Bane walked toward the creature lying in front of him, his aquamarine eyes scanning its anatomy from head to toe.
He knelt beside the monstrosity and dug his arms into the creature's flesh without hesitation, searching for something.
As he did, he asked, "Sheele, what happened while I was gone?"
With haggard breaths, Sheele began to explain the harrowing events.
After fully explaining the situation, she cautioned, "Be careful, this thing is not dead... it just wouldn't die. I cut off its head, stabbed and sliced its heart, severed its tentacles, even sliced its body in half, but it kept regenerating. Its powers are like nothing I've ever seen."
Bane, while listening, continued his search, his hands moving through the creature's insides. "I understand," he replied calmly.
"Its regenerative powers are remarkable. They're similar to mine, but more potent and faster. However, this comes at a cost—it loses its rationality."
"And in order to fully kill this thing, you have to crush all of its hearts within a few minutes. Otherwise, it will continue to regenerate," he explained.
"This creature has multiple hearts? How do you know this?" Sheele asked in astonishment.
"I have seen these types of creatures before. This creature was once a man or perhaps a child before he or she was turned into this."
Sheele's eyes widened in shock. "A human?"
"Possibly," Bane said, his tone analytical. "The regeneration is too sophisticated to be a natural ability of a danger beast. It must have been altered or experimented on, just like me."
Bane's bloody arm emerged from the creature, holding another heart. He inspected it, his expression inscrutable behind his mask. "This should be its last one," he muttered before crushing the heart in his grasp, turning it into a bloody pulp. "It should be dead now. I found no more hearts inside it."
Sheele nodded, finally understanding how the creature had managed to survive her attacks. "So, it really had multiple hearts. That explains a lot, but are you sure it's dead?"
"I think so," he said as he moved toward her. He then began checking her condition, his eyes scanning her injuries.
'The battle has surely taken a toll on her,' he thought internally, 'but we don't have much time to rest as the major force can move at any time.'
He summoned his gauntlet and said, "I will apply antiseptics on your wound for now."
Sheele looked at his gauntlet and nodded her head, "okay."
"For how much longer can you hold out? "he asked, while carefully applying antiseptics to her wounds.
Sheele grimaced as she felt a cooling sensation on her skin. "Not much longer. I've pushed myself to the limit."
Bane nodded thoughtfully. "We need to get out of here. The outside situation is tense but manageable. I've gathered enough information to understand our next move. The imperial forces are still unaware of the full extent of our capabilities. We can use that to our advantage."
He pointed at her. "They already know there's another person with you inside this building. They'll be on the lookout for both of us. The next batch of soldiers should arrive within ten minutes."
Sheele took a deep breath and asked. "So, what's the plan?"
"I'll act as a decoy while you create an escape route for us," Bane said as he finished his task. He then began to explain further details of the plan.
Knowing there was not much time, Sheele accepted the proposal.
After the explanation was finished, he took out a map and placed it on the floor, marking their current location. He then marked another location some distance away and drew a large circle around several smaller dots scattered throughout the district, along with other symbols.
"Now, focus on the map. I need to explain this quickly," he called Sheele.
Pointing his finger at the first mark, "We are currently here." Then, pointing at the second mark, "Our escape route is here, which is the sewer. The circle represents where the barricades and imperial soldiers are encircled, and they are constantly pouring into this district. The dots represent snipers positioned across the district."
"While I can attract most of their attention, I can't say much about the snipers. It's important for you to thoroughly remember their locations and quietly make your way to the sewer."
"What about the other symbols you've drawn?" she asked while storing the bombs.
After a sudden pause, he stated, "They represent caged humanoid monsters like the one lying on the floor behind me," he explained, causing a shiver to run down Sheele's spine.
Just killing one of these creatures had left her this haggard. Even knowing their weaknesses, fighting several of them would surely kill her.
But suddenly, all her thoughts halted as a realisation struck her like a hammer, and all the pieces of the puzzle began to form a picture in her mind.
"This trap was specifically set up for me and Mine," she uttered hoarsely while looking at him.
Otherwise, this level of preparation didn't make sense.
Bane looked at Sheele's pale expression. "Aren't they perfect hounds to hunt you and that pink-haired partner of yours? That's probably what you're thinking right now, isn't it?"
"It seems you are sharp enough to understand this, even though your personality might come across as clumsy." He commented.
Sheele looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "You knew this beforehand." Her mind raced as she questioned, "Since when?"
"Before you were torturing that guy," he answered calmly.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" she asked, frustration and exhaustion evident in her voice.
Bane's expression behind his mask remained stoic. "I needed you to focus on the immediate threat. Knowing too much would have distracted you. Now, we need to act. Can you handle this?"
"Once this is over, I'll need you to explain," Sheele said, her fists clenched as she struggled to remain standing.
Bane, undeterred, nodded. "Good. Follow the plan, and we'll get out of here alive." He started to move, his eyes sharp.
"Remember, once I draw their attention, you make your move. Don't hesitate," he restated.
Sheele nodded, her resolve hardening. "I won't."
With a last nod, Bane moved toward the entrance, ready to draw the imperial forces away. Sheele turned her attention to the map, mentally tracing the path to their escape route.
Time was running out, and she knew they had to move swiftly. She gathered her strength, preparing for the battle that lay ahead, knowing that every second counted.
————
Hello everyone,
My exams ended last week, and as I mentioned earlier, I have started preparing to write a Demon Slayer fanfic.
This will take some time since I want to rewatch the entire series up to the current fourth season, where our dear Muzan Jackson was blasted in an bomb incident, also known as the Hashira Training Arc. Additionally, I plan to read the manga from chapter 1 to the end, to ensure there are minimal plot holes.
If you have any ideas for this new fanfic, please feel free to share them in the comments.
Thank you!