Beyond the Eternity

The sister, Ira, was confused.

The opponent she was certain had been defeated was now standing again. The roundhouse kick she had delivered to Yoo Rin's head should have ended the fight right there and then. However, she was rising to her feet as though the blow had never landed.

But that wasn't the strangest part.

Her pressure... It's completely different from before.

Yoo Rin's entire demeanor had changed. Her shoulders radiated a heavy pressure, and the strong presence she now exuded was enough to put even Ira, unaccustomed to hesitation, on edge.

How could someone's presence shift so drastically?

Had she transformed into a ferocious beast after being knocked out?

Ira couldn't wrap her head around it, no matter how hard she tried. The sudden, dramatic change in the atmosphere around that person defied all logic. A cold sweat broke out on her back as unease crept into her heart.

It was as if the person before her was no longer Yoo Rin but a ferocious predator awakening from slumber.

And Ira was standing directly in its path.

Her instincts screamed at her to move, to attack, to do something, but her body refused to comply. Cold sweat trickled down her spine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, doubt sank its claws into her heart.

"...?"

Yoo Rin's piercing gaze locked onto her, freezing her in place.

The chill that gaze sent through her was something no amount of logic or bravado could shake.

How... how is this possible? This doesn't make any sense at all.

What the hell just happened? How could a simple knockout lead to... this?

Is this the phenomenon they call Fighting Spirit?

There were multiple records of people fighting despite their bodies being injured beyond repair. For example, during World War II, there were stories of soldiers who, driven by sheer willpower or a rush of adrenaline, continued to fight even after sustaining fatal wounds, almost as though they had transcended their human limits and restrictions.

Was this girl experiencing something similar?

Ira couldn't tell. All she knew was that this wasn't the same opponent she'd been fighting moments ago. The sudden transformation of the person before her wasn't fueled by desperation or survival instinct. No, this was something else altogether.

And that... terrified her.

"Tch! What a load of bullshit."

Ira gritted her teeth.

So what if her opponent's aura changed?

If she couldn't be defeated before, then what difference did it make now? It was absurd to believe that a mere change in demeanor could tip the scales. Anger and adrenaline might boost strength momentarily, but they couldn't defy the fundamental limits of the body. And this transformation didn't feel like the awakening of some hidden power—it lacked the overwhelming presence she expected.

Her instincts screamed there was no need to fear, yet a flicker of unease gnawed at the edges of her confidence. That sliver of doubt only fueled her fury. The idea that she could be unnerved by such a trivial shift made her blood boil like molten fire.

Ira glared at the silent Yoo Rin with visible bloodlust.

She spat out,

"Kid, I don't know what you did or how you're standing after that blow! But if you continue standing there like a statue, then you're just begging to be hit again!"

She was approximately three meters away and continued to allow her saliva to fly. However, Yoo Rin didn't speak or move, remaining rooted in that single spot with her head down.

It was as if she had gone deaf. Or perhaps the impact of the previous blow was still rattling her.

Ira's patience snapped.

"Ku…!? Damn you!"

With a growl, Ira raised her whip and cracked it with a vicious force, sending it ripping through the air like rolling thunder.

The whip lashed forward with terrifying speed, twisting and coiling like a serpent closing in on its prey. It sliced through the air with unnatural fluidity, leaving a trail of raw power in its wake. The force behind it was like a crashing tsunami, an unstoppable wall that surged toward Yoo Rin with deadly intent.

Even so, Yoo Rin's shoulders remained composed.

At the very last moment, she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side.

The whip missed her by a hair's breadth, slicing through the air where her head had just been. She moved with such elegance that it seemed almost preordained, her slight shift perfectly synchronized with the whip's ferocious momentum. The force of the strike whipped up a gust of wind that swept across her face, but not a single strand of her hair was disturbed.

It wasn't a dramatic evasion, but the subtlety of it made it all the more unsettling.

How the hell did she dodge that? She couldn't do that before... What changed?

Ira forced herself to suppress the rising unease and twisted the handle of the whip, pulling it back toward herself. Without hesitation, she altered the trajectory of the whip, spinning the rope with her forearm and elbow to redirect the strike.

In an instant, the whip transformed into a serpentine assault, striking from multiple directions in rapid succession.

It was fast.

When cracked, the tip of the whip broke the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom. The speed was no longer something a human could easily handle. However, Yoo Rin used her surroundings to her advantage, evading the whip's rapidly moving strikes.

The air, the ground, the walls—

No matter where she jumped, the whip seemed to be right on her tail. The smallest mistake, and it would tear through her chest or rip apart her vitals.

And the unpredictable trajectory of the whip only made things more difficult.

"HAHA! HAHAHAHA! WHY WAS I EVEN WORRIED? THAT'S RIGHT! THERE'S NO WAY YOU GOT STRONGER JUST FROM BEING HIT ONCE! CAN YOU ONLY JUMP AROUND LIKE A FILTHY MONKEY?! ARE YOU A ONE TRICK PONY" Even though she couldn't kill her opponent or even touch her, Ira took pleasure in her opponent's misfortune. "C'MON! C'MON! I'M SURE YOU HAVE MORE TRICKS! THIS IS NOT ENOUGH TO PUSH YOU TO YOUR LIMITS!!"

The whip continued its relentless assault, slicing through the air toward Yoo Rin.

"Ku! Ahh!!"

Yoo Rin groaned. Blood trickled down her forehead, and her vision blurred. It was becoming harder to evade, and with each passing moment, the toll on her body grew heavier.

It wouldn't be surprising if she collapsed at any moment.

"....?!"

Without warning, Ira produced a concealed dagger and flung it forward. The blade zipped past the swiftly moving Yoo Rin.

Assuming the enemy had missed was overly optimistic. The serpent whip hissed through the air, aiming for her legs.

Yoo Rin sprang up into the air to evade the strike, but Ira had anticipated this. A cunning smile played on her lips as she manipulated the whip with both hands, causing it to abruptly change course and crash into Yoo Rin mid-air.

"GYARRRGGHHHH!!"

Continue your adventure with empire

Yoo Rin's scream echoed as she was hurled backward by the force, tumbling across the floor.

Wasting no time, Ira lashed the whip toward her unguarded head.

Swish!

There was no time to react in such a situation. Yoo Rin had just received a devastating blow and the whip was rapidly closing in onto her head. It seemed like her head was going to be crushed by the merciless whip.

But then—

As the whip neared its target, her hand shot up in a blur, faster than Ira's eyes could track.

Snap!

The sharp crack resonated like a gunshot as Yoo Rin's gauntlet-clad hand clamped onto the whip's tip, arresting its motion. The sheer force of her grip sent tremors along the weapon, causing Ira to falter as the recoil jolted her arm.

"Wha...?!"

Before Ira could register her astonishment, Yoo Rin tugged the whip with considerable strength.

Ira instinctively attempted to pull it back, but the whip stretched taut, like a rope in a tug-of-war, as Yoo Rin rose and pinned it underfoot. The unexpected force caused Ira to stumble forward, directly into Yoo Rin's striking range.

"You little—"

With a growl, Ira released the whip to prevent it from being used against her. In the same breath, she charged toward Yoo Rin, aiming to close the distance and neutralize any advantage.

Yoo Rin, however, had no intention of seizing the whip; she met Ira's advance head-on.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

She charged like a bull and punched with explosive power. The gaunlet-covered fist shot like a bullet and reached Ira's face in an instant.

Slam!

Ira barely managed to deflect the blow with her left hand. Seizing the opportunity, she thrust her free hand forward, aiming for Yoo Rin's face.

Yoo Rin instinctively raised both her gauntlet-covered hands to guard herself, but instead of a punch, she felt the force of a powerful kick that shattered her defense.

Boom!!

In a heartbeat, before she could react, Yoo Rin's entire body was sent airborne.

"What?!"

For the first time, a shocked gasp escaped Yoo Rin's lips.

Before she could recover, Ira launched herself off the wall, springing toward her with a brutal kick that sent her crashing back down.

Slam!!

Yoo Rin hit the ground with a thud, bouncing from the impact, before continuing to roll. She only managed to push herself up after a long moment.

A loud ringing filled her eardrums.

Yoo Rin shook her head a few times, trying to clear the disorienting sound, but the dizziness still lingered.

The real problem, however, was what was coming closer. Her blurred vision finally focused on Ira as she walked toward her, step by deliberate step.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Yoo Rin's eyes widened. She readied herself for the next attack.

Eventually, Ira reached her, standing right in front of her, and the confrontation escalated into a brutal, no-holds-barred hand-to-hand brawl.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

As the more experienced fighter, Ira unleashed a variety of punches and kicks to overwhelm her opponent. Yoo Rin, on the other hand, immediately entered a defensive stance and tried to evade and counter her opponent's attempt as much as she was able to.

Without the skill to match Ira blow-for-blow, Yoo Rin relied on her sharp observational ability instead. She analyzed every movement, searching for flaws in her opponent's attacks and the surrounding space.

Her strategy was simple yet risky: endure and outlast. By letting Ira exhaust her energy through aggressive strikes, Yoo Rin hoped to create an opening. However, this approach left little room for error, a single misstep could make the fight take a dangerous turn.

Patiently, Yoo Rin waited until an opportunity finally presented itself.

When Ira aimed a high kick at her head, Yoo Rin bent low to dodge. But Ira, with her superior experience, adjusted mid-move, driving her leg downward in a powerful counterstrike.

With no time or space to evade, Yoo Rin braced herself. She absorbed the blow, gritting her teeth as pain shot through her, and used the moment to deliver a counter of her own.

A magically charged gauntlet-covered fist arcing upward to land a clean uppercut into Ira's abdomen.

"Ack!"

Ira's face contorted in pain as the impact forced her to stagger back. She instinctively leapt away to create distance, but Yoo Rin wasn't about to let her retreat.

Seizing the momentum, Yoo Rin charged forward and threw a fierce punch aimed directly at Ira's face. Ira raised both hands to block, but the force of the strike pierced her guard and slammed into her nose. Without missing a beat, Yoo Rin followed up by driving her forehead into Ira's jaw.

The brutal combination of two direct blows to the head caused Ira to stumble back, momentarily disoriented. But even as she tried to retreat, Yoo Rin closed in, aiming for a third strike.

However—

"?!"

Before Yoo Rin could capitalize on her advantage, Ira's body moved with blinding speed. Her hand shot forward, delivering a precise phoenix strike that landed squarely on Yoo Rin's throat, cutting off her breath. Almost instantly, Ira followed up with a powerful kick to Yoo Rin's abdomen, sending her skidding several meters backward.

Despite the exchange, neither fighter immediately pressed forward. Ira stood back, gasping for breath as she recovered from the earlier devastating blow. At the same time, Yoo Rin steadied herself, rubbing her throat and regaining her composure.

Both of them were locked in a fierce glare, refusing to back down.

Would she attack? Or should I attack?

Ira and Yoo Rin were roughly experiencing the same thought.

At that moment—

"...?!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"...!"

Their eyes turned to a certain direction, drawn to a single object lying on the floor between them.

The whip.

It rested exactly midway, a mere three meters from each of them. Both understood the situation and the stakes: whoever reached it first would seize control of the battle. If Ira got it, her long-range advantage would be restored, tipping the scales back in her favor. But if Yoo Rin claimed it, the weapon would become just as lethal in her hands.

Regardles, the person who would make the first move would win. But who would take the risk?

Thud!

Thud!

Both fighters kicked off the ground simultaneously, and launched themselves toward the whip with explosive speed.