The elder's sacrifice weighed heavily on him, but he understood it wasn't selfish—it was the responsibility and duty of every elder: to protect the next generation, even at the cost of their lives.
"Tetsu…" William murmured, his sorrow almost unbearable. Yet, he forced himself to look up, his fists clenched tightly, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Watcher 09. He knew that, at this moment, he could no longer retreat. Elder Kasamaki's sacrifice had taught him that what lay ahead was not just about his survival but the survival of the next generation—the future of Harutemi, who had been sent to safety.
Watcher 09's cold laughter still echoed, as though all life was under his control. But within William's heart burned an unshakable resolve. He was no longer the ordinary man helpless against fate—he had to fight for Elder Kasamaki, for every fallen soul, and for Harutemi, to claim a future.
"You may kill us, but you will never destroy our faith!" William's voice transcended time, filled with fearlessness and fury. Though he knew the odds were against him, he was determined to fight to the end.
Watcher 09's sneer deepened, mocking William's futile resistance. "Your struggle only prolongs the inevitable—your journey to the grave," he said, slowly raising his scythe, his gaze devoid of emotion.
But William stood taller, his eyes radiating an unyielding belief. He knew the path ahead was treacherous, but as long as there was even a glimmer of hope in his heart, nothing could make him give up. Fueled by Elder Kasamaki's sacrifice and Harutemi's future, he could no longer afford to falter.
Rage ignited like a wildfire within William. Even though the enemy before him seemed invincible, he poured every ounce of strength into his clenched fists. Every muscle in his body screamed with exertion, pushing beyond its limits. The air around him grew heavy, as if time itself had stopped. His presence was like a desperate wager, a gamble on his unwavering beliefs.
"I refuse to believe you're invincible!" William roared, unleashing an earth-shattering slash. The blade's arc split the air, roaring toward Watcher 09's chest.
Yet Watcher 09 remained still, his expression unchanged. The blade passed through him as though slicing through a shadow. He hadn't flinched, his body unscathed. His scythe gleamed, embodying a bloodthirsty intent.
The masked figures swarmed like locusts, surging toward William. No longer mere tools, they became a ravenous flood of bloodlust, tearing at William with sharp fangs. These masks acted with a will of their own, each brimming with malice, tirelessly consuming everything in their path.
William's body endured wave after wave of searing pain. The masks tore through his clothes, biting into his flesh, each wound searing with excruciating heat. But he gritted his teeth and fought back. He couldn't turn away—every ounce of his strength was committed to the enemy ahead.
Watcher 09 raised his scythe, its blade slicing through the air with ghostly precision. Before William could land another strike, the scythe descended like death's shadow, threatening to cleave him in two.
"You cannot defeat me," Watcher 09 declared coldly. His words echoed like ice in the air.
Though William fought with everything he had, he couldn't fend off the relentless masks or evade the lethal scythe. Each moment pushed him closer to his limit, but his determination didn't waver. He couldn't allow himself to fall—Harutemi's safety depended on him, and Elder Kasamaki's sacrifice couldn't be in vain.
William's sword swung fiercely, seeking to carve a path forward. His attacks struck only empty air, and each agonizing second chipped away at his resolve. Yet, he refused to give up.
With one final surge of strength, William felt his body strain to its breaking point. Pain wracked his every bone, yet his spirit burned brighter. Even if his existence ended here, he vowed to fight until his last breath to protect Harutemi and fulfill Elder Kasamaki's final wish.