Megumi and Cider stood on guard in the dilapidated, destroyed streets of the city, as the demon horde surrounded them. All the while, Dino watched from the safety building towering them.
The first demon leapt forth, attacking Megumi. She crossed her arms preparing the worst, but it was immediately shot down by Dino's crystal spike.
Both Megumi and Cider were surprised by this turn of events.
"Stop!" Dino shouted. He looked down at the demons somewhat indignantly.
The demons looked back at him and slowly backed away, giving just enough room for Megumi and Cider to get a breather. Despite this little reprieve they could both recognize that they were still trapped within a circle of demons.
Cider kept close to Megumi, recognized that the horde was still too much to handle just by himself. And leaving Megumi's side would only make her an easy target for them.
Megumi could only clench her teeth, understanding the predicament they were now in. "Why... Why am I so useless…"
Dino spoke up, interrupting her thoughts.
"I don't mind cutting you two a deal. I'm only here for the damn demon kid." Dino pointed to Cider. "He comes with me calmly, and I'll let you go."
"Why are you after Cider!?" Megumi questioned. "I-I know he can be a trouble maker sometimes, but he's still just a kid."
Dino simply laughed at Megumi's remark.
"Either you're ignorant or stupid." Dino insulted. "That demons obviously no kid. Besides, This job is just a means to an end. And I don't have much time to waste so either hand him over or I'll put you both down."
"Leave her alone!" Cider growled.
"Oh, how scary. So what will you do Cider Lynch." Dino spoke, almost mockingly.
"A demon like you is powerful. But even you have your limits."
Cider glared much more fiercely at Dino.
Surprisingly, Cider relaxed himself, Taking a few deep breaths.
Cider's demeanor suddenly shifted. And his tone, more serious.
"Fine. I'll go with you…"
Megumi's eyes widened, surprised by his answer.
"BUT…!" Cider continued.
It was like the world had stopped, Everyone seemed to hold their breaths, awaiting Cider's words.
"You have to beat me in a game of 'War'!"
Dino Narrowed his eyes. "War?"
He couldn't tell what the kid was up to. Even Megumi didn't understand what game he was referring to.
"The rules are simple. We fight and the person who is defeated loses the game. Anything goes."
Dino blurted out a chuckle. So a regular one on one battle?"
With Cider's words accounted for, Dino's eyes flickered with amusement. "What a dumb game. Fine. If that's how you want to play it, be my guest."
Megumi grabbed Cider by the arm, her eyes filled with concern. "Cider! What are you doing!?"
He refused to look at Megumi, instead, looking soberly at the ground. "Sorry Megumi. This is the only thing I can think of to help."
He then turned to her, forcing a rye smile. "Please, Try to find the dumb skeleton man without me."
"B-but-"
Just before she could retort, Cider turned. He combined his two hands, forming the biggest blade she's seen him make yet and slammed it hard into the rubble behind them.
A newly made path was cleared with the direction leading straight to other reapers.
Cider began o pant heavily, most likely from exerting a lot of his power. "I know you can make it without me. So just go."
"How noble." Dino said, sarcastically. "But If we're going to have this war game I think a change of scenery is an order.
Channeling all his energy, Dino began to conjure up an ever growing wall of black crystals around them all.
Cider, reacting quickly, pushed Megumi out from the area, Trapping only Cider and Dino along with the demon horde that remained.
Megumi quickly scrambled to her feet, punching at the crystal wall separating the two, "Cider! Cider!"
Cider watched as Dino leapt down, ready to fight.
"It's just you and me," Cider announced.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you say, anything goes."
"He's correct." another demon with a static-like women's voice said.
Cider's eyes widened in shock, recognizing the voice. The Demon then gave a smug smile. "All is fair in love and war."
Over half of the demon horde began to leave the area, shocking Cider. "Where are they going!?"
"That damn girl took you from me!" The grotesque demon smiled much more wickedly, echoing the words of a women's voice. "I think it's only fair that she serves as a snack for our other fellow demons. Don't you think?"
The demons climbed over the crystal wall with ease, Converging together all in the effort to surround Megumi.
It didn't take long for Megumi to realize that she was being surrounded. She looked up, finding hordes of demons, drooling, ready to pounce at her at a moment's notice.
"M-more demons?"
Cider quickly stretched his arms in order to stop the fleeing demons.
"Keep Cider Preoccupied for me, Dino. If you know what's good for you" Annabelle Echoed to Dino.
"Tch! Fine,"
Dino Met Cider at the top of his wall. "Your opponent is me, remember!" He kicked Cider straight back to the ground within the wall..
Cider wobbled back to his feet, holding his right eye from the pain of the kick. With all the power in his voice he shouted. "MEGUMI!! RUUUN!!"
Megumi's hearing Cider's voice, wavered. She didn't want to leave Cider behind with that dangerous man. But at the same time, Her life was also in deep peril if she didn't escape.
"I'm- I'm not strong enough! I… I have to find K! H-he's the only one that can help!"
"H-hang in there Cider! I'll be back!!"
With great reluctance, Megumi broke into a sprint, rand ran off to escape the pursuing demons. And to get the only hope she could think of.
"Haha! Yes! Run! Run! This'll make your demise all the sweeter!" Annabelle echoed. Demons began to chase, hopping and pouncing towards Megumi with vigor as she dashed away to escape their pursuit.
A strange projectile whizzed past her. She quickly glanced back seeing the huge horde even bigger than before. Her heart began to sink as even more of the strange spikes shot from these horrific dog-like demons that chased her.
"W-what kind of demons are these!!??"
Spikes after spikes launched at her, each on either scraping or grazing her while others missed her by sheer dumb luck.
"It's straight ahead! It's straight ahead! It's straight ahead!! They're straight ahead!!!"
Unexpectedly, Demons began to crawl down from the top of the buildings in front of her. She glanced up slightly seeing even more of the demons
"You won't escape from me." Annabelle echoed to Megumi.
Megumi grasped the side of her head, shocked. "W-what was that!?"
BOOM
A building ahead of Megumi collapsed!
Her path was now blocked with an intersection going left and right.
She turned left in an instant
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
Megumi started to hear laughter in her head.
"W-where's that voice coming from!?" Megumi thought.
Megumi quickly came to a stop. She looked up, finding that she came to a dead end!
She froze, unsure what to do. A cold sweat ran down her face as she glanced back seeing the horde of demons.
She felt a fear unlike what she's felt thus far. It couldn't even match the time she was being hunted by that mob when she first came to purgatory. It was beyond that.
Her breathing hastened with every step they took, and her vision started to blur.
She could only watch on as the first demon pounced
"I-I'm… Dead…"
Suddenly a blue barrier erupted, killing, slicing the demon's head off!
A woman jumped down from above, breathing exhaustedly.
"Just so you know… You run too damn fast."
Megumi's eyes widened in familiarity.
"W-wait, Y-your-"
"Not now girlie," She interrupted.
Her drooped eyes became more serious as she gazed upon the demons trying to break through her barrier.
"First we have to get the hell out of her."
The woman held her fist up and formed a barrier around it. She then reshaped it into a fist.
"An' in case you're wondering again, the name's Kailey."
"Kailey Renard!" In an instant Kailey brought her barrier down and punched the first row of demons. She quickly formed another forcefield fist punching through the second row.
She pushed through the rows of demons, forcing them back. Suddenly, demons dropped from above, forcing her to conjure another barrier above.
She clenched her teeth, annoyed by their presence. With practice eased, Spikes shot forth from her barrier, killing the demons.
Megumi, watching, couldn't help but be enamored by the strength of the women before her. She continued to fight with all her strength, through the demons.
Kailey glanced back at Megumi, annoyed. "What are you waiting for!?"
"O-oh!" Megumi hurried to Kailey's side, second later she turned her fist to the door by their side, punching it down.
"This way!"
Megumi followed without question, letting Kailey lead the way for her. Without wasting time, Kailey punched through a wall into the street.
Even more of the demons dashed at them from all angles as if prepared.
Kailey quickly conjured a barrier around them. Demons from all around covered them like mindless zombies to their prey. They bit and gnawed at whatever piece of the barrier they could.
"Tch! Damn it! It's like all the demons are coming here!"
She shot spikes forth from her forcefield again with less effect.
"We should get to a safe house quick, unless you have any other bright Idea's girly."
"I-it's Megumi. A-and there's reapers down there!" Megumi pointed in the direction she was headed with urgency.
"No good." Kailey retorted. "There's even more coming from that direction than anywhere else. If we go in there, we'd both be toast. We have to get to the nearest safe house."
"I… I can't do that! Cider's in trouble."
"Huh? You mean that demon kid?" Kailey wondered. "Sorry girly, but he's likely dead already. An' I'm not gonna waste my time looking for a dead man."
Megumi instantly became silent, surprised by the remark.
Megumi mustering, what little courage she could bawled her fist. "T-then Let me out."
Kailey was taken aback from what Megumi had just said.
"Are you crazy! If I let you go, they'll tear you to shreds!"
As Kailey spoke, she could remember a time she once had with Eric.
********
Megumi as a child was locked in a classroom closet, she pounded on the door, begging to be released.
Nobody was there.
Just as Megumi was about to give up, the door swung open with a fury.
"Megumi!"
The boy with black hair was panting heavily, exhausted from running.
"There you are!" He exclaimed. "What happened?"
Her eyes widened, excitedly, but seeing Eric, she quickly tucked in her hands. She hid her eyes away from him. Doubt started to fill them.
"Who did this to you!?" He raised his fist. "Whoever did it, I'll kick their butts!"
She looked back surprised to see him so angry on her behalf. "But… Why???"
"What do you mean 'why'?" he asked.
"Why do you care. Why do you keep... trying to help me...?"
Eric held his hands out offering a cheerful smile. "Isn't it obvious? You're my friend. Besides…"
"What kind of friend would I be if I left you behind." Eric said.
********
"What kind of friend would I be if I left him behind." Megumi said. she cluthed her hands even tighter.
"He tried to save me... I can't... I can't leave him now!?"
Her eyes filled with renewed determination, feeling much calmer than before. She looked back into the chaotic horde of demons, desperate to get to the two of them.
"Thank you, Kailey. You helped me clear my mind."
Kailey glanced back, indignant. "Huh???"
Without warning, Megumi charged out from the barrier to Kailey's shock. "What is that girl-!!"
"Even if I have to punch my way through...! I'll do it!" Megumi with her newly bare fist, punched the first demon in the face!
The air cracked and whipped, then out of nowhere the explosion of ash and rock erupted. The demons around were blown away in an instant from the sudden impact.
Megumi looked back at her hand seeing a strange wave of energy emanating as she moved her hand. "What is…"
A demon attacked from behind, but was saved by Kailey and she used her forcefield punch. "Now's not the time to get distracted, girly!"
Using her barrier, she pushed all the demons back, giving them some much needed space.
Kailey, glanced back at Megumi a little surprised. "What was that? It's like power erupted for this girl just now..."
Megumi looked more ready to defend herself, it was as though she gained new determined confidence.
She turned, hearing an approach from behind and blocked a demon's attack. Despite its sharp claws, she could barely feel a thing from the demon. Kailey followed up, sending a spiked forcefield through its head and letting it turn to ash.
"Forget about that demon girly. if you don't get to a safehouse these demons will take your core and eat it!"
Megumi stopped for a moment
"Then just forget about me then... Cider helped me so much, so I'm not going to give up on him!" Seeing another approach, Megumi dodged. "If you really care about me then just find some help reapers to help."
Megumi ready her fist, punching into another demon with the same results. soon after she felt much more drained than before. and started breathing much more heavily.
"Are you listening to yourself? You'll never make it past all these demons!" Kailey plowed through another row of demons before forcing the barrier on both her and Megumi.
"They'd sooner kill you before you could do anything!"
"Maybe… But I'll never know until I try."
Annebelle's voice echoed in Megumi's mind again. "She's right you know, you wouldn't even make it back if you'd try. Cider belongs to me and me alone."
"Cider doesn't belong to anyone!" Megumi snapped. "Whoever you are, you won't win!"
Kailey, looking a little more strained, peeked back up at Megumi confused. "W-who are you talking to"
"You don't hear them?" Megumi asked.
Suddenly cracks started to appear as the demons continued to get through the barrier.
"Listen girly, It's not too late to change your mind… There's a safehouse not far from here… But if you go after that demon, it'll be on you. I'm not going looking for any reapers or anything. Not with these many demons around."
Megumi could tell that Kailey was starting to reach her limit. "Fine… If that's how it is… Then go. I have nothing to lose."
Kailey scowled. "What an idiot."
In that moment the entire barrier shattered, even shocking Kailey.
Looking to their right, a demon three times the size of the normal demon had shattered the barrier.
It was a complete amalgamation of several other demons, fused into one.
"What... What is that thing? It so... Big..."
It brought up its fleshy looking arms that contained the faces and arms of other demons and swung it down hard.
"Kya-hahahaha!!"
Both Megumi and Kailey became alert, hearing the laughter.
Suddenly a man in black and yellow shirt arrived just between the two.
"How bold to try and venture off alone in such a storm…" he said.
He clutched the handle of his sword and in one fell swoop, killed the demons that surrounded them including the big one!
A gust of wind instantly blew away the ash of the demons, leaving their black cloudy cores bare. Not long after, he sheathed his sword.
Megumi's eyes widened from shock seeing the man behind the blade.
"W-wait!! Y-you're that waiter guy!!!!"
"I prefer Liang. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe I owe you and ice cream."
Despite his squinted eyes she could tell that he was giving a wink.