The Ashen Cemetery's sky remained as gloomy as ever.
The cawing of the crows in the Ashen Cemetery also echoed just as loudly.
But this time, the people in the Ashen Cemetery were a bit different.
Subaru Natsuki raised his shield to block a fire arrow coming from his side, then ducked just in time to avoid a sword thrust from the front. With a quick backhand, he severed the head of the undead standing before him.
As the undead collapsed, Subaru thought he saw a faint white light leave the corpse and fly into his own body.
The sound of rushing wind came from behind him. A rusted iron sword swung toward his back, but Subaru's ears twitched as he caught the sound and decisively dove forward.
Rolling on the ground, he quickly turned around and slammed his shield into the pursuing enemy's face, knocking them back and off balance.
Without hesitation, Subaru closed the distance and drove his sword through the enemy's chest, pinning them to the ground.
His strikes lacked any elaborate form or technique, but they were simple and effective.
Another fire arrow shot toward him. Subaru flicked his sword and deflected it, then threw his sword with deadly accuracy.
The long sword hit the archer squarely in the forehead, tearing through the skull and sending the head flying. Subaru drew a long spear from his back and carefully surveyed his surroundings.
The battlefield was littered with the bodies of the undead, and after a quick count, Subaru realized he had slain at least twenty of them.
With the area cleared, Subaru leaned against the rocky wall and took a moment to rest.
He extended his hands in front of him, inspecting them for a while.
Then, suddenly, he clenched his fists and slammed them into the wall.
Dust flew up as a shallow fist print appeared on the rock, along with fine cracks around it.
He frowned and sighed.
"Looks like killing these undead doesn't make me stronger anymore…"
On his eighteenth death, Subaru had noticed something—every time he killed an undead, his physical abilities seemed to improve. Strength, reflexes, and physical endurance all grew, without exception.
He attributed this to the white light that floated into his body after each kill.
That light, he realized, was the fragmented souls of the undead.
He'd come to understand this much.
But he also realized that after each of his deaths, the monsters he had slain would resurrect, but his enhanced abilities never reverted.
So, he'd been stuck in a cycle: "Revive—kill undead—be killed by Guda—revive" – and during this cycle, he could feel himself growing stronger, bit by bit.
At least, back in the past, he would never have been able to leave a fist print on a wall like that.
But now, there was a serious issue.
Simply killing the undead no longer made him stronger.
He cast his gaze toward the distant plaza, his eyes shifting slightly.
How many times had he died under Guda's glaive now?
A hundred times? Two hundred? Three hundred? Or more?
It was hard to keep track... but it didn't matter.
No matter how many times, it would always end with him defeating Guda.
By the way, for some unknown reason, every time Subaru saw the silver giant, he instinctively thought of it as the "Ashen Judicator" Guda.
Ashen Judicator? Who exactly is being judged? Me?
So... is that why I can't die, because I'm the "Ashes"?
After scouring the battlefield for loot, Subaru picked out two fairly intact shields, two long spears, a long sword, two short swords, a dagger, a crossbow, and several dozen bolts. He equipped himself thoroughly, checked his armor for damage, and confirmed there was no significant wear on his vital areas. He also made sure the joints were still functional. Only then did he head toward the plaza.
Sword in hand, he stepped into the fray, ready to either die or return victorious.
Standing at the edge of the plaza, Subaru took a deep breath. His blood began to circulate faster, and the muscles throughout his body tensed as he prepared for battle, his body primed to unleash its full strength at a moment's notice.
The instant his foot stepped into the plaza, the previously calm air seemed to freeze, and a heavy pressure descended, quickly filling the entire area.
Subaru felt the familiar weight of the pressure, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. He took a deep breath and gripped a long spear in one hand. His body coiled like a spring as he hurled the spear toward the silver giant.
Just as Guda stood up and had not yet fully drawn his glaive, Subaru's spear struck him squarely in the head.
The giant's faceplate bent slightly from the impact, but... there was no noticeable reaction?
Guda didn't even flinch. The massive warrior merely gripped his glaive and charged toward Subaru.
Subaru wasn't surprised. He drew a short sword and locked his eyes onto the oncoming steel monstrosity.
The pressure was like a mountain, and the murderous intent was so palpable that it made his eyes sting.
But he had no time to dwell on it. He focused solely on the hands!
This time, the giant was about to strike with a vertical cleave!
Subaru swiftly sidestepped to the right, narrowly avoiding the glaive as it sliced through the air and slammed into the ground behind him. In that same motion, he thrust his short sword into the gap between the giant's leg armor, causing blood to splatter.
However, the silver giant showed no reaction whatsoever. It reached down and grabbed at Subaru.
If not for the slow trickle of blood seeping from the gap in its leg armor, Subaru might have doubted whether he'd even caused any damage.
Guda's movements were swift. If Subaru was caught by his grasp, he'd be lifted and impaled on Guda's glaive, his organs shredded before being tossed off a cliff—this was something Subaru had learned from his numerous deaths.
He'd also learned the giant's common grappling angles and how to avoid them. Subaru rolled on the ground, narrowly escaping the giant's grasp as he passed beneath its legs.
His parents had always told him that a man shouldn't crawl between someone else's legs, but this was a life-or-death battle. If he worried about such things, he'd certainly die.
Surviving was far more important than any false sense of dignity.
If abandoning his dignity could kill the enemy, then—
To hell with dignity.
Having evaded the giant's grasp, Subaru sprang up and drove his sword through the gap between its legs.
It was clear that for the sake of mobility, no one would design heavy armor around the groin.
The result was immediate.
The giant's body visibly shook, and it let out a roar of anger as it swung its glaive in a wide arc. Subaru barely had time to raise his shield to block, but the force of the strike sent him flying. He hit the ground and rolled twice to absorb the impact.
Dusty and bruised, Subaru scrambled to his feet, pulled out an elemental bottle, drank from it, and quickly rolled to one side.
The giant's glaive slammed into the spot where Subaru had been standing, creating a large crater in the ground.
Unfazed, Subaru pressed on, taking advantage of the giant's momentary opening. He charged forward and drove his sword into the giant's left side.
Now that he was close, Guda abandoned the glaive and swung an elbow toward Subaru. Subaru had no choice but to retreat.
This time, it was an elbow strike... so next time, it would probably be a side kick!
Having memorized Guda's close combat techniques, Subaru crouched low and executed a powerful kick toward the giant's head. The wind from the blow ruffled his hair.
Guda's attack missed, exposing an opening. Subaru immediately thrust his sword once more into the giant's vulnerable underbelly.