I caught it mid-motion and drove it forward.
The impact didn't stop at contact—the force carried through, dragging its body across the ground, tearing through stone before crashing into the wall.
It tried to stabilize. It couldn't.
That was enough. I stepped in again—faster this time.
The next hit landed before the first one finished.
Then another. I didn't stop. Each strike came heavier than the last—driving it deeper, crushing it further.
The force carried through multiple layers of the wall.
Each impact breaking stone and structure, but still it held together.
Still—it didn't die.
"...Of course you are."
It shouldn't have. Because something like that—doesn't follow normal rules.
Then it changed. The Soulreaver twisted. Not retreating—adjusting.
The creature shifted its form—Its form collapsed into shadow and wrapped around my arm, trying to consume me.
Pain shot through my arm—sharp, immediate.
"…Too slow."
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. Ran from me… in absolute terror. But it didn't disappear.
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.
[ ANOMALY CONFIRMED ]
Flame Type: Unregistered
Property: Light Consumption
Warning: Do Not Engage Directly
---
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.
[ ENTITY SHIFT DETECTED ]
Host: King Knight (Deceased)
Override: In Progress
[ CLASSIFICATION UPDATED ]
SOULREAVER → SOULREAVER KNIGHT
Threat Level: Elevated
---
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 caught it—
No.
The pain came first. Then the blade. Steel was already inside my palm before I saw it move.
The blade pierced deep into my palm.
"...Tch."
[ DAMAGE REGISTERED ]
Physical Integrity: Compromised
[ RESPONSE ]
Pain Suppression: Active
Motor Control: Maintained
---
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.
For a fraction of a second—everything lagged.
Not time. Not space. The world… delayed.
My body didn't. I moved inside that delay. Before it could catch up.
[ PERCEPTION DESYNC ]
Reality Alignment: Unstable
Temporal Drift: Minor
User State: Ahead of Sync
---
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.
[ CRITICAL WARNING ]
Cognitive Split Detected
Stability: Dropping
Control Loss Risk: Rising
---
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 versions of the world overlapping for a second—before collapsing back into one.
My head throbbed—sharp, relentless. Blood ran down from my nose.
"...Not yet."
My body felt like it was tearing itself apart just to keep moving.
Good.
"That means I'm still in control."
[ SYSTEM STRAIN ]
Output Threshold Exceeded
Backlash: Active
---
"…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—!"
[ OVERRIDE ]
Limiter: Ignored
Stability: Critical
Proceeding...
---
"I don't need to win."
A step forward.
"I just need you to stop existing."
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 tried to reform. It couldn't hold its shape anymore.
Still reaching. Still trying to exist.
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. Not its body.
Not its form. Something deeper.
"I'm not destroying you."
My grip tightened.
"I'm removing you."
The space around it trembled.
Its form broke—again.
And again. Until there was nothing left to return to.
I removed its right to exist.
Piece by piece—until there was nothing left to exist.
No body. No shadow. No outcome where it exists.
"There is no second result."
Again. Until nothing remained.
No regeneration… this time, it was truly gone.
[ CONFIRMATION ]
Target: Erased
Residual Presence: None
---
The fragments burned.
The black form disintegrated into ash and scattered into the air.
Silence returned. Like the world corrected itself.
I stood there, breathing heavily.
"…What comes next…?"
No answer.
Of course not.
My grip tightened. But I knew one thing. This wasn't the end of it.
"...Then I'll keep going."
If anything—this was only the beginning.
End of chapter 20 - Even If I Break