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Chapter 11 - P1A_NN3D_+D3+ATH

The girl narrowly evaded the incoming strike, spinning backward with a fluid motion. Her long, flowing black hair trailed behind her, twisting in the air like ribbons caught in the wind.

Another attack surged forward from her assailant, prompting her to unsheathe her katana in a swift and seamless motion, parrying the blow.

A spark erupted at the point where metal clashed against metal. For a brief moment, the light caught her face, highlighting the calm intensity in her eyes.

Her opponent's greatsword was massive, nearly the length of her entire body. It was clear that a single strike from that would cleave her in two.

Fortunately, her katana had been sufficient to ward off the initial flurry of attacks. Whether it would continue to endure the barrage remained uncertain.

"Asakawa...Asakawa…That name, that blade...."

Another strike.

Parry.

"You're from Amatsura, in the eastern regions, aren't you? Koga and I hail from there, too!"

The silver-haired man stood tall, his weapon poised for another strike despite its overwhelming size. Asakawa maintained her stance, her back leg drifting behind her, and her katana angled downward in preparation.

"Two people from the same place shouldn't be fighting, don't you think?" Kouta asked. His casual tone betrayed the tense, rigid positioning of his body.

The threat he had issued earlier still echoed in her mind. A sharp reminder of his true nature. He was clearly attempting to speak down to her, to get her guard down.

"Speak, dammit!" he bellowed before slamming his sword into the ground, frustrated that his attempts were not going any further. Anticipating the movement, Asa leapt back instinctively, as the attack had been clearly telegraphed.

What she did not expect, however, was the eruption that followed. Lifting his sword from the ground, Kouta triggered a blast of rocks in her direction. The sheer force of his weapon cracked the earth beneath them, scattering stone into the air.

She ducked beneath the first projectile and began to prepare her next spell. Cracking her middle finger, she shifted her body to the left and swung her arm outward.

"Gaiadros-13, Enclose."

Her outstretched arm released energy that pulled the launched stones together. They adhered like glue, forming a barrier strong enough to deflect the incoming debris.

"There it is. I knew swordsmanship wasn't your strength. Though I expected Thaumite-level sorcery, not basic spells. Use all of your—"

A stone struck Kouta squarely in the face, snapping his head back mid-sentence.

"You talk too much. Focus."

Kouta remained still for a second, processing the impact. Slowly, he turned his head back toward her, his neck cracking as it realigned. Though the bandages still masked his face, a stream of blood now ran from the crown of his head.

"How else can I formulate how I'm feeling? It's only natural for a human to express himself."

"There is a clear distinction in formulating on how one feels, and an ego-filled rant. You are the latter."

A small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. He reached out and touched the bladed edge of his sword.

"Shami."

Then, without warning, a projectile shot at Asakawa. With no time to parry, she raised her arms to absorb the blow. Her sleeves tore, revealing a gash that spilled blood in a steady flow.

She glanced once at Kouta. His hand was angled in the air as if he had just released a throw, fingers half-curled. His arm lowered while her thoughts raced to understand what he had done.

"Finally, a confused look. Makes killing you all the more rewarding."

With a flick of his wrist, pain lanced through Asakawa's body. She staggered, clutching her arm, and stepped back.

Blood splattered against the ground.

She stared at the crimson stain, her mind accelerating. How had her blood reached such a distance? A normal wound would only spurt a few inches.

So how had it traveled so far?

She looked up at Kouta. If she wanted to figure him out, it would be better to have a more forward confrontation. If possible, she would like to end this battle before even letting him utilize his abilities.

She bit into her index finger and murmured, "Gravitas-2, Rise."

As soon as those words were uttered, reality shifted. Gravity in a four-meter radius around them reversed. The ground trembled as rocks, leaves, and even small creatures floated into the air. Shadows adorned the ground, all from things that should never be airborne.

Birds themselves were thrown off, confused that their wings no longer followed their command.

"She really used a stage 2—!?"

The man jammed his sword into the ground, anchoring himself as his feet began to lift. His body slowly but surely ascended upwards.

There was no clear direction anymore. Nothing remained anchored.

Gravitas-type spells were potent, but they came with limitations. Most were confined to a localized area, requiring the caster to remain within the affected space.

Asakawa was no exception. She too floated upward, though she had lodged her blade in a nearby tree that remained rooted.

Observing Kouta, she noted his sword had bitten deep enough into the earth to hold firm. But given the ground's loose structure and the continued ascent, it would not last long.

The longer a field-based spell endured, the more powerful it became.

The two were locked in a waiting game of sorts, expecting the other to eventually lose their grip.

Despite two minutes passing, Kouta remained stable. He grunted and strained, doing all he could to stay grounded.

Seeing no alternative, Asakawa yanked her sword from the tree, then launched herself toward him, sword raised above her head.

With gravity nullified, the distance closed rapidly. Vectors remained in play even if weight did not.

Kouta lifted his blade to meet her, a smirk on his face. He thought he had anticipated her move.

But she was not aiming to strike.

Asakawa twisted mid-air, planted her feet on his blade, and with a powerful thrust, more akin to a kick, propelled herself backward toward the tree.

The sudden pushback destabilized Kouta's weapon, forcing him into recoil. He managed to maintain his grip, but his expectations had betrayed him.

He anticipated the sword would fall to the ground after the deflection. That had always been the pattern during these kinds of situations. When utilizing a greatsword, the weight of the weapon was the first thing taught; it was almost second nature.

One had to take account of the center of gravity in order to properly wield it in battle. Kouta was more than confident in this fact.

But instead, it continued floating backwards.

His eyes widened. The gravity was entirely unnatural.

He spun helplessly in the air, his blade controlling his movements.

Disoriented, he tried to correct his posture but found himself rising and rotating beyond control.

"!?"

Asakawa lodged her sword deeper into the tree, her hand now bleeding further.

Second-stage sorcery demanded sacrifice. First-stage spells could be cast with simple gestures. Simply because one was a Thaumite, one who had ascended to the second stage, did not mean that Sorcery had become any less taxing. Spells on their levels required just as much, if not more, sacrifice.

"Gravitas-16, Collide."

She swung her hand downward.

The world responded.

Everything dropped. Rocks, animals, debris, all plummeted as if yanked by an unseen string. Some creatures were injured in the fall, but none fatally.

Kouta, however, slammed into the earth with brutal force. A gasp of pain escaped him as his body struck the dirt, face down.

"Hgk!!"

She had aimed to break his spine. But he was smart enough to have just barely shifted position in time.

His body lay, splayed across the ground, unresponsive.

For a moment, he was still.

Had he lost consciousness?

Asakawa stepped cautiously forward, her hand hovering over her bladee. It was clear he was momentarily dazed, so full caution was not necessary.

Closer.

Closer.

Suddenly.

Bang!

Kors's revolver. GLOOM.

She did not allow herself to look away. Her focus remained on her opponent.

Kouta's left hand moved quickly. He tapped the edge of his blade.

She reacted instantly, swinging down with her katana.

He rolled to the side, dodging the strike.

Asakawa reacted once again, striking the general area he had relocated to.

Their weapons collided in another burst of sparks, the katana inches from cleaving his face.

"Khh....Damn it…."

At this point, it was a contest of strength, yet not in the original context. Asakawa knew he could overpower her physically, but she had leverage. She was above him, pressing her blade downward with both hands, the tip of her sword shaking against the resistance.

He gritted his teeth, digging into the earth with his boots for traction. She leaned into the strike, every muscle in her body straining.

Neither yielded.

With a sudden movement, Kouta flicked his wrist forward, and Asakawa's body almost instinctively reacted.

She staggered backward, nearly thrown off balance, but caught herself, lowering into a defensive stance once more. Her katana hovered at the ready.

Finally facing forward, the man began to rise.

"Shit… I think I broke a rib or two…" Kouta growled through clenched teeth, clutching at his chest. He rose slowly, using his blade as a crutch.

The muscles in his arms tensed as he pointed the weapon directly at her. His eyebrows twisted from pure anger at his opponent.

"I'll fucking murder you, you bitch."

His hand reached up and tapped the flat of his blade, and then clenched into a fist. His veins bulged visibly beneath his skin, pulsing with anger.

It was clear he was an egotistical maniac that was not familiar with loss.

Asakawa anticipated another direct assault, raising her blade to meet it.

But there was no strike.

Suddenly-

A sharp feeling erupted from her right arm. Shocked, she glanced at it.

From her wrist to her elbow, flesh erupted in a burst of blood and pain. Shards of her sleeve blew apart. She gasped, stumbling backward, eyes locked on her own mangled limb. Her skin was perforated in several places, the wounds round and clean as if punctured by unseen needles. Fat gleamed beneath the shredded muscle.

Loose skin hung out from certain areas, unable to cling to the body any further from the sheer damage.

She gritted her teeth and lifted her gaze toward Kouta, who stood proud despite his injuries.

With a weary sigh, Asakawa exhaled.

That breath shifted the battlefield. A 'truth' had been revealed.

The mystery of her opponent's Function had revealed itself a long time ago. He was not simply controlling blood. His Severant allowed manipulation of blood on a more intricate scale, both internal and external.

But there was one glaring fact that Asakawa had to confirm.

Unlike the common Blood Rite sorcerers who conjured from incantations and glyphs using sorcery, this man utilized his Severant. It was more efficient. Quicker. Unburdened by the consumption of arcana.

She had hoped to avoid using her deeper abilities. To defeat him through conventional skill alone. But now, it was no longer about the possibility of loss.

That was right. She feared not potentially losing.

It was inevitable that she would win. But the amount of time it would take was the negative.

She was to win.

And to claim victory was to establish undeniable dominance.

With deliberate calm, she slid her katana back into its scabbard. The faint click echoed through the clearing.

"You giving up already?" Kouta chuckled, stepping forward and raising his sword once again.

With a push of his back leg, He charged, raising his weapon above his head.

His war cry shattered the silence, blade aimed to cleave her from shoulder to waist.

"Sorry, but I ain't planning to let you live!"

He swung his blade down, cleaving vertically.

Asakawa sidestepped.

Kouta's head snapped around to follow her movement, confused.

Her blade was already out, held in her hand, in a position that implied she had already attacked.

He had not seen it.

There had been no movement, no motion, no breath between sheath and strike. One blink had cost him everything.

Quickly, she swung downward.

Too far to connect.

She thrust.

Nothing again.

Kouta raised his weapon cautiously, confused. She was striking at the air. At nothing. Was she attempting to show off her power?

Was this a scare tactic–

Then he felt it.

"Engetsu no Hagane."

The man felt a tear in his shirt, a sharp feeling of pain. Yet at this moment, pain was not what took priority within his mind.

The sound of her voice froze the marrow within his bones.

The tension did not stem from only fear. It did not originate from spellcraft or latent binding.

It came from something deeper.

A primal choke, a binding of the soul. His limbs disobeyed. His nerves writhed. Every aspect of himself folded inward.

He could feel it now. Her Hollow Entropy.

A halt.

It was common knowledge that the more 'powerful' an opponent was—which was gauged by how many battles they had won—the more blatant their Hollow Point was.

It was the law of the world that the strong must display their weakness.

Yet.

A phenomenon known as Hollow Entropy existed. The weak points would manifest, multiply into thousands. If one did not possess the will strong enough to overpower their opponent, then they themselves would be overpowered by the Hollow Entropy of their opponent.

It was almost an 'alternative' to gauging one's strength. Though to consider it an 'alternative' despite being utilized by the world itself was considered foolish by some. A natural alternative, if you will.

A way to further explain this would be with the example of a wolf. A strong wolf will be pointed out based on the scars it possesses on its face. He is damaged, grizzled, full of weak points, yet he, in his own right, is strong.

While in this world, any ability may overpower the other, there still was an objective 'truth' that always prevailed, no matter the circumstances. A father will always be able to overpower their younger child. A sword will always pierce skin.

An almost objective 'Truth of Strength'.

Kouta's own perception betrayed him.

In his eyes, his perception of the Pattern took the form of vegetation. His enemies appeared as trees and stems. The breaks in the bark, the rotting petals, would serve as his view of Hollow Points. This was his reality.

But now, the forest had turned black.

Every leaf withered. Every root wrapped tightly around him. It grew from within his lungs, binding his breath.

He could not move.

He could not speak.

He was a few steps from being considered a statue to some.

The girl had not changed position. She simply stared. Eyes empty of expression. The silence of stone.

No longer was he facing a woman. No longer a human.

What stood before him was a creature shaped by something beyond man's reach. An aberration formed of stillness and steel.

"S...Severant…?" His voice cracked as if spoken from underwater.

Another wrong in the world presented itself. The word known as logic that he had come to understand for so long was being murdered in front of his very eyes. The law that supposedly bound this world together was being destroyed.

It did not make sense.

She was a Thaumite. One who had chosen the path of sorcery. One who had ascended to the second stage, a point of no return. By all known laws, she could not possess a Severant.

And yet, his body knew.

She did.

So why…

 

"Your function… it allows you to manipulate the blood of your opponents once you tap onto your blade, doesn't it?"

The man knelt before the woman, staring into her eyes. Her voice sounded like it was digging into his mind, each word heavy and precise. Cold. Machine-like.

He still couldn't move.

His eyes darted left and right, dilated with panic. Even his sword seemed afraid, shaking in his hand before slipping from his grip and falling to the ground.

The Hollow Entropy no longer bound him, but fear had taken its place. Raw, paralyzing fear of the thing standing before him.

Her long hair swayed with the breeze. Her coat drifted behind her like a shadow stretching into the wind. Her violet eyes bore into him, drilling a hole into his skull.

After twenty agonizing seconds, she finally sheathed her sword. The click echoed like a death knell. A signifier that the battle was now over. There was no longer any reason to fight.

Turning her back to him, the girl began to walk away.

"I see."

That was all she said.

This was how the battle ended. None had died, but there was still the act of 'killing'. A kind of 'death'. Surely it had not been physically, but mentally. Yes, surely it was…

The ego of Ogata Kouta.

The moment he had realized she simply could have ended the fight whenever she pleased, it shattered him. Her blade had never missed; it had simply chosen not to strike. Had he displayed a further bout of arrogance, he was sure she would have struck him down.

But even that…

Her footsteps grew quieter as she walked.

She should have killed him. Ended this humiliation. But instead, she let him live with it.

Now he understood.

This was the power of Sable Veil, a mercenary group feared across kingdoms.

No, not a mercenary group, an Organization of Killers.

She was only one of their members as well. The man could not even think of the sheer strength that belonged to other members.

Had he known the truth from the start, accepting the job would have become a nightmare for him, no matter how high the payment.

This wasn't a fight. It was a lesson.

Staring at the ground, the dirt forming a smile back at him, Kouta could no longer bear to look any further. Perhaps one could formulate that he still possessed a small sliver of ego.

His fingers clenched onto the dirt.

Finally, he summoned the courage to look up. In his view, the girl was walking into a copse of trees, her sheath held loosely in one hand.

"W–Wait!" he called out, voice hoarse. "Tell me! What did you do?! How did I lose?!"

She paused.

The world itself seemed to freeze with her.

Even the wind stopped.

"Even if I explained my ability…" she said, turning her head.

Her eyes, a deep violet, glowed faintly. Despite the light around them, a shadow cloaked her face, hiding everything except those piercing eyes.

"You would still lose regardless."

At that moment, the personality trait that defined Ogata Kouta as a person was crushed.

That was it.

It was not about power. Or strategy. Or technique.

He was fated to lose the moment they crossed paths. She had just chosen to end it now rather than later.

From the very start, he was fighting a losing battle.

And now, Ogata Kouta sank into despair.

Utterly defeated, physically, mentally, spiritually.

_______________________________________________________________________

The sun shines brightly from the ceiling of the valley, brilliant in its glow. This area feels more like open grasslands now, with virtually no trees in sight. We've been walking for about fifteen minutes, down a path that feels more like a casual stroll than a desperate sprint for survival.

It's tranquil. Almost too tranquil. If I didn't know we were still underground, I'd assume we were back on the surface.

Around us, grass sways gently in the sunlight, pushed by a soft breeze that hums through the open space like a silent symphony. Strange rabbit-like animals peek at us from time to time before darting away, clearly terrified of whatever the hell we are.

I occasionally catch Kyros watching them a little too intently. Not just curious, but hungry. There's something unnerving about the way he stares. Like he's sizing them up for a late lunch.

Speaking of stares, I decide to ask Kyros a question that's been bugging me since I met him. It might be rude, or maybe just weird, but boredom is peeling away at my brain like paint left in the sun.

"Kyros."

"Hm?"

"Do you…" I trail off for a second, thinking about whether this is worth it. I go for it anyway. "Do you have eyes? How do you see?"

Expecting the goblin to be offended, I reel back a bit and flinch, waiting for a swift rebuttal. But to my surprise, there isn't any.

The goblin just keeps walking, pace unchanged.

"Yes. It may seem confusing to you, but I do in fact possess eyes. The membrane on my face shields them. They are not the conventional 'eyes' that you understand."

"So like… white balls?" I point at my own eyes for emphasis.

"No. They are a network of nerves and veins, with an extremely small retina built into the membrane itself."

"That's confusing."

"Essentially, the membrane you see—the part you perceive as having no eyes—that is where my eyes are."

"Ah, so all that blank space is your eyes."

"Correct."

I nod like I understand, though I'm not sure I do.

"So if someone touches it, do you flinch?"

"No. The sensitive areas are protected by the membrane. Touch does not trigger a reflex."

"And when you sleep? How do you close them?"

I know I'm asking a ton of questions, but when your choices are; walk in silence for another fifteen minutes with a grumpy girl that can rip your head off at a moment's notice, or talk to a goblin, I think any functional human will pick the latter.

"There is no need to close them. I simply sleep."

So it's like fish. I read somewhere that fish don't have eyelids and sleep with their eyes open, with part of their brain still active, so they don't get eaten. Makes sense now.

At this point, we've entered a forest. The actual structure of this one is less cluttered, more so like a woodland.

"Interesting, seeing that on a—"

I stop myself. I was about to say mammal, but goblins are apparently more plant than animal. So it checks out, I guess. Explains a lot of weird stuff they do that would make no sense otherwise.

Then again, I barely know anything about this world. Who knows what other crazy things are waiting around the corner.

While I'm thinking, my eyes land on Navi. She walks up ahead, her body swaying side to side the way a regular person does.

And that's what unsettles me.

She's walking like nothing happened. Just an hour ago, she had a wooden pike jammed through her artery, and now she's moving around like she's coming back from a jog.

I asked her earlier how that was even possible. All I got was: "People recover. Is that not obvious?"

Yeah, but not that fast.

Then again, this is a fantasy world. Maybe she used some healing magic or some kind of miracle spell that fixed her in an instant. It has to be magic. What else explains something like that?

"For the hundredth time, the hell are you staring at?" Navi snaps, glaring back at me.

"Haha, sorry. Habit."

She scoffs and turns forward again.

Well, it's back to bitchy mode. I kinda liked the vulnerable, questioning Navi earlier, but I guess she didn't really want to be perceived that way any longer. I don't really blame her.

I won't bring it up again. Even if it'd be in character for me to say something.

To be honest, I thought her entire personality was just being rude and egotistical. But then I got that clichéd glimpse behind the curtain. The part where you see that people have layers and aren't all just one note.

Alright. I'm definitely overanalyzing this.

"Kaito?"

"Hm?"

"I apologize for intruding on your private matters, but I noticed that you were… quiet earlier. Back in the cave. During your conversation with Ms. Highergald. Is everything alright?"

"Thanks for the welfare check, Kyros, but I'm alright."

Alright. I need to say something that gets him to back off gently. He means well, but I don't like it when people pry into my personal matters. Maybe that's selfish. Still, whatever.

"Listen. I have issues with my head. Sometimes I break into a cold sweat or act strangely. But most of the time, I'm fine. I appreciate your concern, I really do, but it's not something you need to worry about."

I keep my eyes forward. No eye contact.

"If it happens again, just chalk it up to 'Kaito's acting up again. He'll be back to normal in a few.'"

I let a faint smile drift onto my face.

Kyros nods. Slowly. He's processing my words, and I can tell he probably does not like them. I'm sure it's a struggle for him to decide whether he should help the person in front of him in his own specific way, the way that feels true to him, or in the exact way that the individual has stated.

He is the helpful type. A little naive, sure, but kind. Is it wrong of me to take advantage of that? Maybe. My moral compass isn't exactly pointing north right now.

I guess that's why the term "goody two-shoes" exists. It is a term used by those who are seen as ordinary people to describe someone who leans heavily on kindness. I feel that the average person has a certain level of tolerance for kindness, especially when it's constant and intrusive.

It can become exhausting, or even irritating, when someone repeatedly interferes in another's business. Perhaps the one doing the interfering does not perceive it as bothersome and genuinely believes they are helping. But the person on the receiving end cannot see it that way.

This, in turn, creates a confusing rabbit hole where neither side can truly understand the other.

Again, in no shape or form is kindness bad; quite the opposite, actually. What I'm saying here is that, once you start getting into other people's business, that's where it starts to get a little grey. Furthermore, if you stayed out of someone's business, wouldn't that be considered a form of kindness? Given that you're purposely avoiding something that you know the other person wouldn't really like?

Maybe I'll tell him the full truth someday.

"Okay." He finally says.

I won, he picked the latter option. He's opting to listen to me.

As we walk, I take in the wildlife around us. Birds. Down here. That surprises me.

Then again, we're in a valley. They probably nest on the cliffs or ledges that tower above us.

The best way I can describe this place is like a massive tiered bowl. A valley with layered platforms, each one lower than the last. Some are connected by caves that spiral down like ramps. In other places, there's just random floating platforms with grass and rocks.

The geography in this world is borderline insane.

"Kyros, how far are we now?"

"Hm. I recognize these trees. I would say we are thirteen minutes away."

"Ugh. Let's hurry. My legs are killing me."

Navi says nothing.

Out of the corner of my eye, something moves. Quick and small. I turn my head.

A rabbit.

It looks normal compared to the creatures I've seen so far. Bright white, chubby, tiny. It's quite smaller than any rabbit I've seen before. Honestly, it's kind of cute.

I make a small noise to get its attention.

It flinches and bolts the opposite direction.

Can't blame it. I'd run too if something twenty times my size made a weird sound and started staring.

But still, I find myself groaning a little when it runs. Disappointed I wouldn't have been able to pet it.

CRUNCH

Blood sprays across the grass, glinting red in the sunlight.

My eyes go wide. I freeze.

Did that just happen?

That was a rabbit.

There was a rabbit there, right?

It's real. The shattered body lies there in a wet smear. A massive hand hovers above the area it had just landed on, blood staining its hand. Black claws glint in the sunlight, almost laughing.

Heavy breathing fills the air. A foul smell hits my nose like a wave.

Like a rat rotted in sewage, then died again.

My eyes rise slowly.

A monster.

The same one from before.

Sickly beige skin, pinkish striations, visible veins like cables running along its body. Bones poke through its flesh, like jagged steel. It looks like a hairless dog warped by a nightmare, a creature that looks almost too organic. Its canine-like skull droops with a mess of hair down its back.

Its eyes are massive. Bugged out. Crossed.

Saliva drips from its gaping mouth. Its breathing grows louder. Heavier.

It's huge. The size of a bus.

I'm hypnotized. Whether it's from an artificial means or from sheer fear, I can't tell.

I don't notice its jaw shifting back until it's too late. It's about to lunge.

Its limbs stretch. Simian-like arms bracing for a pounce—

WHAM

Something strikes it.

It stumbles to the side, its head almost snapping to the left.

It screams a high-pitched human-like scream that sends my nerves on fire. It sounds like a woman, shrieking at the top of her lungs, something that surprises me further. Not because of the scream itself.

But because I've heard this exact sound before.

Its body is thrown off course.

I can move again.

I spin around.

Navi is already running.

Right. I need to move too.

I dig my legs in and blast forward, dirt shooting behind me. My left arm soars forward, almost as if swimming.

Adrenaline floods my body. A cold and fast feeling bursts into my body, and I sprint harder than before. The air blurs past me.

The reason I'm not pissing myself from fear right now is because of the realization that it doesn't possess those strange weapons that the robot had. Unlike that 'Angel' from before, this one is just speed and strength.

But then a thought pierces the calm.

Was it following us this whole time?

It has to be. There's no way we just randomly stumbled across it again. The odds are too low.

We passed through caves. All of which were narrow routes, small spaces that could not be crossed if something were that large. I'm sure the caves were the only entrances to separate layers as well, so how did it even follow us?

I slip on a patch of mud and nearly fall. I catch myself just in time.

Attempting to catch a glance of the creature to assess whether I'm far enough or not, I turn my head backwards, my neck almost straining because of the sheer velocity I'm running at.

Wait, there's nothing there.

Wasn't it–

A shadow swallows the ground.

It grows larger. The light dims. The world is slowly going darker.

I can't see. I'm still running.

"Up!" Navi shouts.

My head snaps up.

My eyes widen.

It's soaring above me.

Instinctively reacting, I lunge forward, barely avoiding being crushed by the creature. Rolling ahead, I crouch low, facing the direction I'd just leapt from.

Dust erupts from the general area, shrouding the creature.

No, "crushed" wouldn't have been accurate.

It had tried to skewer me, using its claws to pierce through as it launched above. How can I tell?

Right now, its arm is buried in the ground, struggling to pull free. A harsh, guttural grunting comes from its mouth, growing more frantic with every second. Saliva trails down the ground, with almost the same viscosity as blood.

Turning to my right, I glance at Kyros.

"How far are we from the village?"

"Almost five minutes."

Clicking my tongue, I turn my attention back to the creature. Its arm is still wedged in place. We have a chance, an opening to strike back. Although…

We could escape with our lives.

But…

"We need to fight back," I finally say, voice sharp with focus.

"Why exactly?" Navi asks.

"We're too close to the village. If we run there for help, the orc might kill the captives the moment it realizes we're near. Best bet is to keep our distance and deal with this here."

I clench my fists. The strain in my brain is expressed by my fists. I glare at the monster, wondering what my first move should be.

It's obvious that I should do something concerning the exposed arm at this moment, but the thought that the creature is faking it tears away at my head. No, perhaps I'm overthinking it.

"Navi! Cut off its arm! Use a wind spell!"

It's our best option. The angle's perfect for removing one of its limbs. Going for the head would be ideal, but it's still moving far too fast. Also, utilizing a ranged attack is far better than going any closer.

I'm not sure what Navi's arcana reserves look like, but I'm not taking any chances on losing the opportunity to kill this thing.

The girl scoffs, as if to say, 'Who the hell are you?'

"Aeronis-23, Sever." She cracks her index finger, points it at the creature's arm.

A sharp arc of wind tears through the air toward the struggling beast. Something I never expected fully occurs, however.

Shockingly, it twists its body, turning its back toward the incoming strike, letting the damage land elsewhere.

"?!"

"?!"

It can even bend like that?

It finally rips its arm free, spinning toward Navi with a snarl. Blood drips down its back, but the wound isn't slowing it.

It charges. Dropping to all fours, it barrels toward her, left claw pulled back. Its speed defies its size, breaking every law of reason.

Navi rolls beneath it, coming up on the other side in a crouch. She arises, heels bouncing, adrenaline sharp in her movements.

For a moment, the creature staggers, and I catch sight of why. While rolling, she managed to slice into its leg, not enough to cripple, but enough to hinder.

Yet its reach makes up for the loss of speed.

It roars, raising both arms to bring them crashing down.

Navi leaps away, creating some distance. She then lunges toward its torso while its guard is down from the overextension, her sabre angled forward. But she's underestimated it.

It whips its leg up, catching her in the shoulder. She blocks part of the blow with her saber, but the force still sends her flying back.

"Kh!?"

Recovering quickly, she drives her saber into the ground, skidding to a halt. A long trench of disturbed dirt marks her path.

Dammit, I've got to do something. Not just sit and watch.

The fight resumes, blows exchanged faster than my eyes can follow. Strangely, she's not casting any more spells. I'd expected her to throw one out every few seconds, but she isn't.

She lands a strike against its left arm, drawing a sharp shriek.

Its movements are heavy, almost sluggish, yet the speed and force in each strike remain. It's as if its limbs move on their own. She's holding her own for now. She's faster than it, relying on counterattacks, but stamina will become her downfall before long.

Looking for something to work with, something catches my eye.

They drift to a towering tree nearby. An idea comes, risky but promising.

"Kyros, follow me." I motion to the goblin, nodding once.

We dart toward the far side of the tree. From here, if it falls, it'll land directly on the creature. Its height matters more than its thickness, which is surprisingly narrow.

"Can you cut through this?" I ask, placing a palm on the bark. Its roughness grinds against my skin.

Kyros nods, pressing his hand to the trunk before withdrawing and sawing into it with two clawed fingers. He works surprisingly efficiently, given that hes working with the equivalent of a dagger. But I guess you can really do anything as long as you put your mind to it.

I glance back. Navi's still engaged, her dodges getting slower. Thirty seconds at most before it's over for her.

Kyros works quickly, sawdust spilling to the ground. Heat radiates faintly from the speed of his movements. His method is almost surgical, index and middle fingers of one hand braced against the trunk, right palm pushing for added force.

The sound is louder than the battle, but with us behind the tree, the beast won't notice.

After about fifteen more seconds, the trunk is nearly cut through, only a thin strip of wood remaining. I place both hands against it.

"Alright, push—!"

Kyros joins me. We dig our feet into the ground, shoving with all our strength.

Wood groans under the strain. I grit my teeth, splinters biting into my hands, each one sharper than the last. My legs press into the dirt, shoes filling with grit.

My entire body weight is leaning against the tree, desperately begging for it to fall over.

Finally, after about ten seconds of pushing…

The trunk gives way with a sharp crack, momentum taking over.

Navi had already cleared the area, having noticed us earlier.

The tree tilts, wind rushing past my ears, leaves scattering.

It slams into the creature, a deafening crash erupting into a cloud of dust.

A human-like shriek cuts through the air. I'd heard it before, but it still unsettles me. That sound doesn't belong in a place like this. Or to a creature like that.

I shake it off, turning to see Navi approaching, her gaze locked on the wreckage. She doesn't relax. Her body language seems extremely tense, as if waiting for something.

"You sure it worked? That thing seems too tough," the girl says through stalled breaths, her voice still trembling from the fight.

I glance toward the dissipating smoke, watching as the last wisps curl upward into the canopy.

"I'm not trying to be cliché here, but we'll be fine. The tree's big enough to crush it." My hands rest on my waist as if trying to anchor myself in place.

"Though we should get going anyway. If there's the off chance it's still alive, we'd be gone by now."

"..."

She follows as we start leaving the area, our footsteps the only thing breaking the stillness of the forest.

It's eerily quiet, not the gentle quiet of peace but the hollow silence of something wrong.

The unease is there, curling around the edges of my thoughts, but it's not the kind of suffocating dread that freezes you in place.

It's more like the faint vibration you feel before a distant quake. I tell myself it's probably silent because everyone's still shaken from the encounter. Well, everyone except Navi. She's moving like she always does, light, quick, as if nothing happened.

Our pace is somewhere between a walk and a jog, a strange rhythm born of both urgency and caution. We can't be sure the thing's dead, but we can at least agree it's hurt, maybe badly.

Even so, I'm shaking.

Not the kind of shaking that comes with a spike of fear.

My body trembles in a way I can't fully control. The forest around us seems darker than it should be, the greens deepening to almost black where the light doesn't touch. The trunks stretch upward like ancient pillars, silent and unmoving.

It reminds me of certain forests back in North America, places where you'd see fewer animals, where the silence isn't empty but watchful. The only real life here seems to be the birds far overhead, and even they sound muted.

My legs wobble beneath me.

Why am I still shaking? Why am I shaking?

I glance at my teammates. Their eyes are fixed on the ground.

No. It's not me.

Something's moving underground. Burrowing through the soil, closing in.

The realization hits like ice in my chest.

"NAVI, GET OUT THE—"

A blur.

That's all my eyes can catch. Something erupts from beneath the earth, and in a single impossible moment, the girl I knew as Navi Highergald is gone.

First, an arm hits the ground with a wet slap, torn clean from the forearm. Bone glistens pale in the dim light, strips of muscle hanging loose.

Then comes the upper half of her torso, sliced on a diagonal so clean it's obscene. Blood trails behind it in a twisting ribbon. A head is still attached, though the angle hides her face from me. The other arm dangles limply from what's left of her shoulder, fingers curling slightly as if still trying to grasp something. The legs land apart from everything else, already folded beneath themselves.

Her torso spins in the air like a thrown object, no life, no resistance, just mass. Just weight. It's like watching someone throw a sack of meat upward and letting gravity take over.

Navi Highergald is no longer a person. She is now simply an object known as 'Navi Highergald'.

And then it all comes down. The sound is sickening, flesh and bone collapsing into the dirt, blood pattering out in weak sputters.

For a moment, I stand there.

It's not long. It just feels long.

My eyes crawl toward the attacker. My vision quivers, every muscle in my body vibrating with something far worse than fear.

Yes. That is what this is.

Not panic, not dread.

Terror.

The kind that starts in your gut and coils around your soul. My teeth are knocking together, my jaw aching from how hard I'm clenching it. I want to scream. I want to piss myself.

Kyros—

He'll be fine. He's faster than me. If I run, he'll run too.

I look up at the creature. Its eyes lock onto mine, slow and deliberate. Steam hisses from somewhere along its body, carrying a smell so foul it makes me want to gag. Its entire frame is slick with blood, though whether it's from Navi or from wounds of its own, I can't tell.

Its arms hang in front of it, each one twitching.

My mouth opens, but no sound comes. Each time I try, my words trip over themselves and die in my throat.

Darkness creeps in from the edges of my vision.

I turn.

 

I run.

My back leg pushes me forward, and my body lurches ahead in a pitiful, stumbling sprint. I'm whimpering without even realizing it.

There's no pursuit. The air behind me stays still, as if the creature doesn't care about me at all. I'm not a rival. I'm just another piece of prey it can get to later.

I glance back mid-run.

It's going after Kyros.

Should I—?

Could I—?

Will I—?

I whip my head forward and shut my eyes tight. I don't want to see. Navi's gone, and without her, we've got no chance. Staying means dying.

What I'm doing now isn't selfish. It's survival. It's what anyone would do. It's run or die.

It's been an hour. Or maybe longer. It's hard to tell. My chest burns, my legs are close to giving out. The forest has sunk into night.

I lean my weight against a tree trunk, gasping for air.

I can barely see ahead of me now. The world's just shifting shades of black.

The sounds of the night have come alive. Rustles, clicks, low calls from things I can't see. Every one of them feels like mockery, like laughter at the headless chicken running in circles.

Yes. That's how I must look to them. A madman. An alien. Something that doesn't belong.

I slam my fist against the tree.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

It's all gone to shit.

Navi's dead. Kyros probably is too. I'm next. I'm lost, and there's nowhere to go. Backtracking is impossible. I can't see a damn thing.

I've been through this before, haven't I? And I made it out last time. So why not again?

Maybe I'll get lucky. Maybe some stranger will find me, like before.

Yeah. It's slim. But it's not zero.

I slap my cheeks, forcing my eyes open wide.

I can't die here. I won't follow them into the ground. I'll live for their sakes.

I take a step forward. Dry leaves crunch under my foot. Another step. Another sound.

I grunt as I step over a thick root, my body shifting carefully to keep balance while still moving quickly enough to make progress. The next step lands on uneven earth, a mix of bumps and dips that force me to place each foot with care.

I'll live.

I'll live.

I will live.

As I move forward, there's a sound behind me. A heavy thud, dense and final, like a rock dropping onto packed dirt.

It's sudden. Sharp. It spikes through the stillness and digs straight into my nerves. Obviously, I'm caught off guard and flinch.

I stop. Turn slowly toward it. My eyes narrow, straining to cut through the dim.

There's something there on the ground. I can't make it out right away. Leaning forward, I try to get a clearer view.

I crouch downwards, when a pit arises in my stomach once more. A feeling of shock and disgust fills me. It's a feeling of realization that I could never have realized. A feeling that I've felt before, yet it hurts all the same. I will never get used to this feeling. I wish I had kept walking, running even. Why did I have to turn around? Why is this happening? WHyWhYhwYHwHYwHWyh

Ah, That's Kyros's head.

"Gyagh—!?"

A flash of white pain detonates in my right arm. The shock steals my breath. My hand's gone. I can't feel it. The nerves feel like they've been jammed with hot metal, searing every inch of me before the current runs wild.

I'm on the ground now.

My arm—

MyarmisgoneIcantseeitanymoreicantfeelit.

"Kh—Kh. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It's lying there in the dirt, sliced clean off, blood spraying out in hot bursts. And Bone glints through the mess. My skin's peeled back, raw to the air. Also, the pain's so sharp it's like a scream inside my skull, clawing at every thought. It hurts so much I'm going to cry and..

A laugh.

It's human. Too human. The sound coils with delight, dripping in a way that makes my teeth ache.

Something wet splatters on my face. It trails slow down my cheek. Saliva. The creature's taste testing me, savoring the moment.

I see it now in the reflection of my own wide eyes, those eyes, fixed on me.

It's still laughing.

I'm still screaming.

The sounds bleed together, the forest wrapping itself around our noise like an audience leaning in close. This isn't a hunt. It's a performance. Why else would it just sit there and laugh? Why else would it throw pieces of a corpse at me?

It's not as if the sound it's making is akin to a laugh, like a hyena. Like it's just happening to make that noise.

No, it's laughing, there's no mistaking it.

Clutching what's left of my arm, I spin and lurch deeper into the forest.

I stumble. I cry out. My voice sounds pitiful even to me. The trees don't answer. The earth doesn't care.

There's no sound of it following. That's worse. I don't know if it's behind me or waiting ahead.

I've been chased before. This is different. This thing is deliberate. It's smart.

It's cruel.

The word monster has many meanings. One is a creature that is large, ugly, or unsightly. Another is one whose character deviates from the normal norms of society, immorality. This creature is not a 'creature', it is a 'monster' in every sense of the term. It's purposely playing with me.

I know of this fact, yet I play into it. Not for some elaborate plan, but because this is what I am ultimately. A flesh bag that will run to preserve its own survival. A useless existence that relies on instinct. I am but a human being who is powerless, with my only redeeming quality being my intelligence. When that is stripped from a human, we are just weaklings who cannot rely on anything.

I cannot fight. I can only run, and hope to god I don't die.

My breathing spikes, each inhale ragged.

Blood won't stop streaming from the wound. My left hand is slick with it, slippery no matter how hard I press.

"Khahag—Kahah—Kh—!"

Sweat sticks my hair to my forehead, stings my eyes. It slides down my face, mixing with the blood, bringing that metallic stink back into my nose.

The world's growing muffled, dulled.

Wait. A light!

Rustling in the trees quickly snuffs out the feeling of hope.

No.

I push harder. My feet slam against the dirt. I'm not dying here.

I won't die!

The sound of pursuit swells until it's almost in my head. My vision narrows, but I can see it now. A wall looming from the dark. A gate tangled in vines. It's imposing, like a fortress from this hellscape. An area of respite.

Kyros's village. It has to be.

Something slams into the ground behind me. The force punches through my spine, launching me forward. I roll, tumbling like a dropped coin.

My face cracks against a root. Pain explodes upward into my skull. Something small and hard drops onto my tongue.

Blood floods my mouth, hot, metallic, and thick.

Fuck. There's static. I can only see static.

I won't die. I won't die. The thought loops over and over, mechanical, desperate.

I keep rolling until my back slams against the wall. My legs stick in the air like a broken doll. My teeth are scattered in my mouth. My left eye's swelling shut.

Everything inside me is begging to stop. To just lie there and let it happen.

No.

To lie there and just allow my life to be snuffed out by this godless monster..

I won't die.

I force myself onto my stomach. My good arm digs into the dirt. Blood drips from my mouth, landing with dull pats beside two small chunks of tooth.

The bleeding's worse now. I'm dizzy.

The thuds are gone. Maybe the chase is over. That doesn't matter. I have to move.

I look up. Shadows stand on the wall above, haloed by torchlight. They're watching me. They almost stand like statue's uncaring. I've got no choice to call out to them, however.

"...Hehp me! Hehp!" The words choke in my throat, tangled in blood.

They stare for a moment. One reaches behind his back and pulls something out. I squint, vision swimming.

He draws it back.

A glint.

Something punches through my neck.

A rush of blood floods my throat and chest. I topple backward, choking.

"Gurgle."

I'm drowning in it. Each breath's an attempt that slips away, coughing up more than I pull in.

Shit, shit, everything hurts, it's all turning fuzzy.

My fingers clamp my throat, sliding on the slick.

The arrow cut my jugular.

I'm going to die. It's almost inevitable at this point.

The shadows above turn away, walking out of sight.

I can't scream. No one is going to help me.

I stagger forward, gurgling, blood running down my chest in sticky rivers. My grip keeps breaking, slick skin sliding under my own touch.

My chest feels ready to burst. I fight for air, but none comes.

Walking around, I leave more gurgling noises, blood still pouring down my neck to my chest, painting my shirt a sickly brown.

I drop to my knees.

"Guuurgle. GUrrlge. Gureeeeeeeeeee—"

My mind slowly blanks out, the trees in front of me growing darker than before.

I hit the ground.

"Gurrgle."

The warmth of pooling blood seeps into my skin. My vision collapses into static. One last burst escapes me, like air from a dying tire.

The world goes dark.

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 ||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D||

 "BL00DLO_00SS"

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