Chapter 13: Volume II. Chapter XIII. – A Fight For Survival

A four-armed, dark, humanoid figure with two of its limbs protruding from its back. Its hands each have four fingers with what appear to be razor-sharp nails.

A dreaded distorted face and a tail like the demon that has attacked our town.

While one half bears the appearance of a typical face, the mouth and eye of the other half are stitched shut.

It’s relatively small, about my height.

Are these disgusting creatures ever going to leave us alone?

Hidiku is not yet aware of it. I need to let him know before-

I’m mid-thought when the enemy appears right next to us.

It’s fast!

In no time, it dashes at us with a kick aimed directly at me. I force my way out of Hidiku's protection just in time to dodge.

The small beast's leg moves through the space between us, but even though I was able to avoid it, it nonetheless kicked me again with its heel, this time impacting the side of my face.

I’m pushed a few meters back before landing on my back and sliding a bit further through the mud.

So strong… It’s way too strong for its small body.

My body aches. I slowly get up and look around to search for Hidiku, but when I spot him, he’s pinned down beneath the demon’s foot while groaning in pain.

The demon is rubbing its heel into his back with a vicious grin.

I want to call out his name, but a sudden pain jolts through my body when I try.

This pain... it sears so badly when I try to move my mouth. It must have broken my jaw; I can feel it swelling too. It hurts like hell!

I need to help him. I reach for the sword strapped to my waist that I picked up earlier, but it’s not there. It’s missing… I must have dropped it.

I follow with my gaze the path that I’ve traveled. It’s lying on the ground next to the two of them.

My legs are still sore. Can I get there in time? I could use my gift, but I doubt I can generate enough power to inflict any harm right now. Not to mention, everything is wet, and Hidiku would get caught in the crossfire.

I brainstorm ideas when I look at the ground just to spot a regular rock. But that unassuming pebble provided me with a sufficient hint.

I pick up a few and take a strong stance. I place one of the rocks in my palm and take a position with my other hand.

I’m about to flick this little bastard.

It takes just a tiny bit of my energy to make it reach. I can do this.

A small portion of electricity generated with my gift flows into my index finger, which then strikes the rock.

At breakneck speed, the stone piece shoots through the woods and strikes the demon in its face.

Take that, you little gremlin!

It reacts and slowly diverts its gaze to me.

Good, I got its attention… or so I thought. One look at me, and it proceeds to torture Hidiku. I’m guessing it doesn’t see me as a threat, and I’m slightly offended by that.

The aim of the earlier fire was to draw the demon’s attention. The goal of the ensuing shot will be to hurt it.

I charge my finger once again, this time with somewhat more power, take aim, and with spite, I flick the rock that's laying in my palm.

Bull’s eye, quite literally. It’s a direct hit to the fiend’s eyeball.

For just a moment, the demon almost immediately shrieks in pain and takes another look at me. Just that this time it does not seem happy at all.

It releases Hidiku’s body into the mud.

Alright, I’ve got its attention this time, now to get the weapon. Though, easier said than done.

As I’m looking for a way to get the abandoned sword without getting myself killed, the demonic beast steadily approaches.

The monster leaves its footprints marching through this lush, dark-green forest, but they are quickly washed away by the soil's moisture.

My legs are still in no condition to allow me to flee. Simply being upright is difficult enough.

I still have a few rocks left in my palm; time to make use of them, so I start shooting them at the demon, one after another.

One, two, three, four...

None of them have done anything. My efforts are pointless, but despite that, I still choose to go on and shoot one more.

As a result, the demon catches the rock and flicks it back at me.

The pebble flew by me, surpassing significantly my own speed by far. I didn’t even see it coming. I get startled and take a step back, but something is in the way, and I trip.

I then realize it has not missed me entirely, I feel a cut open up on my cheek.

Alright, Yuuna, don’t give up hope. As Hidiku stands up, he is gazing directly at us, but it doesn't appear that he has noticed the sword.

I pick up another rock and fire one more time; it misses my threat completely, but that is fine because I wasn’t aiming for it in the first place.

My target is the longsword, and it’s a spot-on hit.

The impact causes a clanking sound loud enough for Hidiku to hear it. But at that point, the demon is already standing above me, and shortly after, a sudden stinging pain comes from my abdomen.

The devil kicks me in the stomach with a powerful stroke, taking my breath away. It then descends to me and attempts to slash me slowly with one of its sharp nails.

Despite all the pain in my abdomen and jaw, I defend myself to the best of my ability by gripping its hand tightly with both of mine.

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The fingernail is so sharp that just the tip of it has already pierced through the clothes in the middle of my chest, straight into my flesh.

This cocky fiend is toying with me. It could use the rest of its hands if it wanted to. But fortunately enough, it’s trying to open me up with just one, and it’s buying me time without it realizing.

Though, it’s challenging enough to protect myself against one arm. The demon’s fingernail is slowly but surely making its way down my body. I’m not strong enough to stop it, and it hurts like hell, not to mention the odor!

“TAKE THIS!”

Hidiku yells from the bottom of his lungs as he swings the blade and cuts off one of the demon’s arms.

It lets out a roar that is deafening enough to temporarily daze us.

Both I and Hidiku are stunned, with our hands covering our ears in pain.

Our enemy uses the opportunity it created, takes hold of Hidiku, and then hurls him over its shoulder, straight over me.

It once again prioritizes Hidiku as its target and walks over me even though it could quickly finish me on the spot. Hidiku has definitely angered it. I’m afraid it won’t hold back any longer.

I want to warn him, but the pain of a broken jaw is too much to bear. I’m not able to let out more than just wordless sounds.

I must help him at all costs. I may have a broken jaw and unusable legs, but I still have my arms!

I grab the demon’s rigid legs. A skin texture so rough and complex it could tear off the skin of my palms.

But I don’t care! I’m not letting go!

The next thing I know, my stomach is being pierced by the demon’s tail. It’s running straight through it.

I’m compelled to grunt in agony since I can’t even scream.

I can feel this fiend's bony tail tearing up my muscles surrounding the wound, and this burning pain accompanying it…

Tears start flowing down my cheeks, and blood leaks out of my mouth.

I’m slowly losing strength in my grip…

Will this hideous demon’s face looking down on me be the last thing I will see?

I can feel my consciousness slowly leaving me when someone starts desperately screaming again. Then out of nowhere, a blade penetrates the demon’s chest.

Hidiku manages to stab it once more.

The demon swings itself to the side in an attempt to throw Hidiku off, but it’s futile.

The desperate boy holds on to the sword’s handle with all his might, and as the demon throws itself the second time, Hidiku swings his arms in the opposite direction.

The longsword runs right through the tough flesh and leaves the demon’s body sliced open from its side to its center.

“Go to hell!”

Hidiku yells out as he swings his sword for the third time, slicing off the demon’s head and ending the fight for survival.

Blood spills all over the place, and our threat drops to the ground as it slowly turns to ashes.

Is it over? Did we survive?

Hidiku is left gasping for air as he rushes to me in panic.

“Yuuna, you are bleeding! Oh no, the wound is too deep! How do I stop it?!”

Half of his concerned-looking face is covered in blood.

Laying in a muddy pool while constantly being hit by the rainfall, not even able to say my goodbyes…

I guess this is the end… but I don’t want to go… I don’t want to die!

Tears begin to overflow my eyes once more.

Hidiku holds my hand tightly while his eyes react like mine.

“Don’t worry, you will make it out! I’ll figure something out!”

I reply with a gentle smile as thanks for trying to comfort me… something I couldn’t do for him just the other day.

My body feels hot, and the temperature only rises, and so does the amount of blood running out of my mouth. I could choke on it at any moment.

“Wh-what’s going on? Your skin!”

He says with a tone showing nothing but terror as I begin to feel a burning itch on various parts of my body.

One glance is all it takes to see what's happening to me.

Demon blood poisoning. The skin begins to decay, exposing the flesh beneath it as a result. That’s just one of many symptoms… Though, not like I have enough time for the rest of them…

My vision is getting blurry. I can feel Hidiku holding me in his arms, but only barely. And the raindrops… has it stopped raining?

No… it’s just that all of my senses are going numb. Even the pain is gone…

Hidiku is crying out my name, but that voice is also fading into the void of nothingness.

My consciousness is about to slip out. I guess it’s finally time.

I’m sorry...Hidiku. I'm sorry for leaving you behind like....this.

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