Part II — The Flame That Refused to Drown
The ocean breathed.
Silence stretched across the endless sanctuary.
Nerithis stood upon the water.
Dark blue armor covered her body.
The chains of her twin scythes drifted across the sea like living serpents.
Her glowing blue eyes rested upon Iren.
Then—
She spoke.
"...Now let us see..."
The chains slowly tightened.
"...how long you can survive..."
The ocean beneath her feet darkened.
"...the abyss of grief."
BOOOOOOOM!!
The entire sanctuary shook violently.
Towering waves rose toward the heavens before crashing back into the sea.
Ancient temple pillars collapsed one after another.
CRAAASH!!
Water swallowed the broken ruins.
Only scattered stone platforms remained above the surface.
Steam drifted from Iren's body.
His crimson aura flickered.
Inferno was still active.
He tightened his grip on both daggers.
"...Come."
FWOOOOOSH!!
Nerithis vanished.
Iren's pupils contracted.
Too fast!
CLANG!!
A chained scythe crashed against his crossed daggers.
Before he could recover—
SHHHHK!!
The second blade sliced toward his ribs.
He twisted sideways just enough.
The blade grazed past him.
A thin line of blood appeared across his side.
No pause.
No mercy.
The chains curled around a broken pillar.
Nerithis changed direction instantly.
She attacked again.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
The sanctuary echoed with screaming steel.
Every strike forced Iren backward.
His boots carved trails across the flooded stone.
She's using the pillars...
The chains aren't just weapons.
They're anchors.
She's controlling the battlefield...
The moment that thought crossed his mind—
A chain wrapped around the base of a shattered statue.
It swung behind him.
His eyes widened.
Behind?!
SHRAAAK!!
The scythe tore across his shoulder.
Blood scattered across the water.
Iren staggered.
Nerithis appeared directly before him.
Her expression remained calm.
"You've learned."
She spun both scythes.
"But learning..."
"...does not erase pain."
SHHHHH!!
The chains crossed together.
The blades formed a deadly X.
Iren lowered his stance.
"...Then I'll keep learning."
BOOOOM!!
He burst forward.
Instead of retreating—
He entered her range.
Nerithis' eyes narrowed slightly.
Good.
He understands.
CLANG!!
Their weapons collided.
Sparks and steam erupted.
She twisted one chain beneath his arm.
The other wrapped around his ankle.
A trap.
She pulled.
WHOOOOSH!!
Iren was dragged off balance.
Her scythe descended toward his head.
At the last instant—
He released one dagger.
Instead of resisting—
He rolled with the pull.
The blade missed him by inches.
He caught the falling dagger again.
Nerithis stepped back.
"...Interesting."
For the first time—
A faint smile appeared.
"You no longer fight my weapons."
"You fight..."
"...my rhythm."
Iren wiped blood from his mouth.
"I finally understood."
"You don't attack randomly."
"Every strike prepares the next."
Steam drifted upward.
"But now..."
"...I can see the current."
For a brief moment—
Neither moved.
Then—
The ocean exploded.
Thousands of droplets rose into the sky.
SHHHHHHHHHH!!
From behind Nerithis—
Water condensed.
One scythe.
Ten.
Fifty.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
An endless sea of chained scythes hovered above the sanctuary.
Each one pointed toward Iren.
His breathing stopped.
"...Impossible."
Nerithis slowly raised one hand.
"The abyss..."
"...contains every sorrow."
Her glowing eyes met his.
"And every sorrow..."
"...returns."
The countless scythes trembled.
Then—
"Go."
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The sky disappeared beneath an endless storm of blades.
Every direction became death.
Iren's crimson aura flared violently.
He inhaled once.
Deeply.
His feet moved.
Not blindly.
Not desperately.
With purpose.
CLANG!!
He deflected one.
Twisted beneath another.
Leapt across collapsing pillars.
Used the returning chains as footholds.
Every movement flowed into the next.
One mistake...
...and it's over.
A blade erupted from beneath the water.
He sensed it.
Too late to retreat.
Instead—
He stepped on the flat of the blade.
CLANG!!
Using it as a platform—
He launched himself skyward.
The entire sanctuary lay beneath him.
Countless scythes rushed upward.
Inferno surged.
The crimson aura blazed brighter than ever before.
His daggers ignited.
The flames stretched beyond their blades.
Longer.
Sharper.
Like twin blazing swords.
Iren didn't understand why.
He only felt—
Power.
More than before.
The Fire Ring shone like a miniature sun.
"...Then..."
He gripped both weapons.
"...I'll cut through everything."
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
He spun.
His body became a blazing wheel.
The flaming blades carved circles of fire through the sky.
Every incoming scythe was struck aside.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
The deflected weapons flew back toward their owner.
For the first time—
Nerithis moved to evade.
She stepped backward.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her attention shifted to the returning scythes.
That single opening—
Was enough.
BOOOOOM!!
Iren shot forward like a blazing comet.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
SHHHHHHHK!!
The twin blazing blades pierced straight through her abyssal armor.
The flames tore through the deep blue steel.
Steam exploded across the sanctuary.
The ocean fell silent.
Iren landed behind her.
One knee touching the water.
Steam drifted around him.
His breathing was ragged.
The crimson aura slowly faded.
Behind him—
Nerithis remained standing.
Motionless.
Water trickled from the cracks spreading across her armor.
Her body began dissolving.
Slowly.
Returning to the ocean.
She looked at him.
Then smiled.
A peaceful smile.
"You defeated me."
Iren remained silent.
Nerithis continued.
"You understand grief."
Her body dissolved further.
"...yet you still move forward."
The ocean began calming.
"But listen carefully, Ring Bearer."
Her voice became distant.
"The trials ahead will not be as merciful."
"The Earth will try to break you"
"The Wind will tempt you."
"The Thunder will judge you."
Her smile softened.
But before fading she gave a warning.
"The Moon remembers what was taken."
The ocean became still.
A pause
"The prophecy moves forward."
Her body dissolved completely.
"And perhaps the rings have finally found their true owner."
Then—
She vanished.
And the ocean fell silent once more.