"No matter how long I stare at this sight, I still can't wrap my head around it."
That was Jínxī's verdict after watching me sit atop Litho's head while he remained pinned to the floor.
It took me five more cycles to pull this off with their help. I wasn't proud of it, but that was the limit of what I could achieve at the moment.
"Don't worry, he won't bite–"
SNAP!
"–if you keep your distance," I amended as Whitney jolted in fright.
As for why I was doing something so absurd, it wasn't as though I'd been given much of a choice.
I hadn't encountered that man in grey armor since our first meeting, but he had at least helped me confirm one thing:
My death wasn't permanent either.
There was, however, a stark difference between the usual resets and the resets triggered by death, something I learned the hard way when Litho killed me for the first time two cycles after I met the armored man.
Normally, the zone heals my wounds and returns me to the same point.
But when I died, lingering effects from the previous cycle clung to me, and the zone struggled to repair them.
I still don't know how the man killed me, but for nearly the entire cycle afterward, I was in a stupor, unable to interpret or respond to anything. It wasn't until Litho ended that cycle that I regained control, and needless to say, I was mortified.
My second "death" came when I tried to stall Litho until the armored man appeared. The feisty Shadowbeast had other plans.
Maybe it was the difficulty, or maybe knowing death had no lasting consequences dulled my caution. Either way, he tore through the entire right side of my torso with a single bite, and for almost the entire next cycle, I lost control of that entire section of my body.
Three cycles later, I finally captured Litho and kept him pinned. Admittedly, it was thanks to an occurrence far too convenient.
I don't fully understand it, but my authority has been acting on its own.
Normally, I can sprout my crimson blades from metallic properties beneath the surface. The type of metal is out of my control, and the result is always blades with a steel‑like structure.
But recently, the moment I even intend to use my ability, the blades erupt on their own.
Most of the time, they follow my movements. Other times, they act independently, almost as if choosing the most convenient moment to manifest.
It would've been helpful if I could at least guarantee they wouldn't injure or kill the others, but once they start, I can't shut them off.
Strangely, whenever it happens, I sense a familiar energy signature around me, though I've never figured out whose it is.
As expected, the man in grey armor arrived, and I climbed off Litho to meet him.
When he landed, he glanced at Litho, then at me. Honestly, these weren't ideal circumstances.
He was staring at his master's pet, impaled to the ground, but since a Shadowbeast can't be reasoned with, I hoped he'd at least be somewhat understanding.
And it's not like I could avoid Litho until he arrived, the troublemaker is unpredictable every single time I see him.
"Can we help you?" I asked, feigning ignorance. It was the only way to gauge his intentions in case things went south again.
"Possibly not. It seems I've already found what I was looking for."
"You mean this creature? It attacked us moments ago, and we were trying to figure out where it came from. It seems to be a mutant. Were you hunting it?"
Even as I spoke, intimidation gnawed at me.
It was even worse for Whitney and the others, they couldn't move at all.
It made me wonder what kind of powerhouse I was facing, and how Rita ever survived an encounter with him.
"Indeed. It is a new pet of my master's, but it slipped from containment and escaped through the foils to reach this place."
"I don't know what that means, but who keeps a Shadowbeast as a pet?"
"..."
"No matter," I cut myself off. "You can at least pardon how forceful we had to be with it, right?"
"Of course. It is quite surprising that such weak children managed to defeat it, let alone capture it."
"Well, I can't say it was easy. But since you have business with it, we'll get out of your way."
I stepped back from Litho and let the man approach. Still, something told me leaving immediately would be foolish.
Even after I dispelled the blades pinning Litho, the beast didn't move. He seemed like he wished to, but he couldn't budge an inch.
The armored man placed a hand on Litho's body, and a deep rumble followed.
Then Litho's body began to compress, crushed downward with such force that the ground beneath him caved into a crater.
From that alone, I understood how I died the first time.
CRUNCH!
It was gravity.
He had crushed my entire body with overwhelming gravitational force, just as he was doing to Litho now.
"Wh–Why?"
"I commend your effort to survive, and I am curious how you knew about me before I even arrived."
Unbelievable.
I know I'm a terrible actor, but the least he could do is pretend not to notice the oddities here.
"Your first mistake was assuming I wished to return with it alive. Judging by those three behind you, they are still learning, while you are more experienced. Retreating so abruptly violates every protocol in such a situation, especially since I radiated no killing intent."
I hate this.
"Not to mention, I named too many irregularities, yet your curiosity was anything but genuine."
Why did he have to be so difficult? Who "the hell even are you?!"
"I thought you wanted your master's stupid pet! So why kill it? And what does that have to do with us?!"
Unfortunately, I'd mixed up my internal and external thoughts again. I hate when that happens, but frustration at this unreasonable Eminent kept slipping out.
"How amusing your predicament is. If it were up to me, I would let you go. But not only have you witnessed that stubborn abomination's existence, but you have also witnessed mine. That eliminates the option of sparing you."
He raised his palm toward me, and immediately my authority surged on its own, draining every reserve to unleash hundreds of crimson blades.
They all shattered at once.
Then my body was yanked toward him. If there was any solace, it was that he was at least creative with his executions.
I didn't even reach him before he drew his arm back.
And the moment he threw it forward–
"Waaah! Isn't the breeze nice?!"
"As nice as you can call a dirt-filled canyon."
"Why do you always do that? Can I be at peace for one moment without you burping on my rainbow?"
I don't know what to think anymore. He's too strong to fight, too unreasonable to negotiate with.
There's nowhere to retreat, the black void blocks the way. Nowhere to advance, I've tried.
It all feels hopeless, and I want to cry.
But more than that, I want to scream.
I'm so frustrated, I want to scream at the culprit.
The one responsible for putting me through all this. The one forcing me through this torturous trial. The one who wants to see me rewrite an unforgivable past.
So I did.
"Rita! I know it's you doing this! Let me out, I can't do this anymore!"