The halberd scythed through space. Its shaft splintered under the momentum of the swings.
Mounts and Yakshas alike turned to smears on the ground.
Step by step, Vera encroached upon the back rank. Demons of the second rank and under were nowhere to be seen.
Soon only adult Yakshas appeared. Their movements cut through the air with no resistance.
Cold shrieks resounded as the Yakshas approached.
Myriad weapons ripped towards Vera's torso, each missing him by a hair's width.
The shaft of Vera's weapon rose upwards. A whip that flew towards Vera caught onto the shaft. As its hooks pierced the wooden pole, the whip's length wrapped around it.
His grip lowered to the centre of the shaft. Vera spun the shaft. Its velocity dragged an adult Yaksha towards him.
Wind brushing against its sharp engravings caused a shrill whistle to follow the Yaksha.
In less than a second the halberd's hooked end pierced the Yaksha's jaw. The blade's edge peeking through its skull.
Blood seeped into the halberd's splintered shaft.
The shaft spun again, tearing through the Yaksha's skull.
As blood rained over him, he lowered his centre of gravity. Vera dashed to the next Yaksha.
With the grip at the base of the halberd, a wide swing cleaved through the demon.
A momentary clank followed by a low squelch.
Metallic skin split open. The Yaksha's torso cleanly cut in half, its oily blood painting Vera's countenance.
The earth trembled; a hammer crashed towards Vera.
His weapon retrieved, Vera pinned its blade into the ground. Its butt froze the hammer in place. Vibrations ran through the shaft, its splinters growing deeper.
His leg dug into the ground, Vera's heel shot at the Yaksha's torso.
The engraving on its skin flattened. The force left the Yaksha reeling.
Muddied earth followed Vera's blade, soon coalescing with the Yaksha's skull.
A low hum trembled through the battlefield.
One by one adult Yakshas started to thin; the back rank revealed only peak grades.
With chunks of flesh and intestine stuck in his hair, he walked to the back rank. His momentum showed no sign of injury.
But his insides squirmed at every step.
Each splinter in his weapon was mirrored inside his body.
Each step was followed by the creaking of his bones.
I should still be able to handle this much. Why are my bones failing?
Arcs of the blade shimmered under the moonlight.
Soon the thinning of adults caught the attention of peak-grade Yakshas. Their screeches echoed, each running towards Vera.
"That human is mine; stand back."
"Shut up, I saw it first."
The closer they came, their bodies grew visible.
The simple elegance of an adult Yaksha was nowhere to be seen. Each peak grade was wrapped in opulent armour.
The hides of Myrmidon Nagas draped their torsos. Rings adorned by the eyes of emerald deer.
Vera was unbothered by their squabbling. Blade pointed at their hearts. He dashed to them.
"Ohh! He's coming to us."
"What do you mean, 'us'? He's clearly coming to me."
The Yaksha's words were cut off. The halberd creaked as Vera's blade thrust into the Yaksha's armour.
The blade lifted the demon's colossal physique off the ground. Its force sent it hurtling to the far end of the forest.
Taking a second to steady his stance, Vera swung at the next Yaksha.
The shaft trembled as it whipped through the field, crashing into the Yaksha's arm.
Splinters of wood floated.
The shaft broke open on contact.
The demon reeled back, soon regaining its balance.
"That hurt!"
"How dare you hit me with such a crude weapon!"
Its screeching fell on deaf ears.
The hook end flew to the demon's head, tufts of mud dragged by its sheer force.
A blade cleaved through it; the hook end was cleanly sliced into two.
Vera launched himself at the Yaksha.
The sound of his bones creaking grew louder.
His arms slithered around the Yaksha, locking around its knee. The engravings on its skin creaked as they were flattened.
The Yaksha's blade sped towards Vera's nape, yet his eyes stood sharp.
His foot splayed wide, Vera pivoted inward.
The wind whistled as the Yaksha's colossal body flew to the ground, its sword cutting through void.
Its body crashed into the ground, a tonne of metal and blood rebounding off the floor.
Sweat burst into a mist that followed the Yaksha like a phantom.
As Vera released the Yaksha's knee, it scurried away from him.
The Yaksha regained its balance as it stepped backwards to prepare a counter.
But Vera had already closed the distance, his body obscuring its sight.
A fist hurtled to its torso.
The Yaksha's body curled inward. Vera's fist firmly planted into its gut. The fist's momentum turned the Yaksha's iron flesh red hot.
An indignant roar resounded, blood bursting through the Yaksha's maw.
Vera's eyes widened as the Yaksha's flesh burst open from his blow.
"What the hell is going on?"
His momentary awe was eclipsed by the cracks that climbed through his bones.
"Fuck!" Vera screamed hoarsely. Spit tinged with blood escaped him.
More peak-grade Yakshas rushed to Vera. His fists turned to a blur, red mist engulfing his body.
Battle turned to repetition soon.
Each kill sent shocks down Vera. His body degraded at a rapid pace, yet strength only grew.
Hilts of borrowed weapons were crushed by his own grip.
The advent of an opponent was unnecessary; at this pace, Vera would destroy himself first.
Gashes ran through the length of his arms. Instability crept into his steps. Blows that he could dodge with ease caught him as he faltered.
The whirlwind of blood grew slower; the muddy qi of the Yakshas grew scant.
The mark of the Qilin shone dimly on his shoulder.
Veins that ripped open were barely held together by strings of flesh.
The peak Yakshas thinned. Even though the tides were turning, Vera's instincts signalled something ominous.
Each peak grade differed from the other. But none stood dominant.
Something is missing
Blood dripped from Vera's hair. The grey of his eyes was dyed red by blood. His steps stumbled, his sight dizzied.
The whirlwind came to a stop. There were no more Yakshas to fell.
A moment to breathe. The ominous instinct morphed into a presence.
Something is missing. None of them seemed like a leader.
The hair on Vera's nape stood upright.
Space compressed, an arm shot through the distance. Its velocity left it a shadowed blur.
Vera's left arm rose on instinct.
The world compressed into a moment. Vera found himself embedded in a boulder.
The mark of the Qilin seared through his shoulder; its dim light grew a shade brighter.
Coarse coughs laden with blood. Vera's marred sight caught the attacker's visage.
Each engraving on its flesh told a story.
Unlike the blackened Yaksha, its skin was painted in different colours. Dim descriptions of cruelty turned vivid.
Its manifestation wasn't muddy. Rather, it was blood red.
A cold breeze brushed against Vera's hair.
"So that's what I was missing..."
His weakened breaths grew stronger.
"That thing alone would be enough to decimate the guard."
With his core tensed, Vera pulled himself out of the rock. Strings of blood thinned as he got up.
His right arm hung low, almost flaccid.
"Did it get what the variant Naga didn't?"
His teeth were gritted, canines piercing his tongue. Arm raised against the demon.
A deep breath left him.
"Come at me, you damned Yaksha."
Its eyes sharpened, killing intent bubbled over momentarily.
"Could you not compare me with those lower beasts?"
"It's like me calling you an ape."
"I'm a Rakshasa."
Vera's eyelids fluttered, the pain of his body falling apart keeping him awake.
"Like I care." His palm waved at the Rakshasa, taunting it into an attack.
It took slow steps, its sharpened gaze easing.
"You sure are a feisty human. The ones we have are all docile."
The Rakshasa stroked its chin, a shrill sound following each stroke.
"Why don't you surrender?"
"A prime specimen like you wouldn't be wasted on labour."
"I can keep you in the breeding pen. Pretty good deal, right? It's far better than dying." A casual grin appeared on the Rakshasa's face.
The inherent cruelty in its words only enraged Vera.
"There is no point in continuing this any longer."
Earth smeared under Vera's feet, his stance gradually lowering.
"Well, don't say I didn't offer you a way out," the Rakshasa remarked. The engravings on its arms turned to sharp blades.
The atmosphere collapsed; rings of air exuding heat exploded in Vera's wake.
Muscles strangled his bones. Tendons tore open as he dashed.
In an instant, Vera's fist burst through the Rakshasa's head.
The momentum of his dash was unresisted; his footing crumbled as he rolled into the earth.
As he lay in the earth, relief flooded his mind.
Was that enough?
But the sound of squelching mud let him realise the fight was far from over.
"Wow! That was some crazy power... No qi as well." Slow claps, contorted by its metallic skin, stung Vera's ears.
"What a shame that you missed."
Flesh crawled up from the Rakshasa's neck, slowly rebuilding its skull. Its eerie presence worsening by the moment.
Vera needed to stand up again. He needed to hold this thing back.
Arms pressed into the ground as Vera tried to stand up.
Erratic breaths pulsed through his lungs.
The Rakshasa's steps echoed through the ground.
His forearms tightened. The bones in his arms pulverised as muscle wrapped around it.
Vera's torso crashed into the ground again.
The sound of his bones squirming against his flesh made Vera's stomach drop.
What the hell is going on?
Blood seeped through Vera's mouth. The mark of the Qilin burning his flesh.
The bones in Vera's arm maintained their structure, a golden light holding them in place.
Crude patchworks temporarily stopped his arm from being crippled.
His eyes locked onto the approaching Rakshasa. The lives of the hundred chimps that fought behind him fuelled his consciousness.
Its slow, listless approach held a cruelty that yearned for blood.
A colossal silhouette appeared behind the Rakshasa.
Sound turned hazy. Dark spots engulfed Vera's vision.
"What are you looking at, human?" The Rakshasa spoke, its voice marred by Vera's condition.
The colossal silhouette grew closer.
The Rakshasa's head turned back. The ease in its movements disappeared.
"You! You aren't supposed to be here!" Its easygoing tone trembled.
"I'm sorry—"
A giant red fist slammed into where the Rakshasa once stood. A pool of oily blood formed beneath the fist. Colourful patches of metal flowed into the pool as the fist lifted off it.
Vera's eyes barely stood open. His consciousness was fading.
The giant red fist gently lifted Vera off the ground.
"Those are some terrible injuries you have there, little one."
"You can rest now... I'll take care of the rest."