Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 192 Flee or Fight, Death Awaits Either Way [2]

Thud! Thud!

Footsteps echoed through the dark passageway.

A silhouette sprinted down the hallway. His raven-black hair swayed with each stride, while his piercing green eyes gleamed with intensity. Dressed in a striking red coat, black pants, and a buttoned black shirt that swirled with his every step, he reminded one of a dangerous specter from another world, one of man and one of monsters, whose very presence exuded both grace and menace.

That mysterious figure was undoubtedly Kim Jakga.

In his hands, he gripped the Silver Magic Gun, Ivory, a firearm that fired magic-infused bullets using his own magical energy. At his side was the Evil Breaking Sword, a blade capable of banishing fiends and spirits into non-existence with a single strike. These were only a few of the many powers and weapons he possessed — tools that would have proved invaluable in any other scenario.

But none of them could save him now.

His pulse raced wildly, his breath coming in erratic gasps. His thoughts flickered in chaotic disarray. It was clear: he wasn't the hunter in this scenario. He was the one being hunted.

Swish! Swish!

Accompanying the chaos of his unrestrained, tremendous sprint, several magical stakes whistled through the air, hurtling straight toward Kim Jakga's retreating back.

Without stopping his flight, he twisted his body back and looked at the incoming projectiles.

He aimed the barrel of Ivory at them and swiftly pulled the trigger in a moment's breath.

Dududududu!

The firearm absorbed both the recoil and the sound of the gunshot, leaving only the faintest, almost imperceptible pop from the barrel, like the sound of a cheap firecracker being ignited. Nevertheless, the magic bullets fired with pinpoint accuracy, effortlessly knocking aside the deadly stakes aimed for his back.

Those stakes had enough force to pierce through one side of a speeding car and emerge from the other. Had they struck their target, his back would have been shredded like fragile parchment caught in a storm of blades.

But where did those deadly attacks come from?

"Ha ha! Where's that bravado you had a few minutes ago? I don't see it anywhere in those fleeing hips! Are you trying to seduce me with your ass!? You're just asking for it!!"

The mocking voice came from the white-haired girl standing a distance away. It was clear she was the "hunter," relishing every moment of the spectacle with sadistic amusement.

Of course, Kim Jakga didn't enjoy this situation whatsoever and was rather irritated.

He then aimed Ivory at the detestable Sister and pulled the trigger thrice, releasing three bullets aimed directly at her forehead.

Or so, he thought.

"...!?"

The magic bullets were repelled in every direction before they could even hit the girl's nose. It was as though an invisible force had deflected them, violently altering their trajectory mid-air.

No, that's exactly what had happened.

Kim Jakga's eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the situation.

Six spectral blades hovered ominously around Superbia's back. Those ethereal weapons had intercepted the bullets, redirecting them before they could reach their mark.

With those blades constantly orbiting her, it would be impossible to bypass her defenses or even touch her skin without facing the sharp sting of their cut.

Did she conjure those blades using Magic? From the flow of mana surrounding them, it seemed she had used Creation Magic to shape them.

What was so special about Creation Magic? As long as one could clearly visualize what they wished to create, they could manifest that imagery from their "visual reality" into the physical world.

Anything could be created through this magic — whether weapons, furniture, or even living beings.

But that would pose a problem for him if she could create anything she wished. What would happen if she imagined something of immeasurable weight hovering above his head? Wouldn't he be completely screwed in such a scenario?

What was stopping Superbia from doing exactly that?

With just one look, I can tell the power behind those blades are somewhat lacking. Those things shouldn't be a huge issue if I'm carefully enough.

What? She can still manipulate those stakes even after they've been launched?

Before he could react, the four stakes sped toward him at blinding velocity. They were too close to avoid, and with a sickening thud, they sank deep into his body.

"Argghh!"

He screamed in agony and collapsed to the cold, ashen floor, rolling like a wounded animal.

Superbia laughed,

"Hohoho! Oh, you pitiful fool. Is this really all you can do? How can someone with such a big mouth lack the strength to back it up? Isn't that what we call a loose mouth?"

Kim Jakga laughed through his clenched teeth.

"Aren't you the one with the loose mouth? Don't get too smug just because you caught me off guard once."

"I wonder how you can say that while squirming on the floor like a filthy pig. As I thought, it looks like I need to teach you a lesson."

Four more blades materialized mid-air behind her. They swiftly adjusted and aimed their sharp tips at him once again.

"Since all you can do is flee, spout empty words, and squirm on the ground like a pig, then make sure to dance for me. At the end of your punishment, you shall pathetically prostrate yourself and grovel before me!"

Swish! Swish!

The stakes were hurled like daggers, flying toward Kim Jakga with deadly precision, aimed directly at his vitals.

Before they could pin him down, Kim Jakga leaped away from the ground, barely dodging the stake that embedded itself into that spot with a sharp thud.

He raised Ivory and fired, dismantling the stakes flying toward him. Just as he was about to release another round of magic bullets, the unmistakable sound of gears turning and locking echoed from somewhere nearby.

'Wait... Isn't that...?'

Before he could complete that single thought....

Thwish!

Steel arrows emerged from somewhere behind him. He managed to dodge a few, but not without taking hits to his sides and shoulder.

"Ach!"

He groaned unable to let out a single scream, but his misfortune didn't end there. Countless more arrows appeared from behind, while stakes shot toward him from the front.

Caught in a crossfire, with attacks coming from both the front and the back, he realized too late the precariousness of his situation.

Wait....

For that split second, a single thought crossed his mind.

Superbia still held administrative control over the House. What was stopping her from exploiting it?

Absolutely nothing.

'Damnit!'

He tried to dodge and shot down as many as he could, but his plan fell apart in a spectacular manner. One by one, the arrows and stakes pierced his body.

His back, arms, legs, thighs, stomach, right eye, and neck... his entire body was impaled by the relentless barrage.

"Hah...hah...hah..."

Blood seeped from his wounds, pooling on the floor in a dark crimson sea. His legs gave way, and he collapsed, his body crumpling into the blood-soaked ground. It almost looked like he was kneeling before some higher power, begging for mercy, or perhaps a fallen soldier caught in the aftermath of battle.

Either way, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to lift a single finger, let alone continue fighting.

He had been defeated—put simply, he had lost.