Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

Tarek scoffed, but his laughter was bitter, tinged with the weight of defeat. He stared into Ren's eyes, unable to mask the mix of reluctant admiration and frustration.

"You little bastard… I can't believe it. Do you think you've won?" His voice was hoarse, his breathing growing heavier as the paralysis spread through his body.

Ren didn't respond immediately, but his gaze was sharp, cold and unyielding like tempered steel. He had seen too much, uncovered too many hidden truths in Tarek and Scholar's words and actions. He no longer felt fear.

"I haven't lost…" Ren pressed his lips together, his fists clenched tight. "But I won't forgive people like you if you continue to play with my life and the lives of others."

Tarek raised an eyebrow, his expression clouded with something unreadable.

The poison coursed through his veins, making it nearly impossible for him to remain upright. Yet, an unfamiliar sensation settled within him....a strange, gnawing feeling of true defeat.

"Run, if you want," Tarek finally sighed, exhaustion heavy in his voice. "You've won. You're free to leave."

Ren didn't rush to answer. He held Tarek's gaze for a long moment before silently turning away.

Leaving behind the once-powerful, cunning man to lie alone in the dark.

Tarek had lost.

And Ren had won, not by strength, but by calculation, patience, and his own choices.

As Ren walked away, his footsteps echoed through the silent corridor. The outcome was nothing like Tarek had planned, but it was the one Ren deserved.

From the darkness of the hallway, the boss emerged.

Its towering figure, its endless shadows, swallowed the light.

Its many arms reached out, seizing Tarek's paralyzed body, like death itself resting its blades against his throat.

Ren ran.

He didn't dare look back.

For one fleeting second, a sense of relief washed over him.

A single moment of freedom. Of escape.

The chains had broken.

He was no longer Tarek's pawn, no longer a puppet in Copper's or Scholar's schemes.

But freedom was nothing more than a fragile illusion.

His breath came in short, ragged gasps. His lungs burned. His throat felt raw and parched.

His legs were numb, stiff and trembling.

'This damn game… Why does it feel so real?' He cursed in his mind, though even his own thoughts trembled from exhaustion.

The wind howled past his ears, the sound of crushed gravel beneath his feet cracking with each desperate step.

But beyond all those noises, the most terrifying was the growl that echoed from behind.

Ren could feel it.

The tremors, growing heavier, closer.

He didn't dare turn back. But he could already imagine it....

The monster.

Its bloodstained arms.

Its cloudy, soulless eyes locked onto his retreating figure.

It had torn Tarek apart.

And now, it wanted its final prey.

Him.

It was chasing.

Faster.

Closer.

Ren could feel its breath...metallic and putrid, laced with the stench of rotting flesh.

Then, his gemstone-like eyes caught something.

He saw it. The exit.

The secret passage leading to the sewer system, the safe zone near the Starting Town.

His fingers curled into a tight fist, nails digging into his palm.

He couldn't die here. He wouldn't.

Just a little more.....

Just one chance.....

Just a few more steps...

But then, a sickening sound split the air.

The sharp swish of claws cutting through the wind.

A searing pain exploded across his shoulder.

For a moment, Ren's entire world shattered into raw, unbearable agony.

The razor-sharp claws tore through fabric, slicing deep into flesh. His scream broke through the suffocating silence.

Fire searing, blistering pain flooded his body. A paralyzing numbness spread from his fingertips, making even the simplest movement excruciating.

Warm blood spilled from the wound, slipping between his fingers, before bursting into thousands of crimson pixels. It felt as though he were being ripped apart from the inside.

His vision blurred, but he refused to fall.

His breath came in ragged, uneven bursts, every inhale like swallowing fire.

'No… I can't die here… Not yet…'

Gritting his teeth, he clung to the last remnants of his willpower, forcing himself to stay upright.

Not now.

He couldn't lose.

Ren's trembling hands gripped his spear.

Even as his body screamed in pain, his heart pounded with fear and fury.

He steadied himself, every muscle tensed, though his limbs quivered under the weight of his injuries.

His blurred vision never left the monster before him.

It lunged again, its deadly claws slicing through the air...

But Ren dodged, each movement slow yet precise.

Everything else faded into a haze, the monster's guttural breath, the ringing in his ears.

Ren thrust his spear.

But the blade barely scratched its impenetrable golden scales.

Panic flared in his chest.

He stumbled back, instinct screaming at him to run.....but no. He forced himself to stand his ground.

He couldn't let himself collapse.

The price of failure would be far too steep.

The pain wouldn't stop, but there was no turning back.

There was only one path....forward.

With a desperate, determined glare, Ren tightened his grip on the spear.

His footing wavered, but he pushed forward, swinging the weapon with all his remaining strength....

Trying to carve through the encroaching darkness.

"I can't… stop…" The words echoed in his mind, a silent vow.

He had to escape.

He had to survive.

The hunt was over.

The boss let out a thunderous roar, its fury erupting like a storm that swept everything away. 

Its cloudy eyes tracked Ren's every movement, devoid of any mercy. 

Its razor-sharp claws twitched slightly before a massive, powerful palm swung toward Ren with crushing force. 

Ren's entire body was sent flying, like a puppet discarded without a second thought. 

He could feel the icy chill of the stone floor beneath him as he crashed down, the impact rattling his bones as though they were about to shatter. 

Pain shot through every vertebra, his throat tightened, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. 

[Hp: 13/250] 

His vision blurred, the world around him spinning. 

The suffocating dizziness made everything feel distant, like a painful dream from which he couldn't wake. 

Ren's mind dimmed, but deep inside, a fierce will to live refused to fade. 

He couldn't give up. He couldn't accept defeat. 

The price of dying here was too great, and he knew that if he didn't fight, no one else would be left. 

His breaths grew weak, almost fading, but the last glimmer of light in his eyes had not yet gone out. 

He wanted to live. 

The pain hammered through his body, yet Ren still lifted his head, his half-lidded eyes locking onto the boss. 

Heavy footsteps shook the ground as it approached. 

Four massive arms grabbed his small, battered body. 

The boss lifted him like a mere plaything. 

Ren felt the giant limbs squeezing around him, leaving no space to breathe. 

Every constriction made his wounds bleed, and the agony surpassed the limits of human endurance. 

The sensation of being lifted like a lifeless puppet no longer terrified him. 

Instead, he felt despair creeping into his heart. 

His muscles were exhausted, his breaths choked as the boss raised him high, making everything below seem so small. 

The monster bared its fangs in a cruel grin, its cloudy eyes mocking his weakness. 

A merciless smile flickered across its grotesque face as it watched Ren helpless in its grasp. 

But then, Ren's blue eyes shone brilliantly in the darkness. 

He no longer trembled. He no longer feared. 

Ren struggled to free his arm from the monster's clawed grip. 

A silver mirror suddenly appeared in his hand. 

Just like the first time Ren had gazed into the mirror....

A sudden flash of light reflected off the silver surface, blazing straight into the boss's four murky eyes. 

They burned. 

A searing burst of light exploded in its vision, igniting its eyes in a blinding inferno. 

The boss let out an agonized, deafening scream as its eyes burst apart. 

The Silver Mirror shattered in that desperate moment. 

The monster's shrieks filled the air, its scorched eyes now nothing but glowing red scars, unable to see the prey in its grasp. 

It recoiled, and its grip on Ren began to loosen. 

Yet the excruciating pain only drove the creature into a deeper frenzy. Its remaining arms flailed wildly, trying to regain control. 

Ren.....his body nearly drained of strength, felt something stir within him. 

The light from the mirror had ignited a tiny spark of hope. 

He didn't hesitate. He seized this fleeting chance. 

Gathering every ounce of remaining strength, he kicked the boss hard in the stomach. 

Pain shot through his legs from the impact, but he didn't care. 

His body recoiled from the force, propelling him toward the slope. 

Everything blurred...except for the gaping abyss below, waiting to swallow him whole. 

He slid down, jagged rocks scraping against his skin, but in that moment, all else faded. 

There was only one destination....the safe zone. 

The disoriented monster, its golden scales gleaming in the dim light, stumbled, unable to give chase. 

Ren didn't stop. 

No fear. No pain. 

He ran. 

Every step was liberation. His weary body felt weightless, driven forward by sheer will. 

The sensation of freedom rushed through him like a gust of wind, and the light, so distant before, now shone dazzlingly before his eyes. 

He didn't look back. 

He couldn't afford to. 

He hurled himself toward the light, as if the darkness behind him would consume every trace of his existence. 

He leaped into the safe zone, not daring to hesitate, leaving behind everything, danger, fear, and the past. 

Ren didn't stay long. He kept running. 

Finally, he burst into the underground sewer system. The damp, faintly foul air, the gentle trickling of wastewater, and the soft glow of moss.....

All of it told him he had made it. 

He was safe. 

Ren took a deep breath, as though shedding the weight of a colossal burden. 

But he couldn't stop. 

He couldn't let his guard down. 

He ran further, through the pitch-black corridors, ensuring nothing could follow. 

A fragile sense of peace wrapped around him. 

He glanced back. 

The monster could no longer pursue him. 

At last, he had escaped the nightmare. 

But was the price of survival too high?