The boundless divide

The clash of blades reverberated through the air as Ochi's sword struck with an intensity that shattered the Saint's golden barrier. The force of the blow sent a shockwave across the battlefield, scattering the reanimated soldiers like fragile leaves in the wind. The Saint staggered, his golden eyes widening ever so slightly as he regained his stance.

For the first time, there was a glimmer of uncertainty in his gaze.

"You… You're not like the others." The Saint's voice was no longer as detached as before. It held a faint edge of something—curiosity, perhaps, or even a flicker of surprise.

Ochi's chest heaved, his breath steady but his mind razor-sharp. His sword glowed with the surge of power from the Death Cycle, every swing heavier, faster, deadlier. The pain from his body's injuries seemed to vanish, consumed by the relentless pulse of energy that fueled him.

"Don't flatter yourself," Ochi muttered, raising his sword once more, eyes never leaving the Saint's. "I've fought worse than you."

The Saint smirked, his golden eyes now filled with quiet amusement. "Worse? Perhaps."

With a swift motion, the Saint raised his hand.

The sky above them darkened further, the air thick with oppressive energy. The ground trembled again as dark tendrils of power erupted from the earth, coiling around Ochi's feet, pulling at his very soul. These were not just reanimated soldiers. The Saint was manipulating the very fabric of reality itself, and with every flick of his wrist, the battlefield warped further into a nightmarish version of itself.

"Do you understand now?" the Saint said, his voice low and dangerous. "You fight not just against me, but against the fabric of this world itself. You cannot win."

Ochi gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. The tendrils pulled harder, threatening to drag him down into the abyss.

[HP: 180/1000]

[Status: Immobilized by Reality Bind]

"Not today," Ochi growled, using every ounce of willpower to break free from the energy that held him. His body was already battered, his heart pounding in his chest, but the Death Cycle kept him going. The System pulsed within him, granting him more strength than he should have been capable of.

He twisted, slashing through the tendrils with a wild, desperate strike. The dark energy sizzled as it evaporated, but there were more. Always more.

The Saint watched, his expression unreadable.

"You've always been the same," the Saint murmured, almost to himself. "A stubborn, broken thing. But you don't understand, Ochi Nakagura. You can't outrun fate. Not even a thousand lives can change that."

Ochi's eyes narrowed. "You talk too much for someone who's about to die."

With a roar, he broke free of the last of the tendrils and charged once more. But the Saint didn't move.

Instead, he raised his hand high.

A pulse of golden light radiated outward, not just from him, but from the very air around them. The energy was suffocating, a wave of pure, unrelenting power that threatened to tear the world apart. It was as if the Saint had drawn on the very essence of Shirogami itself, bringing the full force of the Immortal God's might into play.

Ochi's eyes widened as the light washed over him. His body burned with the weight of it, the energy crackling through his bones. He could feel the presence of something ancient, something beyond comprehension, pressing down on him.

This was not just a fight for power. This was a fight for survival. A fight against something that had transcended the world itself.

The Saint stepped forward, his golden eyes glowing with cold resolve. "You cannot fight against what is beyond your reach. No matter how strong you become, no matter how many lives you take, you will never be able to touch the immortality I hold."

Ochi stumbled, his vision blurring as the golden light began to overwhelm him. His sword felt heavier with every passing second, the weight of the Saint's words sinking in. His breath was ragged. His body was breaking down.

But the flicker of defiance within him refused to die.

"I won't die here."

Suddenly, the System's voice rang out in his mind.

[Warning: Death Cycle (Stage II) Expiring.]

[Activating Stage III: Rebirth]

A surge of energy exploded from within Ochi, a force so intense it pushed back against the Saint's light. His body snapped forward, his eyes blazing with newfound power.

Death Cycle (Stage III) Activated.

HP: 50/1000

Stats Doubled for 10 Minutes.

New Ability Unlocked: Soul Reaver.

Ochi's sword crackled with raw, destructive energy as the world around him seemed to pause. The air thickened, every movement slowing as if time itself had been stretched. He felt the weight of the energy coursing through him, sharper and more focused than ever before.

"Soul Reaver…" Ochi whispered to himself, feeling the power awaken inside him.

The Saint's eyes flickered with a rare sense of surprise, but Ochi didn't give him the chance to react. In one fluid motion, he dashed forward, his body moving faster than he had ever thought possible. The golden light that had once suffocated him was now nothing more than an obstacle. His sword—a streak of pure darkness—cut through the air with a sound like thunder, aiming directly for the Saint.

The Saint's eyes widened, the calm exterior cracking for a split second as he raised his hand in defense.

But it was too late.

The blade cut through his barrier with ease, the golden light splintering as Ochi's sword cleaved through the air. The Saint staggered back, his golden eyes widening in disbelief as Ochi's blade came within inches of his chest.

"This is where it ends," Ochi said, his voice low and deadly. "You took everything from me. Now I'll take it all back."

And in that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.