Due to being accused wrongly, Sebastian was compelled to answer,
[The old generation?!]
Even though he was surprised Diego linked him to such a legacy, he didn't let his grip slacken on his weapon or waver in his resolve to kill. With a window of attack finally open, Sebastian lunged forward, combining his space-enhanced speed with a one-handed strike. Instead of targeting Diego's body directly, he feinted toward the shoulder blade—an obvious lure to force Diego to reposition. Since Diego's shield had yet to reform, the bait worked; Diego vanished, reappearing behind Sebastian for a lethal assassination attempt.
Anticipating the shadow-step, Sebastian pivoted with supernatural fluidity, his spatial awareness screaming as he calculated the exact millisecond of Diego's arrival. Before Diego could close the distance, Sebastian thrust his free hand toward his opponent's face. Diego was stunned to see such a tactical response from a mere skeleton knight. Three glowing orbs of cosmic energy erupted from Sebastian's palm, streaking toward Diego's eyes. Diego smiled as if he'd foreseen the move. He tensed his wrists and, with a sharp breath, weaved through the orbs with blurring precision despite the close proximity. But the moment he relaxed his guard, Sebastian's blade appeared—a sharp steel edge wreathed in a blue-black aura.
Manifesting from nothingness with immense speed, the blade struck home. Sebastian had achieved his goal: destabilizing Diego and shattering his fundamental body structure. With a weak, irregular clap, Diego sighed.
[A double counterattack... what a nice one.]
Even as he stood at the threshold of death, his curiosity remained.
[You have great potential. Are you sure you are not one of our resurrected ancestors?]
Sebastian didn't bother facing him or giving him a piece of his mind. Sensing the silence, Diego continued,
[You're different. One thing is for sure—you are no mere skeleton knight. So tell me... who the hell are you? Or more precisely, what the hell are you?]
Sensing there was no hidden ploy, and desiring to keep the secrets of his own abilities and roots concealed, Sebastian decided to answer Diego directly, hoping to prevent any further misconceptions.
[I'm a death knight,] Sebastian declared, his voice echoing in the chamber.
[I am known as Sebastian, one of Maru's most trusted officials and the current master of this entire castle.]
Diego's face displayed a knowing emotion, but a hint of something deeper flashed in his eyes at Sebastian's final words. However, the emotion disappeared as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a cunning smile and a burning, relentless motivation to take Sebastian down once and for all. Sensing this shift, Sebastian braced himself for the worst, wondering what had caused Diego's abrupt mood swing; he realized Diego was far more dangerous when his entire mind was tuned into battle.
With groundbreaking speed, Diego clashed head-first into Sebastian, aiming to take him down or brawl with him. Yet, Sebastian evaded the attack with a speed matching his own, and so the clash continued, the battle having only just begun.
***
Diego had finished healing his head and moving his consciousness from his spinal column back to his head before initiating his first conversation with Sebastian. While the concept of proprioception was amazing, using a sixth sense to move and do everything the five senses were supposed to be doing wasn't exactly the best—yet it was great for transferring his consciousness to a body part to get out of a tough spot.
As for Sebastian, he was a great knight, a knight that even piqued Diego's interest. He found himself wondering where Maru had found someone as raw and capable as Sebastian. Furthermore, the method Sebastian used to fight was unique; most knights used their attributes and energy in line with one another, augmenting their body or weapons. But the ability Sebastian possessed was nothing like that—he used energy to fuel his attributes, gaining subtle control over the cosmos and space. As for the weapon part, he could enhance it with the energy within; Diego felt Sebastian could imbue his weapon with a chaos element masked with the element aura and he could even imbue his weapon with the same spatial ability he used to fight making it a deadly pair.
One thing was for certain: Sebastian was no ordinary knight. Diego realized this was true when Sebastian finally granted him audience and addressed his roots, revealing he was no skeleton knight, but a death knight. Somehow, the abilities and feats Sebastian performed began to align, though several enigmas remained veiled—specifically how a Death Knight wielded such precise spatial manipulation. This rare mastery was virtually unheard of within the desolate reaches of New Darkovia, where martial prowess usually trumped arcane subtlety. Even more baffling was the sight of a Highly Advanced Soul Being deferring to a mere Apprentice Soul Vampire like Maru, a blatant inversion of the natural undead hierarchy.
Still, it was reassuring to finally grasp Sebastian's specific strategic utility both on the battlefield and within the fortification's walls. The lingering fog of suspicion finally dissipated when Diego heard Sebastian utter those definitive words: "one of Maru'smost trusted officials and the current masterof this entire castle." That revelation served as the ultimate turning point for Diego.
He finally figured out what Sebastian's role was—he was here to hinder Diego in his process of finding Frank and eventually Maru, so he had to go. The knight before him was an obstacle that had to be eradicated, not just a pawn in a game. But this time, he wasn't going to grant him the grace of escape or a fleeting cling to life; he was going to destroy him once and for all, no more bullshit.
So, he stopped parrying Sebastian's attacks. Instead, he launched his own, forming a battle blitz. Diego began to fight an enemy worthy of him, or perhaps even more powerful. While the ranks of Advanced Soul Being and Death Knight may feel just one step above the other, they were not the same. However, Diego was willing to try his luck and win; he wasn't hoping to lose, he was going to take any adversary head-on until they were defeated and he was the only one left standing.