Chapter 9 – Blood and Echoes
The Hunter's sword descended like a scythe, light glinting off the edge. James' chest tightened; every muscle screamed in agony. Time slowed—moments stretched into infinity.
Then, instinct took over. The Fragment inside him flared violently.
Blue energy surged through his veins, burning, twisting, reshaping his senses. Pain became power. Memories of the past reincarnators he'd glimpsed in fragments—their deaths, their fury, their desperation—flooded his mind. He could feel their strength, fragmented but raw.
[System Warning: User integrity 3%]
James' heart pounded. If I go any further, I break. But if I don't… I die.
He braced himself.
The Fragment pulsed, and the air around him shimmered. His dagger reformed, not whole, but stronger, sharper—its afterimages more defined, brighter.
The Hunter's eyes widened in surprise. "Impossible…"
James lunged, a blur of motion. Blade Echo shattered into multiple strikes. Each hit struck the Hunter, leaving cracks of light along his armor. The being staggered.
[System Update: Fragment Synergy detected]
[New Passive Skill: Cycle Resonance I – partial control over Fragment power]
The villagers watched in awe and terror. Lira gasped, tears streaming, as James' form seemed to flicker between his own and something older, something powerful.
The Hunter roared, swinging wildly. James dodged, countered, struck again. The afterimages struck like shadows, converging on the Hunter's chest. Sparks flew. His sword shattered. A scream echoed across the ruins.
But the Fragment was unstable. Blue energy whipped around James, flames of memory burning through his body. Muscles screamed, bones felt like they might snap.
[System Stability: 1%]
[Emergency Protocol: CRITICAL]
His vision blurred. The world split into shards of light and shadow. And then—a voice, not the System, not the Hunter—whispered in his mind:
"Control it… or you will lose yourself."
James clenched his teeth. "I am me… I am James!"
He focused. The shards of memory, power, and Fragment energy aligned—just barely. He struck again. This time, not with brute force, but with precision.
The Hunter staggered back, a deep crack forming along its mask. Its golden eyes widened with shock and respect.
"You… survive…" it rasped.
James' dagger glowed one final time. He thrust it straight into the Hunter's chest. Energy and blood erupted, the force sending him sprawling. The Hunter fell to one knee, then collapsed, motionless—but not dead.
[System Update: XP Gained: 25]
[Level Up: 2]
[System Stability: 0% – Critical Collapse Imminent]
James lay on the ground, gasping, pain wracking every inch of him. His body trembled uncontrollably. The Fragment pulsed in his chest like a living thing, threatening to tear him apart.
Lira ran forward, grabbing his arm. "James! Please… stay with me!"
"I… can't…" he whispered, voice raw. "It's too much… the Fragment… the System…"
Her tears dripped onto his cheek. "You are not alone! You're not cursed—you're fighting for us!"
James closed his eyes. He could feel the Hunter's presence fading but not gone, leaving a strange energy behind. And in that energy, a whisper, different from before.
"The Cycle watches. The Last must rise… or all falls."
James shivered. He opened his eyes, feeling something harden inside him. Despite the pain, despite the near-collapse, a determination settled in his chest.
He wasn't just surviving. He was awakening.
The villagers slowly emerged, staring at him in awe and fear. Lira helped him to his feet, supporting most of his weight.
The Hunter lay unconscious, but James knew it wasn't over. This was only the beginning.
Fallout
James learned the Fragment's true potential: it could give immense power, but at critical cost to his body and System stability.
Villagers now knew he was not ordinary, but some began to respect and fear him.
Lira's loyalty deepened; she saw James' determination and strength, even when he was on the brink of collapse.
The Hunter left behind a trace of its authority—a rune burned into the ground, faint but pulsating with energy. James knew it held secrets about the Cycle, and possibly about the First Cycle itself.
Hook for Chapter 10
James must recover from his critical injuries.
The Hunter may awaken again—or send reinforcements.
The trace left behind hints at ancient secrets of reincarnators, Fragments, and the System itself.
James begins to wonder: How many more cycles, and how many more enemies, will he face before he uncovers the truth?