And you wanted to kill me?

Ramiel emerged from the cloud of ice particles floating in the air. His black and white hair was now all dyed red, creating an eye-pleasing contrast with the ice particles.

His sharp facial features, coupled with the ethereal cloak of darkness that enveloped his body, gave the impression of a ferocious predator who would stop at nothing until he got his prey.

' Cut in front of him, Shadow Walk, half a meter, right '

Ramiel fully trusted Avi's guidance, obeying her orders perfectly. Like a thunderstorm, he fell out of the surrounding ice particles, cutting flat blindly into the bear's huge body.

" GRAAAA! "

Along with the monster's shrill roar, he felt his sword slice through the flesh, and drops of fresh and hot blood dripped onto his face. Without thinking long, he blended into the shadows, stepping out half a meter away.

Crack

A moment later, Dark Grizzly's paw fell with devastating force into the spot where Ramiel had just stood.

Crack

The remains of the rocks flew into the air under the crushing impact, splashing everywhere.

' Ramiel, you cut too shallowly. Your sword barely scratched him... ' Avi's worried voice echoed in the man's head. With a grave expression on his face, Ramiel nodded.

The task he faced was damn difficult. Fighting blindly wasn't one of the easiest things in the world. It required more than human concentration and straining of the other senses. One mistake, and you'd be left with nothing more than a wet patch of flesh.

His survival was certainly not helped by his numerous wounds nor by his broken arm with ribs. In addition, Ramiel was barely able to stay on his feet. Only unbreakable willpower kept him from losing consciousness in the middle of the fight. The soul-shattering pain he felt from his gut robbed him of his ability to think logically.

' Ramiel, this thing is running at us. Move! ' Ramiel shook his head in an attempt to come to his senses. Avi's voice, which should have been loud and blunt, sounded like a quiet whisper distorted by a gust of wind.

Forcing himself to move with all his strength, Ramiel wobbled under his own weight.

' Ramiel! This thing will crush you ! '

Ramiel felt a cold shiver down his back, heralding his impending doom. Under a sudden impulse, the remnants of his barely clinging consciousness came to life, forcing him to save his miserable fate.

' Ugh... fucking hurts... ' Ramiel cursed under his breath, barely rolling under the razor-sharp claws of the monster. Landing on his back, he could feel his organs shifting out of place. Considering Ramiel's condition, the feat he accomplished qualified as a miracle. Perhaps the goddess of fate smiled upon him, moving some of the threads of destiny, or the all-powerful fortune bestowed her favor upon him. If that was the case... he was damn grateful to them.

' Catch her in chains! ' 

Swish

Three massive Chains of Darkness emerged from the Dark Grizzly's shadows, binding the wounded monster's paw in a crushing embrace.

Buzz Buzz

The fires tightened under the force of the two adult elephants, crackling terribly. However, tearing them apart was almost impossible. This time, Ramiel learned a lesson from his previous failure and poured almost all of his remaining mana into the spell. It made him virtually defenseless, but it was better than certain death.

" WRAAA! " The bear threw himself in all directions, trying to break the bonds that bound him. Under normal circumstances, he might have ignored the small inconvenience of a measly spell, but something was wrong with him this time. With each passing second, he could feel the cold links sucking the life force out of him, freezing his last paw in the process.

As if out of spite, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't free himself from the yoke of the chains that immobilized him.

This was happening for a simple reason. Ramiel wasn't stupid. Using up almost all of his remaining mana, he imbued the darkness spell with the Dark Spectrum element. Although it cost him sternly, but it was worth it. Dark Grizzly would have to choose as long as he didn't run out of mana. Sacrifice his life or the last of his forelimbs.

From a tactical point of view, Ramiel's behavior was exemplary, but from a practical one... it was a hopeless move. Even if he won and killed the bear by some miracle, he still wouldn't leave the forest in one piece and would most likely perish in the Night Ripper's maw.

Currently, he doesn't see his future in bright colors. In his eyes, it was filled with black and scarlet.

Ramiel tried to get up, but when he succeeded, a convulsive pain attacked him, causing him to shiver all over his body. Moments later, a stain of blood mixed with chunks of flesh appeared beneath his feet.

Kneeling down, Ramiel pressed the palm of his hand to his mouth, trying to keep more blood from leaving his already massacred body.

Tsk... it couldn't be worse..." - the man thought.

What Ramiel feared most had happened. His body was unable to withstand the strain of the mana vortices raging within. This was a problem whose solution would come with later stages of cultivation, but now... the chances of survival had gone from zero to negative.

Ramiel struggled to gather his thoughts. An insistent headache effectively prevented him from doing so.

' Avi, if I get up, don't stop me... No matter what happens, I can't stop. If I rest even for a second, I won't be able to continue fighting. '

Although the little fairy wanted to shed a sea of tears, she only clenched her fists, cursing herself for her helplessness. Deep in her heart, she knew that Ramiel wouldn't come out of this in one piece, but her consciousness didn't allow for such a possibility.

Squeezing her hand until it turned pale, Avi howled through clenched teeth. " Let's kill this motherfucker... "

The fairy felt pathetic. There was no way she could save Ramiel. All she could do was watch from the VIP box the slow agony of her bond. The frustration in her heart had grown to an alarming limit, threatening to collapse. However, despite all this, Avi was powerless.

' Ara Ara, who taught you to talk so ugly ? ' Ramiel tried to laugh, but instead of laughter, a rough squawk came from his throat. Feeling perhaps a scarlet liquid flow through his throat, he abandoned his silly ideas.

A sad smile appeared on Avi's face. This wasn't how she had imagined her last moments with Ramiel.

" Fine... Let's kill this thing... " Avi's gentle voice, filled with painful grief, had a soothing effect, easing the debilitating pain that Ramiel was feeling. Although he shouldn't do so because of the situation he was in, the man smiled sincerely.

A hoarse voice left Ramiel's lips. " Thank you... " He tried to say something more... He wanted to thank in his own words for the time spent together... but he couldn't... his ragged vocal cords refused to obey him.

Those two words, echoing in Avi's head, were enough to make her heart break into millions of pieces. A thin trickle of long-held-back tears trickled down Avi's trembling cheeks. Her small hands struggled to hold the bloody strands of Ramiel's hair.

Although they hadn't spent more than a few months together, the bond they had formed was something mystical and incomprehensible by human standards. For better... or for worse... their fates were intertwined...

' Hey, it's not like I'm coasting to certain death... in case you've forgotten, I've died ten thousand times and I'm still alive. '

Although Ramiel had only died once in practice, he couldn't know that. From his perspective, it looked like an endless loop designed to crush his personality and spit out the exact opposite. In part, this procedure had the intended effect, but as always with a man, something had to go wrong.

Snif

Snif

Ramiel sighed heavily, hearing the quiet dragging of his nose on the top of his head.

' Before I lose myself in battle... say goodbye to Caera and Asme from me... '

Snif

Snif

Avi wanted to say many things to Ramiel, but the words couldn't pass through her clenched throat. Feeling a tightness in her stomach, the fairy gathered herself, mumbling in a trembling voice.

" Fi- fine... I - I will be - be your eyes. "

And so, Ramiel faced his final battle.

Dark Grizzly's sixth sense trembled, sensing the deadly intentions of something that shouldn't move at all. His head turned in the direction where the dead Ramiel should lie. However, contrary to his expectations, what he saw put him in a wicked mood.

Slowly but gradually, a figure bathed in blood shortened the distance separating him from the trapped monster.

In the bear's heart, previously filled with pride, there was fear... fear of impending death. He could swear on his life that he felt the breath of the grim reaper on his neck, sharpening his instrument of murder.

Someone once said that tough measures require tough solutions. Seeing no other way to survive, with pain filling his heart, the bear bit off his front paw.

Its massive jaws, with the strength of ten crocodiles, clamped down on the limb, crushing it.

" GRUAAAUAUAUU!" The monster charged at the marching man with fury boiling from its eyes.

Moments later, a battle of attrition ensued between them. It was no longer a fight for survival but for the warrior's pride. Both were well aware that they wouldn't get out of this in one piece. The only thing left for them was to see which of them was stronger.

The battle was bloody and brutal. Again and again, Ramiel cut, pushed, tugged, dodged, tore, then beat and kicked again with unbridled determination. Pieces of the monster's massacred body flew everywhere in the air, creating a terrifying sight. In its eyes, hidden behind scarlet liquid, one could see smoldering flames of determination.

Contrary to what one might expect, there was no trace of Dark Gryzzli's blood anywhere. Even his wounds, which should be bleeding profusely, seemed to have dried up.

Slice

Slice

The broken sword in Ramiel's left hand went through the bear's body like butter. The fountain of blood that should have flooded the battlefield stopped in mid-air, heading for the pulsating blade.

If anyone had been able to watch the battle, they would have fainted at the sight of the unusual but beautiful scene. Streaks of ethereal-looking blood floated in the air, only to be devoured by the crystal in the sword's hilt.

When the bloody blade left the bear's body, astronomical amounts of scarlet liquid gathered around it. Like bark clinging to a log, the blood pooled around the jagged edge of the weapon, forming itself into the shape of the lost part of the metal.

The runes carved into both weapons lit up, emitting a scarlet glow. A distinctive metallic aftertaste floated in the air, irritating the taste buds of all living beings.

Like a jewel devouring a life-giving liquid, Ramiel's body absorbed buckets of his opponent's blood. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of strength coupled with a small amount of regenerated mana. 

Ramiel couldn't let go of the chance he had been given. Before the monster could react, the man leapt onto its back like a cheetah hunting an antelope, sinking two black blades that emitted a scarlet glow.

Using his remaining mana reserves, Ramiel activated the Spark, maximizing the spell's impact.

Crackle

Crackle

Lightning annihilating everything in its path shook the overgrown pile of meat, frying it alive. The bear wailed in pain one last time, letting out an agonal scream.

Despite Ramiel's earnest intentions, the monster had a quick death. Its brain couldn't withstand the strain by melting, its remnants spewing out through the monster's hideous mouth.

Boom

The Dark Grizzly fell with a loud bang. Avi's gaze turned in disgust to the yellow stain beneath the baked carcass. Feeling the scythe on the back of its neck, the bear, in its last moments of life, disposed of the contents of its bladder, releasing the golden liquid.

A red mush leaked from what had once been eyeballs. A foul-smelling burnt smoke rose from its once massive and plump ears. The once mighty ruler, with numerous mountain ranges beneath him, lay defeated beneath the feet of a commoner.

Black as night, the blades left the monster's body, shimmering with a scarlet glow. The once-broken sword shone like new, looking even better than before. The edges of both weapons seemed sharper and deadlier than before the fight. The jewel embedded in the center of the hilt underwent a metamorphosis, transforming into a beautifully crafted crystal.

Not only did this change, but the previously ferocious aura emitted by the weapon took on a touch of mystery and majesty.

Ramiel was unaware of the changes that had taken place in his weapon. About halfway through the fight, his mind was plunged into thoughts completely unrelated to it. He owed his victory to the hard and murderous training he had undergone while being a hunter. Thanks to his instincts, he didn't need an efficient mind to kill a wounded enemy.

Ramiel's mind was in true chaos. His thoughts revolved around one question, trying to find the answer.

What did I do wrong this time...

Ramiel didn't understand why this had happened to him. When he was given a second chance, he did everything he could to live. However, despite his sincerest efforts, life threw a log under his feet, wanting to kill him at all costs.

In the beginning, I may have acted like a dick... but... I just wanted to be happy... When I finally succeeded... I have to leave again...

Is it so much? Do I really not deserve a little happiness... Am I really going to die here?

Why... Why is this happening to me again...

No... it's pointless... It doesn't matter if I die now or in a month and a half... It doesn't matter anyway...

Why am I fighting...?

Why am I trying...

I... I don't know...

It hurts...

I'm sorry, Asme...

I'm sorry, Caera...

I'm sorry, Avi...

I don't want to anymore...

I have...

I have had enough...