Death or Survival

Ji stared at Merijina, his eyes ablaze with anger and confusion. Despite the storm of emotions within him, he managed to steady himself.

"Why?" Ji demanded, his voice trembling. "Why do you want to kill me? I trusted you!"

Merijina's expression remained cold and unyielding as she responded, her tone sharp:

"Because you're nothing but a threat. Your soul harbors something that should never exist. You're a weapon, Ji, one crafted by Don without your knowledge."

Takai's voice rang out, desperate and pleading:

"Stop! You can't kill him! He's not like Don—he's Ji!"

Merijina turned to her, her piercing gaze silencing the girl instantly.

"You're too young to understand," she said sternly. "When the beast inside him awakens, you won't be alive to see the destruction it will bring."

Ji's gaze hardened, a mix of pain and defiance flickering in his eyes.

"If you think I'll stand here and let you kill me without a fight, you're wrong," he declared.

Merijina raised her staff, dark blue magic coiling around her like a living entity. Her voice was calm but laced with finality:

"I gave you a chance, Ji. But you chose to resist. Now... show me your strength."

The battle began with Merijina unleashing a torrent of powerful magic. Ice storms mixed with razor-sharp winds tore through the battlefield, forcing Ji to rely on his speed to evade her relentless attacks. The ground beneath them was scarred by her magic, the air heavy with tension.

"If you can't dodge this," Merijina remarked coolly, "how will you stand against the catastrophe that resides within you?"

Ji gritted his teeth, his voice firm as he retorted:

"The catastrophe you speak of... I'm its master, not its servant!"

Leaping high into the air, Ji launched a barrage of lightning-fast strikes, his fists glowing with a faint power he had inherited from Don. Merijina raised a shimmering blue barrier, effortlessly deflecting his attacks.

Changing tactics, she summoned shadowy creatures, their forms twisting and writhing as they lunged at Ji. Forced to defend himself, Ji tapped into the blue fire within him. It erupted chaotically, consuming the shadow beasts but also injuring him in the process.

Merijina's lips curled into a faint, almost cruel smile.

"There it is," she said softly. "The power you can't control. Do you feel the pain? This is only the beginning."

The battle intensified as Ji struggled to keep his composure. The chaos within him began to overwhelm his senses, and Merijina seized the opportunity to bind him with magical chains. As the enchanted shackles tightened around him, Ji's mind was flooded with fragmented visions and a voice—cold and calculated—echoed in his thoughts.

"Well, well," the voice said. "What a sight. Are you really going to let her do this to you?"

"D-Don?" Ji whispered weakly.

"You disappoint me, Ji," Don's voice continued, dripping with mockery. "But I'll help you this once. Together, we'll show her the truth."

Suddenly, the chains shattered as a surge of dark blue energy erupted from Ji's body. Merijina leapt back, her confidence momentarily shaken.

"This isn't ordinary magic," she murmured, her voice laced with unease. "This is you, Don, isn't it?"

Don's voice emerged from Ji, sharp and taunting:

"Hello, Merijina. Still as formidable as ever, but it seems wisdom has abandoned you."

Ji regained control, though his gaze now held a newfound intensity. The battle resumed with renewed ferocity, the air crackling with energy as Ji and Merijina exchanged blow after blow.

As the fight reached its peak, Don's presence grew stronger. A menacing aura surrounded Ji, and a fiery blue sword materialized in his hand. Don's voice resonated, almost gleeful:

"Do you recognize this sword, Merijina? It's not just a weapon—it's a piece of that cursed Passage of Judgment. I brought it back just for you."

Merijina steadied herself, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of fear.

"Don, stop this," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "Remember who you were, not what you've become."

Don chuckled darkly.

"Who I was? No, my dear... I am the best version of myself now."

Merijina unleashed a powerful spell, summoning colossal icy pillars that rained down with blinding speed. Don, controlling Ji's movements, evaded the attacks effortlessly before striking back with the blazing sword. The clash of ice and fire shook the battlefield, the ground splitting beneath their feet.

Finally, Merijina fell to her knees, her strength depleted. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Don with a mixture of sorrow and longing.

"It's been 100 years, Don," she whispered. "A hundred years since I last saw you."

Her voice trembled as she uttered her final words:

"I still love you... Don..."

Her body dissolved into light, leaving behind only a small, glowing crystal. Don's influence over Ji faded as he stepped forward, picking up the crystal. He stared at it, his expression unreadable.

"The first crystal," Don muttered, handing it to Ji.

Ji erupted in anger, his voice shaking:

"Why? Why did you kill her? She loved you! Why?!"

Don's face remained cold, his voice emotionless:

"Because revenge has a price, Ji. And I've already paid it."

Ji's fists clenched as he struggled to make sense of Don's words.

"One hundred years?" Ji asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What does that even mean?"

"In the Passage of Judgment, time works differently," Don explained. "Every year there equals a decade here. I spent ten years in that hell, and it stripped away anything human in me."

Ji looked at the crystal in his hand, his eyes clouded with grief and rage.

"You're insane," he said bitterly.

Don smirked faintly.

"Perhaps. But now isn't the time for your emotions. Focus on the task at hand. Don't let sentimentality get in your way."

Without another word, Don turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Ji standing alone amidst the frozen battlefield. The faint glow of the blue fire illuminated the melting ice, a testament to the chaos and loss left behind.

End of chapter...