The earthen floor of the bamboo grove was erupting into jagged mounds, rising up in random intervals. I stepped back just in time, letting my dagger absorb the impact with a clear, sharp sound.

It wouldn’t end with just one attack.

Skeletons hidden among the bamboo sprang forward, brandishing their weapons, and in the distance, I heard the unmistakable sound of hooves. A Death Knight, no doubt, from the rear right. Retreating was an option, but it seemed more fitting to charge forward. The surrounding undead would serve as my shields.

I deflected a volley of bone-tipped spears, dodging what I could and parrying when it disrupted my flow.

I had thrown a dagger ahead of me, sliding into the dirt to close the distance. Corpses animated by the necromancer rose from the ground to form a wall of rotting flesh between us.

This was why I hated dealing with necromancers. I was particularly sensitive to smells due to my high synchronization rate, and this stench was unbearable. But despite the stench, I managed to close in on the plague doctor.

“You sure know how to handle these stinking minions.”
“The beak isn’t just for show. I keep herbs in there to mask the smell.”
“What?”

There was a trick to his mask? What a cheat!

I had thought we were both enduring this stench together. Betrayal simmered in my chest, quickly transforming into the need for vengeance.

With that anger, I cut through the bony shield before me, my next strike grazing his wrist and the following one stabbing into his shoulder. Just as I was about to push my advantage, a rusted spear shot up from Crow’s shadow.

A second Death Knight emerged from the shadows. So he’d kept it hidden close by.

The undead knight, now under orders, attacked with a fierce, relentless thrust of its spear. Though there was a significant difference in strength between a player and their summon, I still couldn’t destroy a high-level undead in one blow. I had to let Crow escape.

‘Stay calm. Think this through. He’s chosen a fairly standard setup.’

Unlike previous rounds, the semifinals were best of five. So long as I didn’t panic, I could treat this first set as a recon mission. Crow’s skill choice clearly showed he was prepared to counter me specifically.

Considering this was the semifinals, we both had limited information on each other. I had maybe ten recorded matches on file, and Crow had a few more.

He’d probably mastered everything I’d already shown, but I knew he’d be wondering, “Is that really all?”
The answer was no. I still had plenty left to reveal.

There wouldn’t be much time between the semifinals and finals, so this was a good opportunity to try something new. If Luce and Cerberus were watching, they’d be in for a surprise.

Habits during combat? Familiar attack patterns? I didn’t have any such weaknesses. And even if I did, I would be the first to know.

The monsters I used to face were unbeatable if you carried any weaknesses. So, the person I had analyzed most in my life was my friend, and then myself. It wasn’t that I couldn’t fix my flaws—I simply hadn’t needed to yet.

If I lost track of him, I could just hunt him down again. I cut down the Death Knight and found Crow’s location once more.

[You receive the effects of ‘Whispers of the Black Moon.’]
[All attack power, movement speed, and counterattack abilities are enhanced.]
[Some skills are further strengthened...]

Necromancers have more defensive tools than typical mages. From the bone shield I’d cut through in my initial assault to the wall of ghouls, and even the formidable Death Knights. But in exchange, they couldn’t use Blink, the common mage escape ability.

They were tougher, but if I could latch on, I’d win.

I traveled along the shadows I’d marked with my thrown dagger. I leaped off a corpse’s head as it tried to grab my ankle and vaulted from a bamboo stalk, changing direction mid-air. His extended chants were easy to interrupt with a well-aimed throw.

A ghoul exploded in mid-air, consuming my guard gauge but sparing me from damage. Fragments of decayed flesh couldn’t breach my defenses.

Corpse Explosion was a powerful skill, but once used, the undead wouldn’t return for the rest of the match. Normally, you’d use it on expendable units over time, but he had been forced to deploy it hastily.

It was a good sign. If I reached him now, I’d likely force out whatever he’d been hiding.

A few undead blocked my path, but I cut through them quickly and closed the distance to Crow again.

“…!”
“Got you.”

I slashed through bone shards with crossed daggers, then sliced into the mage’s wrist, thigh, and ribs in quick succession.

Despite his calm demeanor and smooth movements with the staff, he was still just a mage. In close quarters, he was merely prey.

As I drove my blade into his abdomen, I felt the build-up of magic at my feet.

‘Checked above, now below... He’s preparing something, but it’s not quite ready yet?’

I backflipped, avoiding the bone spike rising from the ground, and threw a dagger tied with a rope. It spun around the bony column, locking into place. I pulled myself up quickly, feeling the wind rush past as I gained momentum. Letting go of the rope at the right moment, I hurtled back into range, burying my daggers into his scapula.

“If you don’t bring out everything, you’ll die next time.”
“I… know...!”

He slammed his staff down, and all the undead’s eyes turned red.

The shadow around Crow erupted with undead creatures, including another Death Knight and even a Dullahan. The necromancer was initiating an all-out attack. The trembling of ghoul flesh hinted at yet another Corpse Explosion.

Fighting off the high-level undead stretched the distance between us. I deflected incoming projectiles and resumed my pursuit. As I dashed through the bamboo forest, a massive shadow loomed overhead.

A Bone Dragon. The highest-tier undead summonable by a necromancer.

《 Crow has finally met the summoning conditions! His health had dropped dangerously low due to Gaul’s relentless assault, but he’s managed to turn the tide! 》
《 We should still watch closely. This isn’t an easy situation. He’s burned through over half of his undead summons just to buy time. He’ll need to finish this within the dragon’s berserk duration. 》
《 Gaul seems intent on pushing forward… And there he goes! He’s charging in! 》
《 An unexpected move! It looks like he’s confident and aiming for a quick finish! 》

The silver-haired assassin weaved through the undead ranks, dodging explosions and easily evading the skeletal lances. He advanced so swiftly that the cameras could barely keep up.

Until now, Gaul would never have made such a choice. Though his methods were sometimes aggressive, he always chose a surefire path to victory. But this time, he’d made a riskier call.

Few people understood his reasoning, but Cerberus was among them. He let out a frustrated laugh.

“Pulling a stunt like this in the semifinals. I guess he had plenty of room to play with.”

A thick stack of papers flew straight into the trash bin. It was the analysis report his team had spent countless hours on over the last few days. He had memorized every detail, yet it was all rendered useless in a single moment.

The assassin’s approach and playstyle had completely changed. It was as if he’d become a different person, with not a single habit remaining. Restarting the analysis now would produce entirely new insights, which meant only one thing.

Everything they’d tried to figure out about this cheeky assassin was now meaningless. The only way to truly understand him was by facing him directly in battle.

As the high-tier undead dissolved into dust and the Bone Dragon unleashed its devastating breath, the bamboo grove turned into a hellscape. The once dense bamboo, now aflame with green fire, fell one by one. The ground was littered with broken corpses, and though the assassin was battered, he bore no fatal injuries.

From the sky, from the ground, from seemingly nowhere, bones rained down—but none could pierce him. With only the slightest of margins, none of the attacks managed to mar his flesh.

《 He’s so fast! Could Gaul always do this? 》
《 We knew he had impressive physical prowess, but this is astonishing! He once seemed like a sly fox, but now he’s a ferocious tiger! 》

The end for the fully depleted necromancer was inevitable. The assassin, having overcome every trial, mercilessly drove his blade into Crow’s neck. The defeated figure lingered on the screen for a moment before the match concluded.

As the Bone Dragon unleashed its wrath, the fight reached its fever pitch. Gaul, navigating through the fiery remains of the bamboo grove, displayed astonishing agility. The seemingly endless waves of undead and debris from shattered skeletons only intensified the chaotic battleground.

Despite the formidable display, Gaul’s relentless assault left no room for Crow’s counterattacks. With unwavering precision, Gaul’s blades found their mark repeatedly, chipping away at Crow's defenses until the necromancer was finally cornered.

《 Gaul emerges victorious! 》
《 In an incredible display of tenacity and skill, he managed to defeat the formidable necromancer Crow! 》
《 This match will surely go down as one of the most intense battles in the Infinity Arena! 》

As the crowd erupted in cheers, Gaul watched his opponent’s figure disappear, marking the end of the match. The commentators buzzed with excitement, marveling at Gaul’s performance and the unexpected twists of the battle.

In that moment, Gaul knew he’d need every ounce of skill he had left for the final match. Yet for now, he’d achieved his goal—overcoming one of the most challenging opponents he had ever faced.

__________________________

TL notes:

Yo, Gawol squad! ????????

How crazy was that fight with Muse in the desert?! Our girl’s out here taking names and leaving bodies, and I’m all for it. ???? She’s not playin'—especially after going toe-to-toe with Cerberus and surviving that nasty guard gauge grind. ????️????

Who's ready for her next face-off? ???????? Crow thinks he's got a chance, but let’s be real—Gawol’s got way more tricks up her sleeve. Drop your theories below—anyone else think she’s got the finals locked in? ????

???? Smash that like button if you're as hyped as I am! And leave a comment with your predictions—I’m reading all of ‘em! ???????? Wanna support? Hit up the donation link ❤️. ko-fi.com/satabog ❤️  and help keep these streams alive. Every bit helps, and it’s all love! ????????

Stay savage, assassins! ✨????