The pain in her neck was quick, and Kalika couldn't feel anything at all. Her vision started to go dark even though she wasn't closing her eyes.
"No, No, No, No, No, No, No!!" It became apparent to her quickly that she was dying, but she didn't want to die. Just as she had everything in her grasp, she didn't want to be consumed by darkness. "I don't wanna die. Please. No. I want to live! I… I."
"I refused to die. I refused to die. I refused to die." The same thought desperately of not wanting to die played over and over and over again like record on repeat, all throughout her mind and all throughout her body.
"I...."
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!" Kalika Suddenly found herself shouting out loud with tears in her eye and Lillian's finger seemingly still on her.
Both Kalika and Lillian looked at each other befuddled. Lillian's cheek instantly became flush as she blurted out a chuckle. Kalika could only look on in confusion, as she didn't understand what had just happened.
Lillian smiled, backing off of Kalika and seating herself on the balcony railing. She cocked her head with a knowing smile at Kalika.
"W-what's-" with a snap of Lillian's finger, Kalika was suddenly engulfed in a torrent of flames. She screamed in agony as she felt her own skin melting off her. The pain was unbearable for Kalika, and she was forced to bear the pain until, once again, the darkness finally reached her once more.
Like before, Kalika awakened with the caveat that her dress was completely burnt. Kalika was taken aback by this and started covering herself. "M-my dress!"
Kalika looked back in terror at Lillian, finding her completely blushing as she covered her mouth with her hands. Lillian removed her hands from her mouth to show an expression of absolute bliss. "T-thank God," Lillian said, almost becoming giddy.
"W-what's going on?" Kalika muttered.
Kalika knew what she felt was too real. She understood that there was no way it could be a premonition, especially with her dress completely burned. Was she being revived somehow?
Lillian started chuckling some more. "Never in my life have I ever felt so blessed. What a wonderful gift." Lillian smiled excitedly at Kalika.
Without warning, Lillian flicked her fingers downwards for Kalika to find a sudden darkness, only for her to awaken, like the times before. Lillian flicked her fingers again. This time, certain parts of Kalika's body went numb; Kalika could see her arm was now gone, followed by delayed pain. Kalika looked on in horror before she found that she was unable to feel her entire body followed by darkness once again.
Again. And again. And again. And again. From intervals of sudden darkness to sudden and painful numbness into the constant awakening. There was no doubt in Kalika's mind. She was being killed constantly and being completely revived and healed.
The sheer amount of time Lillian was killing her was maddening. The pain was maddening. Lillian's sadistic expression, as she laughed each time she'd killed Kalika, was absolutely maddening. Kalika couldn't take it anymore as she attempted to plead. But each and every time, she'd only be killed before she was able to say a word.
"S… S… St…. Stop it…. Ple… Please!!" Kalika finally pleads after such a long time. Lillian stopped shortly after. She looked at Kalika lovingly. Lillian just waited patiently as Kalika cried uncontrollably. She sat in her completely ruined cut and burnt dress.
"I-I'm sorry. Please. Stop. I'm sorry. P-please. Just kill me already. I don't want to feel it. It hurts… so bad… Please… Stop reviving me…" Kalika had enough. She didn't want to suffer through all the pain Lillian was giving her.
Lillian continued to look at her pitiful sister, still smiling. At this point, Kalika was waiting for Lillian's response. After a few moments, Lillian finally said something.
"Reviving you? I haven't done a thing. Hehehe."
Kalika was surprised by this fact. "Besides… Why would I forgive you? After everything you've done?" Dread filled Kalika's heart soon after hearing those last few cold words.
Lillian continued, "You're gonna be my toy to play with. Each and every day. We're going to have a lot of fun together." Hearing those words sent chills down Kalika's spine. She was absolutely terrified. And the worst part was that Kalika knew she was absolutely powerless to do anything.
"I-is God punishing me. Is this his retribution?" The Thought that this was God's way of punishing Kalika became just as terrifying as her now demonic sister.
Despite knowing that she was completely outmatched, she opted to run away. Like a switch in her brain, Kalika tried to get up only to realize that her legs literally felt like jelly, leaving her crawling away as her only mode of escape. Kalika is clearly desperate.
"Please! Someone! Anyone! Save me!!" Kalika was yelling out loud in desperation.
Kalika desperately dragged herself across the balcony, floor only for all hopes to be immediately dashed as she saw the Demon King simply sipping some tea. The Demon King glanced at a desperate Kalika.
"I see that you're alive again…" The Demon King seemed a lot calmer than before.
"W-when did you…" Kalika started to hyperventilate again. She then got the urge to look around.
Kalika turned her head to find that the demon invasion had fully decimated the city. The buildings around them are in complete ruin, as others are simply burning down, including the castle she once called home. Not only that but the streets were filled to the brim with the corpses of civilians and guards, both young and old.
"It seems your sister was having a lot of fun with you for the past few hours…Although that's to be expected since us demons take pleasure in others' suffering, the ecstasy from it is just... irresistible."
Kalika screamed out as a sharp pain was felt in her back. Kalika was stabbed with a sword that once belonged to Grimwald. Lillian gave a sinister and knowing smile. Lillian was up to something.
Lillian then bent down, hugging her knee. She dropped a white glowing crystal towards Kalika, who was suffering from the pain. Kalika slowly turned her attention to the crystal, recognizing it as a crystal filled with holy magic.
Kalika remembered that as a child, Lillian would infuse her magic into a dull, lifeless-looking crystal and turn it into a brilliantly shining crystal. Incidentally this was also when she discovered her own lack of magic. However, she later discovered her strange ability to channel the magic from the crystal, which no one else was capable of. Knowing this, she kept this power a secret from most people she knew, including her adopted family, until the time was right for her to show herself and prove herself as the Saintess to the masses.
Kalika understood that this crystal was her last hope for survival, so she struggled from the pain, trying to grasp onto the crystals. Kalika grabbed the crystal, but it wasn't long before Lillian also puts her hand on Kalika's arm. Lillian kept Kalika from moving her hands from the ground with the crystal underneath it. "What are you waiting for? K-a-l-i-k-a."
The Demon King was starting to get intrigued.
Kalika clutched the crystal tightly. Without thinking it over, and out of desperation, she attempted to channel every bit of the crystal's magical properties into her hand.
"I-I-I refuse… I-I refuse to be my sister's plaything!"
"D-DIE!!" She shouted as she closed her eyes.
Kalika channeled magic, instantly forming a protective barrier around her. It spread around her for about a meter, practically stopping in front of the Demon King. "Oh?" The Demon King was surprised by what he saw.
Kalika opened her eyes, expecting Lillian to be disintegrated to bits upon being in contact with the purging barrier she created. However, Lillian was inside of the barrier, completely fine and unharmed. This surprised both the Demon King and Kalika. "W-what the- W-Why!!??".
Kalika realized that Lillian already knew about Kalika's little secret, which she'd been hiding.
"How long did you know?" Kalika went pale.
It wasn't long before Kalika was kicked with tremendous force through the sword impaled in her and into the church. Kalika could only cry out from the pain and confusion as half her torso was cut through.
Lillian stared menacingly at Kalika as she entered the destroyed church wall. "I've known this ever since we were kids. I just never told you I knew. I didn't even tell Father."
Kalika was shocked to learn that Lillian had always known about this strange ability, not once revealing it before she died. Lillian once again approached her sister, entering back into the small barrier. She started to smile fondly.
"Ah~. It feels so nice and warm. It almost feels nostalgic." Lillian was simply enjoying the feeling of the barrier that was used to keep demons away.
"So, this is how you convinced the fools that you were the Saintess." The Demon King was now behind Lillian, just outside of the barrier.
"So, you yourself don't have any magical prowess, but you can use the powers of others from those dinky crystals…" The Demon King then touched the barrier himself, only to have a single finger of his vaporized trying to touch it. He doesn't flinch and lets his finger regrow itself.
"Hmmm…It's pretty powerful as well for what it is. However, it seems that your sister must be immune, perhaps because she is the actual Saintess herself. Heheheh. What a wonderful Irony; the Saintess born to kill demons has become one herself. I couldn't have written it better myself if I wanted to. Still, I don't think I've seen an ability like yours myself. This world is still such an unknown frontier; it looks like conquering it will be more fun than I expected." The Demon King looked very happy.
"N-no…" Kalika said softly as she realized that she had doomed the world.
Lillian soon after grabbed Kalika's head and killed her again. Blood started flowing, instantly leaving the body. With Kalika now dead once more, Lillian used this opportunity to embrace Kalika in a hug.
"Are you sure you want to keep your sister with you after everything that happened?" The Demon King questioned.
"My sister… She is the best gift God has ever given me… I want to cherish her and make her mine."
The Demon king chuckled at Lillian's statement. It didn't take long for the barrier to be dispelled afterward. Kalika's head mysteriously attached itself to her body. It wasn't long before Kalika reawakened with her body fixed like all those other times as she continued to be hugged by her sister.
"I wonder how many different ways I can kill you. Maybe I can feed you, your own heart. Or maybe I can sever your own arm and use it as a weapon. The possibilities are endless Kalika." Lillian was starting to get excited.
Kalika became pale and froze as she heard her sister's declaration. Was she really her sister? It seems as though Lillian has now embraced becoming a demon herself. There was no hope for Kalika; not only was her sister severely overpowering, but Kalika was completely alone with no one to protect her, no one to save her, and no one to comfort her.
"We're gonna have so much fun," Lillian said.
Kalika could only look on in horror. The only person she'll be with is her now demonic sister, Lillian.