Asuka was running down the streets of Aboa. She wore her usual attire with her white shirt, brown pants and boots with arm braces, black cloak and sword at her waist. There was a hint of urgency in each step she took. Her mind was racing with thoughts of concern for Amelia and where she could have possibly gone. Luckily she had found the note she left behind and was headed towards the market right now. But before she got there, she ran into a group of dozens of people circling around an area in the street. Not being tall enough to see over the people , she pushed her way through earning herself a few words of annoyance. She ignored these complaints and made her way to the front of the crowd.
In the center of the circle, stood an older woman facing away from her. She looked to be holding something in her arm but what caught Asuka's attention was the pool of blood soaking into the ground. She jogged towards the woman thinking that she seriously injured.
"Hey madam, are you hurt. You should go see a-"
When Asuka had reached her, she pulled on the woman's shoulder making her turn around revealing what she had been holding.
An arm ripped from it's shoulder.
A cold feeling crept into Asuka's soul. She looked back up at the woman and looked into her cold and indifferent eyes. And maybe something else. Regret?
"Asuka, you sense that right?"
Annie's words pulled Asuka from her thoughts and she realized the air had slight traces of contra in it. They were also in a path headed towards the forest surrounding Aboa. Even more telling was the trail of blood following with it. She looked back at the woman whose face remain as it was.
"Where is she," she asked without a hit of emotion.
"What does it matter? She's probably long dea-"
Without letting her finish her sentence, Asuka grabbed her by her now blood stained poncho and slammed her into the ground. While it wasn't hard enough to break anything, it still caused the woman to let out a yelp of pain.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!"
The erupted in outrage at Asuka's actions but soon reeled back at Asuka's oppressive aura.
Asuka did not speak. She merely stared into the lady's soul overwhelming it with unfathomable power. Margaret tried to hide it. But as her mind began to cloud, consciousness began to leaving her, her body did not act as she wanted. She trembled, tears forming in her eyes and sweat dripping from her face.
"S-straight ahead. Into...t-the forest. C-cave," Margaret squeaked.
Asuka immediately let go of her and she boomed into the forest. The audience of people covered their faces to shield their eyes from the dust kicked up by Asuka. Margaret looked into the direction Asuka dashed in with an expressionless face.
"I wonder if we'll finally be freed from that demon. Or maybe I've just aided in the destruction of this town."
She then gripped her poncho and her expression faltered for only just a moment.
"I really hope you can forgive me Ellie. I...I really hope..."
~
Asuka was doing everything in her ability to control her emotions. Leaping from branch to branch, her face trying and failing to hide her anger. Her worry. Her anguish. Her hatred.
That arm in the hands of that woman still imprinted on her mind.
"No. Relax Asuka. That wasn't her. It can't have been. There's just no way," the girl thought to herself.
Then in another flash, the dream she had so long ago with her hand piercing her through her chest.
All the muscles in her body tensed and her fists clenched with enough force to draw blood from her skin. Annie then spoke up in her mind.
"Asuka, you need to settle your mind. Even if that arm does belong to Amelia, the blood trail is still fresh. There's a chance that she hasn't bled out yet. Maybe we can save still save her."
Annie's words did relax her nerves a bit. But didn't slow down even a little bit. Her mind now laser focused on one goal.
"I must save her."
~
After traveling a couple dozen kilometers, Asuka reached the cave. The large opening was in the rocky mountain exuded a feeling of terror. Any ordinary human would've probably soiled themselves getting anywhere near it. But all Asuka felt was fierce resolve.
"No matter what, I'll save you Amelia."
Without even stopping to analyze her situation, Asuka entered the deep cave. Above and in front of her, many rocky protrusions extending from the ceiling and floor. The lack of light inside of the cave made the stalactites and stalagmites look oddly human. Every time she looked up, she imagined seeing Amelia corpse hanging from the ceiling of the cave. Each time, she drifted closer to the edge.
She kept making her way through the cave reaching a large semicircle shaped depression at least fifty meters in depth. Pouring anima into her legs, she jump down near the center of the depression where there stood a rocky platform with a smaller cave.
"There," thought the girl, unable to hide the look of ire on her face. She felt the contra in the cave concentrated inside the smaller cave. She also felt the anima of her friend inside. Asuka leapt up to confront but then the concentrated body of contra suddenly dashed towards where she would be on the platform.
"It's coming!"
Asuka quickly unsheathed her blade and soon as she reached the top of the platform, her sword clashed with the demons arm sending her flying back as she had nothing to support her. She created a crater in the ground as she crashed into it. Quickly picking herself back up, she dodged another attack from the demon.
It then immediately continued it's wild assault on Asuka not giving her a chance to counter. However, she never lost focus. Every attack the demon launched was met with a confident block. Her face remained the same even as the demons blows increased in power and ferocity.
The demon did not take kindly to the seemingly impassive girl. It let out a roar of rage trying to intimidate the girl, but this only worked in allowing the girl an opening to slice it across the chest leaving a deep cut. It's roar turned into a wail of pain as blood squirted out of his chest.
Asuka was about to retaliate again but something black zoomed through the air and slammed into her arm with the force of a mountain. Her arm creaked and for the first time her expression changed and she cringed in pain and she was sent across the depression.
She immediately stood up getting ready to defend herself but the demon hadn't moved. It was still standing in the same place crouched over and shivering with it's hands covering its head muttering words under its breath.
"...you bitch...i'll kill you...i swear I'll kill you...i'll pull apart every one of your limbs and gouge out you inside and make sure your alive to feel everything..."
Then, it's body began to start contorting. It screamed in agony as it began to grow in size and it's arms slowly ripped themselves apart and healed so that the demon now had four arms. And on its head...
"It's growing a fourth horn?"