The acid burned through my mouth, but all I could do was grin as I watched the monster halt its attack. Yes, it hurt, but it was worth it—worth it to see genuine horror plastered across the beast's face. I could feel the liquid digging into my flesh, its corrosive properties already chipping away at my jaw. My grin looked more like a waterfall of liquid flesh dripping from my mouth. I could feel my throat beginning to burn as the beast's flesh made its way down into my stomach. It felt as if I were being choked from the inside, pieces of burnt and rotten flesh getting caught and lodged in holes that weren't supposed to exist in my neck.

  The beast above me took a few steps back; it seemed to have decided to wait for me to perish on my own before infecting me. A dead target is easier. I stared at the beast with my singular eye. Contempt filled my mind as the beast watched me suffer. The creature was enjoying watching me die a slow, miserable death.

  My vision blurred in my remaining eye as the darkness around me enveloped my mind and soul.

  I awoke in a place of complete darkness. I was no longer in the cave.

  I could feel that my eye was back and my body had healed. There was no pain, no injury; I was fine.

  Where was I? How had I been healed?

  Other than me, there was one other person in the darkness. In front of me stood the red figure I had seen before. It glowed faintly. Its pitch-black eyes and flawless red skin stood out amid the endless darkness. He... or she — it was hard to tell — had dark, stone-like horns that reflected a light that did not exist here. Their skin seemed smooth, yet also scaly. I watched the figure closely; its form seemed to shift depending on how I viewed it.

  All the figure did was stare.

  It stared into my very soul, and what lay behind its eyes was terrifying. I could sense pain and destruction—the feeling of absolute dread. The creature was afraid of something. Its face distorted into an awful shape as a terrible scream tore from its mouth. The screech rang through the darkness, echoing across the endless expanse.

  I covered my ears as the noise pierced my brain, making them feel as if they were going to explode. The creature extended its hand, pointing at me.

  Wait... no. It wasn't pointing at me; it was pointing at something behind where I stood.

  I turned my head at an unnatural speed, straining my neck to see what the figure was looking at. I searched the darkness, and in the distance I saw something standing still. I couldn't make out what it was, but it shone in the dark with a radiant red—brighter than even the figure in front of me.

  Looking back at the red-skinned person, I saw it shaking uncontrollably. Its horrid screams had stopped, but its rotten teeth chattered while crimson tears flowed from its black eyes.

  I turned again and saw that the distant figure had moved closer. It seemed to have travelled an unfathomable distance in an instant. It was still far away, but some features were now visible. Long white hair fell well below its shoulders. Pale skin glistened and sparkled. Its red glow blazed with even more ferocity than before, illuminating even the darkness we dwelled in.

  I stood still, keeping my eyes on the beautiful figure in the distance. It did not move—not even a sway. It only stood there, looking toward me.

  Behind me, the red-skinned figure sobbed. The clattering of its teeth filled the silence of the void.

  "No, it cannot be!" the red figure shouted in a distorted voice. "How could you possibly have followed me to this place?"

  The white-haired person did not move.

  "I will not allow this... not after what you have done," the red figure continued.

  "This is the end, before your beginning," it said, suddenly appearing before me.

  Its right hand shot up and wrapped around my neck. I was lifted off the imaginary ground, my throat tightening. I kicked and gasped, trying to escape the red-skinned monster. I hit its chiselled abs, but even kicking with all my might, it did not flinch. I scratched at its face, clawing at anything that might make it let go. It was useless; my efforts only made its grip tighten. Tears ran down my face as I wheezed, being choked.

  I looked behind it, searching for the figure from before. She hadn't moved from where she stood. She was still watching everything unfold.

  I don't know if she could see my face or hear my voice, but I begged. I pleaded.

  My eyes asked for help, and I managed to choke out a few words.

  "Pl-Please save me..."

  Tears flowed freely. I thought I had accepted death, but I was still afraid.

  I don't want to die. Not yet.

  A flash of red light blinded me as the glowing figure in the distance suddenly disappeared. The red-skinned creature flinched, releasing its grip. It covered its eyes, screaming in agony.

  I dropped to my knees, gasping for air. I stayed still, regaining my composure, but also being too scared, not daring to look behind me at the source of the light.

  The red monster began to resist the glow and grabbed me again.

  It seized me by the hair, yanking me backward. I yelped as strands tore from my scalp. It brought its nails to my neck, and before my eyes, they extended and sharpened—the cold, black tips pressed against my skin, drawing blood with the slightest touch.

  "Move, and I'll kill her," the red creature said.

  I froze, ensnared and completely under its control.

  The white-haired person now stood only a few meters away.

  It was a girl with elegant, flowing white hair and beautiful curves. She looked remarkably like me— from her body shape to the exact colour of her hair. But her face was hidden behind a fox-like mask. The mask bore a long black smile near the bottom, with two pointed fangs protruding from it. It was outlined in gold, except for the top, which was completely golden. The mask's face was white, with pale stripes along the cheeks. In the center were two eye holes.

  I couldn't see her real eyes.

  Within those openings, there was only darkness.

  I couldn't make out any features above her neck, but below was clear. She was clothed—unlike me, who had been naked this entire time. She wore a well-made dark kimono that reached her ankles, engraved with intricate floral designs winding across the fabric. Two red scarves wrapped around her waist, securing them in place. On her feet were fine geta and soft socks. Her hair was tied into a neat bun, held in place by a majestic hairpin.

  Her hands rested calmly at her sides. On her left wrist, she wore a glove made of what looked like hardened leather, covering only that portion of her arm. The most interesting part of her was not her outfit. Though it was stunning, what truly caught my eye was what rested at her right waist.

  She carried a sword. Its sheath was crimson, with gold streaks running down its side. The hilt was pitch-black, with golden stones embedded within it.

  She took a step forward, and as she did, I felt the monster's claw dig deeper into my neck.

  "I said don't move!"

  The red-skinned figure backed away slightly.

  "You are strong, but in here, your power is suppressed, isn't it?" Laughter erupted above me, sending jolts through my body as its amusement caused its nails to grind deeper into my flesh.

  The woman did not move. She stood before us as the red-skinned beast laughed. The creature's hand slid to the back of my neck as it lifted me again. Kicking and struggling changed nothing; its grip remained firm against my throat.

  In front of me, the beautiful woman shifted slightly, her hand moving toward her blade.

  "I swear it upon my name, Orobas—upon my standing as a Demon King—I will not allow this traitor to survive!"

  The red demon's voice boomed. Echoes rippled through the darkness, and the crimson glow surrounding Orobas intensified. The King drew back his arm while holding my body aloft.

  A flash of light streaked toward me as the woman unsheathed her blade. She cast the master-crafted sheath aside. It struck the dark floor, sliding before dissolving into black smoke and vanishing from the physical realm.

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  The woman dashed forward at a speed I could barely comprehend, gripping her weapon with both hands. It was a katana. The blade was as dark as the void itself, yet within it, millions of tiny lights flickered. It pierced through Orobas's red aura, emitting a radiance of its own—a light filled with a spectrum of colours. Blue. White. Red. Purple. Orange. Even black.

  "Too slow!"

  His arm thrust into my back.

  Pain exploded through my body. My vision dimmed. Blood splattered from my mouth onto the floor. Below me, I saw the King's hand—completely impaled through my stomach. In his grasp were my intestines. Blood poured from the wound like a waterfall.

  I looked at the woman, who had frozen for a fraction of a second, then back at the Demon King.

  A smirk stretched across his face.

  He tossed me aside, ripping his hand free from my torso.

  He brought my intestines to his mouth and bit down.

  "I love the taste of young demon, don't you?"

  The woman did not answer. Instead, she dashed toward me.

  I was bleeding out, but I was not dead.

  She loomed over me, the black sockets of her mask staring into my eyes. She knelt, placing her hand over the gaping hole in my abdomen. A brilliant light manifested from her palm. A strange warmth spread through me, sending shivers down my spine.

  I reached toward my wound. The bleeding had stopped. The pain was manageable.

  But a piece of me was still missing.

  "You're only delaying the inevitable. She will still die from that injury," the red demon chuckled. "I allowed you that much so she can watch what I am about to do to you."

  The King stood confidently now, its earlier fear completely gone.

  Its back began to bubble. Skin split and tore. From the ruptured flesh, massive bone wings erupted, dragging muscle and blood with them. The King did not react to the agony. Its arms ripped open, revealing elongated, razor-sharp blades. Its horns grew larger, twisting upward. Its face warped as enormous fangs extended from its mouth.

  "Here, you are nothing—and I am complete!" the demon roared, lunging at the woman.

  Both arm-blades crashed down in an instant.

  She raised her katana to meet the strike.

  "Clang."

  Her blade moved like water, deflecting the attack with perfect precision, striking Orobas's weapons at the exact angle to knock him off balance. She pivoted to the side as his redirected blades plunged into the dark floor, sending violent shockwaves through the air and ground. The void trembled.

  The blast hurled her backward. She flipped gracefully through the air, her kimono flowing behind her, and landed lightly.

  She lowered into a stance, blade angled down behind her. The katana shimmered in the darkness, its colours rippling like paint across an empty canvas.

  Silence fell.

  The two powerhouses faced one another, neither giving breath nor ground.

  She stepped forward.

  The Demon King grunted, bracing himself.

  In an instant, light exploded across the battlefield—a streak of rainbow brilliance. The only sound was the rapid clatter of her geta against the dark floor as she surged forward. Wind burst outward from her movement.

  Her katana rose from below her waist to above her head, poised for a downward strike.

  She began her descent.

  Orobas lifted both blades to block.

  At the last possible moment, she twisted her wrists, turning the katana. The downward strike became a horizontal slash.

  A feint.

  Orobas reacted too late. He backstepped desperately as her blade carved through the air, barely missing its target. His wings flapped violently, propelling him farther away.

  Yet a deep gash tore open across his chest.

  "Impossible!" Orobas shouted as the wound sealed itself almost instantly.

  His expression darkened.

  "An invisible extended slash? How disgraceful."

  Orobas beat his wings and rose into the sky.

  "Your sword is all you have."

  He circled her from above, wings generating violent gusts. With each powerful flap, blades of compressed wind shot toward her.

  She dashed again, weaving through the battlefield to evade the slicing currents. The attacks moved faster than sound. One struck the ground just ahead of her, detonating with enough force to send her tumbling.

  She landed on one knee, driving her sword into the ground to steady herself. Using it as leverage, she rose again.

  More wind shrieked toward her.

  Her white hair had fallen loose from its bun, strands whipping wildly across her face.

  Her arms trembled as she raised her sword above her head, angling it toward the incoming barrage. The blade's glow intensified.

  The wind blades descended relentlessly.

  Steel met storm.

  The deafening clash of her katana against the raging wind made my ears ring. Each impact forced her back a step, but none broke her guard. She tilted her blade, redirecting one shrieking gust into the ground. Another followed—she deflected it as well.

  "You can't stop them all," Orobas laughed, unleashing a torrent of wind strikes.

  She did not retreat.

  Instead, she stepped forward.

  bending her knees, bracing as the rain of destruction fell upon her.

  My eyes struggled to track the speed of the wind, but from the shockwaves each strike created, I knew that even one carried enough power to split a boulder in half.

  And what astonished me most—

  was that she never once considered dodging.

  She drove her sword forward toward the incoming wind blades. A dazzling light blasted from where she stood. The rainbow of colours blinded me, blocking my vision of the fight. All I could do was listen. The sound of destruction filled the abyss. Metal collided with air, sending whirlwinds in every direction. I felt the sharp winds cut into my skin, leaving small drops of blood to slide down my barren body.

  "Just give up and perish!" the Demon King shouted, rage filling his voice as he continued to rain down wind slashes. With each flap of his wings, a new blade formed. Orobas sent down dozens of them, ensuring absolute destruction. The King heaved as he began to descend from the sky, fumbling slightly as he touched down.

  The light from where the woman stood began to dwindle, the rainbow being absorbed back into its center. As the glow retracted, it revealed the aftermath of the barrage. At the center of a massive crater, the woman stood tall. Fractured streaks of rainbow light bent and shimmered, filling the dark pit carved by the wind blades. Her kimono had been torn and slashed, revealing her pale skin. Blood dripped from numerous small wounds along her body, pooling beneath her feet. Her golden fox mask was cracked, pieces breaking away from its surface.

  Her breathing was ragged.

  So was the King's.

  She looked toward Orobas, who had begun to rise into the air once more.

  "How—how did you survive all that?" the King demanded, his eyes wide, his hands trembling with fury. "I didn't even sense any magic. Did you stop them all with just your sword?"

  The question lingered in the air.

  "Answer me!" Orobas roared. Rage echoed in his voice as he cursed and hurled insults at her.

  The woman did not react. Instead, she steadied her breathing and prepared herself once more.

  "Fine then. I will burn you until there's nothing left! I will burn your blood until it boils. I'll burn your body until nothing remains but ash. I'll even burn your very soul, so that you can never find peace!"

  The Demon King's face began to distort and split—the sound of muscles tearing and bones snapping filled my ears. I watched as his features elongated, stretching forward into a lizard-like shape. Blood flowed from his mouth as red scales spread across his skin, forming a hardened pattern over his body. His bone wings creaked as thin membranes stretched between them, filling the hollow gaps.

  Orobas tilted his head back and roared.

  The sound was so deafening that I had to cover my ears.

  In this new form, the King looked down upon the battered white-haired woman. His draconic wings flapped powerfully, propelling him forward.

  The steadied her feet as the Demon King flew toward her.

  Orobas charged and rammed into her.

  She tried to dodge, but he was too fast. She was struck, though she managed to bring her sword up in time to defend herself. Even so, the impact was overwhelming. Despite her guard, she was launched dozens of meters away. She tumbled across the ground before finally coming to a stop.

  Orobas took to the air again, racing toward her once more.

  Where I lay, I could feel my mind beginning to weaken. The hole in my body, though partially healed, was taking its toll. The darkness around me felt strangely calming. It made me want to close my eyes.

  But I had to stay awake.

  I needed to see what happened.

  Forcing my vision back to the battlefield, I watched as Orobas closed the distance between them.

  The King hovered above the woman; red saliva dripped from its mouth. When it touched the dark floor, a sizzling sound erupted.

  The Demon King roared as it brought its head back. Its stomach began to expand, and light began to glow from its underbelly. Its nostrils flared, dark smoke escaping.

  From Orobas's jaws, fire poured down upon the white-haired woman.

  She dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding the flames. The Demon King did not stop its onslaught, continuing to fire upon her. She kept dodging — but was eventually struck in the side by the scorching flames.

  She flinched as more fire rained down, her hip charred a deep black. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as she rolled away from the incoming fire.

  The woman panted.

  The fire finally stopped.

  The Demon King hovered above, looking down upon the injured woman. Roaring, it began to suck in all that was within a dozen meters of itself.

  Sweat dripped from my brow as the temperature in the void increased. My skin burned slightly from Orobas's presence alone.

  From where the King hovered, a giant sphere of molten plasma and lava began to form.

  The ball grew massive over a few seconds, matching the King's height and length.

  On the floor, the injured woman stood silently, staring into the ball of magma. Her outfit was ruined—all except for her mask, which stayed completely intact. Its gold surface reflected the sphere's bright orange glow, illuminating her figure.

  At her side, a golden light formed.

  Her sheath reformed.

  She brought her sword down and sheathed it completely. The blade's smooth shriek sent a shiver through me. With it, the rainbow light grew small, only shining slightly around her body.

  She brought her hand to her wrist, where she was burned. A slight golden glow sprouted before fading a second later.

  Her once-burnt skin had returned to its normal pale shade.

  On her back, another light formed; from it, a quiver appeared. It held more than two dozen arrows.

  She pulled an arrow from the quiver, rubbing its base. The arrow had a pure black shaft, with flaming red feathers lining the end. At the front, the metal was ignited in a dark black flame, which made the air itself boil.

  In her other hand, a majestic bow formed.

  It matched the arrows, with a deep black base and two burning red feathers lining its ends. But it had unique aspects as well. The black base had golden carvings that I could not make out. The gold seemed to move within the material itself, making the bow seem alive.

  From above, the flaming ball hovered, its dark orange colour beginning to transform into a bright blue.

  Orobas was focused on the creation of the magma sphere—but at the sight of the bow, its eyes widened.

  The Demon King roared as it prepared to launch death toward the woman.

  On the other side, the woman drew her arrow.

  The black flame at the end exploded, forming a wall of fire in front of her. The heat was immense, my already burnt skin beginning to bubble.

  The sphere and arrow sent shockwaves through the void; their mere presence alone exerted immense pressure. I could feel myself being pushed down as the air started to take on weight.

  I could barely stay conscious.

  And the two powerhouses hadn't even released their attacks yet.

  I waited as Demon King Orobas and the white-haired woman charged up to deliver their attacks.

  Orobas reeled back, bringing the flaming ball higher into the air.

  The King thrust forward, releasing its grip on the blue sphere.

  The woman watched the frenzied ball of magma race toward her as she pulled her arrow back. She held the string and arrow with two gentle fingers. Her movements were smooth and precise, stretching the glistening string to its limit.

  Her body glowed brighter.

  The lava sphere grew closer.

  Her fingers pulled away as she released the black flame arrow.

  White hair danced along her mask—

  And the two calamity-like attacks struck one another,

  Enveloping the void in a blinding light.