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Jarvis's POV

"I have unfinished business back in the living world, and I have no time to follow you to this place of light you keep mentioning. Send me back to the living world so that no more time is wasted. Lady Celine may be vulnerable right now and probably under attack. I need to go and protect her, so it would be best if you showed me the way out of here," I said, staring Death in the face, trying to sound as firm as I could.

"Well, Jarvis, you are nearly dead. And to be honest, I do not want you to go back to the living world. But since you are so hell-bent on going back, I guess I have no choice but to let you," Death said, giving off a sigh that showed he was giving up.

I exhaled in relief, a smile forming on my face, showing how glad I was.

"But of course, if you are going to return to the living world, you will have to best me at something," Death said, his gaze growing cold.

It took me a moment to process what he had just said. Did he just say I had to beat him at something? How was I ever supposed to do that against someone I didn’t know, in a place I wasn’t familiar with?

"What do you mean I have to beat you at something?" I asked, wanting to clear my doubts.

"Well, you see, you’ve come face to face with Death, and the only way for you to return to the living is if you triumph over me. If you prove incompetent, your soul will be doomed, and you will never be able to go back," Death said emotionlessly.

"What do you mean my soul will be doomed?" I asked, dreading his response.

"Let's just say everything would be much better if you followed me right now," Death said, stretching out his hand for the last time.

A cold feeling of terror washed over me. I had never felt as terrified as I currently was in my entire life. I knew the implications of what I was about to do, but I saw no other way around it.

"If that is what you wish, then I won’t hold back. What do I have to defeat you in?" I asked, wanting to get the whole process over and done with.

"You see, that’s not up to me. You alone will choose what you wish to challenge me in, and after that, we will both compete. If you emerge victorious, I will not hesitate to send your soul back to your body, and you can continue living. But if you were to lose..." Death didn’t need to finish his sentence before I understood exactly what he meant.

"Okay, then. What if I choose to battle you in combat?" I said, trying to look as menacing as possible.

"If you choose to battle me in combat, then that is what will happen," Death said nonchalantly.

"But hold on. You’re just a frail old man. Don’t you think if we were to fight, such a battle would be unfair?" I asked, feeling a bit of concern for him.

Initially, it started as a giggle. Then it got louder and louder until it turned into maniacal laughter. He laughed so hard that his eyes became wet. Afterward, he held onto his forehead and looked at me with a gaze that sent chills running down my spine.

"It seems you have quite the short memory. I already told you before, didn’t I? I take whatever form will be convenient for you. Since you’ve agreed to battle me in combat, let us begin," Death said, waving his hand.

The landscape began to change, and before I knew it, we were in a large battlefield. The place looked like it had held many fights and witnessed many deaths. It gave off an aura that made one instinctively assume a battle stance.

I looked around for a while, making sure there were no traps. Afterward, I turned to Death, who was standing in front of me, and got into a battle position.

"Are you ready?" I asked, preparing to charge.

He said nothing but smiled, and then his clothes began to rip. In an instant, the frail-looking old man was transformed into a ten-foot-tall giant that towered above me, looking down with a scornful gaze.

"You were worried about my safety earlier. Whose safety are you worried about now?" he said, beginning to approach me.

I stared at the behemoth carefully making his way toward me, and felt nothing but dread. His large hands made me realize that a strike from them could probably end my life. His skin was so thick that I didn’t think any of my blows would be able to deal him damage.

He looked big, but I didn’t think he’d be fast. I decided to charge at him and use my speed to my advantage. I circled him at high speed, thinking I could catch him by surprise and deal a lethal blow.

But all of a sudden, I felt his hand on my neck. Somehow, he had calculated my movements and was fast enough to grab me by the throat. I expected him to snap my neck instantly, but instead, he threw me into a nearby wall, letting the bricks collapse around me.

Bricks fell on me, and to my surprise, I was actually wounded. I hadn’t thought I could be injured in such a place and stared at him inquisitively.

"In fact, without wounds, there is no fight. It is a basic hazard of combat. Therefore, to maximize the feeling of fighting, one can break bones and rip flesh even in such a place," Death said, walking toward me.

I wasted no time getting back up and driving myself at him. I jumped and launched a kick at his head. He dodged it, and a punch was sent my way. I evaded it easily and wrapped myself around his arm. I tried to position myself so that if I threw myself forward, he would fall face-first into the ground. This technique was one I had used to first bring my enemies to their knees, then kill them.

But when I threw myself forward, there was no movement from Death. He simply shook me off his arm the way one would shake off a small cat or dog. Once airborne, he wasted no time in throwing another punch at me.

I heard my bones shatter, and the pain was excruciating. I lay down, not wanting to get up, knowing each movement would bring agony. The will to fight escaped me because I felt there was no way I could win such a fight. With a simple punch, he had dealt me so much damage, and his skin looked so tough I didn’t think I could deal him any harm either.

Still, I decided to give it a try.

I forced myself back to my feet and began walking in his direction.

"A noble soul like yours does not come around often, Jarvis. Give up now, and you can follow me. This is the last chance I will give you. After this, I will stop holding back," he said, his expression softening from a brutal warrior to the kind old man who had spoken with me earlier.

I wanted to give in and follow him, but I didn’t want to leave my life behind. Celine needed me. Maverick needed me. And I wouldn’t stop until I had lived a fulfilled life.

"I’m sorry, but I have to refuse your offer. If nobility brought me here, maybe nobility can take me back," I said and ran toward him.

I ran faster and faster, not wanting to stop. The momentum from my speed was building up, and I knew some damage was about to be dealt to this foe of mine. He let out a sigh that expressed his disappointment.

He tossed his head sideways, wondering why I had thrown away such a perfectly good offer. His eyes reverted back to those of the brutal killing machine he had been, and he flung a deadly blow in my direction.

But I wasn’t just any warrior. I didn’t stand in the way just to be punched and destroyed. I avoided the punch and circled his arm, launching myself into the air.

I got so high that even he was surprised. He looked up, astonished at my relentlessness. I knew this because from my position in the air, I could see the expression on his face.

"Maverick, I’m coming home," I thought as I landed the punch on his face with all my strength.

Something cracked, and then a devastating pain engulfed my hand. My hand had gotten broken trying to break Death’s face. There wasn’t a scratch on him, for his skin and bones were far too tough.

His hand effortlessly found its way under my stomach, and the force launched me into the air. Blood squirted out from several areas of my body, and I was sure I had lost the fight.