Chapter 113: Interlude: Never give up

Mirko’s body was screaming at her to back off, to take a breath, to regroup. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

She launched herself at him again, another volley of kicks aimed at his stomach, but her shin cracked with the third blow, and still, she kept hammering him with everything she had, unwilling to stop, even as her bones screamed in protest.

With a desperate roar, she launched another barrage of kicks, aiming to push him back, to find some weakness, anything that could give her an edge. The pain in her body was unbearable; each kick was more painful than the last.

Her ankle snapped after the third kick, the bone jutting through her skin, agony flaring up through her leg. But she didn’t stop. She didn’t hesitate, she refused to let it stop her.

She kept attacking, faster and faster, until the pain in her broken leg became unbearable. She didn’t care. She would die standing.

But it wasn’t enough.

Nyarlathotep rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.

"Really now."

In one swift motion, he caught her leg mid-kick. Pain flared up her limb as he twisted it, pulling her off balance, and slamming her face-first into the ground. The impact was hard but not enough to knock her out. She forced herself up, only for him to plant his foot on her back, pinning her in place.

"You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you?"

Pain flared up again, but before she could even process it, she felt the sensation of her leg being healed. The broken bone, the shredded skin—everything was repaired in the blink of an eye. Nyarlathotep had healed her.

Her ankle was fine again, and Mirko blinked in stunned disbelief.

Mirko’s heart raced as her body was hoisted into the air by her arm. She struggled, kicking at him with all her might, but each blow barely made him flinch. His cold, calculating gaze never left her.

"Rumi, on closer inspection, I’ve noticed you’re shorter than I thought you were. Oh well, I’m only accustomed to seeing you on your back or on your knees."

Nyarlathotep remarked, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Mirko growled in frustration at the asshole, lashing out with a kick aimed at his stomach. The pain in her leg shot up her spine, but the strike did nothing. He didn’t even flinch. The monster’s grin widened, and she could feel her body screaming at her to give up. But that wasn’t her way.

"No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try."

Nyarlathotep chuckled.

"You’re not going to beat me."

Mirko’s teeth bared, and with a defiant laugh, she continued to kick him relentlessly, even though the pain made her want to scream. The bones in her leg cracked again, but she ignored it. Blow after blow, until her body gave out, until her skin broke, and her ankle bone pierced through.

And then, just as quickly, the pain vanished. Her broken leg was healed again in the blink of an eye, the bone set and mended as if it had never been damaged.

Mirko froze, confused and stunned by the sudden relief. Her vision blurred as Nyarlathotep’s voice broke through the fog of pain.

"Why don’t you, Rebecca, and any of our other kids ever have any self-preservation instincts?"

He asked, shaking his head as he held her upside down by her ankle.

Mirko snarled in defiance, her face flushing with anger, but she refused to let him get to her.

"Because I don’t need to save myself."

She spat, blood and defiance dripping from her lips as she glared up at Nyarlathotep.

The eldritch being merely chuckled, amused by her relentless fire. His grip on her didn’t loosen, fingers coiled around her wrist like steel bands, unyielding and absolute.

"I’m a hero. And heroes don’t back down just because they’re outmatched."

Nyarlathotep scoffed at her words.

"No, you’re not, Rumi."

He said, voice rich with amusement.

"You’re a goddamn adrenaline junkie, who gets off on every fight. I bet you’re soaking wet under your underwear right now."

Mirko’s face burned red, but she didn’t let it shake her. Instead, she swung her head back and slammed it into his stomach with everything she had left. A sickening crack rang out—her own skull taking as much damage as she dealt—but the pain barely registered.

For a moment, all she could focus on was her defiance.

"Fuck it."

She muttered, her body limp in his grasp but her will still blazing.

"If I die, I die. But I’ll go down fighting. And that’s more than you could ever do."

Nyarlathotep only laughed, tightening his hold on her.

"Damn it, you’re still as crazy as ever, huh?"

His grin widened.

"Willing to go that far just to try and kill me? You should’ve just tried seducing me instead. You’re hot as fuck—Imight’vedropped my guard for that."

Mirko rolled her eyes.

"Yeah? You still wanna fuck me? Pin me down and do it then."

She smirked through the blood on her lips.

"But youknowI ain’t wiggling my rear pathetically to keep your sorry ass busy. I ain’t weak-willed like that."

Nyarlathotep’s grin didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something unreadable.

"You sure talk big for someone in my grasp."

He mused.

Mirko bared her teeth in a wicked grin.

"Not like I can stop you if youreallywanted to."

She shrugged, her tone daring.

"But you know that my bunny quirk comes withallthe benefits and drawbacks of a rabbit."

Her smirk widened.

"I’m constantly ovulatingall the time, ensuring thatyour going to knock me up every time we fuck. Plus, all our kids hate ya, and you keep increasing their numbers, eventually, one of them is gonna kill ya."

Nyarlathotep let out a low, dark chuckle.

"Ha...that’swhy you’re my favorite wife. Always forthright. You hate dishonesty and always speak the truth."

He mused, before tossing her into one of the softest beds across the multiverse, conjured in an instant just forher.

Mirko hit the bed with a soft thud, bouncing slightly before landing on her back, with all her clothing disappearing, leaving her completely naked.

The pain from all her shattered bones was a distant memory as she glared up at Nyarlathotep. The monster in human skin had the audacity to chuckle at her threat, his grin widening as he loomed over her.