Beyond the Eternity

Thud! Thud!

Footsteps echoed through the dark passageway.

A silhouette sprinted down the hallway. His raven-black hair swayed with each stride, while his piercing green eyes gleamed with intensity. Dressed in a striking red coat, black pants, and a buttoned black shirt that swirled with his every step, he reminded one of a dangerous specter from another world, one of man and one of monsters, whose very presence exuded both grace and menace.

That mysterious figure was undoubtedly Kim Jakga.

In his hands, he gripped the Silver Magic Gun, Ivory, a firearm that fired magic-infused bullets using his own magical energy. At his side was the Evil Breaking Sword, a blade capable of banishing fiends and spirits into non-existence with a single strike. These were only a few of the many powers and weapons he possessed — tools that would have proved invaluable in any other scenario.

But none of them could save him now.

His pulse raced wildly, his breath coming in erratic gasps. His thoughts flickered in chaotic disarray. It was clear: he wasn't the hunter in this scenario. He was the one being hunted.

Swish! Swish!

Accompanying the chaos of his unrestrained, tremendous sprint, several magical stakes whistled through the air, hurtling straight toward Kim Jakga's retreating back.

Without stopping his flight, he twisted his body back and looked at the incoming projectiles.

He aimed the barrel of Ivory at them and swiftly pulled the trigger in a moment's breath.

Dududududu!

The firearm absorbed both the recoil and the sound of the gunshot, leaving only the faintest, almost imperceptible pop from the barrel, like the sound of a cheap firecracker being ignited. Nevertheless, the magic bullets fired with pinpoint accuracy, effortlessly knocking aside the deadly stakes aimed for his back.

Those stakes had enough force to pierce through one side of a speeding car and emerge from the other. Had they struck their target, his back would have been shredded like fragile parchment caught in a storm of blades.

But where did those deadly attacks come from?

"Ha ha! Where's that bravado you had a few minutes ago? I don't see it anywhere in those fleeing hips! Are you trying to seduce me with your ass!? You're just asking for it!!"

The mocking voice came from the white-haired girl standing a distance away. It was clear she was the "hunter," relishing every moment of the spectacle with sadistic amusement.

Of course, Kim Jakga didn't enjoy this situation whatsoever and was rather irritated.

He then aimed Ivory at the detestable Sister and pulled the trigger thrice, releasing three bullets aimed directly at her forehead.

Or so, he thought.

"...!?"

The magic bullets were repelled in every direction before they could even hit the girl's nose. It was as though an invisible force had deflected them, violently altering their trajectory mid-air.

No, that's exactly what had happened.

Kim Jakga's eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the situation.

Six spectral blades hovered ominously around Superbia's back. Those ethereal weapons had intercepted the bullets, redirecting them before they could reach their mark.

With those blades constantly orbiting her, it would be impossible to bypass her defenses or even touch her skin without facing the sharp sting of their cut.

Did she conjure those blades using Magic? From the flow of mana surrounding them, it seemed she had used Creation Magic to shape them.

What was so special about Creation Magic? As long as one could clearly visualize what they wished to create, they could manifest that imagery from their "visual reality" into the physical world.

Anything could be created through this magic — whether weapons, furniture, or even living beings.

But that would pose a problem for him if she could create anything she wished. What would happen if she imagined something of immeasurable weight hovering above his head? Wouldn't he be completely screwed in such a scenario?

What was stopping Superbia from doing exactly that?

With just one look, I can tell the power behind those blades are somewhat lacking. Those things shouldn't be a huge issue if I'm carefully enough.

Having a good visualization is key to transcendence along the «Path of Mysteries», but what's the point if you don't have enough 'status' to manipulate the world with your thoughts?"

Kim Jakga's shoulders remained relaxed. He wasn't concerned about such a scenario, as it seemed highly unlikely, especially coming from someone like her.

There were three primary paths for an individual to gain true strength and acquire divinity in Song of the Fall:

«The Path of Ascension», «The Path of Transcendence of Heart and Body», and «The Path of Mysteries»

Acquiring divinity by becoming a Constellation (神星) and climbing up the divine ladder through building your Personal Myth. Acquiring divinity by transcending both the Mind and the Body through Martial Arts (神术). Acquiring divinity by mastering the art of Mysteries (魔法) and becoming a Demon God.

Just like the Path of Ascension, both the Path of Transcendence of Heart and Body, and the Path of Mysteries each have four main stages of progression.

For the Path of Transcendence of Heart and Body, the stages are: Martial Expert, Martial Saint, Martial King, and Martial God.

Whereas, for the Path of Mysteries, the stages are: Fourth Cycle Sorcerer, Third Cycle Sorcerer, Second Cycle Sorcerer, and First Cycle Sorcerer, which was equivalent to becoming a God of Magic.

With that in mind, the person in front of him wasn't even a Fourth Cycle Magician. If she truly possessed the power of one, she should be comparable to a Heroic Constellation.

Fortunately, that was not the case or else he would have been completely screwed.

Even then, how was he going to defeat this woman?

He had the option to use that 'power,' but he had no intention of doing so. The consequences of unleashing such power in this place were uncertain, and he feared drawing the attention of those 'things.'

In the worst-case scenario, he would be forced to use 'that' to save himself. But until the situation left him no choice, he would rely on the cards already in his hand to survive.

"Tch. Tch. Tch. I don't like that expression of yours at all."

Superbia clicked her tongue three times as though there was something she found unpleasant.

"Your expression is still full of defiance. It seems I'll need to break you down a little more before I drown you in utter despair. Ah, yes. Such an ending will be perfect for an arrogant bastard like you!"

Still smiling, the Sister of Darkness swung up her white hand. She swung up that hand that held the power of Mysteries.

The six spectral blades floating behind her shifted, their tips now pointed directly at Kim Jakga. Slowly, they morphed into stakes, spinning at an astonishing speed like an industrial drill, generating enough force to whip the air around them. It was an assault that gathered the strength of the wind in the surrounding space.

Swish!

The stakes shot toward Kim Jakga in a straight line, moving past the speed of a bullet.

Kim Jakga had already anticipated that move. He had enough time to learn her attack patterns. With precise timing, he shifted his body, evading the deadly projectiles without a scratch. Seizing the opening, he charged toward Superbia, unleashing a barrage of magic bullets in her direction.

His attacks were effortlessly deflected by the blades that hovered by her side, but that had already been factored into his plan.

Out of the six blades, only two remained near her, while the other four had been launched.

From his observations, it took her at least 3.5 seconds to generate additional blades using her magic power.

The sister didn't appear to be much of a close-quarters fighter, likely more of a long-range type. If he could close the distance between them and enter her space, his victory would be assured.

The source of his confidence was the Evil Breaking Sword he had pulled of his dimensional coat in one hand. The sword that can banish any creatute of darkness into non-existence.

If Superbia, created from the dark power of the Darkness Witch, was cut down by that sword, that truth would be realised.

What matter was how fast he could close the distance before she summoned more blades to attack.

However, there was something that bothered him. It was the fact that the sister was still smiling.

A kind of smile that oozed confidence, as if she had the entire situation under her control.

Was there something she was hiding up her sleeve? Or was she trying to cover up her unease?

"....?!"

On his third step, Kim Jakga sensed that something was wrong. The attacks that had flown past him were now hurtling back in his direction.

What? She can still manipulate those stakes even after they've been launched?

Before he could react, the four stakes sped toward him at blinding velocity. They were too close to avoid, and with a sickening thud, they sank deep into his body.

"Argghh!"

He screamed in agony and collapsed to the cold, ashen floor, rolling like a wounded animal.

Superbia laughed,

"Hohoho! Oh, you pitiful fool. Is this really all you can do? How can someone with such a big mouth lack the strength to back it up? Isn't that what we call a loose mouth?"

Kim Jakga laughed through his clenched teeth.

"Aren't you the one with the loose mouth? Don't get too smug just because you caught me off guard once."

"I wonder how you can say that while squirming on the floor like a filthy pig. As I thought, it looks like I need to teach you a lesson."

Four more blades materialized mid-air behind her. They swiftly adjusted and aimed their sharp tips at him once again.

"Since all you can do is flee, spout empty words, and squirm on the ground like a pig, then make sure to dance for me. At the end of your punishment, you shall pathetically prostrate yourself and grovel before me!"

Swish! Swish!

The stakes were hurled like daggers, flying toward Kim Jakga with deadly precision, aimed directly at his vitals.

Before they could pin him down, Kim Jakga leaped away from the ground, barely dodging the stake that embedded itself into that spot with a sharp thud.

He raised Ivory and fired, dismantling the stakes flying toward him. Just as he was about to release another round of magic bullets, the unmistakable sound of gears turning and locking echoed from somewhere nearby.

'Wait... Isn't that...?'

Before he could complete that single thought....

Thwish!

Steel arrows emerged from somewhere behind him. He managed to dodge a few, but not without taking hits to his sides and shoulder.

"Ach!"

He groaned unable to let out a single scream, but his misfortune didn't end there. Countless more arrows appeared from behind, while stakes shot toward him from the front.

Caught in a crossfire, with attacks coming from both the front and the back, he realized too late the precariousness of his situation.

Wait....n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

For that split second, a single thought crossed his mind.

Superbia still held administrative control over the House. What was stopping her from exploiting it?

Absolutely nothing.

'Damnit!'

He tried to dodge and shot down as many as he could, but his plan fell apart in a spectacular manner. One by one, the arrows and stakes pierced his body.

His back, arms, legs, thighs, stomach, right eye, and neck... his entire body was impaled by the relentless barrage.

"Hah...hah...hah..."

Blood seeped from his wounds, pooling on the floor in a dark crimson sea. His legs gave way, and he collapsed, his body crumpling into the blood-soaked ground. It almost looked like he was kneeling before some higher power, begging for mercy, or perhaps a fallen soldier caught in the aftermath of battle.

Either way, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to lift a single finger, let alone continue fighting.

He had been defeated—put simply, he had lost.