William's strength was almost completely drained. The golden flames within him surged violently, like a beast struggling to break free of its chains. Clutching his longsword tightly, his eyes burned with determination as fury ignited every fiber of his being. Each swing of his sword cut through countless masks, the blade shattering them into fragments that scattered in all directions. But William knew the masks weren't the real enemy—they were merely tools of Watcher 09. It was the deathly attacks that posed the greatest threat.
No matter how hard William fought, the masks seemed endless. They layered upon each other, surging like relentless tides, launching ceaseless assaults. His movements grew heavier, each swing of the sword taking a greater toll. His stamina was slipping away, bit by bit.
"This won't end here!" William growled through gritted teeth. Desperation clawed at his heart, but he refused to give in.
Suddenly, a chilling presence filled the air. William instinctively turned his head toward the source, and the sight before him was almost unbelievable. Watcher 09 had appeared right in front of him, moving like a phantom, silent and swift. The scythe in its hands gleamed with a deadly light as it swung mercilessly toward William's arm.
William raised his sword to block, but the attack came too fast. The scythe's speed exceeded his reflexes. He could only watch as the blade sliced through his hand. Blood spurted violently, the pain nearly robbing him of consciousness.
With a sickening sound, William's entire hand was severed. Blood gushed like a fountain, staining the ground red.
He stared at his missing hand, rage and agony welling up inside him. The golden flames that had burned so fiercely dimmed, yet William refused to fall. The unyielding light in his eyes remained as bright as ever. Even without his hand, he would not surrender.
Watcher 09's cold gaze fell on him, a sinister smirk curving its lips. With a flick of the scythe, the blade gleamed ominously, poised to deliver the final blow.
"Why don't you just lie down in your coffin?" Watcher 09's voice was low and icy, devoid of any emotion.
William clenched his teeth, fighting through the searing pain to stay on his feet. His heart burned with an indomitable fire. "I won't let you win so easily..." he muttered, his eyes blazing with determination. Though his strength was fading, he vowed to use every last ounce of it—for himself and for those who had fallen.
Bowing his head slightly, William reignited the golden flames coursing through his body. Though his right hand was gone, his connection to the fire through sheer willpower restored some of his strength. The flames spread over his body, reigniting his fighting spirit.
Watcher 09 remained indifferent, his scythe ready to strike again. As he moved, William leaped forward, wielding his sword with his remaining hand, golden flames trailing the blade as it slashed toward his foe.
The scythe was ready to meet his desperate attack head-on.
William's body swayed from the blood loss, his heartbeat counting down his remaining moments. His vision blurred, yet his fury and determination gave him one final surge of strength. Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly with trembling fingers, the golden flames erupted once more, consuming his despair and anger alike.
Time seemed to halt. Watcher 09's cold, calculating gaze locked onto William. The scythe rose high, prepared to deliver the end. But there was no fear in William's eyes—only a fierce, unrelenting resolve. He knew there was no retreat, only a fight to the death.
As his consciousness began to slip, blood pouring from his wounds, William forced himself back to his feet. His legs quaked, his chest burned with pain, but he clenched his jaw and refused to fall.
"Come on, Watcher 09!"
In that moment, William's eyes burned with an unprecedented fire. Though his foe was overwhelmingly powerful, suffocating him with its sheer presence, he knew that surrender was not an option.
Straightening his posture, William took a deep breath, summoning a surge of impossible strength. The golden flames within him roared like an erupting volcano, obliterating all reason and fear. His left hand burned with the intensity of the flames, and he delivered a devastating punch, the air around his fist exploding as it tore through space toward Watcher 09's chest.
A thunderous boom echoed as William's fist collided with Watcher 09's mask, the impact resounding like an explosion. But Watcher 09 stood unmoving, as if his body were made of unyielding steel. William's attack had left no mark, not even shifting the mask.
Yet he didn't falter. He leaped back, then twisted in midair to unleash a spinning kick aimed at the mask. The sheer force of his kick distorted the air, his speed and power pushed to their absolute limits, warping time itself.
Watcher 09 sneered, vanishing into thin air. As William's foot struck empty space, he felt a deadly aura behind him. Spinning around, he thrust his remaining hand forward, golden flames surging into the form of a fiery dragon. But Watcher 09 had already disappeared again. A split second later, William felt an icy chill—death was closing in as the scythe approached once more.
"Damn it!" William's vision turned red as he realized he couldn't dodge. The scythe was poised to cut his throat, but he lifted his left hand at the last possible moment. The golden flames erupted violently, forming a massive shield that deflected the blade just in time.
He didn't waste a second. Launching himself forward, William aimed his flaming sword directly at Watcher 09's abdomen. The clash of their powers ignited the air, filling it with the acrid smell of burning metal. William's wrist nearly snapped from the impact, but he refused to let go.
"You... will die!" William growled through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with rage and defiance.
This was a battle he could never win, but William had never feared death. For this world, for everyone he swore to protect, he would fight to his last breath. No matter the outcome, he had no regrets.