Alex landed on the ground, his body aching but his resolve unshaken.
He wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes locked on the [Hatred Demon].
The creature stood tall, its crimson aura pulsing with dark energy, its four arms flexing as it prepared for the next attack.
The battle had been going on for what felt like an eternity, and Alex could feel the weight of it pressing down on him.
“Aren’t you tired of the same stuff over and over again?”
Alex finally asked, his voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping into his bones.
“I will keep reviving myself. You can’t kill me, and you’ll keep evolving to counter me. In the end, it’s all going to be pointless.”
It was a bluff, of course.
Alex knew his time was running out.
He only had 20 Destiny Points left, and each death brought him closer to the end.
But he couldn’t let the [Hatred Demon] know that.
He had to keep pushing, keep fighting, no matter what.
“Maybe,” the [Hatred Demon] replied, its voice showing a hint of hesitation before it quickly regained its confidence, “But even then, I’ll win.”
“…”
“Plus…”
The [Hatred Demon] stretched its four arms, its legs positioning as if ready to unleash another devastating attack.
“I still haven’t shown all of my attacks, have I?”
In its second form, the [Hatred Demon] had unlocked three new abilities, its strongest attacks, ones that no one had ever survived.
To the creature, Alex was no different.
It wanted to prove that, even after all this time, it was still on top.
It had regained its power, and it wasn’t about to let some human stand in its way.
“Very well,” Alex said, his voice calm as he accepted the challenge.
“It’s time for you to lose, then.”
“You still believe you can kill me?” the [Hatred Demon] sneered, its voice filled with mockery.
In response, Alex smiled and lifted a single finger.
“In the next minute, I will hit your heart once more.
That means you’ll only be one attack away from dying.”
The [Hatred Demon]’s eyes narrowed, its expression shifting from amusement to caution.
For the first time since its awakening, or perhaps even before that, the creature felt a flicker of doubt.
It was just a human, standing before it, making what seemed like an impossible claim.
But something about Alex’s confidence made the [Hatred Demon] hesitate.
“No,” the [Hatred Demon] replied, its voice cold and determined.
“YOU will be the one to die in the next minute.”
“Let’s see who’s right, then,” Alex said, his grin widening as he flapped his wings and closed the distance between them.
But this wasn’t just a reckless charge.
Alex wasn’t crazy, and he wasn’t pushing his luck for no reason.
He knew this was the end of the line.
He could feel it in his bones, if he didn’t try something drastic, something that would actually allow him to push through the [Hatred Demon]’s defenses, he would never win.
And so, he did the unthinkable.
He used all of his remaining Destiny Points.
THREADS OF FATE!
Golden threads erupted around the [Hatred Demon], thousands of them weaving through the air as they revealed the creature’s every possible move.
Alex’s eyes glowed with determination as he focused on the threads, his mind sharp and ready.
[-20 Destiny Points]
[Destiny Points: 0/150]
Now, he was out of points.
The next time he died, it would be over.
The [Hatred Demon] would destroy his soul, steal the [Heart of Calamity], and double its power by having two hearts.
But Alex didn’t care.
He wasn’t running anymore.
He wasn’t hoping to overpower the [Hatred Demon] through sheer force, that was impossible.
Instead, he was going to outsmart it.
“The threads are back,” the [Hatred Demon] whispered, its voice filled with a mix of curiosity and annoyance, “You’re trying something, aren’t you?”
It swung its claws at Alex, the attacks coming fast and furious.
But Alex, fully focused on the threads around the [Hatred Demon]’s four arms, avoided every strike with precision.
He moved like a shadow, his body twisting and turning as he predicted the creature’s every move.
The battle continued like this for ten seconds, with Alex dodging dozens of strikes.
Each successful dodge earned him a small amount of Destiny Points, his reserves slowly climbing.
[Destiny Points: 42/150]
‘Thank god it didn’t use [Full Assault],’ Alex thought to himself.
If the [Hatred Demon] had unleashed its speed-type skill, Alex wouldn’t have been fast enough to keep up.
But for now, he was holding his own.
The more the [Hatred Demon] attacked, the more Destiny Points Alex gained.
His confidence grew with each passing second.
If he could just keep this up, he might be able to unlock [World Cleaver] and end the fight for good.
But then, the [Hatred Demon] stopped.
Its attacks ceased, and it took a step back, its eyes narrowing as it studied Alex.
“Something’s wrong,” it whispered to itself, “He’s aiming for me to attack him…”
It paused, its expression darkening.
“Hm…”
Alex’s eyes widened.
The [Hatred Demon] was figuring out his plan, he didn’t have much time left.
He needed to finish this now.
With a burst of speed, Alex dashed toward the [Hatred Demon], his [Bleeding Dragon Claws] gleaming with deadly intent.
He had two options: either the [Hatred Demon] attacked, allowing him to dodge and gain more Destiny Points, or it let him hit, which would also earn him points.
Either way, it was a win-win for Alex, or so he thought.
“Option three,” the [Hatred Demon] said, its voice cold and filled with malice, “I kill you enough times to render all your attempts useless.”
‘Huh?’ Alex thought, his mind racing.
Did it hear his thoughts? Or had it simply guessed his intentions?
Either way, he didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Full Assault!
The [Hatred Demon] moved faster than Alex could react.
In an instant, its claws slashed through his neck, decapitating him before he could even blink.
Destiny Shift!
[Undoing Death…]
Alex revived, his body reforming as he gasped for air.
He was ready to re-engage, but the [Hatred Demon] wasn’t giving him a chance.
“I am bored. No more chances,” the creature said, its voice filled with finality.
Before Alex could even move, it used [Full Assault] again, killing him once more.
Destiny Shift!
[Undoing Death…]
Alex revived again, but the [Hatred Demon] was relentless.
This time, he tried something different.
Destiny Shift!
[Undoing the Hatred Demon’s actions…]
The creature was pushed back, its previous attack undone.
But even then, it didn’t save Alex.
The [Hatred Demon] was too fast, too strong.
It killed him again.
And again. And again.
Three more times, Alex revived, only to be cut down before he could even react.
Each death brought him closer to the end, his Destiny Points dwindling with every revival.
[Undoing Hatred Demon’s actions…]
Beep!
[Destiny Points: 7/150]
Alex was out of points.
His eyes shook as he tried to steady himself, his body trembling.
The [Hatred Demon] stood before him, its expression cold and ruthless.
“I sense your weakness,” it said with a brutal finality that made it seem real, “This will be your final death.”
And so with a single swift motion…
Fwish! Slash!