Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 24: Judge of Apathy.

"Trial of the faithless has been initiated."

"Sixth Trial; The Judge of Apathy."

Akamir drew in a deep breath walking inside the gate.

"...Bring it on."

The next chamber, it was cold.

Colder than anything Akamir had felt before.

A woman stood at the center.

She wore a long black robe, and a silver blindfold covered her eyes.

Chains wrapped around her arms, clinking softly as she shifted towards him.

Her presence felt...empty, like she wasn't even alive.

"The Judge of Apathy," Akamir muttered.

The woman raised her head.

"You are here to be judged," she said, her voice hollow.

"Lay down your sword."

Akamir gripped his weapon tighter as he took his stance.

"Not happening."

The Judge tilted her head slightly, almost curious.

Then she moved.

Not fast like the monk from the previous chamber nor heavy like a knight.

She moved in complete silence....Like a shadow.

Chains flew from her arms, whipping toward Akamir.

CLANG!

He blocked the first one, but the second wrapped around his ankle.

With a jerk, he was yanked off his feet.

Akamir twisted midair, slashing at the chain.

Sparks flew as his sword scraped against it.

The chain snapped back as Akamir twisted to land on his feet.

But in the next instant, the judge was already at him.

Her hand, wrapped in chain, struck down toward his head.

Akamir barely rolled away, feeling the blast of cold air skim his cheek.

She fought without feeling.....Without anger.

Without fear.

Every movement was clean, efficient, deadly like she was made to kill others.

'She's not trying to win. She's just trying to end it.'

Chains rained down like steel serpents towards him.

Akamir weaved between them, cutting and dodging if necessary.

But the Judge's control was perfect.

One chain wrapped around his sword arm.

Another around his waist.

In seconds, he was bound tight.

She approached, slowly keeping the strain on the chains.

Akamir could barely move in this position.

'She plans to end me here.'

Akamir closed his eyes.

Mana surged inside him.

Akamir raised one of his hands and opened his eyes.

The judge tilted her head but—.

Her body moved back as a circle formed in his hand in an instant.

A fireball rushed towards her that she easily dodged.

Akamir gripped the sword as he jerked himself free from the chains.

He lunged towards the judge.

His sword flashed in a brutal arc, forcing the Judge to pivot, her blindfolded head tilting as if calculating his next move.

The chain in her right hand lashed out again.

But this time, Akamir ducked low, sliding across the frozen ground, the chain hissing overhead.

He slashed upward, aiming for her side.

Sparks erupted as her chain blocked the strike mid-swing, wrapping around his blade perfectly.

In one smooth motion, she yanked him forward and straight into a brutal knee to his ribs.

Akamir raised his hand and formed a mana shield.

Crack!!

It cracked but saved his ribs.

He gritted his teeth and twisted, dragging her chain with him, throwing off her balance for the first time.

Mana flared again around his body.

[Foxdrift]

Akamir burst through the gap, his sword raised high.

CLANG!

His blade struck her shoulder, biting into the black robes.

No blood.

Only a hollow gasp from the Judge, like a cold wind slipping through the cracks of a tomb.

Her hand snapped up.

"Enough. Mika."

A voice echoed within the chamber stopping her in place.

Akamir quickly skidded back away from the judge as he looked around.

In an instant the judge vanished but he couldn't care less.

His heart pounded as if it would explode in his chest.

'That voice....'

Akamir felt he had heard that voice before.

"The trial of the faithless has ended."

The same mechanical voice echoed in the place.

"You have been chosen as Witch Of End's Vessel."

"Huh?"

Before Akamir could wrap his head around the ominous words.

Crack!

The ground on which he stood began to split.

Akamir tried to grab onto something... anything.

But....

His body was helplessly dragged into the pit.

'Fuck!'

Akamir dug his sword into the soil to stop his descent but it only slowed his speed.

The wind howled around Akamir as he plunged into the darkness.

The faint light from the shattered chamber above quickly vanished, leaving him alone in a suffocating abyss.

Then—

Thud!

He hit solid ground.

Pain jolted up his legs, but he stayed standing.

He quickly looked around but there was nothing but darkness.

The only sound was his own ragged breathing.

Until—

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed in the dark.

It was one but in a blink it turned into hundreds.

The sound echoed from all over the place making it harder for Akamir to know anything.

He raised his sword, pivoting slowly.

He couldn't see them....But he could feel them.

Eyes. Hundreds of them, pressing against his skin like cold needles.

The footsteps grew louder.

Closer.

Suddenly—

A light glow above him.

Akamir slowly looked up towards the crimson light.

...It was the crown.

The same crown he saw when he arrived here on the first day.

'Huh?'

The faint glow that the crown was emitting, illuminated the darkness.

...Now.

Akamir could see "them."

A horde of thousands of monsters that had been terrorizing the entire town....

....Encircling him from all sides.

Akamir's grip tightened around his sword.

The monsters snarled and writhed at the edges of the crimson light.

Their bodies were misshapen, like corrupted animals stitched together by nightmare.

Some had too many limbs, others none at all, dragging themselves forward with hooked jaws or long, spidery fingers.

Their hollow eyes locked onto him with a hunger that sent chills down his spine.

Still, Akamir didn't move.

He couldn't.

His instincts screamed at him to run, to fight, to do something, but he forced himself to stay still, to think.

'They're not attacking... not yet. Why?'

As if to answer his question, something else caught his eye.

...It was a solitude of woman.

The monster gave way for the woman, bowing their heads.

Her body let out a faint glow as she floated towards him.

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Her hair was a deep blonde that fell behind her like waves while her eyes were as blue as the sky itself.

Even though she was beautiful....far more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen.

Akamir kept his guard up.

The woman came to a halt right in front of him.

Slowly, she touched his face gently caressing him.

"Sorry, child."

She whispered softly, looking into his eyes.

"...This is as far as you go."

Akamir stared at the woman as his lips parted on his own.

"Nayomi?"

The woman only looked at him sadly before she turned around.

"Kill her."

Her voice echoed and all hell broke loose.

Akamir barely had time to react.

The horde screamed, an inhuman, gut-wrenching sound that ripped through the air like shattering glass.

The monsters surged forward, a living tidal wave of claws, fangs, and malformed limbs.

Akamir tightened his grip, his sword trembling slightly not from fear.

But...

The sheer pressure, overwhelming force pressing down on him.

[Emperor Sword Art: Second Form — Falling Star.]

Akamir's sword flared with brilliant silver chi as he slashed downward.

The energy from his blade exploded outward in a massive arc, cutting into the first wave of creatures.

The monsters shrieked as they were torn apart, their blackened blood hissing against the cold ground.

But for every one he cut down, three more took their place.

They clawed at his skin, at his arms, trying to drag him under.

Akamir spun, his blade a blur, carving a path through the encroaching swarm.

But it did nothing.

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'

He glanced at the woman who simply kept on walking away, her back turned to him.

'I need to get out!'

Akamir quickly looked up towards the hole in the sky.

With no hesitation, he dropped his sword and grabbed one of the monsters.

Using the horde as living stairs, he began to climb.

"FUCK!?"

The monsters howled in fury, clawing at him as Akamir scrambled upward, using their bodies as footholds.

Their talons tore into his arms and legs, but he gritted his teeth and climbed faster.

One beast lunged at his ankle, trying to drag him down, but Akamir kicked it off without hesitation.

His blood smeared across the writhing horde, but he didn't stop.

Akamir looked up....

....Only to realise he could never make it out.

'FUCK!?'

With one final, desperate leap, Akamir stretched his hand toward the crown.

And—.

His fingers brushed the cold, pulsing metal.

[You are in the presence of a Sealed Artifact.]

A sudden message flickered in front of him.

[Would you like to use "memories"?]

[Yes/no]