Dancing on the golden ashes

I could feel it—I was now extremely close to reaching level 32. One more of them would push me over the edge.

But something felt off.

The king with the glasses, Kim Joon-Ho, was nowhere to be seen. After the explosion, his aura had completely vanished.

"Is he fleeing?" I muttered to myself, the thought laced with disdain. "How pathetic."

I stepped out of the shattered remnants of the house I was in, scanning the battlefield. The air was thick with debris and lingering energy, but my focus quickly locked onto the imposing figure of Park Seo-Jin hovering above me.

His massive black longsword rested lazily on his shoulders, but the tension in his stance betrayed his composure. His entire body trembled—not with fear, but with rage.

His piercing golden eyes locked onto mine, burning with unspoken fury. Park Seo-Jin didn't seem like someone who'd ever feel fear. No, this was the anger of a predator pushed to its limit.

"You come to our home, wreak havoc, kill my comrades, and you dare stare at me like that?" Park Seo-Jin growled, his voice trembling with barely contained rage.

"Did I stare at you?" I sneered, tilting my head mockingly. "I'm sorry, I thought I was staring at a corpse."

His eyes burned with fury, his grip on the massive black longsword tightening. "You're a fucking psychopath. If the king were here—"

"If he was here, it'd be the same." I cut him off, my voice sharp, filled with venom. "Him and me? We're blood enemies. You think I cheated in the tournament? That I deserved what happened to me?"

I stepped forward, my aura flaring with raw intensity.

"All of you most likely had a good laugh while I was framed. I lost everything because I was a threat—to your business, to your fragile egos. Because I was better than the men. So what if I was?"

The words spilled out like a flood, the bitterness in my heart igniting into a blaze.

"Is it so hard to accept one person—a woman—reaching the top? It's not like all of us got there, just me. But none of you observers ever believed me."

I took another step closer, my scythe glinting ominously.

"You're just as guilty. Guilty for your silence. Guilty for your laughs. Guilty for my fall. So tell me, why shouldn't I kill you?"

He lowered his sword slightly, a flicker of something—sympathy, perhaps—crossing his golden eyes.

"I can tell now," he said, his voice calmer but still laced with tension, "what you're saying is coming from your heart. But revenge is a fool's game. Do you really think it will make you feel better? Is it worth killing those who had nothing to do with it?"

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"You misunderstand me," I replied coldly, stepping closer. "In this world, there's no one left who can be called innocent. All of you have killed before, so who are you to scold me?"

My scythe shimmered in the golden fire that surrounded me, casting an eerie glow over the rubble-strewn battlefield.

"Don't act like you're any different. You've spilled blood to protect what's yours, just as I have. So spare me the self-righteous lecture."

His gaze faltered for a moment, the weight of my words sinking in.

"Hypocrisy doesn't suit you, Park Seo-Jin," I added, my voice dripping with venom. "If you're going to stand there and defend your actions, don't pretend mine are any worse."

"Even so..." His aura surged, radiating an intensity that seemed to weigh down the air around us. His voice carried a sharp edge, his golden eyes locked on mine. "That only proves you've completely lost your humanity. Just look at those horns on your head—they're not human. You've become a devil."

I threw my head back and laughed, the sound echoing maniacally across the ruined battlefield.

"Hahaha, you're right—I'm evil!" I sneered, gripping my scythe tightly. "But you're mistaken. I'm not a devil... I'm a demon!"

With a sudden burst of energy, I spun on my heel, my scythe carving through the air in a perfect arc. A black crescent moon of flame erupted from its blade, streaking toward him with blistering speed.

The slash collided with his massive sword as he raised it to block, the force of the impact shaking the ground beneath us. A ripple of corrosive black flames clung to him, searing his skin, but he didn't even flinch.

His golden eyes glinted with resolve, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Let's just fight!" I shouted, excitement lacing my voice. "Why waste time with useless words when we can let our blades do the talking? The winner gets to write history, anyway!"

My heart raced, adrenaline surging through my veins as I readied myself for his next move. The thrill of the battle, the clash of power—I craved it. I wanted to feel the full weight of his attacks, to test my limits against him, to see where I truly stood in this world.

His massive blade slashed at me with incredible speed, the angle of his attack strange and difficult to predict. I twisted my body awkwardly to dodge, narrowly avoiding the strike, but my scythe followed the momentum of my movement, arcing toward him in a deadly counter.

The blade of my scythe shimmered with its black and gold hue, the faint tinge of black fire wrapping it like a living glove. I hadn't fully transformed it into the Fire Scythe—not yet. I craved the tactile thrill of clashing weapons, the raw satisfaction of metal colliding with metal.

A strange sensation tickled at my horns, and I felt a surge of power course through my muscles. Seizing the moment, I unleashed a powerful strike, sending Park Seo-Jin flying into the air. Though he blocked with his massive sword, the sheer force of my attack overpowered him for a moment.

His weapon, while fast, was too long—an impressive and intimidating tool, but cumbersome when it came to quick defenses. That was my edge. My speed was just slightly superior, giving me the advantage.

Without hesitation, I rushed into the sky after him. Our movements blurred, vanishing from sight to anyone below. For the normal eye, we were nothing but flashes of light and sound, dancing in the heavens with impossible agility.

We were both in the Supreme Level of agility, our attacks moving faster than most could comprehend. His strength was slightly greater than mine, each swing of his sword pushing me to the edge of what my horns could enhance.

Yet, something strange happened. The more pressure I felt, the more power the horns pumped into my body. With every clash, I felt myself growing faster, stronger, more capable of matching him blow for blow.

Sparks lit up the air with every collision of our weapons, a symphony of metal and fire.

We were a storm, weaving through the sky.

Each attack was faster, sharper. I dodged when I could, twisting and contorting to evade his strikes. When I couldn't avoid them, I met them head-on, using the unique curve of my scythe to redirect his momentum, turning his power against him.

I closed in on him, unleashing devastating Soul Impact punches that sent him reeling back. The more we fought, the more the adrenaline surged through my veins. This wasn't just a fight—it was a test, a clash of wills, and I wasn't going to lose.

I had never felt so alive, so exhilarated. The thrill of close-range combat was intoxicating, and for the first time, I realized just how much I loved it. My body bore several cuts, each healing rapidly, and Park Seo-Jin was in no better shape—his body slashed and bruised all over. Yet, his face mirrored mine, a wild grin of unrestrained excitement stretching across his features.

Without exchanging words, we silently agreed to settle this with pure close-range combat. No tricks, no long-range techniques—just speed, power, and precision.

"Show me all you've got!" I screamed, my scythe burning with black flames as it slammed into his massive sword. A faint cracking sound reached my ears.

"Hmph! I'll make sure you bow before me!" he growled, his eyes gleaming with feral intensity. Twisting his body at an impossible angle, he delivered a devastating slash. I barely managed to block, holding my scythe horizontally with both hands to defend my left side.

The impact was like a shockwave. My scythe cracked slightly, and for the first time, I felt the blow resonate directly with my soul. The sensation was disorienting.

He had managed to hurt me.

We were equals.
Your next chapter awaits on empire

The force of his attack sent me flying into the nearest rubble, the collision bruising my body as I slammed hard into the debris. Before I could even catch my breath, his massive sword descended like a meteor.

I raised my scythe vertically just in time to block the attack. The collision was deafening, the pressure of the strike causing more cracks to spread across my weapon. The impact traveled through my entire body, each muscle screaming in protest, begging me to stop.

But I didn't care. I loved this too much.

Our eyes locked, and in that moment, we both knew the end was near. His movements slowed ever so slightly, exhaustion creeping into his stance. My breaths came heavier, my own stamina nearing its limit.

Suddenly, a surge of power washed over me.

Dammit. Why now?

The timer on my passive had run out, and the boost in power I couldn't control began flooding through me.

With this, I had no equals left.

"I'm sorry for this... It seems I'm just too strong," I said softly, sadness flickering in my expression.

I didn't want the fight to end like this.

With a single powerful strike, I sent him hurtling into the sky. His face paled, eyes wide as the sheer force of my attack overwhelmed him.

"What the hell is this? How are you able to power up so much?!" he shouted, his voice trembling.

"Before you die, I'll tell you. This is my passive. I have no control over it... So I'm sorry our amazing battle has to end this way."

I blurred, disappearing from his sight, and in the next moment, I reappeared behind him. My scythe moved with incredible speed, piercing through his chest and hanging him from its blade. His heart was completely skewered.

Blood spilled from his lips as he coughed violently, his head weakly turning toward me.

"Th-Thank... you..." he choked out, blood dripping with every word. "Thank you for this battle... It... was... fun..."

The light in his eyes dimmed, and with his final breath, I activated Soul Reaver, harvesting his soul.

As the surge of power filled me, I whispered to myself, "Only him... Only Nam Ji-Ho could ever beat me. He's the only one deserving of the title of powerful in this world."

My grip on my scythe tightened. "But soon, I'll find him too... And I'll kill him. I'll repay him for what he did to me."

The memory of that powerful lightning, the attack that almost ended my life, burned in my mind.

I wanted to destroy that power. I craved it for myself.