Beyond the Eternity

The blow that should have ended Miyuki's life never came. The crushing anticipation of death lingered for an eternity, but there was no impact, no pain, no final release. Instead, an eerie silence descended upon the passage.

The cane was definitely swung, but her head was still intact. Somehow, by some miracle, she was still alive.

'Huh? What?'

Shocked and confused, Miyuki slowly opened her eyes and raised her head. She expected to see her apparent end, but what she saw was far stranger.

Luxuzia, the cruel individual who had so callously toyed with her life moments ago, now stood frozen in place. Her cane that was poised for a killing strike hung limply in her grasp. Her playful demeanor had evaporated, replaced by an expression of pure shock.

To Miyuki, the expression seemed sudden and completely out of place, one that didn't align with her character at all.

"What the hell is this nonsense? All of them were defeated? Impossible! Weren't they winning their previous battles? No, this doesn't make any sense at all!"

Her fingers clenched tightly around the cane, the wood creaking ominously under her grip. "Ah, yes... That's it! Those cruel sisters of mine, those witches! They're playing a prank on me. Yes, that must be it! They want me to look like a fool! How typical!"

She forced out a laughter as though she was trying to convince herself. "Yes, yes, that's all this is. A ridiculous prank! Nothing more! I refuse to believe this! I won't be fooled by your tricks!"

Miyuki, who was still trembling on the floor, stared at Luxuzia, dumbfounded.

The seemingly invincible woman who had toyed with her like a predator with its prey now seemed vulnerable, shaken to her core as though she had seen something incomprehensible.

What could have reduced her to such a pitiful state?

The moment she thought that—

Ding!

A soft, bell-like chime echoed inside Miyuki's head, followed by a system notification that materialized in her line of vision.

[The hunter, Flame of Greed, has been eliminated.]

[The hunter, Flame of Envy, has been eliminated.]

"W-What is this?" Miyuki whispered, then groaned.

Confusion clouded her thoughts, but the throbbing pain radiating from her injured right arm made it almost impossible to think clearly.

But the messages didn't stop.

[The hunter, Flame of Gluttony, has been eliminated.]

[The hunter, Flame of Wrath, has been eliminated.]

[The hunter, Flame of Sloth, has been eliminated.]

[The hunter, Flame of Pride, has been eliminated.]

One by one, the messages began to appear infront of her eyes.

Miyuki, momentarily stunned by the sudden flood of information, struggled to process what was happening. Then, realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

The Sisters were defeated.

The very enemies that had ruthlessly torn through her group were gone, and their statuses were announced by the system.

But how?

Miyuki's mind raced.

She couldn't imagine they'd been saved by a miraculous intervention. Could the small shadow that fled from Luxuzia have somehow played a part? That thought seemed far-fetched.

No. Deep down, she dismissed that completely possibility.

Could it be... that they had won using their own strength?

Wait.... Ahjussi?

Her thoughts immediately turned to Kim Jakga. She remembered the Star Contract she had formed with him, making her his "Avatar." He wasn't a Constellation himself, yet he still managed to become her sponsor. She didn't understand the mechanics of how it worked, but there was one thing that didn't sit right with her.

If he were truly dead, wouldn't that mean the Star Contract between them would have been severed?

Without wasting another moment, Miyuki opened the system interface and scanned through her information.

Ignoring everything else, she honed in on one important detail.

[Star Contract: Kim Jakga]

There it was. As expected, Kim Jakga was still listed as her Star Contract. But wasn't he supposed to be dead?

That could only mean one thing.

He's alive.

The fact that his name hadn't disappeared from the Star Contract section of the system interface solidified that truth. If he was alive, then most likely, the rest of the group was alive too.

So everyone is alive... I'm glad.

Had Miyuki Kuroi glanced at a mirror in that moment, she would have noticed the faint smile on her face.

Despite the lingering worry in her heart, the fear that the people she had come to know and care for might have perished, she couldn't suppress the relief and happiness that came with the realization they were still alive.

That truth pierced through the darkness of her despair with a brilliant light.

That truth filled her heart, on the verge of collapse, with newfound courage.

Slowly, Miyuki gathered her strength and rose from the ground. She stood upright, cradling her dislocated arm, and fixed her gaze on her opponent, Luxuzia, who was frantically muttering to herself, seemingly typing reality away in denial.

"Hey! What are you doing over there?" Miyuki called out.

"What?"

Luxuzia's wild, unfocused eyes snapped to Miyuki. Her expression twisted with frustration.

"What did you just say?"

"Didn't you hear me? I asked if it's possible to act all high and mighty, only to end up on the losing side. It must really suck to be you."

"... Shut the hell up! Who do you think you're talking to, you little brat?!" Luxuzia snarled with venom like a serpant baring its poisonous fangs.

"Ah, that's a good question," Miyuki replied, a faint smirk forming on her lips. "Who am I talking to? A b*tch or a sore loser? Which one fits better?"

"You dare... You dare...!"

A dark aura slowly seeped from Luxuzia's shoulders, and the entire passage trembled violently under the immense pressure.

She gritted her teeth.

"Fine! Since you're so eager to leave this world, then I would grant your request. But I'll leave you with a parting gift before you descend into hell!"

She began reciting a chant,

"Tutto è composto dai cinque elementi. Il quinto dei cinque elementi. Apriti, simbolo di caos e discordia, 'Gru della Sfortuna'. (Everything is made of the five elements. The fifth of the five elements. Open up, symbol of chaos and discord, 'Cane of Misfortune')

"Una delle idole che obbedisce ai sussurri dell'Abisso e al potere della Croce Distorta, connettendosi alle anime dannate e ai cuori perduti. (One of the idols that obeys the whispers of the Abyss and the power of the Twisted Cross, connecting to the souls of the damned and the hearts of the lost.)"

Finishing with the chant, Luxuzia raised her cane. This time, she aimed it at Miyuki as though it were a weapon.

Then, with a sharp swing to the side—

Slam!

Miyuki's body jerked violently as an invisible force struck her from behind, nearly sending her sprawling. She barely had a moment to gasp before Luxuzia swung again.

Slam!

The next blow hit her from the side, the impact forcing the air from her lungs.

"Argghh!"

Miyuki cried out in pain and struggled to remain upright as the throbbing pain spread throughout her body. The strikes continued mercilessly.

Slam!

Her body quaked under the onslaught, trembling to the right.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Slam!

A blow to the back of her head sent her lurching forward.

Slam!

Another strike from the left, then the right.

Slam! Slam! Slam!

Luxuzia showed no signs of stopping. She swung the cane again and again, each movement unleashing invisible attacks that battered Miyuki from every direction. There was no reprieve, no chance to defend or escape.

Miyuki couldn't pinpoint the origin of the attacks, nor could she predict their erratic paths. Even if she could, her weakened body lacked the strength to dodge.

In a matter of moments, she became a living punching bag, that received Luxuzia's gift of pain without resistance.

Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, and her legs wobbled under the strain.

Even so, Miyuki refused to fall nor did she show any signs of weakness.

Luxuzia sneered. "What's the matter? Not so cocky now, are you? You pathetic little brat! How does the taste of discipline feel?!"

But even as her body screamed in agony, Miyuki's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Why are you so confident... with just this?"

"Oh, is that your feeble attempt to act tough?"

"You tell me. I'm still standing, aren't I? Or are you proud with yourself at just this much?"

"As expected, that mouth is still rather loose! Truly, I admire your spirit, but spirit without strength is meaningless. At this point, you're practically begging for more punishment! Don't blame me when you start to cry, okay~!"

Luxuzia shrieked, then she slammed the cane into the marble floor, creating a heavy impact.

Miyuki felt a heavy wave of premonition at her back, and Instinctively, she leaped sideways, rolling across the floor to avoid the unseen blow. BAM! The floor erupted in a shower of dust and debris, a massive crater appearing where she had just been standing. An invisible force had slammed into the ground with the force of a Western cannonball.

That attack was far more potent than the previous ones. Without a doubt, she would have been crushed if she hadn't reacted in time.

But how was she attacking?

Miyuki had no idea what kind of attack it was. She only knew it had something to do with mana – the very mana emanating from the cane Luxuzia held.

"That cane...?!"

"Hehehe! It seems you've finally noticed. Do you know there's an existence of something wonderful called 'Magic'? It's when you convert your spiritual energy into mana and channel it into the world to create a phenomenon. Despite being simple enough, there are countless branches of magic which would be troublesome to explain. So make sure to pay attention!"

Luxuzia twisted the silver handle of the cane twice, and then slammed it into the ground. Miyuki tried running away where she came, but Luxuzia gently swung her cane to the side and "overpowered" her attempt.

Dong!

An heavy impact echoed as Miyuki's leg was struck, sending a jolt of excruciating pain up her limb. Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor.

But there was no time to rest or scream. Luxuzia raised the cane and slammed into the ground with all her might.

Not good....!

Miyuki instinctively threw herself to the side, rolling across the rough floor. By sheer luck, she managed to escape the brunt of the devastating blow, barely evading in time.

Or so she thought.

Pow!

The attack she had seemingly dodged grazed her right side, leaving a gash that spilled crimson.

"ARRRGGHHHH!"

Miyuki's scream echoed through the passage as she staggered, clutching her side. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. The pain flared and spread from the fresh wound. The wound itself wasn't deep enough to be life-threatening, but the burning sensation and the steady flow of blood slowly drained her strength.

"Hey, did you really think my attacks would be easy to dodge?"

Luxuzia's voice was cold, devoid of emotion, as she casually swung the cane.

"You've probably noticed by now. There's a slight delay between the command and the actual execution of the attack. A minor hiccup, really, with an incredibly simple solution. All I have to do is predict where you'll move and set the attacks there beforehand. You'll end up dodging straight into danger without knowing any better. Of course, predicting every single movement is tedious, so…"

Luxuzia's lips curled into a cruel, exaggerated smile.

"I just set up multiple attacks in advance and let you do the rest. Like this!"

From her back pocket, she pulled out something shiny.

A knife.

It resembled a kitchen knife she had randomly grabbed before coming here.

Its blade didn't seem particularly sharp; at best, it could only cut through fruits, vegetables, or anything soft enough to be easily sliced.

Even so—

"....?!"

Miyuki's eyes widened in horror. She was already battered and struggling under Luxuzia's relentless assaults with the crane. Now, the sight of the knife filled her entire body with terror. A lethal weapon like that would definitely make things worse, and she had no doubt Luxuzia intended to use it with malice.

Acting on pure instinct, Miyuki turned and bolted, forcing her battered body into a desperate sprint.

Luxuzia watched with an amused glint in her eyes before she raised the knife and scraped it deliberately against the cane.

Shhhrk!

A phenomenon erupted behind Miyuki as she ran as a terrifying force shredded the muscle fibers along her back. The pain didn't hit immediately; for a single, agonizing second, there was only the sensation of tearing.

Then it came.

"GYAAA...AAAAAAHHHHH!"