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How pathetic…aren't I?

The corpse of my daughter, controlled by the plague is devouring me…I was able to kill everything else…But I cannot kill her, I cannot kill a child…my own child. She should be safe within the empire but she is here, in front of me, savoring my flesh.

I have lost all strength, but even if there was a flicker of it left I would not be able to utilize it.

I cannot kill her.

I used the last bits of my strength to hug her with one hand, and one hand to write this.

…my neck…she has bit it.

I am gonna die…fuck.

I'm sorry…Daddy wasn't able to pro-]

The words cut off…there was an empty feeling inside my chest as I completed reading it.

[Diary of a Failed Father has been used.]

The diary disappeared to dust and I looked at the corpse of the knight.

There were visible signs of his armor being crushed apart, the protection of the neck was bitten through and some marks were still left there.

He wrote this as his own daughter's corpse was tearing his neck.

…

…

…

And he wasn't even recorded as a soldier but as a failed father.

Out of respect, I closed the visor of his helmet. This was the only thing I could do.

"You did well."

I don't think he was a failed father at all…Not at all.

I hope I do not have to destroy your corpse like I did with the scholar…I truly hope you are not a monster here… I truly wish for it.

"I do not want to de-!"

I was cut off by my ankle being grabbed by a black hand.

I was dragged down the staircase, and my face collided with the sharp obsidian and left cuts.

"What the heck?!"

I yelled and looked down...Only to find the skeleton of the scholar pulling me down.

"But I destroyed you!"

I was sure of it! I had destroyed the skeleton of this son of a bitch!

"Shit!"

I cursed as multiple hands grabbed my lower body and pulled me down further.

I immediately reacted by using dragon breath and blowing them all away. The darkness in the staircase vanished because of the bright light from my dragon breath.

I scurried upwards as soon as I was free and fired off another dragon breath, this time to completely turn whatever was down there to ash.

I took a deep breath and analyzed the surroundings. The shadows were moving back to their original places after the light from my dragon light vanished. This thing is sentient…

The entire staircase is filled with it, and this thing is sentient. This thing is the cause of what I just experienced. I have a feeling the shadow that was mentioned in the diary was this, and it had a close relationship with the 'plague!'

However…something occurred to me.

"Wait, kni-!"

I hurriedly recalled and turned around, only to be frozen in shock. The knight was right behind me and was…holding his sword back.

The sword was right in front of my face! But it did not descend any further. The skeletal figure of the knight was shaking as he tried to…stop his sword.

He was shaking…black tendrils from the darkness emerged and tried to force the sword down on me. It was using all it had to resist the shadow plague.

I took the chance and froze his skeleton. I completely blocked all movement and unleashed my mana into the surroundings to drive the shadows away.

I can't let these get close to me.

I unfurled my wings and flew towards the stop at max speed. It's dangerous to stay there, I need to clear this trial as soon as possible.

I was using mana to boost myself as well, so I should reach the end of this staircase soon!

My prediction was correct, I could see light! Soon I would reach the end of this accursed staircase.

I increased my speed and rushed to the exit.

However, I stopped just short of it.

"...you."

I muttered as I saw the figure of a young girl sitting at the highest stair. Her appearance was similar to the nun I encountered on the previous floor.

"..."

She still had the rotten flesh of her father stuck between her teeth.

[HEAVENLY SKY SPEAR!]

[HEAVENLY REDEMPTION!]

I sliced her body in half with the Ame-No-Sakahoko, I didn't waste a second.

I exited the staircase and was met with a world of desolate gray.

The notification of clearing the floor appeared soon in front of me.

[You have cleared the 12th floor.]

However, unlike what I expected. I had not been transported to the 13th floor.

The floor started right here.

[You have entered the 13th floor.]

Tens…Tens of thousands of corpses, each with black bones and the power of Shadow emerged from the ground. I unleashed my mana and declared.

"Bring it on."

No matter how many you are, I will kill you all.

*******

"..."

Elijah stared at the girl sitting on the highest stair in silence. He could see the rotten flesh stuck in her teeth…the flesh which was probably her father's.

He climbed the stairs, getting closer to the girl with each step. When he had gotten significantly closer the girl let out a shriek and attacked him. He expertly dodged her attacks and only made a move when she was lower than him.

He let his fire rid the girl of the corruption of the Shadow. He did it so swiftly that the girl became immobile in seconds. With no shadow to control her, she was but a corpse.

Instead of exiting the staircase, he picked up the girl's corpse and made his way down the staircase, again.

He lit himself in flame in order to prevent the shadow from getting closer. He discovered that the shadow hated any form of light, but his fire was something it loathed. It never dared come closer.

He descended the stairs until he reached the corpse of her father, the knight. He had already purified his corpse with his fire.

He silently put the corpse of the girl beside his father.

"..."

*BAM!*

He punched the ground and shattered the obsidian. There, he lit a vibrant flame. A flame that would keep shining as long as his mana didn't die.

"I hope this gives you a moment of respite."

The flame would prevent the shadows from ruining this reunion. He wanted to give the corpses a proper burial but he knew the tower wouldn't let him. He couldn't even put them in his inventory.

He looked at the scene once again and turned his head and climbed the staircase once again. His body was still lit aflame to keep the shadows away.

There was a hidden rage in his eyes as he climbed the staircase.