Zami stood motionless, his bloodied katana resting in his hands. His body screamed with exhaustion; his arms were battered and trembling, his muscles shredded from the relentless battle. The faint scars from his countless rebirths ached as if to remind him of the cost of his existence. Before him, the radiant figure floated, its white crown of light unwavering, its robe untouched despite the chaos that surrounded them.
The silence in the void was deafening, broken only by the hum of the spikes hovering mid-air, each one poised to strike.
Zami gritted his teeth. He could feel the weight of their eyes—the entities watching from the infinite beyond, their gaze piercing through him. This wasn't just a trial; it was a spectacle, a judgment.
"This thing," Zami muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse, "isn't just testing me—it's trying to break me."
Karesh's voice echoed in his mind, distant and cold. "That's their intention, Zami. To see if you can withstand the weight of their will. If you falter now, it's over."
Zami clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening. The spikes surged forward, countless projectiles slicing through the air at terrifying speed.
He moved.
Each step was calculated, every motion driven by instinct honed through millennia of training. He ducked, twisted, and parried with his katana, his movements precise yet chaotic. Even as he deflected some of the spikes, others found their mark, piercing his flesh and tearing through his body.
The pain was excruciating, but Zami pushed it aside. Pain was no stranger to him—it was his companion, his teacher.
He tightened his grip on the katana, blood dripping onto the void-like floor beneath him. "If this is what they want, then I'll give them everything I have."
The figure raised its hand, and the spikes stopped mid-flight. In their place, waves of energy rippled across the terrain, platforms erupting and shattering around Zami.
He inhaled deeply, his mind sharpening. There was only one option left.
Blood Cell Explosion.
He felt the heat coursing through his veins, his crimson blood igniting as it seeped from his wounds and coated the katana. The blade roared to life, engulfed in a fiery crimson blaze.
Adrenaline Surge.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears, time slowing as his body pushed past its limits. Every nerve, every fiber of his being focused on the enemy before him.
"Precision Strike," he whispered, his silver eyes narrowing.
Zami surged forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet. He unleashed a flurry of slashes, each one precise and devastating, a symphony of destruction. The flames from his katana illuminated the void, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield.
The radiant figure recoiled, its form flickering as Zami's strikes tore into it.
But it wasn't enough.
The figure retaliated, waves of spikes erupting from its body. They pierced Zami's arms and legs, leaving him a bloody, broken mess.
Yet he continued.
Using the last reserves of his strength, Zami channeled everything into one final attack. Blood Cell Explosion surged through his hands as he launched himself upward, delivering a devastating punch that shattered the figure's defenses.
The explosion was blinding.
When the light faded, Zami collapsed to his knees, his body utterly destroyed. His arms hung uselessly at his sides, his vision blurred. The figure stood still, its radiant form flickering like a dying flame.
Zami's breathing was ragged, but he forced a grin. "You're not done... yet?"
The figure raised a hand, summoning another wave of energy.
Zami's body gave out, the void swallowing him.
Darkness.
And then, he woke again. The trial restarted, his body whole but his spirit heavier.
"You're not stopping me," Zami growled, standing once more.
The entities were watching, and he would give them a show they would never forget.