[Trigger warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of gore and violence. If you are sensitive to these topics, please proceed with caution.]
[Narrator: Author]
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Reiji's heart pounded like a wild drum in his chest, reverberating in his ears as adrenaline surged through his veins. His eyes widened in fear and anticipation, darting around, trying to spot any hint of the creature's presence.
Rustle—!
Swooon...
Every rustle of leaves and every shadow seemed to come alive, sending shivers down his spine. His breath quickened, but he can't make loud noise in order for his sense of hearing to be in play.
'Where is it?!'
'Did it flee?'
'Is it going for me?'
'No, perhaps to Nakamura-san?'
In the midst of the ominous forest, Reiji's senses heightened to an extraordinary level. He came up with different scenarios inside his head what to do if one of those three: the creature fleeing, going for him, or to Sayuri—were to happen.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of his own thudding heart. His eyes flickered from one dark corner to another, searching for any sign of movement.
'Where is it now?!'
Every nerve in his body was on edge, and he forced himself to halt even his own breath, wanting to minimize any noise that could give away his position. His heart felt like it might burst from his chest, but he couldn't afford to panic.
This was a matter of survival.
Sayuri clutched onto a nearby tree, her breathing shallow and her nerves on edge.
"Be careful, Shiroyami-kun!"
The sound of Sayuri's voice snapped Reiji back to reality, indirectly reminding him the need to remain composed. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady himself.
'Ha… overthinking again.'
His mind raced with fear, but he knew he had to regain control.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale—
Reiji willed himself to calm down and focused on slowing his breathing. The deafening silence of the ominous forest still enveloped them, but Reiji no longer felt consumed by its weight.
'Huu… All good.'
It was then, when at the corner of his peripheral vision, a subtle movement caught his attention.
He locked his gaze towards that direction and saw form of bloodstains floating just above the ground.
"?!"
He remembered the blood-stained mouth of the creature earlier and realized that its physical form may vanish, but the blood of the squirrel remained visible.
'It seems that it can hide its physical form, but not the matters that made contact with its body — the blood!' he deduced, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.
'That's its weakness...!'
Whii~iiz
It was then when Reiji's ears suddenly twitched, and he heard an-almost-quiet sharp-pitched whiz, like the sound of something cutting through the air.
'A sound…?'
At the same time, his right arm began to itch and his ears caught an audible whizzing sound and attempted to be alerted. He continued to reach out to scratch it, but before he could, he felt a sharp pain, as if something had pierced his skin.
SLICE!
But there was nothing visible in the air or on the ground, though it's true that something had pierced his skin.
"AAAAAHH—!"
To his horror, a vertical cut appeared on his skin, running from his shoulder down to his arm. The wound on his right arm was deep, and blood gushed out in crimson streams, staining the fabric of his cardigan and button-up shirt.
"—NGH!!"
The intensity of the sensation took him by surprise, and he instinctively bit his lip hard to stifle any cries of pain. Staggering back, he grimaced, his unwounded hand clutching the injured arm tightly.
'...D-Damn! It hurts, it hurts!'
'What was that?!'
'An invisible attack?!'
'Was it from the creature?!'
'Do I have to fight it?'
'Should I escape?'
Blood also trickled from his lip, a result of the forceful bite he had used to contain his anguish. He knew that attracting more creatures in the perilous forest was the worst possible scenario, but aside from that… he could not find any answers to his questions.
However, not for long.
Despite the shock and fear, he knew he had to act quickly to staunch the bleeding. Summoning every ounce of courage, Reiji gritted his teeth and hastily undressed his white cardigan.
'That thing might attack anytime... Ears, do your job right...!'
Tears welled up in his eyes as he clenched his right fist, trying to muster some strength in the wounded arm. Every attempt to move it sent searing pain through his entire body, but he endured, knowing that he needed to stay focused.
'Alright, enough crying…! I need to stop the bleeding, or else!'
The cardigan, made of fine cotton, was not designed for easy tearing, but with the urgency and the will to aid himself, he tore the mid part horizontally like a paper.
RIP—!
As he peeled off the cardigan, he felt the cold air on his exposed skin, shivering from the sudden chill. His heart pounded in his chest as he examined the wound. The invisible assailant's attack had sliced through the sleeve of his cardigan, leaving behind a deep cut that continued to bleed profusely, making his vision blur.
"Huu..."
With shaky voice and trembling hands, he tied the makeshift bandage using his left hand and even resorted to tying it with his teeth to secure it tightly, preventing further blood loss. The pressure on his arm eased the bleeding somewhat, but his white cardigan and shirt were already stained with dark crimson.
'Now, my only choice is to escape…'
Tears of pain welled up in his eyes once again, but he blinked them away. His mind raced, trying to devise a plan to defend himself against an enemy he couldn't see. The forest around him seemed to close in, the shadows moving with every rustle of the leaves.
'...But escape to where?'
Yet, he couldn't afford to be afraid.
Sayuri's eyes widened with concern as she saw the blood-soaked cardigan and the makeshift bandage around Reiji's arm.
"O-Oh, my goodness?! Shiroyami-kun?!"
"Nakamura-san, stay back!" He gestured urgently, signaling her to find safety away from the clearing. "Hide somewhere else safe, but don't go too far; there might be more of these things lurking around!"
Sayuri, her eyes filled with worry, hesitated for a moment.
"B-But what about you?!"
"Don't mind me!" Reiji's eyes locked onto Sayuri; a horrible expression etched in pain. "You'll be a burden!"
Reiji continued, worried that he might hurt her feelings. "I don't have time to explain, please. We might die here together!"
That might hurt her feelings, but she recognizes the potential hindrance she poses in this perilous situation. Sayuri's gaze fell to the ground, a mix of dejection and understanding in her eyes. In a moment of introspection, she drew in a deep breath, steeling herself and gathering the strength needed to navigate the challenges ahead.
"A-Alright then! Promise me you'll come find me, Shiroyami-kun! I'll be waiting, so don't you dare let yourself die out there!"
As Sayuri turned and ran, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, Reiji watched her go, a mix of relief and worry washing over him. He knew that it was the best course of action to keep Sayuri safe, but somehow bothered because she might also encounter like this monster, or more dangerous than this one—that is, if her luck is rotten.
Now that it's just him and the creature; the pain from his right arm also subsided to a dull ache, Reiji's mind raced with questions:
'Sh*t! As I thought, it's not just a d*mn bite! As expected of creatures from another world…!'
'But wait… Was its attack really invisible?'
'Can it strike consecutively?'
How could he defend himself against an enemy he couldn't see?
If so, not only could it make itself invisible, but its attacks were also unseen and unexpected!
However, there was no time to ponder; he needed to get out of the forest and seek help.
'But... where?'
His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan to counter this unseen enemy; but at the same time, he couldn't let it distract him. He knew he had to act quickly. An invisible assailant was lurking nearby; after all, after an attack, it should be preparing for a second strike.
'AHH!! Forget it!'
'There's no time to think if I'm both troubled with the wound's pain and the creature at the same time!' he snarled inwardly, pushing aside the distraction of his injury and focusing on survival.
Whii—iiz~
And just then, Reiji's ears twitched once again as it caught the same sound.
'That sound!'
At that moment, everything seemed slow.
As the haunting 'whizzing' of air reached Reiji's keen ears once more, he entered a state of heightened alertness. Without conscious thought, his head instinctively turn his head toward the direction of the sound. The forest shadows seemed to play tricks on his eyes, but something caught his attention—bloodstains suspended in mid-air.
"?!"
His gaze fixated on it, and a subtle distortion in its surrounding caught his perceptive eyes. Everything seems slow as the air from the bloodstain's direction warped ever so slightly, like a ripple in an invisible pond.
Shortly, a solitary leaf initiated its descent. Slowly drifting downward, the surrounding air warped, forming an almost indiscernible mirage. In the eyes of Reiji, the leaf was cleanly severed in a horizontal cut, its divided halves descending gradually to the floor of the forest.
The invisible creature, driven by an intent to harm, was methodically launching an attack in his direction. The urgency of the situation pressed upon him, and Reiji's thoughts raced.
How does one avoid harm against something that can be seen with the naked eyes now?
The answer is simple.
'...Dodge it.'
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|TO BE CONTINUED|