SSS Unknown: Dark Knight's Legacy

"Skill Gained: Accel."

His magical circuits began to hum as his emotions peaked—fear, adrenaline, and determination all melding together. But in his haste, he had overcharged, pushing himself beyond his limits. 

The strain on his mana reserves became apparent as he drained it all in one desperate push to increase his speed, hoping to outmaneuver the knight.

'I need to finish this... now.'

"Let's fight! You skeleton bastard!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern as he took a fighting stance. His words, fierce as they were, barely concealed the mounting fear inside him. 

The Death Knight, unmoved by his defiance, continued its relentless assault, cutting through the air with precise, mechanical swings. Each blow was an overwhelming force, each strike like the ticking of an inevitable clock.

The brutal clash between Unknown and the Death Knight seemed to stretch on forever. Each time the Death Knight swung its sword, it felt like a mountain crashing down. 

Despite the silver-white aura surrounding him, enhancing his speed, Unknown knew he was outmatched. The power gap between him and this undead warrior was insurmountable, but he refused to surrender.

Noticing that Unknown's movements had become more frantic, the Death Knight's attacks grew even fiercer. 

The massive sword cleaved through the air like it was cutting through flesh, its heavy blade swiping from left to right with terrifying speed. But now, with the silver glow of [Accel] coursing through his veins, Unknown was starting to catch on to the pattern. 

He had studied the way the Death Knight fought, recognizing the rhythm in its movements.

'One, two, two, two, three, four,' he thought, the numbers rhythmically matching the sequence of slashes. "One, two, two, two, three, four!" he whispered to himself, each repetition like a mantra to calm his nerves.

It was no longer the chaos of battle—now, it was a rhythm, a dance between life and death. His breathing slowed as he tracked each strike, dodging just in time. 

But despite his increased speed, it was clear that the battle was taking a toll on him. His muscles were burning from the exertion, his mind fogged with exhaustion. The Death Knight's endless assault felt like a storm that never stopped.

'Just wait... wait for it...' Unknown's instincts screamed at him to hold on. He couldn't keep dodging forever, and his strength was fading fast. His body screamed for rest, but there was no time for it. Not now. Not when death was so close.

Then, at last, the Death Knight wound up for a massive strike, its sword glowing with an eerie, ominous energy. The sword was heavy, rusty, and seemed to pulse with the weight of ancient curses.

Unknown saw the opening he had been waiting for. With a burst of adrenaline, he leaped onto the blade of the sword, his feet barely finding purchase on the rusted metal as he gathered every last ounce of strength to drive his dagger into the Death Knight's skull.

"I'm not weak enough to fall like this, you damn bastard!" Unknown grunted, the words barely escaping his lips as his dagger sank into the skull. A sickening crunch echoed through the chamber, but it wasn't enough. 

The Death Knight barely flinched, its undead body still standing as though the blow had been nothing more than a nuisance.

In a heartbeat, he jumped off the sword and retreated.

There was no time to mourn its failure. 

The Death Knight roared in fury, the sound of its rage reverberating through the air like a death knell. 

Mana surged in waves around it, a deep, malevolent energy that filled the air with a suffocating darkness. It swung its sword again, this time with an even more destructive intent.

The pattern of attacks shifted. Gone were the predictable slashes—now, it was pure chaos. The Death Knight's movements grew erratic, driven by the same mindless rage that fueled its existence.

"Slash, charge, charge, thrust!" Unknown muttered under his breath as he continued to dodge, moving with the rhythm of a man who had long since run out of options.

But his body, once quick and agile, was now faltering. The adrenaline was wearing off. His limbs were heavy, each movement becoming a chore. 

His muscles ached as though they were on the verge of tearing apart, and his vision blurred. His breath came in ragged gasps, each inhalation a reminder that his time was running out.

"Huff... huff... so tired..." he whispered through clenched teeth. The weight of his exhaustion threatened to pull him under. But he couldn't afford to give in. Not now. Not after everything he had fought for.

"I won't accept defeat here!" he spat, his voice laced with defiance. The thought of falling to this monster—this mindless undead warrior—was too much to bear. 

Death? Maybe. But defeat? That, he refused to accept.

"I'll drag you to hell with me!" Unknown shouted, forcing his legs to move.

With a combination of desperation and cunning, he maneuvered the Death Knight to the edge of the area. 

He reached for the spearhead he had crafted earlier, hurling it at the barrier. The moment the spears struck, the counterattack mechanism of the barrier triggered with a resounding thud.

The strikes were far more forceful than Unknown anticipated, but the Death Knight, with its singular, mindless purpose, was too distracted by its rage to predict the direction of the blows.

"GAOFOHHH!" The Death Knight howled, its body seething with anger as it sheathed its sword. 

Unknown had to act fast—he knew what was coming. The air crackled with dark energy, and the ground trembled as the Death Knight prepared its final, devastating strike.

The sword sheath began to glow a deep purple, and dark lightning arced across the blade. 

The atmosphere was charged with an overwhelming sense of impending doom, as though the very fabric of reality were about to tear apart.

[CALAMITY STRIKE]

The sword was drawn from its sheath with a deafening noise, the force of it creating a shockwave that rippled through the air. The blade, infused with all the dark power of the Death Knight, was launched in a devastating arc. 

The energy around it crackled, sending a storm of destruction hurtling toward Unknown.

In that moment, time seemed to slow. Unknown could feel the flow of mana in the air, the energy surging around him. His body was worn, his mind barely holding together, but somehow, in that moment of clarity, he found the strength to move.

With a final, desperate push, he rolled, narrowly avoiding the destructive wave of energy.

The slash tore through the air at supersonic speed, slicing through the barrier like a knife through butter. The shockwave that followed was enough to tear the very earth beneath him asunder. 

Unknown's body was flung backward, his side slashed deeply by the force of the attack. He didn't even feel the pain—his nerves had already been destroyed by the intensity of the blow.

But despite the overwhelming damage, despite the agony coursing through his battered body, Unknown gritted his teeth and refused to fall.

Blood poured from his side, his chest heaving with each breath. He stood, his vision blurring, his hands trembling around.

At least I defeated it, he thought, as the dust from the slash settled around him, filling the air with a choking mist.

He wiped his brow, only for his heart to stop cold in his chest.

"What!" Unknown's voice cracked as he looked up, disbelief in his eyes.

The Death Knight, its skeletal form still encased in the rusted remnants of its armor, loomed over him.

It had avoided the fatal blow, standing tall amidst the wreckage. Its hollow eye sockets glowed with a deathly light as it glared down at him, cold and empty.

"Impossible! It should have fallen!"

But there was no victory in this fight yet. The Death Knight had somehow managed to deflect the fatal blow. 

With its skeletal form crackling and glowing, the Death Knight seemed far from defeated.

The undead creature slowly began to move again. The very ground trembled under its feet. 

Every step was a slow, deliberate progression, its sword dragging behind it, causing a horrible screech against the stone floor.

But as it raised its sword for another strike, Unknown saw it—the brief flicker in its movements.

The Death Knight Stumbles

The creature's movements were less certain this time. Its strikes had slowed, its body shuddering as if it was struggling to remain functional.

Then, the Death Knight froze.

Unknown could feel the sudden shift in the atmosphere, the intense concentration in the air, as if the very dungeon was holding its breath. The creature had overloaded, and its once fluid, mechanical movements faltered.

For a fleeting moment, it was vulnerable.

'Now!'

Despite his overwhelming exhaustion, despite the pain wracking every inch of his body, Unknown moved. He pushed forward, stumbling, but with a fire still burning in his eyes.

With the last of his strength, he surged toward the Death Knight, his blade raised.

The creature, overloaded and unmoving, struggled to react, its movements sluggish and unpredictable. It was unable to block or parry the strike that came crashing down. Unknown's dagger pierced through its armor, finding its mark.

The Death Knight let out a terrible screech—a shrill sound that echoed through the cave. But it wasn't finished.

Unknown, now with his last breath, felt his entire body scream in protest. 

He had nothing left. No more energy, no more stamina, no more will. His muscles burned from the strain. But he couldn't stop.

With a final, desperate push, he grabbed the sword from the Death Knight's hand. 

With what little strength remained, he twisted the blade upward, forcing it deep into the undead creature's chest. The sword's tip broke through, striking its core once more.

"Die!" he roared, his voice hoarse, his body screaming in protest. He plunged the sword into the Death Knight's core, feeling the sickening satisfaction of it breaking through.

The Death Knight shuddered violently, its body spasming as it let out one final, agonized roar. 

The purple core began to glow brighter, the dark energy flaring as it sought to unleash one final burst of destruction.

Unknown's mind raced with panic. He was too close. He could feel the overwhelming surge of power radiating from the core, pulsing through his bones. There was no way he could escape it.

But it didn't matter. He had done what he needed to do. The creature had been defeated, its essence corrupted and destroyed.

The core exploded.

But Unknown didn't anticipate the violent reaction. The core flashed red before exploding with a force that sent him flying, his body shattered by the blast.

The Death Knight, its essence finally destroyed, faded into nothingness. Its armor crumpled to the ground in a heap, and the dark sword—[Dark Blade]—was the only remnant left behind.