ZZZ:Through the Frosted Mirror

The city of New Eridu lay in chaos, its streets overrun by unknown Ethereals attacking from all directions. With four of these monstrous beings spreading destruction across the districts, Section 6 had no choice but to split up, each member tasked with neutralizing a separate threat.

Miyabi took charge of the central district, where the strongest among the Ethereals wreaked havoc. As she arrived, the devastation before her was nothing short of a massacre. The lifeless bodies of civilians—young and old, Thiren and human alike—littered the streets, their blood painting the ground in a grotesque display of carnage. The air reeked of death, and the echoes of terrified screams still lingered.

Then, a voice crackled through the intercoms, smooth yet dripping with amusement.

"Ah, so the renowned Section 6 has arrived. Welcome, welcome! I am the Doctor. You see, this is all a grand experiment. I've been eagerly waiting to see how well my subjects fare against one of New Eridu's so-called strongest. And what better test than this?"

Miyabi's grip on her weapon tightened as the voice continued.

"Oh, and before we begin, I must thank you for your carelessness. That little incident with Ellen? Quite a fortunate turn of events for me. Her arm proved to be a most exquisite ingredient in enhancing my creations. Truly, I must express my deepest gratitude."

A cold fury surged through Miyabi's veins. The mere mention of Ellen—of her suffering—lit a fire in her chest, but she didn't have time to dwell on her rage. A presence shot toward her from above, moving at an alarming speed. Acting on instinct, Miyabi whirled, her blade flashing as she parried the incoming attack. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the street, cracking the ground beneath her feet.

She barely managed to counter before gaining some distance, her sharp eyes now locked onto the monster before her.

The Ethereal that stood before her was an abomination, something twisted between a shark Thiren and an Ethereal. Its massive form radiated raw power, with dark, jagged armor plating its grotesque frame. Its gaping maw revealed rows of serrated teeth, and in its clawed hands, it wielded a hammer so massive it could easily flatten a building. The creature's glowing eyes burned with savage intent.

The Doctor's voice returned, smug and delighted. "Marvelous, isn't it? A fusion of science and nature, perfection molded by my own hands. Now then, let's begin! Show me what you're capable of!"

The Ethereal let out a deafening roar, the sound vibrating through the ruined district as it lunged forward, hammer raised high, aiming to crush Miyabi where she stood. She exhaled sharply, her stance firm, eyes unwavering.

"You took something precious from us," she muttered under her breath, her tone deadly. "And I'll make sure you regret it."

With a burst of speed, she launched herself into battle.

Miyabi stood amidst the ruins of the Central District, her blade dripping with the corrupted essence of the Ethereal she had been battling. Despite its increasing adaptability, she remained superior. The creature was strong, but it was not strong enough to kill her. The true challenge lay in the constraints she placed on herself—she couldn't go all out without endangering the city and its people. Every strike was precise, calculated, aiming to weaken rather than annihilate.

She exhaled sharply, her body poised for the final blow. The Ethereal was immobilized, its body twitching under the weight of its injuries. Just as she prepared to finish it, a crackling voice filled the bloodstained air.

"Impressive," the Doctor's voice rang from the intercoms installed throughout the district. "Truly, one of New Eridu's finest. But isn't it tragic? Even with all your power, you couldn't save her."

A massive screen on a nearby building flickered to life. Miyabi's breath hitched as the image displayed sent ice through her veins.

Ellen.

Her lifeless body lay in a pool of her own blood, her once-vibrant eyes dull and empty. The Twin Marionettes loomed over her, their expressions unreadable as they held hands, standing victorious over their kill.

Miyabi's mind shattered.

Her grip on Tailless faltered. The world blurred. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

Ellen was dead.

And she wasn't there to save her.

A scream clawed at her throat, but no sound came. Her vision wavered, and suddenly, she wasn't in New Eridu anymore.

She was a child again, back in the Old Capital.

The fires roared. The Ethereals swarmed. The smell of blood choked her senses.

And her mother—

Her mother, standing before her, her body slowly being devoured by corruption. A kind smile. A trembling hand on Miyabi's cheek. A final plea.

"Miyabi... before I lose myself... before I become a monster... use Tailless. End this. End me."

Her child's hands, too small to hold a weapon, trembling as she obeyed.

The past and present merged. Ellen's lifeless form overlapped with her mother's fading smile. The weight of failure, the cruel inevitability of loss—

Her breathing turned ragged. Her body shook. Not again. Not again. Not again.

A sharp pain snapped her back to reality.

A syringe had embedded itself in her neck, filled with a glowing, corrupted substance. Her body convulsed as foreign energy surged through her veins. The world around her twisted and warped. The voices came.

Destroy.

Consume.

Give in.

Her vision darkened. Her blade trembled violently, as if it sensed the invasion taking root inside its wielder. The sheath that bound it shattered, releasing an overwhelming surge of power.

The ground beneath her cracked. The air turned thick with malice. The Ethereal she had been fighting recoiled, recognizing something far worse had just awakened.

Miyabi's lips parted, but it was not her voice that emerged.

It was a chorus of countless whispers, layered in endless suffering.

And then—

She screamed.

Miyabi's body trembled as she stood amidst the battlefield, her mind clouded by the overwhelming weight of despair. The Doctor's words echoed in her skull, each syllable twisting the knife deeper into her psyche. The image of Ellen, lifeless and bathed in crimson, burned itself into her vision, refusing to fade no matter how hard she tried to force it away. Her breathing was shallow, uneven, and the grip on her weapon loosened as the strength drained from her limbs.

Her thoughts spiraled.

She had failed.

She had failed Ellen.

She had failed the one person she had sworn to protect.

The city, the people, the mission—none of it mattered anymore. The only thing that remained was a vast, consuming emptiness, a gnawing sense of loss that grew sharper with every passing second. The cursed blade in her grasp pulsed with dark energy, as if responding to the unraveling of her mind, sensing the vulnerability that it had long waited for.

The voices slithered into her consciousness, whispering from the depths of the abyss.

You were never strong enough.

You couldn't protect her.

You let her die. Just like your mother.

Miyabi gasped, her eyes widening in terror as the voice of the curse took on a new, horrifying shape—the voice of her mother. It was cruel and twisted, devoid of warmth. It cut deeper than any blade could.

Why didn't you save me, Miyabi?

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched her head, trying to drown out the whispers, but they only grew louder, merging into a cacophony of accusations and mockery. Her vision blurred, reality distorting around her as the curse's tendrils wrapped tighter around her soul. Her once-pristine uniform was stained with blood and grime, but she could no longer tell if it was hers or that of the countless lives lost around her.

She saw the past.

The burning ruins of the Old Capital. The screams of people being consumed by the Hollow. Her mother, standing before her, battered, broken, barely holding onto her humanity. The look in her mother's eyes—that final plea, that quiet acceptance of what had to be done. The weight of the Tailless Blade in her hands. The moment her mother told her to strike. The moment she—

Miyabi choked back a sob, her knees buckling as she collapsed. The cursed sword in her grasp writhed, its dark tendrils creeping up her arms, wrapping around her body, coiling around her throat like a serpent ready to squeeze the life out of her. She barely registered the needle piercing her skin, the glowing corruption spreading through her veins like wildfire. Her body burned. Her mind shattered. Her soul cracked open, the abyss reaching out to consume her whole.

The voices laughed.

Yes. Give in.

Become one with the abyss.

Destroy everything. Lose yourself.

She felt herself slipping, her consciousness sinking into the endless void of darkness. Her hands twitched, her fingers flexing involuntarily as the corruption took hold. The city around her blurred, reality warping into an incomprehensible nightmare.

The seal on her blade shattered.

Dark energy erupted from its core, writhing like a living entity finally set free. Her body convulsed as an unseen force clashed within her—a violent battle between her soul and the curse that sought to claim her. Her screams filled the empty sky, but no one was there to pull her back.

No one but the curse itself, whispering in her ear.

You are alone.

And yet, amidst the suffocating blackness, a warmth broke through.

A gentle hand brushed against her cheek. The scent of sakura blossoms filled the air. The voices momentarily silenced, recoiling as a new presence stepped forward.

"Miyabi, my warrior child... why do you weep alone?"

Her eyes flickered open. Before her stood her mother, her form radiant and untouched by corruption, just as Miyabi had last seen her before that fateful night. The warmth of her embrace surrounded Miyabi, a shelter against the unrelenting storm.

"Mother..." Miyabi's voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "I... I couldn't... I couldn't save her. I couldn't save you."

Her mother's smile was filled with both sorrow and love. "A hero's path is never easy, my dear. Even when you wield all the power in the world, you cannot save everyone."

Miyabi's fingers clutched at the fabric of her mother's robes, her body shaking with grief. "I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't want to be powerless."

Her mother gently cupped her face, tilting it upwards. "Then stand, my daughter. Do not let the past bind you. Take my strength and walk forward."

Before Miyabi could protest, her mother moved past her, stepping into the tendrils of the cursed sword. The abyss howled in fury as the darkness coiled around her, consuming her form in its endless hunger.

Miyabi reached out, but her mother only smiled. "Live, Miyabi. Live, and become stronger."

A burst of blinding light shattered the void.

Miyabi gasped as she was flung back into reality. Her body convulsed, burning with newfound energy. The corruption that had been seeping into her veins was gone, sealed away with her mother's final act.

Her hair and ears turned stark white, the tips tinged with a brilliant blue. A tail, white with the same blue tips, unfurled from her back, swaying with newfound power. Her very essence had changed, purified yet stronger than ever before.

As she stood, the shattered remains of her sword pulsed in resonance, reforging itself in response to its wielder's evolution.

Miyabi Hoshimi had been reborn.

And with her, so had her resolve.