I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 55: The End of the Battle

With the discovery of the sword’s power, the group’s fighting style shifted once again. They stayed on the creature relentlessly, pressuring it, rotating between defence and offence, passing the blade between them like a baton in a race. Each handoff brought a new strike, each blow catching the monster further off guard.

Wounds began to accumulate across the creature’s translucent body. The black blade tore through its flesh with merciless precision, leaving dark slashes that shimmered against its ghostly form.

They could see it now—the path to victory. It was right there, within reach. Just one more moment, one more strike...

Then, a menacing shriek escaped the creature’s lips.

It wasn’t just a sound—it was a scream that split the air like shattering glass, high and piercing, laced with rage and raw fury. The ground trembled beneath their feet, recoiling as if the earth feared what it had heard.

Shards of ice exploded around them, darting through the air. No longer uniform, the projectiles came in chaotic shapes and sizes. The once precise, spear-like attacks were now wild and frantic—driven by desperation.

Though the group had discovered a path to victory through the knight’s blade, they were nearing their limit. Each of them was nearly drained of mana essence, yet they fought on, relentless in the face of exhaustion.

A sharp clang of metal echoed across the battlefield for the third time—Vale’s eyes instinctively tracked the spinning coin as it cut through the air. Even amid the chaos, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of awe at Dain’s ability.

Reinvigorated by his unique ability, Dain seized the sword once more. He swung it with renewed fury, the obsidian blade whistling through the air. Streaks of black tore across the battlefield, each swing carving space between them and the creature. But the monster didn’t fall. Not yet.

Vale gritted his teeth. Desperation clung to him like a second skin, cold and suffocating. His mana essence was running low—each heartbeat draining more and more.

Maybe it was that desperation, or maybe it was watching Dain gamble his life with every toss of that coin, but Vale decided to take a gamble of his own.

He called for the Four-Eyed Raven.

The relic appeared in an instant, and his vision stretched beyond the battlefield, sweeping high above the carnage. Almost immediately, his mana essence hit near-zero. As quickly as it appeared, the relic had vanished.

But it was enough. He finally saw it.

High atop one of the jagged rocks surrounding the battlefield stood an ice spear—the same kind wielded by the creature—planted like a flag.

Vale dashed toward it.

Meanwhile, in a brief exchange with the creature, Dain passed the sword back to the dark knight. The moment the knight’s hand closed around the hilt, Vale’s voice rang out—clear and commanding, calling upon the spirit.

Without hesitation, the knight hurled the blade through the air just as Dain lunged again. But this time, his strike passed harmlessly through the creature.

But it didn’t matter.

At that very moment, Vale reached the jagged peak, catching the blade mid-air.

Perhaps it was his desperation, or perhaps he called out to it without realising—but the ravenous flame materialised.

It surged forth, black fire consumed the sword like a living shadow.

The creature appeared before him, avoiding Dain’s strike, its gaze now locked with Vale’s.

He didn’t flinch.

Vale thrust the flaming blade forward.

The monster gasped as the fire-wreathed weapon tore through its torso, black flames hungrily devouring its translucent flesh.

Then, just as Vale’s mana essence was done, the black flame reached the creature’s core, ripping away its essence and funnelling it toward Vale.

The others stopped in their tracks, eyes wide as they watched the blaze consume the shrieking creature. But its cries didn’t last long.

[ You have slain an S-Rank, Awakened Monster, Ice Banshee ]

Vale pulled the sword from the corpse, now lifeless and still, but before he could even take a single breath, the voice echoed again.

[ You have received an S-Rank Ability, Frostpiercer ]

"What?!"

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"I received an ability?! But how?"

His thoughts spun in confusion. The only known method of gaining abilities was by completing a trial. No one had ever heard of acquiring one from a kill.

He lingered in silence, the heat of battle fading into the cold quiet. Just beneath the jagged rock he stood on, his companions sat amid the frozen battlefield, catching their breath after the brutal fight.

Then, an idea struck him.

"Could it be... my unique ability?"

His thoughts shifted toward the black flame that had devoured the banshee. Ever since it evolved, it has changed significantly. It used to consume only mana crystals, growing ever-so slightly before finally evolving.

But now... it could replenish his core. What if it could do more?

What if it could consume abilities?

A grin crept across his pale face. If that were true—if the black flame could truly devour and absorb abilities—then there was no limit to how strong he could become.

"Are you okay, Vale?" Ayla’s voice called out from below, snapping him away from his thoughts.

"Yeah," he replied, a faint smile still tugging at his lips.

He leapt down from the jagged rock, landing heavily on the frozen ground. Snow scattered beneath his boots. He brushed it off his legs and made his way back to the others.

They looked utterly spent—bloodied and bruised, their bodies marked by the aftermath of the brutal battle. Cuts and gashes stretched across their bodies, some already starting to heal, others still bleeding heavily.

The next few minutes passed in silence as the group tended to their wounds. Only then did someone remember the figure who had tried to warn them.

They turned.

Lying not far from where the battle had raged was the half-torn body of a man—just a torso now, torn apart, yet somehow still hauntingly intact.

Vale knelt beside him and pressed two fingers to the man’s neck—not that it was needed. The stillness in those lifeless, half-lidded eyes said more than enough.

Dark expressions crossed their faces.

Most of the bodies around them had been obliterated during the fight, reduced to ash or ice-shattered remains. But this one remained—half-whole and unmoving, as if frozen in the moment of his death.

"Where did all these people come from?" Vale muttered, the words barely escaping his lips.

It wasn’t just unusual. No.

Finding this many people gathered in one place within the Demon Realm was nearly impossible. The vast expense of this world made sure of it.

So how?

Had they all been transported here together? Or was something far more sinister at play?