Aiden's breath froze in his chest.
The Executioner didn't move like a monster.
Didn't move like a student.
Didn't even move like a teacher.
He moved like something designed for one purpose:
Erasure.
Elara grabbed Aiden's wrist, whispering sharply:
"Don't run.
He's faster than us."
The Executioner took one step forward.
The cavern groaned under his weight.
"Aiden Vale," he repeated, voice void of emotion.
"By the Academy's internal authority, you are to be terminated."
Aiden grit his teeth.
"For surviving?!"
"For disrupting the natural filtration of Floor 2," the Executioner said.
"The corrupted trainee was not yours to kill. Its core was data."
"That thing was trying to rip me apart!"
"Not relevant."
The Executioner lifted his massive blade—
a slab of black metal taller than Aiden.
Elara whispered desperately, shaking:
"Aiden… don't fight him. You'll die."
Aiden knew she wasn't exaggerating.
The System flickered violently:
[WARNING
Threat Level: FATAL]
[Estimated survival time: < 4 seconds]
The Executioner raised his blade.
Aiden stepped back.
Then—
SWOOSH—!!
A blur of black steel came slicing toward him.
Aiden ducked.
Barely.
The blade cleaved the cavern wall open like slicing paper.
Shards of stone rained down.
Elara screamed, "MOVE!"
Aiden sprinted to the side—
The Executioner appeared in front of him instantly.
No sound.
No warning.
Just there.
The blade slammed toward Aiden's skull.
Aiden threw up his burned arm—
pointless—
…but the System pinged.
[Emergency: Body Fortification Triggered]
[Endurance +2 temporarily]
The blade smashed into Aiden's forearm.
Pain exploded through him.
He felt bone crack—
—but the arm didn't break.
He stumbled back, gasping.
The Executioner tilted his head slightly.
"Impressive.
But meaningless."
Aiden backed up until his heel hit a rock.
No more space.
Nowhere left to dodge.
The Executioner raised his blade again.
Elara stepped in front of Aiden.
"STOP! He hasn't violated any—"
The Executioner punched her.
Just punched.
Not even with the blade.
The impact sent her crashing into a wall, stone shattering, blood spraying from her mouth.
"Elara!"
She slid down the rock, barely conscious.
Aiden's heart twisted.
The Executioner didn't even look at her.
"You are not my target."
His masked helmet turned back toward Aiden.
Aiden's entire body trembled.
He wasn't strong enough.
He wasn't fast enough.
He wasn't anything enough.
The System flickered desperately:
[Override Option Available]
[WARNING: Risk Level — CATASTROPHIC]
[Skill: LIMIT BREACH can be forcibly accessed]
Aiden sucked in a breath.
Limit Breach.
He hadn't seen that skill before.
"What… what is the risk?" Aiden whispered.
The System answered in a cold monotone:
[Life expectancy reduced]
[Body integrity compromised]
[Potential muscle rupture: 78%]
[Heart strain: 91%]
[Chance of immediate organ failure: 27%]
The Executioner lifted his blade for the final strike.
No time left.
The System's final message blinked:
[Use LIMIT BREACH?]
[YES / NO]
Aiden's breathing went sharp and fast.
His body screamed no.
Everything else screamed you'll die.
But then he looked at Elara—
bleeding, unconscious, thrown aside like trash.
His pulse slowed.
He stopped shaking.
He whispered:
"…Yes."
The System detonated inside his skull—
[LIMIT BREACH ACTIVATED]
Aiden's muscles tightened violently.
Veins lit up under his skin.
His vision sharpened until the world cut into perfect clarity.
His heart hammered so hard his chest hurt.
The Executioner paused.
Aiden lifted his eyes.
For the first time—
he looked straight into the mask of a man designed to kill him…
…and didn't look away.
The Executioner lowered his blade, surprised.
"You… triggered it willingly."
Aiden stepped forward.
His blood boiled.
His muscles screamed.
His bones felt like they were splitting.
He didn't care.
"Come on then."
Aiden's voice was low, hoarse, deadly calm.
"You want my life?"
He raised his burned fists.
"Come take it."
The Executioner surged forward—
—and Aiden met him head-on.