The hallway trembled under the repeated shocks of Patoa's explosions. Dust and debris swirled like a storm, flames licking at shattered walls, the acrid scent of burnt metal thick in the air. The creature — already half-crystalline from its mutations — paused only long enough to gauge its opponents. Its eyes, molten blue and brimming with fury, tracked Eliel and Patoa with unnerving precision.
"Eliel!" Patoa's voice cut through the chaos. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his chest heaving with exhaustion. "We cyaa hold it much longer!"
Eliel's knuckles whitened around the hilt of his Greatsword of the Fallen Dawn. He spat blood from his split lip and snarled, lunging forward to meet the monster's strike. Sparks and flesh flew as steel clashed against claws, shaking the air. He pivoted, swinging upward to send the creature sprawling into a pile of debris.
The brief moment of victory shattered like glass. A flash of white light streaked across the ruined corridor — impossibly fast — and the air dropped ten degrees in an instant. Frost cracked along the walls, freezing puddles of water that had pooled from broken sprinklers.
"Eliel… what—" Patoa began, but his words froze in his throat.
A figure landed gracefully between them and the creature: a tall woman with icy eyes and a faint, cruel smile. Her hair shimmered like frosted silver strands, and her presence radiated a chilling aura.
"Who the hell are you?" Eliel demanded, gripping his sword tighter.
"I'm Eleanor," she said coolly, the edges of her words sharp as ice. "And that monster… is mine now."
Before either of them could react, she extended a palm. A slicing shard of frost shot across the hallway, embedding itself in the ground near the creature. The air around it cracked and shimmered, each breath forming tiny clouds of ice. Patoa had his hand raised, ready to detonate another explosion—but the shard interfered, absorbing some of the energy.
"Wait—what's she doing?" Eliel shouted, pivoting to strike the monster again.
Patoa swore under his breath, clenching his fists. "Dat woman—mi explosions—she blockin' mi!"
The boss, seizing the disruption, lunged at Eliel with blinding speed. His reflexes screamed danger, but the weight of exhaustion slowed him. The claws scraped along his shoulder as he twisted, pain exploding through his nerves. Blood ran down his arm as he barely regained balance.
Eleanor's eyes flicked toward him. "Careful. I won't hesitate to finish you if you get in my way."
"You're insane," Eliel muttered, teeth gritted.
The monster screeched and barreled into Patoa, sending him skidding across the icy floor. Sparks of blue energy and frost danced along the cracks, combining in a deafening roar. Patoa's explosion finally went off—but instead of hitting the boss cleanly, it detonated in a chaotic spray of flame and ice. Shards of frozen debris cut across the hallway, narrowly missing Eliel's head.
"Damn it!" Patoa yelled, clutching his side, sliding to a stop behind a fallen wall. "Yuh tryin' kill us all!"
Eliel lunged at the creature, ignoring the shards. The monster twisted mid-air, slashing through his ribs. The pain was blinding, each breath a dagger of fire and ice. He fell back, greatsword slipping from his hands, clattering across the frost-streaked floor.
"Eli!" Patoa shouted.
Eleanor moved again, a blur of silver and frost. Ice erupted from the floor, walls, and ceiling, encasing sections of the monster's body in jagged crystal. Its roar twisted into frustration as its movements slowed, but the creature's eyes remained fixed on Eliel.
"You've made a mistake interfering," Eliel gasped, blood streaking his face. "Step back!"
"I make no mistakes," Eleanor said coldly. Her voice had a metallic edge, like frozen steel scraping over stone. "And now… he's mine."
The monster, sensing the interference, pivoted mid-leap and targeted Eliel directly. There was no hesitation, no calculation — only raw, predatory instinct. Its claws raked across Eliel's chest, lifting him off his feet. Pain exploded in every nerve. The greatsword fell further away, useless.
"NO!" Patoa screamed, pushing his body forward to detonate another mark—but Eleanor's frost spread outward, encasing the ground between them, forcing his attack to misfire. The explosion ricocheted off the frozen surface, throwing Patoa backward into the wall. His side struck the metal frame with a sickening crunch.
Eliel hit the ground hard, vision blurring as blood poured into his eyes. The world tilted; sounds echoed strangely. The monster loomed above him, claws poised, saliva dripping like molten glass.
Eleanor's expression flickered — just briefly — before she raised her hands, launching a fresh volley of ice at the creature. But the combined chaos was too much. The boss, enraged, twisted in the air, landing a final, devastating strike into Eliel's chest. His vision went white around the edges; the impact felt like his bones had shattered.
Everything slowed. The world smelled of blood and ozone, felt like fire and ice fused into one. Pain erupted everywhere.
"Eliel…" Patoa's voice, distant and trembling. "Hold… on…"
But Eliel's body wouldn't respond. His chest felt empty, his limbs numb. The last thought before the void swallowed him was a bitter mixture of rage and disbelief.
I… can't… die like this…
Then darkness.
The icy shards, the monster, Eleanor, the hallway — all vanished. Eliel's consciousness drifted, weightless, suspended in a white space that stretched endlessly. A soft, omnipresent voice, neither cruel nor kind, spoke:
"Eliel Jojo Cross Rorschach. You are dead. What will you sacrifice to continue?"
His first instinct was simple, almost petty. "Something minor… my pride, maybe."
The voice paused. A low hum filled the void. "No. The cause of your death… demands a substantial sacrifice."
Eliel's vision narrowed. He could feel the weight of everything: Patoa's injuries, Eleanor's interference, the boss still alive, the pain in his chest. Rage, frustration, and fear burned hotter than anything else.
"I… mana," he whispered. "I'll give it all… whatever it takes."
A shiver ran down him. He felt every drop drain from his essence — power, potential, raw energy — leaving a hollow, burning void inside.
[Assessing Conditions ]
[No mana ]
[ Intelligence below 15 ]
[ Swordsmanship Skill ]
[ Death Before Class Acquisition ]
[ Strength above 10 ]
[ Death of 10 or more zombies ]
The system pulsed. "Conditions met."
[ Congratulations Jojo, the Slasher element is yours to command ]
Pain exploded across his mind, body, and soul. The world burned white, then black, then red. A scream tore from his throat, unearthly, brutal. Something primal awakened in the emptiness of his essence.
He was no longer the same. The Slasher element had taken root. Instinct, rage, and precision fused into a single entity.
The white space pulsed around him. The voice said nothing more.
Eliel opened his eyes. He was alive again — but everything had changed. His body felt heavier, sharper, more lethal. Every nerve screamed, every thought instinctive.
And somewhere, far away, a familiar roar echoed — unfinished, waiting.
---
End of Chapter 10 – "Final Measure