230 ACTIVATING THE KILL CURSE
[Many years ago in the Temple of Hera]
"Those of you who fail to bring back a basket of stones from the mountains will go without dinner," Cruenna declared, her voice cold and unyielding.
The girls, no older than eight or ten, stood before her, their small frames trembling under the weight of her words.
The mountain loomed in the distance, its peak shrouded in mist. The task was daunting—carrying heavy magic rocks back to the temple before sunset seemed impossible for most of the girls.
But failure was not an option.
This was their Mother's command, and they had no choice but to obey.
With baskets in hand, the girls set off toward the mountain, their small legs carrying them as fast as they could. They scrambled to collect the stones, their tiny hands struggling to lift the heavy rocks.
Once their baskets were filled, they began the arduous journey back, each step heavier than the last.
"Ouch!" one of the girls, Fanna, cried out as she stumbled and fell to the ground, her basket tipping over and scattering stones, her leg was hurt.
"Are you okay, Fanna?" Sujira asked, rushing to her side.
"I can't do it," Fanna whimpered, clutching her ankle. "The stones are too heavy. I can't go on."
Sujira glanced at the setting sun, then back at Fanna. "We're almost there. Just a little farther. We can make it before dark—I'll help you."
With great effort, Sujira helped Fanna to her feet and redistributed some of the stones from Fanna's basket into her own. The added weight made every step a struggle, but Sujira pressed on, determined to get them both back in time.
By the time they reached the temple, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the courtyard in shadows. Cruenna stood at the entrance, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.
"You're late," she said, her voice cutting through the stillness.
"Please, Mother," Sujira pleaded, her voice trembling. "Fanna hurt her ankle. We couldn't move faster."
Cruenna's gaze was icy. "Injuries are no excuse for failure. There is only one portion of dinner left tonight." Without another word, she turned and walked back inside, leaving the girls standing in the cold.
Sujira's stomach growled loudly, a painful reminder of her hunger. She hadn't eaten all day, but she turned to Fanna with a weak smile. "Here, we can share the—"
She wanted to share her dinner.
Before she could finish, a sharp blow struck the back of her head. Sujira crumpled to the ground, her vision blurring. Through half-closed eyes, she saw Fanna limping toward the temple, the door closing behind her.
Cruenna watched from the shadows, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Well done, Fanna," she said. "Mercy and kindness have no place in this world. Remember that."
She turned her gaze to Sujira, who lay on the ground, wounded and starving. "Let this be your lesson, girl. Kindness will only bring you ruin."
Sujira closed her eyes, the pain in her body eclipsed by the ache in her heart. She had learned her lesson—not just about the weight of stones, but about the weight of cruelty in a world that rewarded none for compassion.
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[At the third Gate of the Dungeon of Lust]
"Sujira, why are you here?" Cruenna demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion.
"I was worried you might struggle with the traps," Sujira replied calmly. "I came to help."
Cruenna's eyes narrowed. "You should have warned us about these traps before we walked into them."
"Mother Cruenna, this isn't my fault," Sujira said, her tone steady. "You've come to the wrong place. This isn't the pharmacist's chambers."
Cruenna froze. "Then what is this place?"
"This is Lilleo Gullee's dungeon," Sujira answered, her voice cold and deliberate.
Cruenna's face paled. "Lilleo Gullee has a dungeon?"
"Yes," Sujira said, her gaze unwavering. "And you've stumbled right into it."
Cruenna's mind raced. "This is bad. How do we get out?"
"You don't," Sujira said, and in a flash, she struck Cruenna with a powerful blow to the back.
Cruenna staggered, blood spilling from her mouth. "What have you done? How did you become this strong?" she screamed, her voice a mix of rage and pain.
Cruenna was at the peak of Svad and Sujira was a tier beneath her- or so she thought. But unbeknownst to her, Sujira already advanced to the peak not long ago.
Before Cruenna could recover, Sujira's form dissolved into a swarm of shadows, each one lashing out at her with deadly precision.
"You think you can defeat me with the skills I taught you?" Cruenna roared, her own body transforming into shadows as she countered Sujira's attacks.
Cruenna's movements were precise, her skill far superior to Sujira's.
Yet, despite blocking every strike, Cruenna's body was being torn apart. Cuts and gashes appeared across her skin, blood soaking her clothes. The longer the fight dragged on, the more wounded she became.
Finally, the shadows coalesced back into their human forms. Cruenna stood battered and bleeding, her clothes in tatters. Sujira, on the other hand, was untouched, her expression calm and unyielding.
"How are you unharmed?" Cruenna demanded, her voice trembling with fury.
"You never landed a single strike on me," Sujira replied coolly. "I parried every attack, just as you taught me."
"Then why am I so badly wounded?" Cruenna snarled.
"That's the power of my Basilisk bone," Sujira said, a faint smile playing on her lips.
After Leo had replaced Sujira's rib cage with the Basilisk bone, she had gained its powerful retaliatory magic. Every strike aimed at her was instantly returned to the attacker in equal fervor.
Cruenna struggled to her feet, realization dawning on her. "You… you betrayed us."
"I was never truly one among you," Sujira said, her voice cold and final.
"Then you'll die for this," Cruenna hissed, activating the Kill Curse she had placed on all her assassins, on Sujira.
Sujira screamed briefly, clutching her chest, but then she began to laugh—a chilling, triumphant sound. "Did you really think I'd betray you without breaking that fucking curse first?"