The same sound returned again, but this time, the blue transparent screen that had appeared as a glitch before was now clearly visible in front of my eyes.
[ RESONANCE ANOMALY ]
Source: Unregistered State: Self-Origin
[ Condition Override: Active ]
---
This is exactly what Mr. Zekai saw earlier.
What is this trying to tell me?
My arm moved—but pain followed a second late… like my body hadn't caught up to itself.
A thin shadow coiled around my arms. Tightly. Like it had always belonged there.
For a moment, it felt like I was floating. Not physically, but internally, like my body had lost unnecessary weight.
"…What is this?"
The fear didn't disappear. But something else replaced it. Clarity.
Whatever this was—this was power. And I understood one thing instinctively.
This power wasn't meant for running. It was meant to end this. It was meant to fight. To kill the King Knight.
Before I could move again, something unexpected happened.
The knight stepped forward and tossed a sword toward me. It landed right in front of my feet with a dull metallic sound.
I stared at it. Then at the knight. It didn't attack. It didn't move.
It waited. Like it was telling me to pick it up—and fight properly.
"…Fine."
"So now you want a real fight?"
I bent down, grabbed the sword, and lifted it slowly. The weight felt unfamiliar, but not impossible.
"Let's finish this properly."
This time, I didn't rush. I stood still and waited. Let it come. The King Knight moved first.
I didn't see the swing. The cut had already landed—the movement only followed after.
My body didn't react to the attack. It adjusted to the result.
Our swords clashed. The impact came late.
The collision had already happened—this was just the world realizing it.
The impact ran through my bones, but I didn't lose my grip.
I immediately leapt back, creating some distance between us.
The moment the force of the sword hit, I was thrown back and slammed onto the ground.
"…Not bad. At least this time, I stood my ground."
But that didn't last long.
The King Knight vanished from my sight.
Before I could react, a force grabbed at my leg—like something was trying to rip it out from under me. I looked down—
The King Knight had lowered its body and rushed straight toward me.
Its sword came down, aiming precisely at the space between my head and neck.
I forced myself back, taking a couple of steps away, barely avoiding it—But it didn't stop.
It adjusted instantly. The blade shifted mid-motion and too late it pierced my chest drove straight into the right side of my chest.
My breath gone.
"—Ah…!"
The pain hit immediately.
My body wasn't under my control. My left knee gave in and I dropped down. I pressed my hand against my chest.
A hole opened through my chest. But this time… I didn't die.
Blood was pouring out from my chest.
Not just that—because of the stab, blood started coming out of my mouth too.
My breathing turned heavy and uneven. My vision blurred and started fading to black.
"This isn't the time to die."
"Calm down…"
The attack wasn't enough to take my life. And the loop didn't reset.
[ STATUS — ARON ]
Condition: Critical
Physical Integrity: 43%
Structural Damage: Severe
Pain Memory: Saturated
Loop Residue: Accumulating
Mental State: Stabilized (Forced)
Core Directive: Protect Target
Resonance State: Unstable
Synchronization: Partial
Ability Trace: Emerging
Type: Unknown (Self-Origin)
— RESOLVE DETECTED —
That meant—I could still fight. Right now, I wasn't weak physically.
But mentally… I was still unstable. This was the moment. Life or death.
"…Whatever happens, I'll face it."
[ STATUS — ARON ]
Condition: Critical
Resonance: Active
— RESOLVE AWAKENED —
Ability Type: Emotion Manifestation (Self-Origin)
Skills:
[ Colossal Resolve ] (Passive)
[ Colossal Strike ] (Active)
[ Colossal Force ] (Active)
— Synchronization: Incomplete —
I forced myself to breathe and pushed my body back up to my feet. Whatever this was—this power—it felt like something beyond me, yet it was responding at the exact moment I needed it most.
The black energy around my body intensified, wrapping tighter—like it was responding to my resolve.
The King Knight didn't hesitate.
It raised its sword again and held it steady at the center—pointed directly at me.
Like it was challenging me. Come. Let's see which one of us survives.
"…Fine."
"Come on."
I gripped my sword with both hands. Then I moved—Fast.
Too fast to see clearly.
I lunged forward, my blade cutting across in a cross angle, aimed straight for its head.
At the same time—it thrust its sword forward, aiming directly at my heart.
I lunged.
It thrust.
Steel met steel. We collided. I twisted my blade sideways at the last second and redirected the strike. We broke apart.
My blade slipped—but I forced it back and swung anyway.
Then—I poured all my strength into my swing.
"Take this… my Colossal Strike."
The impact exploded through the clash. Its sword was knocked out of its hand—and flew through the air before embedding itself into the ground.
"…How is that damn clean finish!"
I didn't give the King Knight a moment to recover—I charged at it immediately.
I landed a strike it never saw coming. The blade cut—just not where I intended. Across its abdomen—then another across its body in a cross pattern.
But—nothing happened. The blade cut—but it didn't break through.
I didn't know what I was doing—only that I couldn't stop moving.
The King Knight paused. Then its presence changed.
The King Knight grew aggressive. Extended its hand—and another sword formed in its grip.
Without hesitation—it rushed toward me again.
"Come… come. This is what I wanted."
It moved so fast. Too fast.
I stepped forward. Not back.
The first strike missed. Barely.
The second—I cut through it.
The rhythm broke. I closed in.
Its movements sharpened. Faster. Sharper. More violent.
This time, it attacked like a storm. Its blade spun, cutting through the air with overwhelming speed.
I focused. But I'm not who you think I am now.
"You might have fought others before…"
"But I'm not the same as before."
I stepped in instead of back. Every step felt wrong—like I was walking into something I didn't understand.
[ WARNING ]
Stability: Fluctuating Synchronization: Incomplete
---
I don't care about what these system messages are saying.
Because compared to that… I've already seen far worse here.
I remembered every death—even the ones that hadn't happened yet.
My hands were shaking—but they didn't stop.
My foot slipped against broken stone—the blade barely missing my shoulder.
My balance shifted for a split second— enough to die. But I forced it back.
"That version of me already died."
I jumped straight into the storm of attacks—and cut through it—cutting through its movement.
One clean motion. I broke its rhythm. The storm split. I closed the distance.
I moved past it and drove my sword straight into its throat.
"Take back what you gave me."
The moment the attack connected, the impact drove it down violently. Its body lost balance and crashed against the ground as if the force had shattered its stance completely.
The blade pierced through—like cutting through something that resisted too late.
The King Knight… finally stopped. But not completely.
The blade halted for a fraction of a second—caught.
I didn't even see when the King Knight recovered—its hand shot up suddenly and grabbed my arm.
"You're still not finished…?"
The grip tightened. Cracks spread across its armor, not from my strike—but from within. Its hollow gaze locked onto me.
For a moment—it pushed back. The pressure forced my blade out slightly.
My footing slipped.
"…You're still standing?"
The shadow around my arms tightened instinctively.
I stepped forward again.
"No."
I wasn't faster—it just didn't reach me in time.
No hesitation.
I stepped in—and drove the blade deeper straight into the center of its body, pouring everything into that single strike.
It pushed back… The flames surged—
stronger than before like it refused to end.
"Activate—Colossal Force."
The blade sank deeper. This time—it didn't come back. Its armor began to crack slightly under the impact.
The stronger my resolve—the heavier my strike became.
"Now fall."
The force surged inward, then erupted from within—its armor cracking, splitting, and exploding apart piece by piece as the energy tore through it from the inside. Like something inside had finally given up.
Silence.
For a second—everything went still. My hands were still shaking—even after it ended.
My breath followed. Slower.
My grip loosened slightly—like my body didn't realize it was over yet.
My breath came late. Delayed… just like everything else. I didn't feel stronger… just harder to break.
"…Huh?"
Then—it didn't reset.
It didn't rewind. It didn't return. This time—the one who fell—was the King Knight.
[ ENTITY STATUS — TERMINATED ]
Target: King Knight
Classification: Enforcer
[ CONFIRMATION… ]
…Complete
---
It didn't adapt this time. It didn't fail… I just didn't die this time.
This time… I couldn't move at all. My strength was gone. I dropped to one knee, barely holding myself up.
This… was the biggest thing I had ever done in my life.
"Finally… it's over."
I looked at Mr. Zekai, a quiet sense of relief and happiness filling me.
"All of this—
was for you."
Then—A sound echoed behind me. I turned. And everything shifted again.
I turned. Something moved behind me.
…and for the first time—I felt fear again.
End Of Chapter 16 - The Kind One Never Loses