Dancing on the golden ashes

Malrang was growling louder than usual; through our connection, I could sense her disapproval of my methods. She stood tall in front of Jieun, protecting her, while Jieun looked at me with terrified eyes. Her body shook uncontrollably, like a tiny rabbit staring into the eyes of a predator.

"No need to be scared, little sister Jieun. I'll end it quickly, and then we can all be friends again..." My tone was dragging and chilling. Why am I talking this way? I... I can't control myself... Focus, Gaon! Wake up! I snapped myself out of it.

"Please, let's continue—this battle is pointless. Come at me, Malrang, Jieun! Show me that you've grown stronger!" I felt that taunting them was the best choice in this situation, and my guess was right.

"WOO!" Malrang cried out. Her entire body shone with a purple light, starting from her mouth and spreading into a blaze of purple flames that enveloped her four-meter-tall form. She looked more intimidating and powerful than ever, yet still agile. In an instant, she lunged at me, teeth bared, forcing me to dodge left.

BOOM

"Shit... that was a direct hit, huh?" A celestial light struck me mid-step, leaving me slightly disoriented. My shoulder was bloody, but with my regeneration speed, it wasn't much of a problem.

Because of Malrang's massive body and the flames surrounding her from all directions, I could barely see where Jieun stood. They both moved as fast as the wind. Speed was Jieun's true strength, though she never used it to its full potential. Her agility far surpassed mine, yet she preferred to stand still and attack from afar... Such a waste of an overpowered class. But I know she'll grow with experience. I activated Superior Space Distortion, getting as far away as possible just before Malrang's fiery tail swept through where I'd stood moments before, leaving an ugly burnt mark on the marble floor.

I was done playing around. With each dark step I took, a sizzling black aura spread across the ground, slowly eating away at the hard marble floor. I felt my agility skyrocket; after only six steps, it had already increased by 30%. These Dark Lord Steps now give me a 5% agility boost with each step, and I can take up to eight... this is amazing. I wonder how much this skill will evolve in the future. The desire to grow and reach the peak as fast as possible burned within me.

I danced around the battlefield, flying at incredible speed as my agility soared to 40% with the eighth step completed. I have to end this soon. Malrang's aura was constantly intensifying, making the ground tremble. The temperature rose with it, until it felt like I was walking on burning coals. It's hot... How is Jieun okay with this heat? I didn't need to wonder long; her entire body was glowing in a purple light—a protective layer from Malrang.

My mana had regenerated quite a bit, and I still had around 20 seconds left before my abilities would skyrocket. I wanted to win without relying on Laughing at the Death skill, I needed to prove to myself I could win on my own.

I dashed forward, aiming for Jieun, who was darting around the arena like the wind itself, trying to keep her distance while Malrang bombarded me with relentless hellfire attacks. "Enough!" I roared. Soul Shackle!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Malrang and Jieun froze for a few seconds, unable to move an inch—that was all I needed. I sent a mind slash at Malrang, aiming to completely distract her, and dashed forward to finish the defenseless child. It sounded strange, maybe even creepy, but she was part of this world now and counted as someone with a weapon in hand.

My scythe danced as I hurled it toward Jieun in a spinning motion, turning to face Malrang and extending my arm, waiting for my scythe to return. Using my new telekinetic powers, I guided the blade to slice Jieun in half as she stood paralyzed in fear, bound by my Soul Shackles.

SHWING

I didn't even see how Jieun hit the cold ground; my scythe had already returned to my hand, slicing at the still-disoriented fox. "Sorry..." I whispered, as a powerful wind aura gathered along the blade. With a mighty swing, I unleashed it. Wind Slash!

I closed my eyes—I didn't want to see Malrang get hurt again. But after a brief, heavy exhale, I noticed something odd. There was no sound of the slash, no thud of Malrang's fall. It was the opposite of what I expected. Just as my attack was about to take her life, hellfire rose from the ground, enveloping Malrang in a protective layer that effortlessly absorbed my strike.

What happened next was like something out of a fairy tale. A soft, undeveloped voice—young, yet gentle and caring—echoed in my mind.

Ma-mas-master... I... will not... lo-lose that e-easily!

"Malrang?!" I was speechless. Malrang could speak? How? I was thrilled—so happy that I wanted to end this fight and hug her huge, fluffy body. But I would have never expected this. I'd only read of animals speaking in stories. It felt like a lightning strike, waking me up to the new possibilities of this world, opening up a whole new view of this place.

Fi-Fight m-me!

My battle spirit soared. I was ready to give this cute fox a swift end and be done with this ridiculous trial. "Bring it on!" I shouted, my voice filled with excitement—I felt alive.

Malrang's entire body was cloaked in hellfire, her speed increasing so much that I could only see her afterimages. My eyes can't keep up? She was too fast. Overlord beasts were likely twice as strong as humans—it was already absurd that beasts gained two stat points per level, allowing them to grow twice as fast and twice as powerful. But now this?

It felt like fighting the Fallen King; her movements were fast—so fast that I couldn't keep up. A barrage of hellfire attacks flew at me as Malrang unleashed flames from her mouth in rapid succession. I could only dodge, not confident enough to take them head-on. "You've grown stronger, my friend! I love it!" I shouted, excitement overtaking me.

I had to admit that even with my agility skyrocketing, I couldn't keep up with Malrang. She dashed at me with lightning speed, and suddenly, a chunk of my body was ripped away in excruciating pain. Shit! The entire right side of my torso was ripped open by her bite, leaving a massive wound running from my shoulder down to my thigh.

I felt the cold embrace of death slowly creeping over me. Strangely, it wasn't frightening; it felt almost welcoming, as if all my troubles would vanish if I just let go. SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU FOOL! My eyes, which had been slowly closing, shot open instantly. The eerie voice inside me had finally done something decent, helping me in this dire moment instead of trying to take over my mind. I don't know if you can hear me, but thank you—I was a fool indeed.

Malrang's tails were already sweeping toward me with unimaginable speed—one aimed at my lower body, the other at my upper half, leaving me no room to dodge. I had only one option: to try and block. With my one remaining arm, I summoned a darkness barrier, shielding myself from both her attack and her line of sight. This is about to get very ugly...

WHAM!

My body was sent flying across the battlefield, tumbling and rolling over the hard marble floor before crashing into the ethereal barrier with a sickening thud. I nearly lost consciousness as I hit the scorching wall, which seemed eager to devour me. Get up, Gaon, you're embarrassing yourself in front of Malrang… Shit… When will I finally be strong enough not to end up as a punching bag? I've had enough!

Malrang moved quickly, clearly aiming to finish me off. A thousand meters now separated us—quite a flight I'd taken—but for the fox, that distance was nothing. I barely had time to slump down from the wall, my back scorched, tingling with heat and pain. My body was regenerating quickly, wounds closing and lost parts slowly restoring, but it wasn't enough without Laughing at the Death. Why do I always have to rely on it? Fuck! I hate it.

My pride was wounded; I wanted to scream and tear this world apart. Yes, it was an amazing skill—I couldn't deny that. It had saved me countless times, but depending on it constantly made me feel weak. I'd started to hate relying on it, even though it was my own power. But I had no choice...

Let's go again… 3… 2… 1…

Before Malrang could reach me, my body instantly regenerated. With a single step, I dashed through the air and sliced her in half. My power had skyrocketed by 150%, making me faster and deadlier than ever. Earth Shatter... A powerful pool of magma erupted from the ground, obliterating what remained of her. But I felt no happiness. The thrill of battle was gone; all I wanted was to end this. You've done it again, Gaon, yet... why do I feel so empty? Why can't I just win without this skill? Am I really so useless?

The four bodies, or whatever remained of them, shone brightly in a golden light. "Now it's over. Revive them," I said coldly, looking up into the sky. I knew that bastard was enjoying himself far too much.

Title: "Life and Death Battle Against Friends (Part 3)"