The Beginning Of A Five Year Agony-Chapter 37: The Black Knight 2

Then Samuel thought about something...

"ASH TO ALL,"

A power he had newly possessed but could not fully use. It was his last hope, his last resort. But a restricted option.... a devastating ability he had never met the conditions to activate. Now, facing the enraged Black Knight...That power felt like his final salvation to be able to kill the black knight...

He was in a fierce struggle with the Black Knight. Each of Samuel’s precise strikes made little impact on the armored knight. His own fist clashed loudly against the Black Knight’s huge hands, sending strong vibrations up his arm and threatening to dislocate his shoulder. The sound of their blows scraping echoed through the damaged Blue-Crest Kingdom. Dust filled the atmosphere, irritating Samuel’s eyes and lungs, mixing with the smell of flames and broken stones.

Then, a change occurred. A glowing mark on Aegirion Knightley’s hood form, Samuel’s blade, dimmed. The active period for "Art of War," his blade temporary knight form, ended. Due to the intense damage taken from the Black Knight...The energy in his weapon withdrew, leaving. As the power decreased, Aegirion changed back to his blade form... Then It moved quickly, independently, striking the Black Knight from behind, targeting the armored joints at the back of its knees with accuracy to disrupt its balance.

Samuel took advantage of this brief distraction. He moved quickly, sliding low under the arc of the Black Knight’s swinging leg. The ground scraped against his clothing as he moved forward, his left hand reaching out. He grasped the hilt of Aegirion, which had returned after its quick attack. Without slowing down, Samuel twisted and swung the blade horizontally. The sharp edge cut into the Black Knight’s exposed ankle, finding a narrow space in its armor. A thick, dark, metallic fluid leaked from the shallow cut.

The Black Knight made a loud... deep roar, and for the first time, it felt pain... The large figure stumbled backward and then fell heavily onto one knee, its balance was momentarily broken. Samuel saw an opportunity. He launched himself forward with sudden intense speed. His legs extended quickly, both feet hitting the Black Knight’s helmeted head with significant force. The impact was a solid thud. The double kick sent the large figure flying backward. It crashed through the strong stone wall of a nearby building, dust and debris scattered loudly, covering the street with sharp pieces. For the first time, Samuel felt a small amount of hope.

"Aegirion," Samuel uttered, his voice rough, looking at the damaged building where the Black Knight had crashed into. "I need that power. ’ASH TO ALL.’ How can I make it work? It is my last way to defeat this creature." He felt the pressure of his potential defeat.

Aegirion’s reply was immediate, a broad voice in his mind, firm and direct. "I am sorry, Samuel. You have not met the requirements." These words removed the small amount of hope within him...

A loud noise.

Samuel swiftly dodged the Black Knight’s huge foot. The force of the knight’s foot hitting the ground where Samuel had been shattered the kingdom road, creating cracks and sending pieces of pavement flying in all directions... A deep hole appeared, slightly smoking from the impact.

Samuel became determined. He countered immediately... raising his leg quickly and hitting the Black Knight’s neck. The blow produced a sharp sound of bending metal. Instead of staggering, the Black Knight reacted with speed. Its large hand extended, gripping Samuel’s right arm firmly. Samuel struggled, but the grip held strong. The Black Knight then slammed Samuel into the ground repeatedly. Each impact sent pain through Samuel’s body. His head hit the broken pavement, and his vision blurred with his blood. Each slam seemed to force air from his lungs.

With a strong effort, Samuel called Aegirion back, and the blade appeared quickly in his left hand. His vision was unclear, but his instincts guided him. He brought the blade down, stabbing it into a small opening in the Black Knight’s armor. The blade pierced the armor, causing another loud sound of pain from the creature. Samuel activated the "Hand of War," focusing power on his left arm. He pressed down on the Black Knight’s head, using the leverage to pull himself up. Despite the pain, Samuel climbed onto the Black Knight’s back... The large creature moved wildly, attempting to remove Samuel. It spun, bucked, and hit itself against damaged walls, but Samuel held on tightly, driven by a strong desire to survive...

He called Aegirion back again, and the blade appeared in his right hand. With each violent movement of the Black Knight, Samuel repeatedly stabbed his sword into its back. The blows landed with solid thuds, Aegirion’s sharp tip breaking through the thick back armor plates. Fragments of the dark, metallic material broke off. Each stab created new wounds, but the Black Knight continued to move powerfully, driven by strong anger. Samuel still held on, his weight on its back, his hands gripping firmly around.

The Black Knight, filled with anger and increasing desperation, stopped trying to shake Samuel off directly. It turned and began running backward, moving through everything in its path. Samuel’s eyes widened. The ground shook as the Black Knight became a destructive force, carving a path of ruin through the already damaged Blue-Crest Kingdom. Buildings turned to dust and rubble as the knight broke through their foundations, walls collapsing inward, roofs falling loudly. Samuel, holding on to its back, was carried through this chaos. Pieces of glass, wood, and concrete flew past him.

Blood came from Samuel’s mouth, but he held on. He tasted dust, blood, and the metallic taste of the Black Knight’s fluids. Then, with a sudden, powerful jump, the Black Knight launched itself into the sky. Samuel felt a sensation of falling. He was high above the ground, the Blue-Crest Kingdom, now a scene of destruction, spread out below him. The knight continued to ascend with Samuel, a dark shape against the sky, reaching a high point. Then, with a sudden release of dark energy, the Black Knight propelled itself downward, aiming directly for the ground with intense force.

Samuel had no choice. The impact would kill him if he remained on the black knight’s back. He released his grip. But it was too late. Before he could fall clear, the Black Knight’s large hand reached out and grabbed him. It turned him, positioning his body downward, using Samuel as a barrier against the impact force...

A loud explosion occurred.

Dust and debris dispersed rapidly. The impact made a very loud noise that shook the damaged kingdom. Samuel’s body absorbed the force of the impact, resulting in bone, organs and tissue damage...

He lay in the settling dust, bleeding heavily, his body severely damaged. Each breath caused intense pain. Then, through the dust, he saw two glowing red eyes, intense and hostile, looking down at him. The Black Knight stood over him, unaffected by the huge impact.

Then, the Black Knight began to punch Samuel as Samuel lay there. The Black Knight raised its large fist. A dull, heavy sound. It brought its fist down on Samuel’s chest. A dull, heavy sound. Again. And again. Samuel was on the ground, unable to move, being repeatedly struck by the large creature. Each impact was a strong blow, damaging his internal organs and breaking his bones even more. Blood spread everywhere. Pieces of Samuel’s flesh detached with each strike. His ability to heal rapidly was working continuously, attempting to repair his body even as it was being damaged. He felt his bones reforming and his skin repairing, only for the next strike to tear him open again. This was a continuous process of painful destruction and repair.

Finally, the Black Knight stopped punching. It called its blade back into its hands. Samuel lay still, breathing shallowly, his body damaged, trying to heal.

However, the Black Knight did not stop. This time, it raised its large blade high. With deliberate force, it began stabbing Samuel as Samuel lay motionless, his body too broken to resist. The blade went into his chest, repeatedly. Each stab was a moment of severe pain. Blood flowed from his wounds, covering the ground around him. His chest was open from the injuries.

Samuel’s thoughts became unclear. "Emma," he thought. "I am sorry. I still could not do anything." A weak, strained sound escaped his lips, even as the blade continued. Life was leaving him, his clothing becoming darker red. His bright eyes began to lose their color.

"You know," he murmured out of pain... his voice very low, "I have never truly realized this before, but I... I genuinely do not want to die." He accepted the approach of death. He felt this was the closest feeling to comfort he had experienced in the past months.

Then, a voice spoke clearly... "Aegirion."

"Samuel, you have met the requirements for

"ASH TO ALL..."

"Activating..."

"ASH TO ALL."

A massive explosion occurred. It was an overwhelming wave of destructive dark green and red energy...

The force was immense. The entire Blue-Crest Kingdom, already damaged, was instantly and completely destroyed. Stone became dust, metal vaporized, and the ground itself was cleared... Nothing remained...

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