Luckily, I was quick enough to dodge the blow. I did a short side flip and readied my sword. The Lochness Monster opened its big mouth, revealing the 4 rows of teeth all crooked, but sharp. Then, a white light started forming inside its mouth.
"Huh? What is it--"
"Asu-nee, get out of the way!!" Natsuno shouted, but I just watched the monster make its move in shock.
It felt like my feet were glued solid to the ground and that I couldn't run or do anything even if my mind was telling me otherwise. Then, the monster launched its attack in my direction.
"Ahhh!"
A thick, white laser-like beam came my way. I was getting good in physical combat, but since this felt right out of an RPG game, I was scared to pieces. The laser was so fast that I didn't have time to repel the attack.
It hit me head on. I flew a few meters above the ground, making my way towards a dead tree. My back hit it hard.
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(!!!)
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"Unhh..."
I was barely able to get up. Everyone in the sphere was shouting my name in worry except of Raizo. I couldn't hear his voice.
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The shock had me down for a few minutes - my breath caught in between my throat.
As soon as I was on my wobbly feet, I fell straight down with pain in my right leg. When I looked at it, I could see blood flowing out from the knee cap, and it was weirdly twisted. I almost passed out just by having one look at it.
The Lochness Monster slowly wriggled its way towards me. I supported myself with my sword which was planked in the moist ground. The lochness monster once again opened its wide mouth.
(Oh no! Not again...!)
I was in no state of dodging the same attack. Just as it launched the beam again...
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Instinctively I closed my eyes in fear, but I felt no pain.
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(W-What?)
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My whole body cradled back and fourth. A soothing breeze trickled my face. I slowly opened my eyes to see--
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...
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"Raizo!?"
I was so shocked that my jaw dropped. Raizo chuckled in return.
"W-W-What are you doing here?! How did you get here?! W-When--"
Before I could finish my stuttered sentence, Raizo shut my mouth with his hands in a hurry after putting me on the ground.
"I knew you needed help defeating that thing so, I came all this way to lend a little strength." He smiled.
"...Thanks. I would be lying if I said I didn't need it."
We were hiding behind the bushes.
Perhaps from the relief that I was out of the danger zone for a while, my mind wandered off. I remembered I was hurt and that thought caused me to feel the pain once more.
"Ughhh..."
I lightly clasped my hands on my leg, trying to stop the bleeding. Soon after, Raizo noticed it before eye-balling the monster from the bushes one more time. He crouched right in front of me, worry overtaking his face.
"Oh no! You are hurt bad!"
He gently touched the injured area. I flinched in pain.
"S-Sorry...!"
"It's okay..." I replied somewhat calmly.
He then stood up and in the blink of an eye, dark light enveloped his entire body. My eyes widened in wonder. The intense light gave away our position to the Lochness Monster. It growled once before coming our way.
At the same time, Raizo's appearance also changed. The once casual looking Raizo was now a grim looking reaper.
The golden embroidery on his long, black coat shone in the darkness, bringing out the colour of his gold and red coloured eyes which were as serious as ever. A black hood was covering Raizo's dull red hair, including his face. I could also see a Roman number engraved on it.
(XIII...?)
The moment he transformed, there was an undefined source of light which revealed his whole expression. It felt as if I was looking at a still picture which came to life.
Raizo slowly twisted his sleek body to face me. He didn't look like the Raizo I knew at all. His eyes held a remote light and he wasn't smiling at all. His expression seemed frozen and stern, as if the slightest mistake could overturn the whole situation on us.
He then took me in his arms and leapt sideways. Before I had a reaction time, a white beam just hit the spot we were hiding.
(He... saw that coming?! How fast!)
I took notice of Raizo's expressionless face as I looked his way, his eyes piercing the darkness under his hood.
"Umm... Raizo?"
Paying me no attention, Raizo was still holding me when he shook his right hand to reveal an enormous scythe - way longer than him which, for a second, shone in the moonlight, almost blinding me. It looked like it weighed a ton!
He then let go, gently putting me on the ground. The whole area was dead quiet as the monster and Raizo glared at each other. A light, clinging noise came the moment Raizo readied his scythe while shoving his right foot backward, finalizing the 'fight' pose.
I really wanted to help, but all I could do at this point was watch their show unfold.
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Just when I was going to ask Raizo if I could do anything to help, he jerked forward with blazing speed and raising the scythe high above his head.
In a second, Raizo was hovering above the monster's head, his long coat flying with the wind. As soon as he swung his big scythe, the monster also shot the beam.
The two collided fiercely, making a loud, clashing sound. The whole area was shrouded by a blinding white light. Even the sphere broke by the concentrated energy in the air. I could see Raizo in the midst of the light, struggling to repel the Lochness Monster's attack.
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He then did it. Raizo deflected the attack by swinging his scythe sideways. In that attempt, the beam hit the Lochness Monster instead. It moaned in pain as it fell in the water, delicately floating on it.
Raizo landed on the ground, not far from the monster. He then pointed the scythe in its direction. Just as he did, a trail of yellow-ish light began to form from the monster. It was going straight in Raizo's scythe.
"W-What are you doing?!" I asked from behind, concerned.
He looked at me with a serious expression as he answered, "Taking its soul."
I couldn't say anything in return. I was bewildered by his sudden change in attitude. Raizo sounded too serious and his eyes cold as he continued his task without thinking twice.
Within no time at all, the Lochness Monster disappeared.
(He... took its soul... without hesitation...)
Raizo then came walking towards me. As he crouched down, he gently took hold of my leg, closed his eyes and touched it with his finger. The wound closed right in front of my eyes.
As soon as Raizo finished, he suggested, "Try getting up."
I did as I was told. Like magic, the pain had disappeared. I was able to stand, walk and everything. My leg was back to normal!
"Thanks Raizo!" I exclaimed happily.
He smiled in return.
(Wow... I never thought HE could smile...)
"Umm... Can I ask you something?"
"What?" Raizo asked plainly.
"You... are still 'that' Raizo I know, right?"
I was even scared to talk to him now! He chuckled in amusement as he dropped down his hood and popped a tiny candy in his mouth.
"Of course silly. I am still the same old Raizo. Sorry if I frightened you. It's just that when I fight in this form, I get this feeling that I should take it seriously and that I should concentrate on the battle instead of goofing off. It just happens. That's why I went all serious... But, I can't tell you more than this. Sorry..."
I nodded in return as I couldn't say anything else. Raizo's explanations as always sounded pretty vague... I felt relieved in a way.
Just as we were happily reuniting, the sphere formed next to me once again.
"Raizo! How DARE you help this human, let alone, turn into a reaper without my consent?! I can't believe either of you! Now I will never let her join this club, you hear me?!" It was the grumpy Sadashige sensei.
"Hey! You are the one I can't believe here! You put her in terrible danger just for your own pleasure? I can't believe we even have such a sadistic man to lead us! We ARE putting her in our group, whether you like it or not!"
Raizo yelled angrily. I-- no, we were all taken aback by his words.
"Calm down Raizo."
Mizore commanded while I put a hand on Raizo's shoulder, bringing him back to his senses. He looked down in fury.
(Raizo...)
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Yuichi was the one to break this tense atmosphere. "...Though Raizo's words were harsh, they were true. I agree with him in letting Asuna join our team. ...So, if you will..."
Sadashige sensei gave an annoyed groan before snapping his finger. Just as he did, a portal-like thing opened in the water, sucking the entire lake like a whirl hole.
"Let's go Asuna."
With that, Raizo took my hand as we walked over to the whirl hole.
(Huh?! In there?!)
"Raizo... Are you sure it's safe?"
"Trust me, it is."
Seeing his confident smile, I couldn't help but trust him. Still, there was something bugging me, but I couldn't tell that to Raizo. Not now when he is already in a bad mood...