The reawakening

The battlefield erupted into chaos as the Eternal Saint's reanimated soldiers charged forward, their eyes gleaming with the same golden light that emanated from their master. Each step they took, the earth seemed to tremble beneath them. The once-dead soldiers moved like machines, their bodies twisted but relentless. They were no longer human—they were nothing more than puppets, strings pulled by a power Ochi couldn't yet fully comprehend.

But Ochi didn't hesitate.

With a roar, he dashed forward, his sword raised. The first reanimated soldier lunged at him, but Ochi's blade cleaved through its chest before it could even swing its axe. The body crumpled, lifeless once more. But there was no time to revel in his victory. Another soldier was already on top of him, its glowing eyes burning with unnatural life.

Ochi swung again, a blur of motion, cutting down the enemy before he even realized they were close. His body moved faster, his senses heightened by the power granted through his System. He was stronger than ever, but the enemy never seemed to stop.

[+10 Kills]

[+30 Kills]

With every kill, the weight in his chest grew heavier. These were not just soldiers. These were people who had once lived, once breathed. They were taken from this world and twisted into weapons.

[+50 Kills]

[+75 Kills]

But the numbers didn't stop. The soldiers were relentless, an endless tide of death. Ochi cut through them, but they kept coming, over and over again.

"Is this really what he wants? To drag everyone into his endless war?"

Ochi gritted his teeth. He could feel the pull of the System within him, urging him to push harder, to level up. But something was wrong. The more he fought, the more he sensed a shadow looming behind him.

The Eternal Saint stood at the edge of the battlefield, his golden eyes watching, calculating.

Ochi's heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't stop. Not now.

As he spun around to strike down another soldier, a blade appeared from the corner of his vision. He barely had time to react, raising his own sword just in time to deflect the strike. The force of the blow sent a jolt of pain through his arm.

He looked up, eyes locking with the Saint.

The Eternal Saint was closer now, his golden eyes unblinking. Without a word, the Saint's hand shot forward, sending a shockwave of energy that knocked Ochi off his feet. He crashed into the ground, gasping for air as his body screamed in protest.

[HP: 350/1000]

Ochi struggled to rise, but before he could regain his footing, the Saint was upon him, his movements fluid and impossibly fast.

"You are strong, Ochi Nakagura," the Saint said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "But you are nothing more than a shadow of the true power that lies beyond this world."

Ochi gritted his teeth. "Then show me."

The Saint tilted his head, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Very well."

He raised his hand.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Ochi trembled violently. The earth split open, dark tendrils of energy rising from the cracks. The very sky above seemed to darken, as if something ancient and terrible had awoken. The golden light that had radiated from the Saint pulsed, expanding outward like a shockwave, flooding the battlefield.

Ochi's heart raced. This wasn't just power. This was something deeper. Something primal.

"Feel it," the Saint whispered, his voice like the echo of distant thunder. "This is the power of Shirogami—the power of the Immortal God. And you, Ochi Nakagura, are nothing more than an insect struggling against the tide."

The darkness spread, consuming the battlefield, twisting the world around Ochi. It was as if the very fabric of reality was warping under the weight of this force. The Saint stood at the center of it all, a beacon of cold, calculated power.

Ochi could feel the pressure bearing down on him, threatening to crush him beneath its weight. But he refused to bow.

"No."

A surge of energy flooded his body, his System reacting to the overwhelming force. His strength spiked once more, but this time, something else awakened inside him—a darker, more primal instinct. The Death Cycle.

He had felt it before, but now, it surged through him like a tidal wave. He could feel his very soul burning with the need to survive, to push forward.

[Death Cycle (Stage II) Activated]

HP: 200/1000

Stats Doubled for 30 Seconds

Ochi's vision sharpened. Every movement, every detail of the battlefield became crystal clear. The reanimated soldiers, the Saint, the very air around him—all of it was moving in slow motion.

He was a creature born of death. A man who had died a thousand times. Now, he was ready to take that power and use it to tear down the world itself.

With a roar, Ochi charged. His sword flashed in the darkened air, cutting through the reanimated soldiers like they were made of paper. But his focus was on the Saint.

The Eternal Saint didn't move. He watched Ochi's approach, his golden eyes filled with something unreadable.

"You truly believe you can kill me, Ochi Nakagura?" the Saint asked, his voice almost taunting.

Ochi gritted his teeth. "I don't just believe it—I know it."

In one fluid motion, he closed the distance between them. The Saint's golden energy flared, forming a barrier of light. Ochi didn't hesitate. He brought his sword down with all his strength, the blade crashing into the barrier.

CRACK!

The Saint's eyes widened for the briefest of moments, and for the first time, Ochi saw something resembling surprise flicker across his face.

Ochi didn't stop. He pressed forward, striking again and again. The barrier cracked, then shattered.

The Saint took a step back, his hands raised in a defensive stance.

"You may have the power," the Saint said, his voice strained for the first time. "But power alone is not enough."

Ochi raised his sword high, his eyes blazing with fury. "Then I'll show you what happens when a dead man refuses to die."

And with that, he struck.