The axe now flew above the deadly road, as Crab-Boy had deflected it, and so, although Asaki had tried to kill it with all of his might.
Still inside of this dreadful battlefield, suddenly jumped a crimson figure, standing with one arm on a gigantic scarlet one's shoulder. Two bare and powerful legs suddenly elevated from the dusk, as they instantly closed on the axe's handle.
Just a single second later, a thunderous cling between the axe and something at least as hard as the axe echoed in the middle of the dusk. Then followed by multiple other ones, the only proof of the fight between the Aurora and the creature.
Still, just after that the battle noises ceased, a high-pitched voice, filled by fear and conviction rose from the dusk. Yet, something else filled that voice, something... Different. Was it pain ? Sadness ? Or... Despair ?
"Gods !! Asaki, run away please !!"
The woman couldn't see him, as the man couldn't see her. If Asaki could, maybe that, he'd have finally tried to leave, although it would've meant abandoning the Aurora. But now...
It was already with difficulty that the young man was able to stand up, one of his hand still pressing against his bloody wound. In front of him, also stood the bastard whom caused the man to bleed, and also deflected the only hit he had tried to inflict to him.
'What... What do I do, now...?"
Already out of options, Asaki could do nothing, nothing except looking at his executor, who was slowly, but surely, walking to him in order to finish the job.
Since the beginning of the fight, both of the survivors were blind, and deaf. The first one because of the dust and smoke, and the second one because of the impact caused by Flesh when it landed.
And although the screen of dust finally started to disappear from their surrounding, both of Celia and Asaki still couldn't see clearly the other yet. Not that they could concentrate anyway, as only a second could be sufficient to be fatal right now.
"F... F*ck..."
Only by a hair, Asaki contained in time the couple of coughs trying to escape from his mouth, avoiding getting caught by surprise by the Crab Boy.
Because, in the following seconds, the dark form crushed again on the ground, just being dodged by the white-haired man who could do nothing but to clumsily back away now.
'I... I should run away ! Why am I trying to stay here ?!'
Thought the first half of Asaki, as he desperately continued to back away to avoid the enraged creature. That's true, why wasn't he running away ? He needed to survive ! Not to die here !
'But... About Celia...'
Even if they just met yesterday, she still managed to save his life multiple times already ! He owed her a debt so gigantic, that repaying it would take years to the man...
... Or problems bigger than those he ever experienced in his life.
Truth be told, it was really too hard for the young man to think clearly. His emotions actually had taken the form of a storm, ragging inside of his poor mind so violently, that even his capacity of thinking started to slowly shatters inside of the tempest.
Plus... The pain was truly unbearable, making it even harder to think properly.
The only thing who could actually pull him out of such a hell, being...
"Grab this !"
°°°
His eyes, which had slowly started to close, suddenly reopened, as they looked at the noise's direction. A sparking silver blade then suddenly appeared in the sky. The handle was covered by a brown leather, and the small blade of the knife, sharpened so precisely that it could surely even cut through rock.
Asaki immediately recognized it.
It was the knife which Celia was using until now !!
From far, the young man finally noticed the woman, casually motionless, as her arm was still stretched at his direction, indicating that she was the one who threw the knife.
By her side, also stood the scarlet giant, trembling furiously as a deep, and thunderous roar, echoed from it. Could it be that flesh... Was enraged at the idea of being continuously dodged ?
"Survive !! Please, don't stay here..."
Even if Celia's voice didn't look that different from usual, if we didn't mention the tiredness and pain filling it, something till felt strange.
It felt... So familiar...
This pain, sadness, despair... A cloud of dust, covering a scarlet giant, ready to crush alive his only ally.
'Where does this come fr-'
Sadly, this time the young man didn't dodge in time the second attack of the Crab Boy, drawing another wound on his pristine skin. If it wasn't for the long and black coat covering his torso, surely would've this attack be the last.
"Uufff..."
But this time, Asaki endured it as much as he could, even if it meant crying even more, and barely containing a mix of saliva and vomit to escape from his mouth.
Propelling himself at the maximum speed his legs allowed him to reach, the survivor ran, he ran toward the knife, toward Celia.
Toward freedom.
And finally, for the first time, Asaki answered her.
"Shut up !"
The next moment, the man grabbed the knife, almost falling on the ground while doing so, before turning again his head at the Crab. Around the battlefield, the dust had now fully disappeared, giving the occasion to the two survivors to finally glance at each other, and see what damages have been done to their companion.
Celia tried to reply to Asaki, but another explosion echoed violently on the road, causing it to crack even more. If it continued, since the road was literally built over a river, everybody would fall inside of it and drown in no time.
And since Asaki already felt like on the verge of dying...
They couldn't jump into the river, nor run away.
Giving to the duo only one solution.
To fight.