[ 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 he could still fight. Physically, he wasn't done yet.
But mentally… he 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
Origin: (Self-Origin)
Skills:
[ Colossal Resolve ] (Passive)
[ Colossal Strike ] (Active)
[ Colossal Force ] (Active)
— Synchronization: Incomplete —
Aron forced himself to breathe and pushed his body back up to his feet.
'Whatever this power was, it felt like something beyond me, yet it was responding at the exact moment I needed it most.'
The black energy around his body intensified, wrapping tighter—like it was responding to his resolve.
The King Knight didn't hesitate. It raised its sword again and held it steady at the center—pointed directly at Aron.
Like it was challenging him.
Come. Let's see which one of us survives this.
"…Fine."
"Come on."
Aron gripped his sword with both hands. Then he moved—Fast.
Too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.
He lunged forward, his blade cutting across in a cross angle, aimed straight for its head.
At the same time—it thrust its sword forward, aiming directly at Aron heart.
He lunged.
It thrust.
Steel met steel. They collided. Aron twisted his blade sideways at the last second and redirected the strike. They broke apart.
Aron blade slipped—but he forced it back and swung anyway.
Then—he poured all his strength into his 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!"
Aron didn't give the King Knight a moment to recover—he charged at it immediately.
He landed a strike the King Knight never saw coming. The blade cut—just not where he 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's presence shifted.
Its aggression intensified.
It extended its hand—and another sword formed in its grip.
Without hesitation—it rushed toward Aron again.
"Come… come. This is what I wanted."
It moved so fast. Too fast.
Aron stepped forward. Not back.
The first strike missed. Barely.
The second—he cut through it. The rhythm broke. He 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.
Aron 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."
He stepped in instead of back. Every step felt wrong—like he was walking into something he didn't understand.
[ WARNING ]
Stability: Fluctuating
Synchronization: Incomplete
---
"I don't care what these system messages say."
Because compared to that… I've already seen far worse here.
"I remember every death—even the ones that hadn't happened yet."
His hands were shaking—but they didn't stop.
His foot slipped against broken stone—the blade barely missing his shoulder.
Aron's balance shifted for a split second— enough to die. But he forced it back.
"That version of me already died."
He jumped straight into the storm of attacks—and cut through its rhythm.
One clean motion. He broke its rhythm. The storm split. He closed the distance.
He slipped past it and drove his 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.
Aron didn't even see when the King Knight recovered. Its hand shot up suddenly and grabbed his arm.
"You're still not finished…?"
The grip tightened. Cracks spread across its armor, not from his strike—but from within. Its hollow gaze locked onto him.
For a moment—it pushed back. The pressure forced Aron blade out slightly.
His footing slipped.
"…You're still standing?"
The shadow around his arms tightened instinctively.
He stepped forward again.
"No."
"I wasn't faster."
"It just couldn't reach me in time."
No hesitation.
Aron stepped in—and drove the blade deeper straight into the center of its body, pouring everything into that single strike.
It pushed back… Its 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 his resolve became, the heavier his strike grew.
"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 it had finally given up.
Silence.
For a second—everything went still. Aron hands were still shaking—even after it ended.
His breath followed. Slower.
His grip loosened slightly—like his body didn't realize it was over yet.
Just like everything else. He 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. Aron simply didn't die this time.
This time… he couldn't move at all. His strength was gone. He dropped to one knee, barely holding himself up.
"This… was the biggest thing I had ever done in my life."
"Finally… it's over."
He looked at Zekai, a quiet sense of relief and happiness filling him.
"All of this… was for you, Mr. Zekai."
Then—A sound echoed behind him.
He turned, and everything shifted again.
…and for the second time—fear returned.
End Of Chapter 17 - The Kind One Fights Back