The ground trembles beneath my feet.
The air is heavier. Charged with a presence... overwhelming.
In the distance, a black stone throne rises atop a field of ashes. A throne... empty.
I move forward, each step leaving a blazing imprint on the burning ground.
Around me, the walls of the Sepulcher fade away, revealing a void of dead stars.
System: Last level reached.
Superior Entity: LAF, Lesser God of the Trial.
Status: Unhealable. Non-negotiable. Combat mandatory.
Goal: Determination of the right to leave.
A silhouette materializes on the throne.
A man... no, an entity.
Imposing. Cloak of shadows, skin of ash, and eyes like two dead moons.
— Ishi Crush, he murmurs in a voice deep, like a thousand intertwined voices.
— At last, you arrive, my champion without a throne.
I grip the hilt of my weapon. A new blade forged in the essence of my battles.
Lighter. Faster. Crueler.
— You're just a guardian, Laf. Nothing more.
A laugh erupts, shaking the very space itself.
— No, Ishi. I am what you must become... if you want to survive out there. A faceless monster. A god without love.
He rises. The throne disintegrates into a cloud of black.
And the sky... falls.
The first strike is invisible.
I don't see it. But I feel my shoulder dislocate under the force. My body is thrown through the void, slamming into columns of pure energy.
CLANG!
I barely parry a second strike. The blades clash. Arcs of energy burst forth.
I counter. Three quick strikes.
He dodges. Smiling.
— You strike with anger. Not with mastery.
— I strike with what little faith I have left.
I activate Lineage Flame, a skill I tore from a fused demon three trials ago. My body bursts into flames, my sword becomes light.
I charge.
The blades dance.
Laf and I, two comets colliding.
He controls the Gravity of Judgment. Every movement weighs ten times more.
But me... I've endured worse.
Every blow I take, I return threefold.
I pierce his side.
He tears a rib from me.
I slice off his arm.
He blinds me in one eye.
But I hold on.
— Why do you keep going, Ishi?! he thunders.
— Because I remember.
— You're no longer human. You have nothing left.
— Then why does it still hurt when I remember their betrayal?
He hesitates.
And I seize the opportunity.
I focus everything into a final strike.
Sword raised. Lung punctured. Blood in my mouth.
— FALL OF THE KINGDOMS!
The sword strikes.
Everything stops.
Laf drops to his knees.
Then collapses.
His body slowly disintegrates, carried away by the cosmic wind.
But before he vanishes, he whispers:
— Go ahead... and show me if you're worth more than a god.
System: Combat completed.
Exit condition met.
Host analysis in progress...
[Ishi Crush's Stats]
• Level: 92
• Title: The Damned of Judgment
• Strength: 154
• Speed: 139
• Endurance: 173
• Willpower: 201
• Major Skills:
• Lineage Flame (Lv. 6)
• Fall of the Kingdoms (Unique)
• Absolute Resistance (Passive)
• Rage Regeneration (Passive)
• Betrayed Vision (Detects lies and hostile intentions)
Remaining Humanity: 12%
Warning: Below 10%, mental recovery impossible. Complete dehumanization likely.
Ishi gazes into the void.
— 12%... huh.
He closes his eyes.
A memory crosses his mind:
Irisa, laughing in the rain.
Calwyn placing his hand on his shoulder.
Edran swore to die by his side.
He opens his eyes.
— I have enough left... to hate them.
The portal opens before him.
The exit.
The real world.
He takes a step.
And the world trembles.