A hoarse, sticky sound rang out above Taka's head, accompanied by a sense of crisis that made his hair stand on end.
Almost by instinct, he lunged forward in a clumsy roll, covering himself in slushy snow and putting distance between himself and the source of the voice above.
When he nervously looked up, he was completely frozen in place.
There, hanging upside down from a thick branch above him, was a being with a human-like silhouette.
The reason he said it was human-like was because this thing's limbs were abnormally long, as if they were bamboo poles pieced together. Its fingers and toes ended in sharp, twisted black claws, deeply embedded in the tree bark, still bearing crimson traces.
The features, which couldn't be called a human face, were twisted and displaced, revealing two rows of white fangs as it grinned menacingly at Taka.
"What luck today, getting two meals?"
'A Hollow? No, not that!'
In Taka's hazy memories, he had once heard adults in the Rukongai speak of terrifying monsters called Hollows that devoured humans and souls, but they were absolutely nothing like this!
'Run! I have to run!'
The instinct for survival hammered relentlessly in the street urchin's heart, constantly urging him to flee from here!
Just like when he escaped the beatings of the guards, just like when he fled the territories occupied by thugs, wasn't it only natural to run away when facing an enemy you couldn't handle?
'I want to live! No matter what, even if I have to live like a dog, I'll survive by any means necessary!'
'Go back there, find that weirdo with glasses, and get revenge!'
But for some reason, another, even fiercer emotion held him tightly back.
Taka trembled all over, clutching the tattered cotton wadding clothes tightly, and spat out a few words coldly:
"Old man... was it you who killed him?"
"Huh?"
The monster hanging from the tree tilted its blood-red vertical pupils in confusion, seemingly not expecting the scrawny kid in front of it to counter-question it like this.
It licked the corners of its drooling mouth, taunting lightly and cheerfully, "Gone stupid? How about I..."
"I asked you, was it you who killed the old man?"
Taka's gaze locked onto those blood-red vertical pupils, flames of anger churning within them.
Repaying a kindness? Perhaps that wasn't it.
But for Taka, accustomed to the turbulent, deceitful life of the Rukongai, used to the cold plunder and beatings of this other world, the concern shown by that stern-faced old man when he brought him rice porridge was something he had never experienced before… the most precious thing in his heart.
This rage at having that treasure stolen from him, mixed with immense sorrow and a hint of guilt, overwhelmed his instinct to flee.
"Hee hee hee..." The monster cackled a few times, then flipped down from the tree in one motion, kicking up a cloud of snow. "So what if I did? That old thing's flesh and skin were pretty bland... not as chewy as a lively little thing like you!"
"..."
Taka fell silent, and his trembling ceased.
He undid the cord across his chest, pulled the broken longsword from his back, raised it high, gripped the hilt tightly, and with his thin arm span, slid the sheath open horizontally!
Shiinngg—!
A radiance not belonging to this world reflected off the blade, instantly illuminating the dark, snowy forest!
"What the hell is that..." A flicker of confusion crossed the monster's twisted features… it didn't understand what was happening, but it could feel that the kid's aura had somehow changed.
The light faded. The sheath in Taka's hand was gone, leaving only the rust-covered longsword, clutched tightly in his grip.
Seeing this, the monster burst into laughter. "Hahaha! I thought it was something special, turns out it's just some rusty old sword you picked up somewhere!"
"Kid, playing with grown-up toys can get you hurt!"
With that, it kicked off from its spot and charged straight at Taka with a malicious grin!
Taka mustered his courage, standing his ground, gripping tightly the [Broken Sword] that had followed him to this world, staring fixedly at the direction the monster was charging from!
"Die, kid! Remember to steal a better blade in your next life!"
Riiip!
The sharp claws easily tore through the thin cotton-padded clothes on Taka's chest. The dried straw stuffed inside burst out violently in the cold wind, dancing wildly together with the scattered snowflakes.
Immediately following was a searing sting as the skin on his chest was slashed open.
"Ugh...!" Taka grunted. Although he had barely dodged the claw thanks to the reflexes honed from years of dodging sticks and canes, the immense impact still made him stagger, nearly falling.
At the same time, he didn't miss this opportunity!
Squelch!
Similarly, using the monster's charging momentum, Taka gritted his teeth and swung back, slashing it with the broken sword, opening a gash on its body too!
"Urgh!"
Although this broken sword looked terrible, it was exceptionally sharp. With just one exchange, it had torn a huge, bloody wound in the monster's abdomen!
Filthy blood gushed out, and intense pain spread through the monster's entire body.
"It hurts so much!!!"
It was a Demon, a man-eating Demon! It had encountered many hunters and mountain folk before, and had been hurt by their axes and bows, but never had it felt such pain!
It screamed in agony, angrily swiping at Taka again, but the boy used the sword's momentum to roll on the ground, clumsily tumbling into a thick snowdrift ahead.
Leaning on the longsword, Taka trembled as he pushed himself up. Enduring the stinging pain from his chest mixing with the ice and snow, he looked towards the monster whose flank he had torn open.
The creature was now pressing its twisted claws against the wound, staring at him with a ferocious expression.
"Kid! I'm going to tear you to shreds! Chew you up bit by bit!"
As it roared, a sight that chilled Taka to the bone appeared.
The huge, torn wound was now writhing grotesquely! The muscles at the edges, like a mass of writhing maggots, desperately squirmed towards each other, contracting!
Within a few breaths, under Taka's stunned gaze, the wound had actually healed!
The demon saw the shock in Taka's eyes, bared its fanged mouth, and let out a triumphant, hissing laugh. "Hee hee hee... What do you think, kid? Did you really think your scrap metal could kill me? Dream on!"
With an evil grin, the demon charged again!
Now that it knew the sharpness of that broken sword, it no longer intended to toy with its prey. It planned to use Taka's shock to tear him apart immediately!
Though shaken by the sight, even feeling a surge of despair at his inability to win, Taka refused to give up. His face still dark and grim, he dragged the broken sword and met the charge!
"You're asking for it!"
The demon spread its thin, bamboo-like arms wide, wielding them like two giant scythes, and swung them in a crossing slash at Taka from left and right!
Taka ducked low, trying to use his small stature to evade the blow, but he underestimated how twisted the demon's limbs were. The monster caught the flaw in his movement!
Riiip! Riiip!
The demon's arms seemed to twist unnaturally as they came down forcefully, followed by two tearing sounds that sent excruciating pain through Taka's bones!
Even though he had dodged the first horizontal sweep, the demon's claws still left two gashes on his back, so deep they nearly scraped the bone!
Agony flooded his body. Two jets of blood sprayed into the air, spattering onto the demon's licking tongue.
"Damn it!" Darkness clouded Taka's vision… he almost passed out on the spot.
But he gritted his teeth, using the momentum of his forward fall, and slashed his longsword fiercely at the demon's left leg!
Thud!
The blade cleaved through flesh again, this time even severing the demon's leg bone, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground along with Taka!
"OW!! Damn kid!!"
After falling, Taka didn't dare catch his breath. He scrambled up and desperately fled forward.
He turned his head back, his expression turning extremely grim.
In his sight, the demon's leg, severed by the longsword, was once again beginning to writhe and heal...
'I was reckless... Is this thing something I can even defeat?!'