For a moment, the world split into two outcomes.
I didn't wait to see them.
I chose the one where it stopped.
For a second, it didn't understand what had happened.
Because it wasn't supposed to stop there.
No hesitation…
this body already knew what to do.
Aron's body dropped.
I caught him mid-air before he hit the ground and moved him carefully away from the fight.
"Aron… are you okay?"
He barely nodded.
"Ah…"
That was enough.
"…Sorry… I made you wait."
Before I could say anything else, that Soulreaver moved behind me.
The creature struck—
and missed.
Not because I moved.
Because it had already missed.
The result came first—movement only followed after.
Aron's body hit the ground hard, his vision shaking.
He couldn't move.
Every breath burned, his chest barely rising.
But his eyes—
they didn't leave Zekai.
"…You're still you… right…?"
His voice came out weak, barely a whisper.
For a moment, even he didn't understand what he was looking at.
Not speed.
Not strength.
Something else.
Something wrong.
Then—
a faint, broken laugh escaped him.
"…Of course you are…"
Relief replaced the fear.
Not because he understood—
but because he didn't need to.
"I knew it…"
"…you wouldn't lose."
His fingers tightened weakly against the ground—
as if holding onto that belief alone.
For a brief moment—
the outcome had already been decided.
I didn't even turn fully.
The distance between us was barely a few steps—close enough that I could feel the cold leaking from its body against my back.
Its hand reached for me, but I grabbed it by the throat—my fingers closing around something that felt half-solid—and lifted it effortlessly.
I caught it again—this time harder.
It dropped the black stone card.
I turned my head slightly.
"I'm talking to him."
"You're not part of this."
I threw it aside.
I slammed it into the wall with a single motion.
The wall dented inward on impact—cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb before the sound finally caught up.
The wall dented inward on impact—cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb before the sound finally caught up.
The impact cracked the surface like bone, but It refused to die.
Of course it didn't.
I glanced back at Aron.
"Stay there. I'll finish this quickly."
I stepped forward.
My mind was clear—
Something inside me had already decided.
I didn't care what this place was.
Or why any of this was happening.
From this point on—
anyone who tried to kill us—
would die by my hands.
The Soulreaver came at me again.
Then it stopped.
Not retreating.
Aiming.
Its white gaze locked onto me—
and its hand rose slowly.
I felt it instantly.
Something inside me shifted.
Not my body.
Deeper.
A pulling force tore through my chest—
invisible—but undeniable.
My breath stopped.
"...What—?"
A thin, smoke-like essence began to stretch out from me—
It didn't pull from my body—it pulled from somewhere deeper, like something behind my existence was being dragged forward.
just like it did to Aron.
My vision shook.
My knees almost gave in.
So this is what he felt…
This—
this isn't pain.
This is being taken.
My thoughts blurred.
For a second—
my body leaned forward.
Like giving in would be easier.
Then—
Aron flashed in my mind.
Him standing there—
dying.
Still trying to move.
Still trying to protect me.
Even when he knew he couldn't win.
My fingers tightened.
"...He endured this?"
My voice came out low.
Unsteady—
but not breaking.
"...Then what the hell am I doing…?"
The pull intensified.
The pull dug deeper—
like something was finding the parts of me I didn't control.
Trying to take those first.
Harder.
Trying to rip me apart.
I forced my foot forward—each step heavier than the last, like the ground itself was trying to push me back.
Against it.
Forcing my body to move—
even as something inside me was being dragged out.
"I'm… not him."
A breath.
Sharp.
"I don't break here."
The shadow around my arm tightened—
and snapped.
The pull snapped—like something I refused to give was no longer allowed to be taken.
Like something I refused to give—
was no longer allowed to be taken.
I lifted my head slowly.
"Try that again…"
"…and I'll erase you."
No hesitation.
No fear.
"No mercy... anymore."
Not for things like you.
I caught it mid-motion and slammed it forward.
The impact didn't stop at contact—the force carried through, dragging its body across the ground before crashing into the wall.
It couldn't stabilize between hits—
that was my opening.
The force carried through multiple layers of the wall.
I didn't stop.
Each strike came heavier than the last—
driving it deeper, crushing it further.
Each impact breaking stone and structure, but still it held together.
Still—it didn't die.
It shouldn't have.
Because something like that—
doesn't follow normal rules.
Then it changed.
The Soulreaver twisted.
It didn't retreat.
The creature shifted its form—
Its form collapsed into shadow and wrapped around my arm, trying to consume me.
I clenched my hand.
And tore it apart.
Piece by piece.
I ripped it away and threw it aside.
It retreated.
But only for a moment.
Then it moved—fast.
But it didn't disappear.
Instead—it retreated.
It moved quickly and entered the dead King Knight's armor.
It couldn't hold form on its own—so it took the knight.
So it needed a body…
something stronger than its own form.
Then its body merged into the King Knight's body.
The moment the shadow sank into the armor—
The armor didn't accept it—it resisted—then gave in.
The blue flames changed.
Not faded.
Consumed.
The light dimmed first—then twisted—
and turned into something deeper.
Black.
Not the absence of flame—
but something that devoured light itself.
The cracks across the armor began to leak that black fire, slow and heavy, like something inside had awakened.
The air around it grew colder.
Denser.
Like the world itself was rejecting what had just taken form.
The armor trembled—
then rose again.
But this time…
something else was wearing it.
The armor darkened.
Completely black armor now.
White eyes opened.
The presence had changed completely.
A Soulreaver Knight.
"Who did this… why did you bring us here…?"
The Soulreaver didn't answer.
Of course it didn't.
"Fine."
"I'll end everything at once."
The Soulreaver Knight raised its sword.
I stepped forward with nothing but my bare hands.
It moved faster than before.
The blade came straight for my head. I leaned back just enough to avoid it, then stepped in and drove a kick into its side.
"Die."
It was thrown back.
But it recovered instantly.
The sword came again—this time aimed at my stomach.
I stopped it with my hand.
The blade pierced deep into my palm.
Warm blood ran down my wrist immediately—but I didn't loosen my grip.
If I let it go—
it reaches my core.
Pain shot through my arm—but I stopped before it reached my body.
But not deep enough.
Before it could go further, I grabbed the blade with my other hand—and snapped it.
The world lagged—
just slightly.
Not time.
Not space.
Something else.
A fraction of reality slipped out of sync—
and I moved inside that gap.
I grabbed the knight's body and spun it before slamming it into the ground repeatedly, each impact breaking more of the armor.
Soulreaver lay on the floor.
Then—
something changed.
My vision doubled—
then struggled to return to one.
My balance tilted with it—like my body couldn't decide which version of reality to follow.
My body weakened.
I dropped to one knee.
My vision split—
two worlds overlapping for a second—
before collapsing back into one.
Blood dripped from my nose.
"…So this is the limit…"
My body already understood.
This power is burning something to keep going.
My consciousness flickered.
My strength was fading—too fast.
"...Did I push it too far...?"
Maybe this power had a limit.
Maybe I crossed it.
But that didn't matter—not now.
But I wasn't done.
Not yet.
I forced myself to stand and opened my eyes.
No matter what happened—
Aron had to survive.
"I promised him."
Then one last time.
Just once more.
"I'll protect him.
No matter what it costs."
If I stop here—everything ends.
"Whatever it takes."
I stood again.
"Yeah…"
"We're leaving this place… alive."
I can still move.
Then that's enough.
I launched forward with everything I had left.
"AHHH—!"
My fists slammed into the armor again and again.
Each hit landed before the last one finished—stacking force faster than the armor could recover.
Face, chest, joints—wherever I could reach. Each hit broke something, cracking it apart piece by piece until the entire structure collapsed.
"Break."
My vision blurred—
but I didn't stop.
Relentless.
I couldn't.
My fist connected—
the impact ran through its body—
then the armor cracked.
Until finally—the armor shattered completely.
It collapsed.
The Soulreaver burst out of the broken armor.
It reformed—
but weaker.
Unstable.
Its body flickered—breaking apart.
Then—it spoke.
"Return… what was never yours."
I frowned.
…Return what?
The Soulreaver Knight didn't respond.
Its head tilted—
locking onto something behind me.
The white glow reflected faintly in its hollow gaze.
The black stone card.
Of course.
That's what it wants.
I stepped forward, blocking its line of sight.
"…Whatever that is—"
My voice dropped.
Cold.
"You're not getting it."
But I couldn't stop.
Not anymore.
I grabbed it again.
I didn't destroy it.
I removed its right to exist.
Piece by piece—
until there was nothing left to exist.
Again.
Until nothing remained.
"There is no second outcome."
No regeneration…
this time, it was truly gone.
The fragments burned.
The black form disintegrated into ash and scattered into the air.
Silence returned.
I stood there, breathing heavily.
"…What comes next…?"
I didn't know.
But I knew one thing.
This wasn't the end of it.
If anything—
this was only the beginning.
End of chapter 10 - The One Who Decides The Outcome