๐๐ถ๐บ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ล
We returned to our focus as Hinu and the robot charged at someone. No, I was wrong, it was only me and Jin who quickly snapped to our senses.
He shouts at the people fighting as he charges at the robot while I dashed in front of Hinu when I realize that he was targeting one of my party members. Alice had fallen on her butt and was too shocked while the other two snapped soon enough and tried to dodge but was too late.
I had no choice but to meet him head-on. Hinu surrounds his fist with the abyss and formed a giant gauntlet, ready to crush Alice's face.
In the back of my mind, I saw an image of Alice's crushed face with every little detail. It was not because of my death perception but because of my own fucked up mind. But as if it triggered a switch for me, I became a tiny bit faster.
I hold my katana in one hand with the other on the spine of my blade and I met Hinu's fist with it. I felt shockwaves go through my body as I get push back from the impact due to my low strength.
Finally, Alice snaps back to her senses. "H-Himura.."
"G-go..." I respond briefly as I try my hardest to not fall over. I made eye contact with him and saw his mad and bloodshot eyes bulging out of his skull.
Freya grabs Alice with a swift motion and Astoria shot arrows at Hinu. He then formed a thin shield that absorb the arrow.
Alice moving out of the way summons her remaining black hounds and steel toe eagle.
As she does that, I finally dash to the side and Hinu also dashed back a bit before dashing at me, it seems I have taken his or rather the abyss's attention.
'Do they remember me?' Not having time to ponder my thoughts, I use my katana to redirect the spear which Hinu made to my side.
Since his arm was in the side of my head, I thought that this was enough time to counter-attack so with a slight dash to the side so that the abyss in his arms couldn't reach me, I slash him with one hand before I quickly ducked and dashed back.
Thanks to my death perception, I was alerted around my neck. When I look at Hinu, his spear has become a scythe.
As Alice, Freya, Astoria, and the other adventurers fought it, I think to myself.
'This death perception must be a sixth sense if it's able to be sharper the more it's stimulated.' I said as I get up and look around me.
Half of the people fighting are dead and even more, are dropping as minutes go by. Jin and a few more people including his party were fighting the robot while the rest was fighting Hinu. The ones who wield any ranged weapon or magic excluding Astoria was practically useless as they just watch from the side with some dragging the wounded to be healed. The soldier who wielded ranged weapons drew out their swords and come to our aid with clear fear in their eyes
The people who tried to dog pile Hinu were killed shortly after multiple spikes came out of his abyss body. Seeing that Hinu didn't come for me, but someone else, I decided to flank him. Sword in hand, I go for a stab but Hinu quickly dodges by jumping high.
When I look at the man he was targeting, his shield has melted off and his face was consumed leaving only his body, it seems that I managed to stop Hinu from consuming him.
I look at Hinu and saw the abyss forming a second pair of arms. It was entirely made of the abyss and seeing that, I click my tongue silently.
'These people are too weak, they're practically giving him free materials to be turned into the abyss.' As time passes he will get stronger but when I look around, it was pretty much my party against him. The rest of the group was busy dealing with the robot.
Since it was my party and a few brave people who we're gonna have to deal with Hinu, I look at my party.
They do not look back at me but instead observed Hinu with uncertainty and a bit of fear. I remembered my promise yesterday.
I was going to protect them. I then start to walk toward him
'What a sham of a promise, I'm fighting that thing head-on because I didn't want them to look at me with those gazes.' I thought as I approach Hinu.
"Hey, Likru sends his regards"
"YOu....RaaaAaAaAAaHHH" My taunt worked a bit too much since he started dashing toward me while the abyss formed weapons to wield.
His top right hand had a spear, his top left was a sword, the bottom right was some sort of whip and lastly, his bottom left was a knife.
'Seems he doesn't have enough of the abyss to form his last wea--oh shit-' I quickly dodge as multiple weapons try to kill me but thanks to my sharpened death perception. Hinu's mad dash continues even after Alice's summoned creatures tried to attack him in a desperate way to protect me.
Thankfully her summons managed to attract him and he decided to attack them out of rage.
Taking that opportunity, I slash at him twice, hitting him both times.
The abyss starts to disintegrate but it was replaced quickly. When I look below him, the puddle of the abyss below him becomes smaller.
"yOurAaaaHhhhh!!!!" He screams madly but he was cut off when Astoria shot an arrow which is finally connected.
As the abyss disintegrates, Hinu's knife disappeared and the disintegrated abyss was replaced by it.
Not willing to let her get the attention, I immediately dash to him as he turns around and slash his back.
Hinu screams madly once again. The more he was getting infuriated, the easier this battle gets however he also gets more lethal. He dashed faster than ever at me and I quickly dodge back to avoid the incoming sword but he still managed to inflict a small wound under my left eye.
I felt a painful feeling as it starts to melt my skin while trying to get as many nerves in my body, to hurt me even more. I quickly pull a dagger into my shin and lightly cut my wound, making it deeper but killing the abyss.
Hinu didn't give me time to rest as he immediately charge at me while readying his weapons. As a lot of blood drips from my wound, I dodge the spear by tilting my head, the sword which parry by doing an upward slash and lastly, I let the whip wrap around my sword which disintegrates the sword and whip.
The long sword became a short sword and the whip's length became half before it splits itself.
I slash diagonally using my two arms then slash horizontally with only one of my hands. He dodges by stepping back and then counterattacking by madly slashing and stabbing.
I quickly dash back but as I dodge his attacks, I fall to my feet and I had to use my hand to catch myself.
Hinu took the opportunity and jumped at me then, stab me with the sword and spear. I roll my body dodging the attacks but I was still hit in the side of my shin, my chest was pierced and the waist was cut deeply.
I could hear my party members scream but I felt my skin getting consumed even more. As I get back up, one of its hands once again grabs the dagger while the other grabbed three health potions, As I stab myself ignoring the pain and killing the abyss inside of me, my face only contorts into one of discomfort.
My other hand felt liquid inside of my adventurer pack meaning that some of the potions were shattered. Thankfully, there were still three health potions so I quickly drank them.
My feet shake slightly as I force myself to dodge, Hinu's attack, during that, I drank all three of the potion however, it healed me at a fixed rate meaning, I may have just wasted two potions.
I block his slash with his sword with my katana in one hand and one dagger in the other since I was probably gonna get hit more.
And just like as I said, I get hit more and more and I had to stab and cut myself with the dagger, making the wound worse while the health potion tries to heal me as fast as it can but couldn't keep up.
Eventually, I fall on my ass and as my death perception alerted me of my imminent demise suddenly a steel spike thing came out of Hinu's torso.
When I tilted my head, I saw Freya there breathing heavily, It was hard to describe her expression whether it was fear, discomfort, resolution, or maybe all of them.
Hinu quickly turns his body for a counter-attack but I didn't give him a chance since I got up and stabbed him in the head.
His body suddenly freezes for a minute as Astoria and Alice also joined in helping Freya and me get up but suddenly.
The ground shakes and I hear various metal pieces drop. When I look at the robot. The abyss part of it was gone leaving only its mechanical parts.
Giant abyss spikes come out of the ground once again and we got separate trying to dodge them. The spike stops and melts into a liquid and moves around slowly consuming everyone. Everyone runs back to a small hill but Alice slips and falls.
""Alice!"" Finally noticing, Freya and Astoria scream her name while I was already running noticing the approaching abyss however Astoria was faster and help her get up but she also saw the abyss.
Seeing no choice, she uses her body to shield Alice.
'DODGE YOU, IDIOT!!!' I scream in my mind as I forcefully push the up the small hill but as I forcefully push them, I tumble down the hill and Astoria saw me fall.
Flashes of her burning home came back and tears start to well up.
'Not again!' But she snaps back to reality.
"""HIMURA!""" They scream as I fall.
When I reach the bottom of the hill, I roll even closer to the abyss. The abyss instead circles me, giving me no escape and my left arm starts to be consumed slowly.
The brain tells me to scream but I do not, bearing it instead. The form of Hinu starts to approach me slowly.
'Not again, do they recognize me as a threat?' I said as tears start to well up.
'Am I crying? oh right, my arm.' I thought but deep down I knew what I was crying for.
Not because of my promise or because of the pain in me but it was because of one thing.
'I...I don't want to die.' I finally recognize why I couldn't kill myself and as if a switch has been flipped.
I see at the bottom right corner of my eyes a floating box.
*****
แดแดแดษชแด ษชแดส สแดษข
...
[NEW]: Skill (Undying Focus) unlocked.
[NEW]: Skill (Undying Focus) activated.
*****
I hear various noises of surprise and questions above but The commander shouts.
"Ignored that for now! That boy is about to die are you all just gonna watch him die or help him?!" And with that, they tried to stop the abyss by shooting arrows but the abyss just absorbed it all.
And the abyss stops closing on me and instead goes for the people on the hill.
The abyss surrounding me does go anywhere and instead waited for an opportunity to kill me
I wanted to question what that was but as if my brain had been rewired, I instead grabbed my dagger and put the edge above my elbow, and start cutting my arm off.
I hear my team members scream at me in horror but I ignore it. My face does change as I cut my arm off.
I tried to get a health potion but the abyss that took the form of Hinu charged at me. But suddenly I was gone.
I appear behind it while drinking the health potion and soon the bleeding stops.
I sheath my dagger and unsheathe my katana. I raise my body up and as I do, my eyes leave a yellow trail, an effect of undying focus.
I do not move and instead, look at Hinu's empty eye sockets.
I was so focused that drool starts to drip and I ignore everything except for the important ones. I only hear the wind pass through and immediately, Hinu charges at me.