Enduring Unrelenting Torment in Each Painful Second

Content Warning: This chapter contains explicit descriptions of violence and graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

In a cruel and abrupt turn of events, the monstrous entity unleashed the Nebular Sphere from its gaping maw, projecting an overwhelming beam that eclipsed Kuraihime in its devastating power. The beam struck her, and in that harrowing moment, it mercilessly disintegrated half of her form, sparing only a solitary eye. Within that remaining eye, Kuraihime's expression spoke volumes of her suffering, a haunting blend of fear and excruciating pain, while her half-opened mouth hinted at the horrific and agonizing nature of her impending demise.

Chapter 8 - The Torment Beneath the Darkness

As Kuraihime's eyes remained open, revealing the torment she endured, she suddenly returned to life, her body reverting to its previous state, along with her regaining consciousness. When her vision cleared, she saw Reuin standing in front of her, very close to her face, staring at her intently. In that moment of mutual gaze, Reuin smiled and uttered the words, "Conquer it," and then gently pressed his finger to Kuraihime's forehead.

Upon Reuin's touch to Kuraihime's forehead, she once again descended into the darkness, submerged in an underwater-like abyss where the creature that had taken her life before resided. As Kuraihime returned to this nightmarish realm, the creature emitted laughter in the eerie voice of a young girl, its mouth looming directly before Kuraihime.

Suddenly, it swung its arm, along with its razor-sharp claws, towards Kuraihime. She managed to evade the first strike, but the creature swung its arm again, landing a hit on Kuraihime's hand. It left deep gashes on her hand as the creature continued to laugh, seemingly enjoying her suffering. Overwhelmed by the pain of the wounds, Kuraihime couldn't help but scream, her eyes shutting tightly, tears streaming down her face. However, her screams were muted, replaced by tiny bubbles that escaped her lips, as if she were underwater.

"Hehehe, did you truly choose this wretched fate...? I find it rather pitiful to hear," the creature remarked to Kuraihime. Kuraihime, with her left hand holding onto her injured side, blood seeping from her left arm and her head, gazed at the creature. She had only one eye open due to the injury she sustained from the creature's claw, and her clenched teeth revealed her anger and suffering.

"Who are you?! And what is happening here?" she demanded with a sharp voice, her frustration evident. The creature responded with a long, eerie tongue sliding out from its mouth, licking Kuraihime's blood-stained in its fingers. It smiled at Kuraihime while she continued to endure the pain from her injuries.

"You'll only escape this if you manage to overcome me, hahaha," the creature taunted. "You're facing a Cursed Revenant, hehe," it stated to Kuraihime, as violet lights suddenly appeared above. They flickered rapidly, catching Kuraihime off guard, and before she could react, the violet lights shot beams that solidified upon hitting her. The beams pierced through her body, from her legs to her arms and into her stomach, causing her to spew forth blood upon impact. The creature lapped up her spilled blood, all the while laughing.

"Amusing," it commented to Kuraihime, "delicious," it added as it swiftly approached Kuraihime, biting into her arm before tearing it off and devouring it. The excruciating pain drove Kuraihime to scream, yet no sound escaped her throat.

After the preceding events, the creature suddenly drove its massive claw into Kuraihime's chest, impaling her. The claw pierced her, causing her to expel more blood, and this time, the bleeding intensified. As she was impaled, Kuraihime's expression contorted in a mixture of fear and agony. The creature brought its head closer to Kuraihime and whispered, "What now?" with a twisted grin and laughter, all while its claw remained embedded in her.

In this moment, Kuraihime lost consciousness, her eyes still wide open, indicating her death once again. The sequence repeated, just as it had earlier, with Kuraihime's consciousness returning, her body reverting to its previous state, and Reuin, who is also a female, standing before her. The surroundings were like a watery floor beneath a pink sky, where the reflection of the pink sky danced on the water's surface.

When Kuraihime and Reuin, both female, faced each other, Kuraihime began to speak, "I don't want—" but she was interrupted by Reuin, who hushed her with a gentle "Shhh. You can do this." Reuin then placed her hand on Kuraihime's face once more and pushed her downwards into the watery floor.

Once Kuraihime was submerged in the watery floor, she found herself back in the dark, underwater-like realm where the creature had twice taken her life. When she returned, The Creature wore a smile, gazing at the Kuraihime. "You need to fight, Mortal. What will it be? You're just a normal individual in our eyes. If you do nothing... you'll die here for eternity, with me, hahaha!" the Cursed Revenant exclaimed while laughing hysterically. Kuraihime, in response, wore a serious expression.

"So, I have to endure everything to make a difference?" Kuraihime pondered in her mind. Suddenly, the creature attacked, swinging its clawed hand, but Kuraihime evaded it and landed on the creature's arm. She began running along its massive arm, intending to execute her plan to strike it. However, a blinding gleam descended from above, vaporizing Kuraihime once more. She was killed once again.

Once again, she returned to Reuin, who pressed her forehead. Kuraihime reappeared in front of the creature, where it attempted to attack her once more. In its first attack using its clawed hand, Kuraihime managed to evade it. However, the second attack was tricky. The creature unleashed violet gleams that Kuraihime believed would hit her, catching her off guard. She fell victim to the creature's attack, her body torn asunder, and she was killed once more.

She returned to Reuin once more, and Reuin, wearing a smile, winked at Kuraihime. She found herself back in front of the creature, displaying an expression of anger and seriousness, while the creature laughed maniacally. "Hahaha! I'm having so much fun!" it shouted at Kuraihime.

"Damn it. It looks like I'll be here for a while," Kuraihime muttered in her thoughts. And here, Kuraihime abruptly raised her right arm. With a hint of a smile, she spread apart her clenched fingers and extended her middle finger toward the creature, signifying her complete disrespect for it.