Chapter 45: First Kill
Chapter 45
The world was slowly being drowned in darkness, the somber night approaching from the east, the western horizon still aflame with the scarlet hue of sunset. Megumi gazed at the red-tinged orange sky, his breath hoarse and raspy.
He couldn’t remember how long it had been since his gruesome battle began, but all he could think of was getting up and obliterating his foe. His hands trembled around the hilt of his blade, his legs a bit shaky. His once vigorous, purple-plagued eyes were now pale and a bit unnerving.
His once-white hair was wet and adhesive, awash with slightly darker crimson, the blood of the vile demon splattered all over him. To his right was Rei, barely in any better shape than he was.
For many minutes—perhaps hours—they had stayed battling the ferocious demon in hopes that they would finally be able to break through its adamantine wooden body after a few consecutive blows.
But now, the demon was standing a few meters away from them, both of its limbs gone and ghastly cuts spread all around its body, but its bark-like body persisted. However, rather than the three aberrant green lights burning in the eyes of the demon’s skull mask, there were now only two...
The one at the center of its forehead and the left eye. There was a visible stump where its limb had been severed as well, and it was gradually growing back.
Megumi quickly readied his sword, grimacing as the blade began to light up with wild, dancing crimson flames. She could feel his mind slowly giving in to the strain of battle, barely able to remain lucid while his body was still in somewhat decent shape.
For Rei, though, it was the opposite; he had kept his ability going since the fight began, endlessly burning through his reserves of innate energy. The boy’s eyes were still filled with life, at least compared to Megumi’s, his mind as sturdy as it was when the battle began, but his body was in very poor shape.
Battered and bruised, awash in the crimson of thick blood, he looked fiercely inhuman.