The Eternal Hunger stood in the fractured void, its grotesque form pulsating with malevolence. Beams of pure darkness erupted from the spiky crown upon its head, ripping through Zami's body without mercy. His flesh disintegrated, his bones crumbled, and his consciousness flickered out like a dying flame.
A moment later, Zami awoke. He was whole again, the cycle repeating. His silver eyes glimmered with desperation and fury as he stared at the Eternal Hunger. It had already killed him thousands of times. Each time he thought he had devised a new strategy, each time he gave everything he had, the result was the same. Death.
He gripped his katana tightly, its crimson edge pulsating faintly from his last use of *Blood Cell Explosion*. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from the sheer toll of endless battle. "What are you?" he whispered. "Why can't I defeat you?"
The Eternal Hunger responded with silence, save for the low, guttural hum of its presence. Its spiky crown, crafted from pure darkness, seemed to taunt him. It wasn't like the crown of Shattered Dominion or the aura of the Messenger—it was something entirely different. It wasn't an extension of authority; it *was* authority, a manifestation of unrelenting destruction.
Zami charged again, utilizing *Arrow Flow* to launch into a spinning kick. The power behind the technique could level entire structures, but the Eternal Hunger swatted him away as if he were an insect. Zami crashed into the jagged ground, his ribs shattered. Before he could react, beams of darkness shot from below, piercing his body and reducing him to nothing once more.
He revived. Again. His body reformed, his katana reappearing in his grasp. But his spirit was beginning to fracture.
"What am I missing?" he muttered, rising to his feet. His mind replayed every battle, every technique. The *Reality Breaking Slash*—it had been his most powerful move, yet it wasn't enough. He had to recreate that moment, but how? What had driven him to achieve it before?
The cycle continued. He tried *Wild Cat Flow*, *Multi Kick**, *Hawk Drop*, and *Night Sun*. He chained techniques together, creating combinations he'd never attempted before. He even modified his approach mid-battle, adapting to the creature's patterns. But nothing worked. The darkness consumed him every time, his body reduced to ash, only to rise again.
"Why?" he shouted into the void, his voice echoing. "What do the entities want from me? What am I supposed to do?"
Karesh's voice echoed faintly in his mind, distant yet resolute. "You are their experiment. Their tool. The Eternal Hunger is not meant to be defeated easily. They are testing not just your strength, but your will."
Zami gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting. "I know that! But there has to be a way!"
He faced the Eternal Hunger again, his mind racing. Each death brought him closer to insanity, yet each revival brought clarity. He realized something: the *Reality Breaking Slash* hadn't been born purely from strength or technique. It had been born from his resolve. It was the culmination of every death, every battle, every ounce of his being poured into one singular strike. But now, he lacked the same clarity of purpose.
He died again. And again. The darkness claimed him thousands of times, yet he refused to give up. With each revival, his determination grew sharper. He analyzed every move, every weakness in the Eternal Hunger's form. But the creature was relentless, its malevolence infinite.
Finally, as he revived once more, Zami fell to his knees, his katana trembling in his grip. The beams of darkness erupted around him, but this time, he didn't move. He closed his eyes, his mind reaching back through time—to the Withering Spire, to Shattered Dominion, to the countless trials he had faced. He remembered his clan, his father, the destruction that had shaped him.
The *Reality Breaking Slash* hadn't just been a technique. It had been an extension of his will to destroy the harsh reality he lived in. But the Eternal Hunger was something greater. Its existence wasn't just a threat to his world—it was a manifestation of the entities' ultimate test.
His silver eyes flickered open. He stood, gripping his katana with renewed purpose. This wasn't just about survival. It was about breaking free of the entities' control, of proving that even their most malevolent creation could fall.
"I'll show you," Zami muttered, his voice low and steady. "I'll show you why I refuse to fall."
He stepped forward, his katana igniting with crimson flames from *Blood Cell Explosion*. As the beams of darkness erupted toward him, he focused, activating *Muscle Tension Break* to absorb the initial impact. His body screamed in protest, but he pushed forward.
He chained *Arrow Flow* into a series of devastating strikes, following with *Night Sun* to hammer at the creature's core. The Eternal Hunger roared, retaliating with a massive wave of darkness. Zami countered with a flurry of slashes, each one powered by *Adrenaline Surge* and *Precision Strike*. The void trembled under the intensity of the battle.
Yet, it wasn't enough. The Eternal Hunger endured, its form regenerating faster than he could destroy it.
But Zami didn't stop. He couldn't. Every death, every failure—it all led to this moment. The entities were watching, waiting to see if he would break. But Zami would show them. He wasn't just their experiment. He was something far greater.
He raised his katana, his voice a whisper in the void. "This world will not define me."
And with that, he charged once more, determined to shatter the darkness.