Zami's body was a canvas of agony, a testament to the battle he had endured. Blood poured from countless wounds, forming a dark pool beneath his feet. His torn cloak barely clung to his broad shoulders, revealing bruises, gashes, and punctures carved deep into his flesh. His breathing was heavy, each exhale laced with pain, yet he stood tall.
The void around him was eerily silent, its oppressive darkness now fractured and fading, remnants of the Eternal Hunger's presence dissolving into nothingness. Zami's silver eyes flickered weakly, their glow dim but persistent. He tilted his head back, looking up at the endless, cracked expanse of Void Deux.
"What now?" he murmured, his voice a quiet rasp. He clenched his katana tightly, the blade cracked and stained with his own blood. His gaze shifted upward, as if seeking the unseen entities that had watched him struggle and die countless times.
"I killed it," he continued, his tone sharper. "The strongest vessel. The malevolent being. The Eternal Hunger."
There was no response. Only silence.
Zami's grip on his katana tightened as he took a step forward, his boots crunching against the fractured ground. His entire body screamed in protest, but he ignored it, forcing himself to remain steady. The memories of his countless deaths replayed in his mind, a grim reminder of what it had taken to reach this point.
He raised his voice, his silver eyes blazing with defiance. "Is this what you wanted?!" he shouted into the void. "I've done everything. I've given everything. I've died more times than I can count, yet here I stand!"
The void trembled faintly, as if in acknowledgment, but no answers came.
Zami let out a bitter laugh, his voice echoing through the emptiness. "You gave me this hell. You threw me into this cursed world. And for what? To test me? To see how far I could go?"
His chest heaved as he forced himself to breathe through the pain. He took another step forward, blood dripping from his fingertips and pooling at his feet.
"Well, here I am," he said, his voice quieter but no less resolute. "I've broken your trials. I've destroyed your strongest vessel. If this isn't enough, then tell me—what will it take?"
The silence was deafening, yet Zami felt the weight of unseen eyes still upon him. He couldn't tell if they were satisfied, disappointed, or something else entirely.
For a moment, he closed his eyes, his mind drifting to fleeting memories of his father, his clan, and the life he had lost. He thought of the countless hours of training, the battles fought, and the sacrifices made.
Then, he opened his eyes, his silver gaze piercing through the void. "If there's nothing left, then let me go. Let me leave this place."
The void shifted subtly, an almost imperceptible ripple spreading through the darkness. Zami felt it, a faint tremor beneath his feet. He didn't know if it was an answer or another test, but he remained still, waiting.
His voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible in the silence. "I won't fall yet."
As the void continued to ripple faintly, Zami tightened his grip on his katana, prepared for whatever might come next. Even in his battered, broken state, he was ready to fight again if he had to.
And above him, in the unseen expanse, the entities watched.