y in ruin. Smoke drifted from the cracked earth. Blood stained the dirt, the air thick with the iron scent of battle. The aftermath of the clash hung heavy — broken weapons, broken bodies — but the fight wasn't over. Not yet.
Alexis stood in the center of it all.
His chest rose and fell in shallow, ragged breaths. Sweat dripped down his face. Blood ran from the gash in his palm where he'd caught the Swordbearer's strike, staining his fingers red. But the fire in his veins was stronger than the pain. It surged through his limbs, fierce and wild, keeping him upright when his body begged to fall.
The system's voice was a cold whisper in his mind.
> Bloodline stabilization complete.
Mana capacity increased: 300%.
Physical limits removed: 20-second overload window active'.
Across from him, the Swordbearer stared in stunned silence. The shattered remnants of his sword lay scattered at his feet. The flicker of confidence in his eyes was gone — replaced by something darker. Fear.
"You—"
Alexis moved.
He was on the Inquisitor before the word left his lips. His fist slammed into the man's chest like a hammer.
Boom!
The force of the blow lifted the Swordbearer off his feet. He crashed into a tree with a sickening crack, bark splintering behind him. The impact left him slumped and coughing blood.
But there was no time to finish him.
The woman with the daggers came next, her blades cutting through the air in a deadly blur.
Shing! Shing!
Alexis ducked the first strike. The second hissed toward his throat — but his hand was already there, snapping up to intercept her wrist. He twisted hard.
Snap!
Her scream pierced the clearing. The dagger fell from limp fingers. Alexis spun, using his momentum to drive a brutal kick into her stomach. She doubled over, the air leaving her in a broken gasp.
The war hammer wielder was already charging. His massive form barreled toward Alexis, the weapon rising high.
Whoomph!
The hammer descended — but Alexis was faster. He shifted aside at the last second. The weapon crashed into the earth, sending a shockwave through the ground. But the Inquisitor never got a second swing.
Alexis struck.
His palm slammed into the hammer's shaft.
Crack!
The weapon snapped in two. The Inquisitor's eyes widened — but Alexis was already moving. A knee to the gut. An elbow to the face. A final, crushing blow to the temple. The massive man collapsed like a felled tree.
Two left.
The twin-saber wielder circled warily. Blood dripped from his forehead, his face pale and strained. His sabers gleamed in the dim light, but there was hesitation in his stance now.
The Swordbearer staggered upright, blood running from his mouth. "You… you shouldn't exist," he rasped.
Alexis said nothing.
He launched forward. The sabers flashed — but they were slow now. Predictable. Alexis weaved between the strikes, his movements precise and fluid. His fist met the Inquisitor's ribs with bone-breaking force. The twin-saber wielder folded with a choked cry and fell.
Only the Swordbearer remained.
The man took a step back. Then another. His composure shattered.
"You think… this is over?" he whispered.
Alexis stared at him, his breathing heavy. "It is."
But the Inquisitor's bloodied mouth twisted into a grin. "No. It's only beginning."
The air shifted.
A cold, suffocating presence seeped into the clearing. The trees rustled — not with wind, but with movement. A dozen figures emerged from the shadows.
Inquisitors.
Ten. Fifteen. Their silver armor gleamed, their weapons sharp and ready. The Swordbearer's broken laughter echoed through the clearing.
"You can kill me," he wheezed, "but you'll never escape them."
The Inquisitors advanced.
And Alexis prepared to make his last stand.
---
The first one attacked without warning.
Shing!
A spear lanced toward Alexis's chest. He twisted aside, feeling the wind of its passage graze his skin. The second strike followed instantly — but his hand shot up, catching the spear's shaft.
He yanked hard. The Inquisitor stumbled forward — and Alexis's fist met his jaw. Bone crunched. The man fell.
But the others were already upon him.
Clang! Shing! Whoomph!
A sword slashed for his side. He spun away, the blade missing by inches. A hammer swung from his left — he dropped low, feeling the air split above his head.
> Overload window: 10 seconds remaining.
He needed to end this. Fast.
Alexis surged forward, slipping between two attackers. His elbow drove into one's throat — the man gagged and collapsed. The second's sword descended — Alexis caught his wrist and twisted. The weapon clattered to the ground. A single kick sent the Inquisitor sprawling.
More came. Too many.
A dagger raked across his arm — pain flared, but he didn't stop. A lance stabbed toward his back — he turned just in time, the tip slicing his shoulder instead of his heart. Blood soaked his clothes, but his body kept moving.
> Overload window ending. Physical limits re-engaged.
The fire in his veins dimmed. The exhaustion hit like a hammer. His vision blurred, his limbs slowed.
An axe swung for his head.
Alexis barely ducked. The blade clipped his shoulder, sending him staggering.
The Inquisitors closed in.
The Swordbearer's broken voice called from the edge of the clearing. "End him!"
They struck as one.
Shing! Clang! Thud!
A sword bit into his side. A fist smashed into his face. The weight of numbers drove him to his knees. Blood ran into his eyes.
> Warning: Critical stamina depletion. Host survival odds decreasing.
Alexis's vision dimmed. The world narrowed to pain and the taste of iron.
But the system's voice cut through the haze.
> Bloodline anomaly detected.
Emergency protocol initiated.
The ground trembled.
A low, rumbling sound rolled through the clearing — like distant thunder. The Inquisitors froze. The Swordbearer's eyes went wide.
"What… is that?"
The air grew heavy. Oppressive. Power surged through the earth, coiling around Alexis like a living thing. The ground cracked beneath him, lines of glowing crimson spreading outward.
And then the fire returned.
It erupted from within him — a blazing inferno that swept through his veins. Strength flooded his limbs. The pain vanished.
Alexis rose.
The first Inquisitor charged — his sword already swinging. Alexis didn't dodge. He caught the blade barehanded.
Shing!
The steel hissed against his palm. Blood ran down his fingers — but he held firm. The Inquisitor's eyes filled with panic.
And then Alexis struck.
One blow. That was all it took. The man crumpled.
The others hesitated. Too long.
Alexis moved. He was a storm — faster, stronger than ever before. Every strike landed with the force of a hammer. Bones broke. Weapons shattered. The clearing filled with screams.
In moments, it was over.
The last Inquisitor fell. Silence descended.
The Swordbearer stood alone.
He stared at Alexis — at the devastation around him — and his face twisted with rage and fear.
"This… isn't possible…"
Alexis advanced. The Swordbearer drew a dagger — but his hand shook.
"Stay back!"
Alexis didn't.
The Inquisitor lashed out. Alexis caught his wrist. Twisted. The dagger fell.
"You threatened my life," Alexis said softly. "You threatened my mother's memory. You call me an abomination…"
The fire flared in his eyes.
"Let me show you what that really means."
The Swordbearer never had a chance to scream.
When it was over, the clearing was quiet once more. The fire in Alexis's veins faded. The weight of exhaustion returned — and this time, there was nothing left to fight it.
He collapsed.
The system's voice was a faint whisper.
> Host survival… 4%… recovery protocols engaged…
Darkness claimed him.