The deafening explosion was loud enough to tear through their eardrums.
It wasn't the clang of metal—it was the mournful cry of glacial ice shattering under unbearable force.
Lina's shield—the steadfast companion that had seen her through countless battles, shattered like fragile glass under the Boss's final strike, a blow that carried every last ounce of its power and centuries of festering hatred.
Cracks spread across the shield in an instant before it completely exploded, shards and frost scattering through the air.
The enormous impact crashed through the ruined shield without the slightest resistance and slammed brutally into her breastplate.
The steel caved inward under the force, and the sickening sound of breaking bones rang out clearly.
"Ugh—!"
Lina let out a strangled groan of pain as her body was hurled away like a kite with its string cut, smashing into the stone pillar behind her before sliding limply to the ground.
Lina HP: 2025/4000 → 0/4000 (Overkill!)
Her health bar was wiped out in an instant—down to zero.
Kiriya sprinted to her side, heart hammering against his throat.
"Lina! No!"
Lina leaned weakly against the cold stone pillar, her face as pale as death.
Blood trickled endlessly from the corner of her lips, staining her jaw and neck guard a deep crimson.
Her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible. Her life was slipping away at an alarming pace.
Yet her gaze was clear—so clear it hurt—and even carried a trace of gentle apology as she struggled to focus on Kiriya's horrified face.
"Du...mmy…"
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, almost swallowed by the hall's fading echoes, yet every syllable cut straight into Kiriya's heart.
"Don't… make that face… it's not like I'm really dead…"
Her trembling hand tried to reach for him, but fell helplessly to her side.
"Win…"
She used the very last of her strength, her eyes filled with unwavering trust and quiet resolve as she breathed out her final words, soft as a prayer:
"You must… win…"
And then—
Her body could no longer hold its form.
It began to dissolve from the edges, breaking into countless crystalline particles of icy blue and pure white, drifting skyward like scattered stars.
"No—No! Lina!!"
Kiriya desperately tried to grab hold of the floating fragments, but his hands closed on nothing.
He could only watch as her last faint smile dissolved into the air, leaving behind nothing but a single shard of her broken shoulder guard, lying cold and silent on the ground.
The world lost all color. All sound.
Kiriya sank to his knees, mind blank.
Lina's last words—You must win—and that final, gentle smile pierced his chest like a thousand icy spikes.
Grief.
An indescribable grief crashed over him like a tidal wave, drowning him completely.
And then—
Came the rage.
Not a searing rage, but one so cold it could freeze the blood in his veins, a rage that burned away reason and left only raw, killing intent.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
He threw back his head and roared, a cry torn from somewhere deeper than his soul.
It was no longer the voice of a man—it was the cry of a wounded wolf, a dirge for the fallen, a declaration of vengeance.
Blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning them crimson.
The calm, flowing data stream of his mind was consumed by pure murderous intent.
The Shadow weave Cloak draped over him billowed as if caught in a storm, though there was no wind.
The Boss finally shook off its stagger, turning its empty eye sockets toward the kneeling Kiriya.
The soul-flames within its skull flickered, as if it could not comprehend how this fragile creature could radiate such an overwhelming, terrifying presence.
It raised its massive great sword once again—
But it was already too late.
Kiriya vanished from where he knelt.
[Blink Step]!
He reappeared right in front of the Boss, eyes locked on its twisted skull, hatred burning like an inferno.
"You… will die!!!"
His voice was low, hoarse, carrying the weight of annihilation itself.
[Phantom Resonance] — Activate!
Vmmmmm—!
A pulse of strange energy rippled outward from him.
The two phantoms he had just summoned let out a simultaneous, voiceless roar.
Their eyes were no longer hollow—they now burned with the same seething fury as Kiriya's.
Three pairs of eyes—all blazing with grief and murderous intent—fixed on Valeriu Monteil's cursed remains.
And then—the storm descended.
[Phantom Thrust]! [Phantom Slash]! Normal attack chain!
Kiriya and his two phantoms became a whirlwind of death, striking from every angle, every blind spot, their attacks overlapping without a single gap!
-1280! -1320! -1350! (Main Body 3-hit combo!)
-1280! -1320! -1350! (Phantom 1 sync combo!)
-1280! -1320! -1350! (Phantom 2 sync combo!)
-1680! (CRIT! Phantom Blade passive triggered!)
-1680! (Phantom 2 – CRIT!)
-2250! (Main Body – Phantom Thrust!)
-2250! (Phantom 1 – Phantom Thrust!)
Damage numbers flooded the screen like a downpour.
The Boss couldn't even react.
Its massive frame was battered from all directions, locked in place like a colossal training dummy.
Armor and rotting flesh alike were shredded as foul purple ichor and glowing soul fragments sprayed into the air.
Kiriya's mind had gone blank.
There was only one thought left—Rip it apart. For Lina. Make it pay a thousandfold.
Two seconds. Three seconds.
15-hit combo! 16-hit! 20-hit!
On the 21st strike, Phantom Blade's passive triggered again—
-1680! (CRIT!)
The Boss howled in agony, its hulking body shaking violently.
Fourth second—
[Phantom Slash] — Ready!
Kiriya and his phantoms swung in perfect unison, unleashing three massive arcs of sword energy that overlapped into a single, devastating wave, swallowing the Boss whole.
-2550! (Main Body Phantom Slash!)
-2550! (Phantom 1!)
-2550! (Phantom 2!)
27-Hit Combo!
The Boss's last sliver of HP vanished.
Its grotesque body froze, then let out an earsplitting scream, a chorus of countless wailing spirits all at once.
And then—
Its corpse exploded from within, flooding the hall with blinding blue-white light.
Shards of ice, scraps of darkness, and fragments of tortured souls scattered like fireworks before dissolving into nothingness.
The suffocating pressure in the hall, the hateful whispers—they all receded like a retreating tide, leaving behind a silence so complete it rang in his ears.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have defeated LV30 Boss — Cursed Patriarch Valeriu Monteil (Wraith Form)!]
[EXP Gained — Massive!]
[Level Up! Current Level: 27!]
Golden system prompts flashed before Kiriya's eyes, but he barely registered them.
He was panting hard, the murderous energy around him finally dissipating.
His phantoms flickered and vanished as their duration ended—or perhaps because he had no MP left to sustain them.
Clang.
His reinforced bronze sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.
He dropped to one knee, utterly spent, his hands braced against the cold floor.
Sweat mixed with Lina's blood dripped from his chin.
It's over.
But there was no joy.
Only emptiness—and a pain in his chest that felt like his heart had been ripped out.
Light gathered where the Boss had fallen, forming several shimmering drops of loot.
Among them, one item stood out—
A shield, deep and icy blue, its surface as though carved from eternal frost.
Its edges gleamed with dark silver trim, and at its center pulsed a crystalline core, radiating an aura of unyielding protection and frigid power.
[System Notification: You have obtained: Guardian's Oath (Rare)]
Guardian's Oath: Rare-tier shield.
Provides exceptional physical and magical defense, greatly increases block rate, and damage absorption.
Special Effect: Guardian — successful blocks have a chance to generate a damage-absorbing barrier.
It was a shield that felt as though it had been forged for someone like Lina.
Kiriya slowly raised his head, his gaze complicated.
He silently gathered every piece of loot, then took the cold fragment of Lina's shoulder guard in his hand and held it tightly.
…
Dawn City – Central Resurrection Plaza
A soft white glow lit the plaza as Lina's figure reformed at the resurrection point.
She blinked, slightly dazed, glancing down at her empty hands.
Her shield had shattered entirely when its durability hit zero.
Now she was left with only her one-handed sword; her level dropped by one.
The last memory in her mind was the shadow of the great sword falling—and Kiriya's horrified eyes.
She sighed softly, tapping her forehead with a touch of frustration.
"Ugh… still couldn't block it completely. What a loss… I wonder how he's doing…"
She began checking her status window, just about to message him—
When a familiar figure approached at a brisk pace.
She looked up and saw Kiriya.
He looked exhausted, his armor battered and scarred from battle.
But his eyes—his eyes were blazing with a clarity and resolve she had never seen before.
He said nothing.
He simply extended his hand toward her, presenting the gleaming, ice-blue shield, Guardian's Oath.
"This is…"
Lina's eyes widened. As a Frost Knight, she could instantly feel the immense power emanating from the shield, a perfect resonance with her own aura.
"The Boss dropped it," Kiriya said evenly, but his tone carried an undeniable weight.
"It's yours."
Lina accepted it, her fingers brushing over the frost-like surface and intricate runes, her expression shifting to wonder.
This shield was far beyond her old one—almost a dream come true.
But she was more concerned about him.
She looked up, hesitant.
"Are you… okay? At the end…"
"I won."
Kiriya cut her off. His dark eyes locked onto hers, more serious than ever before.
"But there won't be a next time."
He drew a deep breath, as if swearing an oath, and spoke slowly, deliberately—
"I swear, I will never let you fall before my eyes again—never let you sacrifice yourself for me."
Sunlight streamed through the crystal dome above the plaza, bathing the two of them in warm light.
Lina gazed at him, stunned for a heartbeat. Then a bright, beautiful smile bloomed on her pale face.
Clutching the new shield to her chest, she nodded firmly.
"Mm! You'd better keep that promise!"