The city lay in shambles, entire buildings reduced to craters from the sheer force of the battle. Fires raged in the distance, casting eerie shadows across the shattered streets. The once-dead Earth was now alive with destruction.
And at the center of it all, Ren stood alone.
His breath came in ragged gasps. Blood dripped from a deep wound on his left shoulder, staining his torn clothes. His sword felt heavier than ever, his limbs screaming from overuse.
Across from him, the Celestial Executioner stood untouched.
Its immaculate white and gold armor shimmered, unsullied by battle. The divine being was unbothered, unaffected, unstoppable.
The only sign of strain on its part was a single faint scorch mark on the edge of its celestial greatsword—evidence of Ren's Void Edge managing to make even a minor dent in its defenses.
A hollow victory.
Ren's grip tightened around his sword.
[HP: 17/120]
[MP: 12/80]
[Status: Critical]
His vision blurred, his head swaying from exhaustion. Every muscle in his body screamed for relief, but he couldn't stop.
Because if he stopped—
He would die.
The Executioner lifted its colossal greatsword, pointing it at Ren.
"You persist beyond reason."
Its voice was calm, unwavering—absolute.
Ren forced a bloody grin. "Yeah? Guess reason isn't really my thing."
The Executioner vanished.
Ren's instincts screamed.
He blinked—just in time.
A golden flash split the sky where he had stood. The shockwave shattered five city blocks behind him, leaving a burning trench in the ground.
Ren reappeared behind the Executioner, mid-air, sword raised.
[Skill Activated: Phantom Blade!]
He slashed—
The first strike bounced uselessly off the armor.
The afterimage strike came an instant later—aimed at the exact same point.
The Executioner twisted, its golden cape snapping through the air.
It caught Ren's blade between its fingers.
Ren's eyes widened.
Oh, you have got to be kidding me.
Before he could react—
The Executioner drove its knee into his gut.
CRACK!
Pain exploded through his ribs. His body folded inward, his breath leaving him in a ragged choke.
[HP: 6/120]
Ren crashed through a building, stone and steel collapsing around him. He rolled, barely avoiding getting crushed under the debris.
His entire chest throbbed, a dull ache warning him that at least two ribs were broken.
I can't keep this up.
He forced himself to stand, even as his knees buckled beneath him.
The Executioner descended from above, landing soundlessly amid the destruction.
"You lack the strength to resist judgment."
It raised its sword.
A golden glow gathered at its tip.
Ren's eyes widened.
That's not just a slash—
The golden glow intensified, taking the form of blinding celestial fire.
[Warning! Incoming Attack: Celestial Judgment – Divine Severance]
[Evasion Probability: 0.04%]
Ren's heart pounded.
The attack wasn't just aimed at him.
It was aimed at the entire area.
A massive energy wave—enough to level the entire city.
He had to stop it.
But how?
His attacks didn't work. His defenses were useless. He was running out of options.
His mind raced—
And then, it hit him.
Wait…
It reacts to my power. It's adjusting, countering. But if I…
Ren gritted his teeth.
He only had one chance.
He lowered his sword.
And he stopped moving.
The Executioner hesitated.
For the first time in the battle, Ren wasn't fighting back.
He was standing still, breathing raggedly, sword lowered.
The Executioner's golden eyes flickered.
"…Surrender?"
Ren smirked.
"Nah."
The moment the Executioner released its divine attack—
Ren vanished.
[Skill Activated: Blink Step – Full Speed]
The golden blast descended, scorching the air itself.
But Ren wasn't there.
Instead, he reappeared mid-air, directly above the Executioner.
His entire sword hummed with every ounce of mana he had left.
The Executioner turned its head, but it was too late.
Ren's Void Edge came down in a final, desperate strike.
[Final Attack: VOID BREAKER]
His sword slammed into the Executioner's back, and—
For the first time—
It cut through.
A fraction of an inch.
A single crack formed on its armor.
The Executioner staggered forward.
Ren's eyes widened.
It worked?!
His hope lasted less than a second.
The Executioner pivoted violently, swinging its massive sword with terrifying speed.
Ren had no time to react.
The golden blade carved through his body.
The world froze.
His mind went blank.
The next moment—a sharp pain tore through his torso.
Ren's entire body convulsed, a spray of blood escaping his mouth.
He barely registered the impact as he was sent flying, crashing through three buildings before skidding to a stop in a pile of rubble.
His vision flickered in and out.
He felt nothing but cold.
His hands twitched weakly, reaching for his sword, but his fingers wouldn't respond.
[HP: 1/120]
[Status: Near Death]
[Warning: Fatal Injury Detected.]
He was done.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
The Executioner stood over him, its sword raised for the final strike.
"Your struggle ends here."
Ren's vision darkened.
His thoughts drifted.
Was this it?
After all of that—was this where he died?
[WARNING: SYSTEM OVERRIDE ATTEMPT DETECTED]
[UNKNOWN INTERFERENCE PRESENT]
A soft chime echoed in his head.
Then—a voice.
One he didn't recognize.
"Do you want to live?"
Ren's eyes flickered open.
His lips barely moved.
"Yes."
A pulse of Abyssal energy erupted from his body.
And the world shattered into darkness.