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Jarvis's POV

I lay on the ground in a pool of my own blood, trying to bear the agony that was ringing all over my body. I sat there feeling great distress, not wanting to get up anymore. Death had proven to be an insurmountable enemy, and no matter how hard I tried, it did not seem like I would get the better of him.

I had believed that if I got a clear shot, I would at least get the chance to wound him, but that was not the case. He was so tough that my hand had gotten broken instead. It was impossible to win a fight against such an opponent, but I needed to at least give it my best before giving up.

I got up and slowly began to approach Death, calmly and without letting my emotions flutter. All along, I had been terrified about the outcome of the fight, but now I had attained a certain peace. I did not understand it, but I did not care anymore. All I wanted to do was put Maverick and Celine out of my mind.

The more I thought of them, the more emotional I got. I did not want emotion to cloud my judgment so I could at least lose my final battle with some dignity.

I launched myself at Death and threw several attacks his way. Some were blocked, and others were dodged.

It didn’t really matter either way because I was unable to scathe him in the slightest. He was insurmountable and immovable. A single strike from him destroyed my body in so many ways, but I could not even make a scratch on him.

After several brutal hours of being crushed, the tears I had held back eventually fell. I thought about Maverick and Celine, and I just couldn't hold back the tears. The thought of leaving both of them behind, and that everything would soon be over, overwhelmed me.

I didn’t want to go to any place of light or any place of darkness. I simply wanted to go back, inhabit my human body, and keep on living.

I walked closer to Death as I began to vent my minor frustrations on him, even though they had no effect. Such weak punches would hardly even hurt a child, and I was only throwing them out of frustration.

But the next thing that happened completely shocked me. These weak, lifeless punches somehow managed to crack his seemingly unbreakable skin.

Through my eyes, blurred with tears, I looked at his skin and marveled at how this was possible. I had punched him with all my strength before and nothing had happened. But when I cried weakly and threw tiny punches that should have had no effect on anything, they cracked his skin.

Death jumped away in what seemed like fear and terror. He had obviously not bargained that I would be able to crack his skin, or at least he didn’t expect me to figure it out.

I looked at the shattered pieces of skin around my knuckles and wondered how I had managed to break it.

"Well, since you’ll likely figure it out yourself, I guess I have no choice but to tell you," Death said as he looked at me with seriousness in his voice.

I looked on, not really knowing what to say but wanting to hear what Death was going to reveal.

"You are not the first person who has been tried in such a way. Many people have chosen different ways of either going back or going to their designated locations. Some decided to play me using brainpower, while others used physical strength. Some prided themselves on their mastery of weapons, be it the sword or the axe. I am an ancient being who has existed since the dawn of time. Anyone who wants to defeat me through strength, combat skill, or even brainpower is nothing but a fool. The only way one can hope to triumph over me is when their emotion and reason for going back surpass why they should remain here. Be careful—if you channel enough emotion into your attacks, there’s a good chance you could defeat me," Death said calmly and precisely.

"So, you’re saying the only reason I haven’t been able to wound you all along was that I simply wasn’t determined enough?" I asked, still trying to process the situation.

"You simply thought that battling me with combat would be sufficient. You thought that my strength would be equal to a human's. You thought that the skill you acquired in battle would be enough to take me on. But, unfortunately, you were wrong. Now that you know what you need to do, are you ready to face me, Jarvis? Are you ready to fight Death to the death?" Death asked, his tone rising.

I tightened my fists as the joy of being able to return to Maverick and Celine began to overwhelm me.

I ran at Death without hesitation and began bombarding him with punches.

This time, he made sure to dodge a lot more, because not only was I able to block his punches, I was able to injure him with mine.

The battle was getting heated now because I was no longer fighting for myself. I was fighting with the willpower to go back to Maverick and Celine, no longer thinking about my own safety. My bones were broken in our clashes because, like it or not, Death was still a 10-foot behemoth, and normally I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

But I determined that the degree of my resolve to go back to Celine and Maverick also affected the degree of power I had.

I was pushing him closer and closer to the edge now, even though I was reaching my limit as well.

After a long time of trading blows, both of us were brought to our knees, exhausted.

"I can’t believe I’m battling Death to such an extent," I said, not fully grasping how great the moment was.

"You are barely fighting a fragment of my will, Jarvis. The physical form you’re punching is nothing but a doll. There are many other people currently fighting against me now for life, and I won’t allow all of them to live. You are one of the many souls. Now, let’s see if you’re worthy of me being kind enough to let you return," Death said, rising to his feet. His body tightened, and he grew even larger. Soon, every part of his skin that I had broken was healed, and he looked more terrifying than before.

"I guess nothing good comes easy, huh? If I’m going to win my life back, I have to fight for it. I’ve faced enemies more terrifying than you, and this won’t be the first time I overcame impossible odds," I said, standing to my feet.

Death said nothing and approached me calmly. I became cautious because the aura he emitted showed that he was far stronger and more resilient. Bringing back the emotions I had for Maverick and Celine, I steeled myself and attacked him.

He was definitely stronger and even faster. So fast that my punches weren’t even landing on him anymore. He was tossing me around as though I was a young lad being slapped around by a master of war. I stood no chance against him in strength, speed, or skill.

In his previous form, I had taken advantage of his sluggishness and hit him when I built up enough emotion. But now, I couldn’t even get the chance to hit him, and I was being thrashed around like a rag doll.

I was beginning to feel as hopeless as before because I could not land a single hit on him. No matter how I tried, I stood no chance at striking him because of how fast he was. I combed my mind and tried using anger as a source of fuel, but no matter what I did, there was no way to overcome him.

"It seems you’re eventually going to lose. This is quite disappointing, Jarvis. If it means anything, of the many souls I have had to judge, I will remember yours," Death said as he began to approach me.

It was all over. I would never get to meet Celine or Maverick again. Well, maybe I had lived a good enough life after all. I did save Celine to the best of my ability.

When Ryder killed Maverick's first mate, I had sworn an oath to protect his second. I did my best in protecting her, and nothing more could be done. Since that was the case, there was no need for me to fight on anymore.

But even in my deep despair, I was not ready to give up yet. I had my own life ahead of me. I had served Maverick so long that I had almost forgotten I had my own mate waiting for me out there. I would grow up to love her, marry her, and fill our home with children. I was far too young to die, and I would not allow this to be a hindrance.

Gathering all of my strength, I screamed and dived at Death with all my might. Somehow, he seemed immobilized due to the pressure I was exerting through sheer willpower. I smashed Death’s face in with a single punch, carrying all the emotion that weighed on my heart, and all of a sudden, my eyes opened.