The shattering of immortality

The Saint stumbled back, the shock of Ochi's attack sending ripples of unease through his calm demeanor. For the first time, there was a crack in the perfect façade, a fleeting moment of uncertainty as Ochi's sword hovered inches from his chest.

But despite the Saint's evident surprise, there was no fear. His golden eyes burned brighter, a flicker of something darker taking hold.

"You truly believe you can defeat me?" the Saint said, his voice no longer as cold as before. It was edged with a growing wrath, as if his perfect composure was slipping, revealing the rage that lay beneath.

Ochi's grip on his sword tightened, his breath steady but his heart racing. The surge of power from Stage III of the Death Cycle was still flooding his veins, pushing him beyond his limits. He had the advantage now, but he knew the Saint would not fall so easily.

"I don't just believe it," Ochi growled, his voice steady, "I know it."

The Saint's golden eyes flickered with something akin to recognition. "You know nothing, Ochi Nakagura."

With a swift motion, the Saint extended his hand. The air around him crackled, and the ground trembled as a wave of golden energy surged outward, enveloping everything in its path. Ochi barely had time to react. He was thrown back, his feet leaving the ground as the force of the Saint's attack sent him flying through the air.

[HP: 30/1000]

His body slammed into the earth with bone-jarring force. Pain exploded through him, but his willpower and the power of the Death Cycle kept him from giving in. He slowly pushed himself up, blood staining his lips.

His sword lay a few feet away, its dark energy flickering weakly. But Ochi's mind was clear. The System within him hummed with power. There was still hope—still a way forward. He wasn't finished yet.

The Saint stepped toward him, his golden aura growing brighter with each step. "You still fail to understand, Ochi Nakagura. Your power, your strength, means nothing. Shirogami's will is absolute. There is no defeating it. Not even your death will stop the inevitable."

Ochi's eyes blazed with fury, but beneath that, a cold, calculating resolve set in. He had come this far for one reason and one reason only—to bring his family back.

"Then let's see how absolute your immortality really is."

He reached out, his fingers grazing the hilt of his sword. As his fingers closed around it, something within the blade seemed to respond. The power of the Death Cycle surged anew, more potent than before. His body felt alive with an otherworldly energy, as if the very essence of death itself was coursing through him.

The sword pulsed with a deep, dark light, and the System's voice rang through his mind once again.

[Soul Reaver (Unlocked)]

Ability: Soul Reaver – A blade forged from death itself. It cuts through both the living and the dead, severing the connection between soul and body. Consumes 50% of current HP per use.

Ochi's vision blurred as the sheer weight of the power pressed against him. It was dangerous. It could destroy him, but he didn't care. He had nothing left to lose.

With a roar, Ochi forced himself to his feet, his grip on the sword firm. The Saint's golden aura surged as he raised his hand to strike, but Ochi was already moving.

Time slowed. His body surged forward, and the world seemed to bend around him. The Saint's eyes widened, and for a brief moment, Ochi saw something in his expression—a flicker of true fear.

The Soul Reaver blade cut through the air with a sound like thunder. The Saint raised his hand in defense, but it was futile.

The blade connected with a sickening, piercing sound.

The golden light that had surrounded the Saint cracked like glass, and in that instant, Ochi felt it. The connection between the Saint's body and his soul had been severed. The power of Shirogami—the immortal essence—was no longer flowing through him, no longer protecting him.

The Saint staggered, his golden eyes wide with shock. The light that had once bathed him now flickered and dimmed. His form wavered, as though the very fabric of his existence was unraveling.

"You… you dare—" the Saint began, but his words faltered. His body trembled, the golden energy sputtering as cracks appeared in his form.

Ochi stood over him, his chest heaving, sweat and blood dripping from his face. The sword in his hands was still glowing with the dark energy of death, but even now, it felt like it was consuming him.

The Saint, for all his power, was crumbling.

And for the first time, Ochi allowed himself to feel something other than rage.

He felt the weight of his family's death. The years of loneliness. The torment that had driven him to this moment. And he felt the smallest glimmer of hope.

It wasn't over. Not yet.

With a final, decisive strike, Ochi plunged the Soul Reaver into the Saint's chest. The Saint's body jerked violently as the dark energy consumed him from within. His golden eyes went wide in disbelief, and the very essence of his being was torn apart, shattered by the blade's power.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

And then—the Saint crumbled.

His body fell to the ground, lifeless, no longer the immortal figure that had terrorized the world. The golden light faded into nothingness, leaving only a shattered shell of what had once been an unstoppable force.

Ochi stood above him, his sword still embedded in the Saint's chest, breathing heavily as the adrenaline slowly faded. His body felt like it was on the verge of collapse, but the weight of victory held him steady.

[+5000 Experience Points]

[Level Up: Level 70]

The System's voice was distant, almost drowned out by the overwhelming silence that followed the battle.

But Ochi's mind was elsewhere.

The Saint was dead. But Shirogami—the true enemy—was still out there.

And Ochi's fight had only just begun.