Zami continued his march through the fractured landscape of the Void Deux, each step echoing faintly against the endless, jagged expanse. The remnants of his last battle lingered in the air, the shattered void around him still trembling with instability. Yet, his focus was unwavering, his silver eyes gleaming faintly as he scanned the horizonless terrain.
"Karesh," Zami's voice broke the silence, calm yet firm, "you said the Eternal Hunger lies beyond this. Somewhere in this void."
Karesh's voice stirred within him, hesitant yet resolute. "That's correct."
Zami paused, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. Despite the surreal, ever-shifting nature of the void, there was a strange consistency to the patterns—an almost imperceptible rhythm in the chaos.
"Then where?" Zami asked, his tone edged with determination. "Where does it hide? It must be somewhere close."
Karesh hesitated, the pause thick with unspoken tension. Finally, he spoke, his tone cautious.
"Zami, the Eternal Hunger does not 'hide.' It exists. It consumes. Its nature is to devour all that enters its domain. The Void Deux is not merely a battlefield—it's its feeding ground. The terrain, the shifting void, the constant distortion… these are its manifestations. To face it is to walk directly into its maw."
Zami frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his katana. "So it's everywhere and nowhere," he muttered.
"Precisely," Karesh confirmed. "The Eternal Hunger's essence is tied to this realm. You'll find it not by searching, but by drawing its attention."
Zami's grip on his katana tightened. "Then I'll make it come to me."
Karesh's voice grew urgent. "Be cautious, Zami. The Eternal Hunger is the oldest and most powerful vessel. Unlike the others, its strength is not bound by form or physicality. It is the will of the entities made manifest—a creature born to annihilate."
Zami's smirk was faint, a flicker of defiance. "Then it's exactly the kind of opponent I've been preparing for."
Karesh sighed. "Your confidence is… unshakable, as always. Just remember: this isn't a battle of endurance or even skill. It's a test of your very existence. To stand against it is to defy the will of gods themselves."
"Good," Zami replied simply. He drew his katana, the black blade catching faint reflections of the fractured void. The white symbols etched into the blade pulsed softly, their glow intensifying as his resolve solidified.
"Eternal Hunger!" Zami's voice rang out, echoing endlessly in the void. "I know you're here. Show yourself!"
The void remained silent, the stillness suffocating. But then, the air shifted. The fractured terrain around him trembled violently, the shards of reality warping and twisting into impossible shapes. A low, guttural rumble resonated from the depths of the void, growing louder with each passing moment.
Karesh's voice was barely a whisper. "You've done it now, Zami…"
Zami's eyes narrowed, his stance firm as the tremors intensified. The void before him began to ripple, a dark vortex forming at its center. From within the vortex, an overwhelming presence began to emerge—a force unlike anything he had faced before.
The Eternal Hunger was coming.