Sweat dripped from Hope's face as his breath came in ragged grunts.
Swwwsh!
He jumped backward, avoiding a blow. Yet it was followed by a spinning strike that missed him by scant centimeters.
Klang! Klang!
Two strikes came at him. One high. One low.
Klang!
If those blows had struck, they would break bone.
The impact rang up his arms. Pressure clamped as metal bit metal. Maybe he didn't need to be struck. His bones already felt on the verge of breaking. But just a little longer Hope thought, because even his shield agreeably strengthened.
But ignoring his body's protests, Hope fixated on the blade's reflection, the slight from the Awakened's chest and shoulders, as well as the vines slipping away-
Huh?
The vines…did slip away. An almost mimic of Lady Mave's Aspect-
Kwaang!
The last hit ricocheted them both. Of course, Hope was more exhausted than he was, if not the only one. Tremors coursed. Hands numbed. His nose drank in the cold as he breathed heat. He supposed all that training with his commanding officer was spent after all. But a Master against a mundane human at that time was beyond brutal.
Hope quickly shook his head. Obviously, not the right time. Not that he could control it much anyways…
But this damn Awakened wasn't going to let him go, was he?
As he and the stubborn Awakened stepped forward to engage in another fight, a sound echoed off to the side.
Qrrr- Qrrr- Qrrrr….
Creaaak-
"..."
"..."
The undercurrent from earlier became more potent now. The building creaked again, the walls murmured. But tethered to one spot above, a weight fretted. Both of them stopped and simultaneously looked off to the far corner of the room where a black sized hole gaped into the ceiling.
Then, a misshapen shadow poured out.
No. Not a real shadow.
Shadows didn't vibrate as this did. Nor did they unnaturally unfold themselves.
But a purr emitted from it, and pale eyes clicked open.
'Away…' His instinct said. Run away.
'No shit-'
At that moment, a tendril vine whipped around the Awakened's sword and Hope's shield, their items snatched away in an instant. All of a sudden, before they could properly brace themselves, a slice of darkness lashed out and hammered both of their chests.
The room pulled passed his eyes and the floor went from his feet as they hurled across, colliding into the shelved walls.
Crash!
Qrrr- Qrraaaaaagh!
"Uggh…"
Hope rolled to his side which throbbed numb, hands scrabbling around. Only fragments and grit, his fingers clutching at nothing.
'Ah you and your fucking odds…' Hope thought to the Spell—if it was even listening—as his breath came in wheezing spikes.
It seemed that the hunting parties had missed a building of potential threat during their scavenging. Well, some monsters make their domains in whatever space they find suitable. Hope couldn't exactly fault them for not checking every single crook and cranny of ruined buildings. Logically speaking.
But the pain was leaning him towards such a thought.
Hope glanced up, alerted by a creeping sensation on his ankle. And amidst the vines that webbed across, some more shadowed ones slipped away.
He kicked the feeling away.
But the Awakened didn't have the same response.
Immediately, tendrils of black hooks wrapped around the Awakened's leg. In a late panic response, he grasped the nearest thing for support.
And it so happened he grabbed onto Hope's leg.
'Not me dammit-'
"Ack!"
Hope's body was dragged along; through the ceramic fragments, dry dirt, and dust, both of them slid across the room.
Hope gritted his teeth as he too tried to grab anything around him, even pulling on the metal shelves that helplessly dragged as well, the far wall growing closer and closer with the monster stretching out its claws in anticipation.
Then, a thought raced in Hope's mind.
If the damn Awakened won't let him go, then this would be his best shot.
'Tsk!'
"Swing me to you!"
Hope shouted while stretching out his hand.
Without hesitation, as if in synchronized thought, the Awakened pulled Hope's leg and swung him to his feet. At the same time, Hope had dismissed his shield wherever the monster held it from and summoned it again. Whirls of sparks flew and fused itself, the Memory becoming tangible in time as Hope slashed at the tendrils clinging to the Awakened's leg.
Qrrraaaaawgh!
Their drag slowed.
They rolled back to their feet.
Hope hunched slightly to ease the pain—another strong pain adding onto his side. But he blinked when he saw the monster clear before them. At first, Hope thought it was a great black hound…with burnished black skin and polished ebony fangs-
But those features alone had memories stream. Blinding him with the time of the Awakened Demon in his First Nightmare:
Fire Hound.
However, this one was different, as if of similar breed. Instead of bristly strands of a mane, they were like tendrils. Vine-thick, lengthened across like ropes. The hound growled, stretching itself down the ceiling, revealing its long body rippled with toned muscles and ink skin reflecting from the window's light.
'Huh…am I meeting its…cousin…?'
That time before, Hope sensed it was a young Demon. But this one…definitely was maturely grown. Taller than chest height. An aura that spoke more of its true class.
'Another Awakened Demon...'
Although, he could be wrong. Maybe it wasn't. But either way, they were in its domain now. At its mercy.
The advantage was that he had proper weapons at hand.
Capable of delivering a killing blow.
No need for clumps of poisoned berries, or fractured bones as daggers.
The hound growled and sent tendrils that seemingly had each a mind of its own. Noticing that the Awakened had done the same of dismissing and summoning back his sword, Hope looked over.
And despite his ridiculous mask, he thought their eyes met.
They quickly looked away, brandishing their weapons as the thick shadowed ropes came at them again—the Awakened and Hope acting simultaneously as they swung forward.