"Now this is perfect," Raito whispered, vanishing into the sea of undead shadows. "I'll slip in among them… and end this."

He darted forward, cloaked by his army, daggers drawn. The Death Knight's focus was elsewhere, its teleportation flickering from one side to another, leaving afterimages of glowing blue trails.

Raito leapt, aiming for its exposed neck—

but then a sharp pain tore through him.

He looked down. His arm was on the floor.

Blood dripped. His vision blurred.

"My… hand?" he whispered, staring in disbelief as it turned black, spreading up his arm like poison.

The Death Knight stood before him, its blade dripping with his blood. The army of undead behind him began collapsing one after another, lifeless once more.

"System…" he gritted his teeth. "Activate Defensive Mode!"

[System Shield Activated]

A shimmering barrier formed just as the Death Knight teleported again, its sword colliding with the translucent shield in a thunderous crash. Sparks of black and gold mana exploded through the chamber, shaking the entire dungeon.

Raito slid back, bleeding and breathing heavily, but still alive.

[System Alert – Castle Core Disturbance Detected]

"What's going on?!" Raito shouted, panting heavily. "This isn't good!"

Even the undead he'd summoned were acting strange, some frozen in place, others still marching mindlessly into the chamber. Their eyes flickered, unresponsive.

"They're not obeying my commands! Damn it… this spell is about to break!"

He looked down at the floor, his hand, severed and lying in a pool of his own blood. He stumbled toward it, grabbed it with his remaining arm, and pressed it back onto his wrist.

"System! Heal automatically, no matter the LP cost!"

[Command Denied.]

[Command Denied.]

[Command Denied.]

"What?" Raito's voice cracked. "Why?"

Then realization struck him like lightning. "Oh no… I forgot. My healing can't function until the Death Knight is defeated…"

Pain flooded through his body, a sharp, burning agony that felt like molten metal crawling through his veins. He dropped to his knees.

"I've never… felt this much pain in my life…"

His vision blurred. The Death Knight's silhouette loomed through the haze, approaching slowly, its blade scraping the stone floor.

"But still… I won't die here." His voice trembled, but his eyes hardened. "My story doesn't end after coming this far."

He clenched his teeth. "I told myself I'd become strong. That I'd rise. That I'd be someone!"

His fingers twitched. "But I've always been weak… everything I've done, it's all going to waste."

Memories flashed before his eyes, his mother's last moments, people mocking him, calling him talentless. Every humiliation, every wound burned behind his eyelids.

"So this is it? This is where I die?" he whispered, tears dripping down his face. "In the end… I changed nothing."

He tightened his fist.

Then his heart snapped.

"No… I haven't fulfilled my purpose yet! I haven't become the strongest!"

His voice rose into a roar that shook the chamber. "I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED!"

[Warning: Shield Integrity at 5%]

The Death Knight's next strike shattered the System Shield like glass.

Raito's eyes widened, then something inside him exploded. His aura spiked. His body moved before he could think, vanishing in a blur.

The Death Knight swung, but Raito was already behind it. Faster, faster than the Death Knight itself.

The undead general slowly turned its helm, its empty sockets flickering with confusion.

Raito's voice came from behind it, low and steady.

"Let's finish this."

He summoned his dagger into his hand, green light flickering around his body. His breathing steadied.

Their weapons met, dagger against cursed blade, again and again, the sound echoing through the vast hall. Sparks of mana lit the dark, faster and faster until both fighters became streaks of light.

But this time, the Death Knight wasn't pushing him back.

Raito's strength, his speed, was equal.

He grinned through the blood on his lips. "Holy Burst…"

[Skill Activated: Holy Burst]

His entire body erupted in a radiant green aura. Holy energy pulsed from his skin like fire, burning the deathly mist that filled the chamber.

"I told you it wouldn't work before," he said, raising his dagger. "But this time, it's going to tear you apart!"

He charged forward, holy energy flaring around him like a comet. The Death Knight swung down, its cursed blade humming with black mana.

The two attacks collided, light and darkness bursting like a thunderclap, as Raito twisted his body midair, bringing his knee up into the Death Knight's skull.

Bone cracked.

Before Raito could land, the Death Knight's bony hand snapped up and grabbed his face midair, crushing down with monstrous force.

Raito grabbed its wrist, twisting his dagger, slicing through the arm. Bone splintered, finally, the limb snapped free.

The Death Knight staggered. Its blue aura flickered.

"The barrier protecting it…" Raito realized. "It's gone."

He smirked, eyes glowing. "Now it's my turn."

Raito sprinted forward, every muscle screaming, his daggers glowing brighter than ever. The Death Knight swung horizontally, he ducked, bending his head sideways, dodging by a hair.

Then he lunged.

The dagger plunged into the Death Knight's chest, holy energy flooding its armor.

"Holy magic, Full Capacity!"

The blade turned brilliant green. Raito twisted it hard, driving it deeper, then kicked the hilt with the back of his leg, forcing it all the way in.

The Death Knight let out a monstrous, echoing scream, the kind that made even the undead freeze in place.

Green flames burst through the cracks of its armor, light devouring the darkness from within.

The Death Knight's scream tore through the dungeon like thunder. Its cursed blade twisted violently, still lodged in its chest where Raito's dagger burned with holy light.

The creature swung in blind fury, slashing toward him, but Raito leaned aside, so close that the blade carved a line through his hair instead of his neck.

He countered instantly. His dagger flashed once, then twice.

Slash!

Both of the Death Knight's wrists fell to the ground, clattering beside its cracked armor.

Raito's breath came in ragged bursts. "You're finished…"

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