The gates of the Sacrifice Web clamped shut behind Yuki with a metallic thunder that shook the entire dimension. The sound vibrated up her spine like something ancient was waking up beneath her feet.
There were no stars here.
No sky.
Only a vast black void streaked with thin white threads of cosmic light—like veins pumping energy through the skeleton of a dying universe.
Yuki exhaled and walked forward.
Her footsteps echoed across the stone, the rhythm too large for one person to make. The Web was responding to her presence, judging her before the trial even started.
Sakura was gone.
Gone to the Star Web.
Gone to her destiny.
And for the first time in years, Yuki felt the silence inside her mind.
No whisper.
No warmth behind her heartbeat.
No second soul.
Just Yuki.
Just her.
The emptiness hurt… but it also strengthened her resolve.
If she wanted to be a Sacrifice Ghoul—
If she wanted to stand equal to the fate Sakura had reached—
She had to do this alone.
A deep, booming voice rattled the chamber:
"Candidate 678 — Yuki.
You have entered the Trial of Flesh."
The ground lit up with glowing marks that crawled like serpents across the floor. Circles within circles, symbols that pulsed to the rhythm of the cosmic threads above.
Yuki breathed out.
"Let's get this over with."
The arena solidified around her—walls rising like they were pulled up by invisible hands. A dome of shimmering light locked her inside. The air grew heavy. For a moment, even gravity seemed to twist sideways.
Then the shadows moved.
And the first wave emerged.
Twelve creatures—ghoul phantoms shaped from pure cosmic stone. Their bodies cracked with inner light. Their jaws unhinged into long fangs. Their movements were jittery, stuttering, like reality itself couldn't keep them contained.
They circled Yuki like wolves… and then leapt.
Yuki ducked under the first one, her instincts sharper than blades. She twisted and slammed her elbow into its jaw. The beast shattered into glowing particles.
Two more lunged.
Yuki rolled, pivoted, struck—
She fought with no hesitation.
No fear.
Her movements clean and vicious.
One phantom landed a slash across her shoulder. Pain burned hot—but it only fueled her focus. She snarled and kicked upward, breaking its neck.
Three more charged from behind.
Yuki sprinted at the arena wall, jumped, ran along it for three steps, flipped backward—and landed on top of a phantom, driving her heel into its skull.
Dust exploded.
Her heart thrashed in her chest, but her body kept moving like she'd been born to kill.
The creatures came faster now—
Five at once.
Seven.
Ten.
They swarmed, claws slicing the air.
Yuki grabbed one by the throat and slammed it into two others, breaking all three. A fourth jumped at her face—she snapped its leg off and stabbed it through its chest.
The arena dimmed.
The creatures disappeared.
The voice returned:
"Trial of Flesh completed.
Candidate remains alive."
Yuki spat blood onto the floor and wiped her mouth.
"Alive and pissed off."
The runes flared again.
"Proceed to Trial of Bone."
The ground cracked open beneath her feet.
A towering mass rose from the crack—a beast twenty feet tall, made of stone, cosmic webbing, and the souls of ancient ghouls fused together. Its eyes were hollow pits glowing white. Its mouth was a spiral of gnashing void-teeth.
The Trial Guardian.
And this time, she was truly alone.
Yuki widened her stance.
Her jaw set.
Her muscles screamed from the first fight, but she didn't flinch.
"Come on," she whispered. "Let's see what you've got."
The Guardian roared—
The blast of sound shook the arena—
And charged.
Yuki dodged, barely.
Its fist slammed into the floor, cracking it open.
She ran up its arm, clawing at its shoulder and slicing small wounds into the stone. The Guardian roared and swatted her off like a fly. Yuki collided with the wall so hard she saw stars.
Blood spilled from her nose.
She wiped it away, breathing hard.
I'm not dying here.
The Guardian lunged again—
Yuki slid beneath it—
Grabbed its leg—
And used every ounce of strength to flip it slightly off balance.
It barely moved.
She cursed under her breath.
The beast raised its massive foot—
And stomped.
Yuki rolled.
The shockwave sent her skidding.
Her ribs felt cracked.
Her arms shook.
She stood again.
Staggering.
Breathing like fire.
But still standing.
The Guardian charged a second time—
Yuki forced her legs to move—
She sprinted AT the monster.
Not away.
Not sideways.
Straight into its shadow.
The Guardian swung its enormous arm—
Yuki jumped—
Her claws extended—
And she sliced deep into its wrist.
A crack formed.
The Guardian roared in pain for the first time.
Yuki smirked, breathless.
"Good… you can feel that."
The beast swung again—
Yuki ran up its arm—
Her claws glowing pink—
She leapt onto its head—
And drove both hands deep into its eyes.
The Guardian shrieked and stumbled, swinging its limbs wildly.
Yuki held on with everything she had left.
Her body shook.
Her vision blurred.
Her heart burned like molten fire.
I won't lose.
I won't be weak again.
I won't be left behind.
She screamed and ripped downward with all her strength—
Splitting the Guardian's head open in two.
The creature collapsed, exploding into cosmic dust that rained across the arena like dying stars.
Yuki fell with it—landing hard.
Her entire body trembled.
Blood spilled from her lip, her nose, her ribs.
Her fingers shook uncontrollably.
But she pushed herself up onto her knees.
Then to her feet.
She was breathing like an animal.
Her eyes glowed bright pink like a newborn star about to explode.
The voice boomed again:
"Trial of Flesh… Passed.
Trial of Bone… Passed.
Candidate displays lethal resilience."
The runes turned gold.
"Proceed to final task:
Trial of Loyalty."
Yuki's stomach tightened.
Loyalty? To who?
But the arena answered instantly.
The walls disappeared.
The floor dissolved.
Reality folded.
A new space formed—
A circular hall made of webbed stars.
A transparent floor hanging above a swirling galaxy.
A throne made of pure light standing at the far end.
A tall figure emerged—
A Sacrifice Ghoul Elder.
Skin glowing white-gold.
Hair moving like liquid light.
She looked down at Yuki with unreadable, celestial eyes.
"You lived," the Elder said. "Good. You fight beautifully."
Yuki breathed hard. "Thanks."
"But a Sacrifice Ghoul is not defined by her strength," the Elder said. "She is defined by her loyalty. Tell us—who do you serve?"
Yuki froze.
The cosmic wind howled across the hall.
The Elder repeated:
"Your loyalty. Speak it."
Yuki lifted her chin.
Her voice was steady, rough, scarred:
"I serve no one."
The hall trembled.
The Elder's eyes narrowed. "Not Sakura? Not the Star Webs?"
Yuki shook her head.
"She had her path. I have mine."
The Elder descended from the throne, her feet not touching the ground.
"And the others? The humans? Ghoul City? The boy Zero? The friends you left behind?"
Yuki looked down.
Shara's tear-filled eyes…
Seven's silent worry…
Zero's guilt…
Sakura disappearing into the stars…
Flashed in her mind.
But she raised her head again.
"My power is my own," Yuki said. "My loyalty is to myself. My future. And the world I will protect."
Silence fell.
Then the Elder smiled.
"Correct."
Light exploded across the chamber—
The cosmic web lighting up gold—
Energy piercing into Yuki's body—
Her veins glowing like star-maps—
Her heart igniting into pure power.
The Elder spoke:
"Rise, Yuki…
Sacrifice Ghoul of Web 678."
Yuki screamed as the power flooded her—
Her hair whipped around like black lightning—
Her body lifted off the ground—
Her aura exploded into pink-gold flame—
Her eyes blazed like supernovas—
And the entire Sacrifice Web shook.
Outside, Seven shielded his eyes.
"Damn… she's becoming something else."
Zero stared in awe and fear.
"That power… it's not even ghoul anymore."
Shara whispered:
"She did it… without Sakura… she did it alone…"
Inside the chamber—
The light dimmed—
And Yuki stood alone.
Stronger.
Changed.
Ascended.
The Elder bowed her head.
"It is done. Welcome home."