Fighting two E-ranks at the same time was exactly the kind of moment Stephan had been waiting for, a chance to finally test his hand-to-hand.
Up until now, he’d relied on blades, daggers, and swords.But deep down he knew his fists were still solid. He’d been craving this. Craving the feeling of boxing the shit out of someone with nothing but raw soul-reinforced knuckles and violent intent.
Stephan blurred forward and swung a straight punch toward Morty.
Morty barely slipped to the side, the fist slammed into the ground instead.
The earth split open beneath the impact, fissures spider-webbing across the cracked terrain as pieces of stone shot into the air like shrapnel. The shockwave alone blew Morty backward, sending him twisting through the air before he managed to land in a crouch.
He wiped dust off his face and forced a grin. "Watch out, Jack... the guy actually hits."
"You don’t need to tell me that," Jack growled, raising his black-iron blade. "He’s definitely D-Rank. Just like we suspected."
Stephan slowly straightened up, dust and cracked stone crumbling off his crimson-black fists.
"Glad you noticed." He took another step forward, eyes cold. "Now try to survive it."
"Don’t mock us!" Jack roared, launching forward with the Iron Sovereign Blade in both hands. He leapt high, soul energy flaring around the heavy black blade, and brought it crashing down in a perfect downward arc.
The blade struck the ground where Stephan had been a heartbeat earlier. The impact shook the battlefield, ripping a massive crater into the earth and blasting shards of stone in every direction.
Stephan reappeared a few meters to the side.
His eyes narrowed. That crater...It’s bigger than the one my punch made. That blade is heavy, Stephan thought, eyes narrowing. Iron Vanguard... which means it’s built to cleave through armor. If it connects, it could literally cut me in half.
He was still analyzing the weapon when a sudden flicker of movement appeared in the corner of his eye.
The bastard had already closed the distance. Stephan moved to dodge, but a half-second too late. Morty’s jagged Carrion Hook raked across his sleeve, shredding the fabric and grazing the skin beneath.
"Tsk." Stephan turned sharply and drove his boot straight into Morty’s ribs.
Morty’s body folded around the kick, spit flying from his mouth as he was sent skidding across the ground.
[Death God System: Status Update]
[Soul Corrosion Detected]
[Source: Morty – Carrion Harvester (Carrion Hook)]
[ Effect: Spiritual Decay / Partial Paralysis]
[Affected Area: Left Arm]
[Status: Movement Impaired / Progressive Corrosion (active)]
[Warning: Further exposure will increase corrosion rate and reduce combat efficiency.]
Stephan flexed his left hand, feeling that heavy, sickening pull still anchoring it toward the ground.
"So it’s like poison," he muttered, eyes narrowed. "Slows my movements, huh?"
"You really shouldn’t be standing there thinking," Morty chuckled, raising the Carrion Hook. "There’s two of us, remember?"
Stephan turned, just in time to dodge.
Jack’s massive blade carved through the air where his head had been a heartbeat before. The wind pressure alone ruffled Stephan’s hair, and a split-second later Jack’s boot smashed into his chest.
The impact launched him backward.
Stephan flipped in mid-air and landed in a low crouch, boots skidding across the ground until he finally halted.
"Morty!" Jack barked, blade raised. "Press him, while his arm’s still useless!"
"Ugh... bastard’s kick still cracked a few ribs, but I can still move." Morty wiped blood off his chin and smirked. "Come on. Let’s cut him in half."
A half-beat later they were on him, two blades flashing from opposite sides, trying to carve him to pieces.
With only one arm still responding, Stephan couldn’t counter. All he could do was weave and step back, dodging by inches and searching for the smallest opening.
The air rang with steel and raw soul force.
Jack’s heavy swings crashed down like guillotine blows, while Morty darted in from the side, trying to land another Corrosion strike.
But even , they were still just E-ranks.
Their movements were fast, but not D-rank fast. Against anyone else they might’ve overwhelmed through pressure.
Against Stephan, they were just barely too slow. Stephan slipped low under Jack’s next swing and stepped in, fist igniting in crimson-black soul energy.
His punch buried itself deep in Jack’s stomach. Jack’s eyes went wide, spit blasting from his mouth as his body folded around the hit.
But in that same instant,
Morty appeared at Stephan’s flank, the Carrion Hook cleaving through flesh and bone in one clean motion. Stephan’s wrist, the very arm he’d used to hit Jack, was suddenly gone.
Blood splattered the ground as his severed hand spun through the air. Morty’s face twisted into a savage grin.
Stephan leapt back several paces, blood splashing across the cracked earth, but as soon as his boots hit the ground, his body buckled.
He dropped to one knee, breathing hard, crimson-black energy flickering wildly around the stump of his wrist. For the first time since the fight started, he looked genuinely hurt.
[Death God System: Critical Status Update]
[ Severe Limb Loss Detected]
[Right Hand: Severed]
[Origin: Morty – Carrion Harvester (Carrion Hook)]
[Damage registered:64%]
[Condition: Heavy Soul Damage / Ongoing Corrosion (stacking)]
Warning: Critical state. Immediate countermeasure required. Continued combat in current condition will result in irreversible soul degradation.
"Fuck!"he he said."I was reckless,"
He couldn’t feel both his arms, his body was becoming more heavy, being pulled downwards like intense gravity.
"Fuck..." Stephan growled, teeth clenched. "I was reckless."
Both of his arms felt numb now, heavy and dead, as if some invisible force was dragging them down into the earth. His whole body was starting to feel that same pull, like gravity itself had doubled.
...Soul Corrosion’s spreading.
He lifted his head just enough to glance across the battlefield, just in time to see Yennefer burying Rin’s face into the dirt with another emerald-flamed blast. The shadow girl’s body was already covered in scorch marks and spectral chain burns.
Yennefer wasn’t even breathing hard. She actually looked like she was enjoying it.
...At least one of us is having fun.
Stephan dragged in a breath, blood dripping from the stump of his wrist.
"Alright... Lucidas..." he muttered under his breath. A cold light flickered in his eyes."Enough with the bullshit, what happens now?"
As if he’d heard. Ding!
[Death God System: Emergency Protocol Activated]
[ Soul Forging Skill Available– Regeneration Protocol]
[Current Soul Reserve: 10 Souls]
• Burn 2 Souls ~ Regenerate lost limb & purge active Soul Corrosion]
[Warning: Consumed Souls cannot be restored.]
[Proceed with regeneration?]
Stephan stared at the glowing system prompt hovering in front of him, crimson-black sparks still flickering around his stump.
"So... Soul Forging can be used for regeneration..." he muttered. "Right...back in the Abyssal Realm it burned souls to heal me. How the hell did I forget something this important..."
Across the field, Morty pointed his Carrion Hook at him.
"Let’s finish him, Jack. He’s paralyzed right now, but he’s still a D-Rank. He might have some tricks left."
Jack stepped forward, blade resting on his shoulder. "Stand back, Morty. I’ll end him."
"Bro, are you really about to steal my kill?" Morty snapped. "I’m the one who put him in that position!"
Jack shot him a glare. "And I’m the one who created the opening, you piece of shit. I’ll deliver the finishing blow."
Morty gritted his teeth but stayed still, mostly because his ribs still throbbed from Stephan’s kick.
"Tch... fine. Just hurry up and kill him."
"it’s time you met your end Stephan king,"Jack said."Your role in the tournament ends here."
As Jack lunged forward, Sovereign blade raised high, his grin wide with deadly intent, Stephan’s eyes flickered toward the floating system prompt, crimson sparks of soul energy still dancing around his body.
[Death God System: Soul Forging – Regeneration Activated]
[Effect: Lost limb regenerated and Soul Corrosion purged.]
[Status: Body fully restored. Reflexes enhanced. Combat readiness: MAX.]
Stephan smirked faintly. In the blink of an eye, crimson-black energy surged around him like molten shadow. His severed hand reformed instantly, flesh knitting together, veins glowing with raw soul energy. The wound vanished, leaving not a scar, just the faint shimmer of residual power.
Muscles tensed, senses sharpened, reflexes honed. Every nerve screamed readiness.
Jack’s blade sliced through the air, and Stephan pivoted with impossible speed. His regenerated fist shot forward like a meteor, driving straight through Jack’s chest.
The punch didn’t stop at the heart. His fist emerged from Jack’s back, the beating heart still clutched in his grasp. Warm blood oozed between his fingers.
Jack’s eyes widened in shock. He coughed violently, blood spraying from his lips, wheezing as life drained from him. Stephan inhaled sharply. The scent of iron-rich blood, the sound of desperate gasps, the palpable weight of a life ending... it all hit him like a wave.
"I told you before, you lost the moment you challenged me," Stephan murmured, voice calm, almost cold, as Jack slumped against him, barely clinging to consciousness.