Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 206 When the Dust Settles [4]

yoo rin tilted her head like she had seen something unbelievable.

what she had expected to see emerge from the cloud of dust and debris was the woman who had attacked her earlier, but what stood before her instead was a massive teddy bear.

no, this wasn't some kind of strange joke.

the creature was, in fact, a giant teddy bear, towering over her by several meters. but instead of soft fur, its body was crafted from an unknown metal, a strange fusion of brown and crimson. its glass-covered button-like eyes glinted unnaturally, and its oversized paws twitched as if primed to strike.

it looked more like a battlesuit in the shape of a teddy bear, not a stuffed animal made of cotton and fabric.

yoo rin was the kind of girl that loved cute things, but that 'thing' wasn't cute at all, and it wasn't even stuffed.

"what is this?"

she released a shocked gasp, then gritted her teeth,

"this is just ridiculous! i'm not getting taken out by a teddy bear, no matter how big it is! it's not even cute! and the material is all wrong! who the heck designed this abomination?! i'm sure it's that woman! yes, it had ti be her! she's got no taste of style whatsoever!"

"who the hell are you calling tasteless, you idiot?!"

a voice rang out from the bear, causing yoo rin to freeze in place.

the giant teddy bear's glass eyes gleamed with something almost human, and in that instant, it became clear that that was no ordinary animal.

to be more specific, it was a person. or at least, someone that had a human appearance.

yoo rin blinked. "so you're the one inside there?"

"hmph, of course. if it wasn't me, then who else?" the voice from within the bear suit spoke smugly. "by the way, what do you think of this suit?"

"the teddy bear suit?" asks yoo rin.

"yes, yes. isn't it amazing? naturally, it would be, since it's a suit made from a sister's magic, flesh, and blood."

yoo rin's eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of the strange words.

"flesh and blood?"

"ah, haven't you heard of a phenomenon called body transformation?" the voice continued, now more animated. "it's when an inanimate or animate object becomes a vessel for a greater power."

yoo rin frowned, not sure where this was going.

"usually, it's used to transform an object into something else, but it can also be used on people too. you can think of it as magic that transforms both objects and people."

"i don't get it."

"of course, you wouldn't. you clearly haven't studied the fundamental properties and types of 'body.' but honestly, why should i explain it to you? you don't look like the brightest spark yourself."

"what did you just say? who are you calling dumb, you idiot?!"

the voice let out a low, mocking laugh.

"ha ha! you're pissed, right? good, that's the spirit! this won't be any fun if you're not this energetic! i still have to pay you back for what you did to me earlier!!"

with that shout, ira charged towards yoo rin. dust and debris erupted into the air as she closed the distance with terrifying speed.

meanwhile, yoo rin braced herself, staying crouched low.

the suit's speed was so incredible that yoo rin couldn't help but marvel at how ira could move with such agility in a suit so huge and heavy.

yoo rin kept her focus, waiting for the perfect moment. she watched as ira's giant form grew closer.

and then it came.

ira swung the massive teddy bear arm with a tremendous gust of wind, aiming directly at yoo rin's head.

in a split second, yoo rin seized the opening. she dragged her body along the floor, evading the tremendous sweep, and positioned herself in ira's blind spot at the side.

she delivered a fierce punch straight to the giant suit. but—

"ack!"

yoo rin's fist was repelled back forcefully, and she cried out as an unpleasant strain shot through her fingers, despite the protection of her gauntlets.

ira laughed triumphantly,

"hahaha! it's useless! did you forget? this suit is made from the flesh and blood of a magic sister! that means its physical attributes and defenses are boosted by two hundred percent!"

yoo rin gritted her teeth, and shook her hand to dispel the lingering pain.

"there's no way you can hurt me while i'm in this suit!" ira continued with a sneer. "but i can hurt you just fine!"

the suit's massive arms flexed as ira loomed closer.

"the only downside is that i can't use magic while wearing this suit!" ira admitted, then grinned wickedly. "but i don't need to worry about that! i've already confirmed that you can't use magic either, or any other powers besides those gauntlets! so guess what? i'm just going to beat you into a bloody pulp!!"

ira abruptly swiped the massive arm of the suit to the side.

that seemingly simple motion triggered a loud explosion, unleashing a shockwave that hurled debris and dirt in every direction. the sheer force of the gust tore through the air, creating a powerful wind that rattled the room.

yoo rin crouched low, narrowly evading the brunt of the shockwave.

wasting no time, she rushed in, closing the distance between them, and aimed a diagonal kick at ira's head.

unsurprisingly, ira effortlessly dodged the blow, leaning just out of reach before countering with a fierce punch.

ira's left hook was parried by yoo rin's right hand.

using the opening, she counterattacked with a direct punch aimed at ira's torso, channeling every ounce of her strength into the blow.

even so, her fist bounced back with even greater force, with the impact vibrating through her arm.

yoo rin staggered slightly, and her eyes widened in shock.

the impact of her punch was completely nullified, dealing no visible damage whatsoever!

how could this be? she thought, her breath catching in her throat.

"the suit... it's sturdier than that knight from earlier!"

even before she had the chance to do anything else, ira's tremendous sweep flew towards her face.

sensing the danger, yoo rin instinctively ducked low, narrowly avoiding the strike. but ira showed no intention of letting her escape so easily.

"....!!"

with a series of air-piercing sounds and bursts of wind, ira's massive fists continued to fly relentlessly. the barrage of punches flew out with a blur, aimed directly at yoo rin's body.

yoo rin, caught on the defensive, twisted and turned, dodging by the barest of margins while using her gauntlets to deflect the blows.

sparks constantly flew through the air, illuminating the battlefield like a chaotic symphony of violence. it resembled a dance of swords, performed on a blood-soaked stage.

except, there was no aura of elegance in those strikes.

only raw, unrestrained savagery.

ira's overwhelming power slowly drove yoo rin further and further back. each strike was a demon strike that could turn a grown man into crushed potato.

"ku... damn it!"

yoo rin cursed under her breath, barely deflecting another attack.

"how is she moving so fast in that ridiculous suit?! she has no business being that fast!"

as absurd as it seemed, ira's teddy bear suit didn't hinder her in the slightest. in fact, it only increased her capabilities as she said. yoo rin's disbelief grew with every exchange of blows.

forgetting the absurdity of the situation, her opponent was undeniably a dangerous entity!

one wrong move, and the consequences would be catastrophic!

the enemy could make a hundred mistakes while she could only make one. that was the kind of entity she was facing!.

to make matters worse, ira's defense was just as ridiculously high as her offense, leaving her with no choice but to focus on blocking and evading.

but even that strategy was growing increasingly difficult with each passing second, as the attacks surpassing the speed of sound threatened to overwhelm her completely.

finally—

"now!"

a desperate attempt to regain control of the battlefield.

filled by adrenaline, yoo-rin's senses heightened as she looked for a way to break ira's defense.

she noticed a slight hesitation in ira's movements, and seizing the opportunity, punched her gauntlet-chad fist like a sniper shot.

she aimed for the head, targeting the weak point behind the glass eyes.

ira, caught off guard, barely managed to raise an arm to block.

the head of the giant suit trembled violently as the glass eyes cracked, accompanyed by the scorching scream from within.

"gah!" ira cried out as her vision was momentarily obscured.

taking advantage of the distraction, yoo rin unleashed a barrage of punches in an instant.

shhhwiiiii-eeek!

her fists, no longer mere punches, moved past the speed of a bullet, with each impact, a miniature explosion erupted against the suit's metallic hide.

ira urgently raised both of her hands to block the incoming gauntlet but in the end, she was helplessly shoved away by a powerfully charged-punch.

with a thunderous kwa-jijijiik!, ira was sent flying backward, as her boots scraped against the floor, leaving two deep gouges in the tiles. she slammed into the wall with a loud thud!

'ahhh... that little brat! i'll kill her!!'

furious, ira grabbed the wall with both paws, and used it to leap out like a catapult, with incredible speed.

"....?!"

seeing this, yoo-rin attempted to run away, but ira grabbed her into a tight embrace in the blink of an eye. with a ferocious roar, she kept charging forward, using yoo rin as a battering ram.

boom! the wall in front of them exploded inward.

ira didn't pause and continued her unstoppable rampage, smashing through countless walls like an enraged bull. yoo rin, who was trapped within the iron grip of the suit, was a helpless passenger on this destructive ride.

boom! boom! boom! the sounds of destruction echoed through the mansion as ira tore through the building like a runaway train.

'gahh! ahhhh.... i'm dyyyying! i can't... breathe...'

yoo rin felt as if she were being crushed from within. she had almost lost consciousness several times, but the rapid impacts had woken her up each time. even then, she was barely holding on with her dear life.

no matter how many times she punched, kicked and struggled, she wasn't able to free herself from the tight iron grip.

desperately, she gripped the ira's faceplate with the sharp claws of her gaunlets and yanked down.

that simple, instinctive action sent ira careening off balance in her sprint, causing both of them to tumble. they collided violently with a wall.

boom!

the wall crumbled like a stale cookie, debris exploding outward as both fighters were ejected into the vastness of the entrance hall. dust and fragments swirled around them like a storm, but the moment the two stopped tumbling and rolling, they sprang back to her feet to continue the brutal skirmish.

a bloody dogfight erupted.

they exchanged blows without the pretense of evasion, taking the hits of each other and counterattacking right away.

pow!

ira's head snapped to the side, momentarily dazed, but before yoo-rin could capitalize on the moment, a sharp counterpunch shot toward her like a bullet.

pow!

yoo-rin staggered like a drunken sailor tossed by the waves.

a heavy noise rang in her ears. gritting her teeth, she steadied herself, but the reprieve was fleeting.

pow!

ira received a direct blow to the face and faltered, stepping back to regain her balance. the primal instinct to dominate her opponent pushed her forward, no quarter given.

crack—!

yoo rin blocked a downward swung ftom ira with her gaunlets, and the ground underneath her feet cracked from the pressure.

it felt as though she would be swallowed by the earth below.

but with gritted teeth, yoo rin pushed against the pressure, deflecting the giant metallic hand. in one fluid motion, she countered with a powerful punch, aiming for ira's core.

pow! pow! pow! the two continued to hit each other, with the intent to murder the other.

after receiving a few more hits, ira attempted to use her oversized paw's claws to slice the teenage girl in front of her into ribbons. however, yoo rin sensed that intent and dodged, using that opportunity to deliver a devastating blow to the joint in the suit's right arm.

to be precise, the elbow.

a huge shockwave tore through that right arm, accompanied by the sound of a satisfying snap. it fell limp like a broken branch.

from a single glance, it was clear ira won't be able to use that right hand!

"impossible! impossible! how could an indestructible armour made from the body of a magic sister break from such blow!!" roared ira, as if it was absurdity.

distracted by the pain and disbelief, she didn't see yoo rin closing in. by the time she did, it was already too late. before she could react, yoo rin was upon her, unleashing a fierce barrage of punches that parted the wind.

with only one functioning arm, ira was overwhelmed. the suit, designed for overwhelming offense, was now a sitting duck.

punches rained down upon her, from head to toe, like a relentless hail of bullets.

crack-!!

the sturdy flame of sloth bear suit began to crack and splinter under the barrage of merciless attacks. ira desperately tried to evade the onslaught, to protect both herself and her sister's sacrifice, but it was futile. the defense that had once been her greatest strength was now crumbling, leaving her utterly exposed.

eventually...

step—!

yoo rin took a powerful step forward, closing the distance in an instant.

she clenched her fist, that would bring an end to this battle, so hard that it seemed like her hand would break. her gaunlets responsed to her will and provided her with power.

she landed a bone-crushing punch directly on ira's chest!

bang!!

the suit, with ira inside, was sent flying backwards. her body, encased in the suit, tumbled end over end, and crashed into the stairway, landing directly in front of the witch's portrait.

something rapidly rose from within, and her nose was filled with a metallic smell.

"gargle! hack-splat!"

a violent eruption of blood, accompanied by a sickening, choking sound, erupted from ira's mouth. the blood flooded the interior of the suit, seeping through the cracks and staining the floor crimson.

the suit was utterly ruined.

a gaping hole, the size of a fist, marred the chest, revealing the mangled metal beneath. cracks spread across its entire surface, the once-impenetrable armor now shattered and broken.

ira, now trapped within, was a marionette with severed strings.

several of her ribs and bones, shattered by the impact, had pierced her internal organs, including her heart.

disbelief washed over her face. how could this be? she was supposed to be the victor. anyone who had witnessed the fight would have predicted her triumph.

so why? why had she lost? why was her sister's armour defeated?

"ha ha! this wasn't in my predictions at all..."

perhaps all the weight of her sins were finally catching up to her.

divine retribution, was it?

ira could only manage a bitter laugh.

gradually, she lost her voice, and her grip on her consciousness loosened. she could feel her descent into death's embrace.

she could not move, and the suit became a suffocating prison that ensured her demise.

the monstrosity swayed, slowly succumbing to its wounds.

soon, the rhythm of life within the suit ceased.

on this fateful day, under the watchful eye of the witch of emptiness, the two sisters perished simultaneously, their fates tragically intertwined.