「Bang!」
Tatsuya steadied his breath as he aimed his twin Uzis at the advancing demi-humans. He held down the triggers, unleashing a spray of bullets propelled by his hard-won fire magic.
Not bad for a week's work, he thought, feeling the satisfaction of weaponized skill. But the pride was laced with anger. They'd hurt Yuki.
The black-haired wolf demi-human narrowed his eyes, staring down the oncoming bullets. What are these things… some kind of slow-moving projectiles?
The instant a bullet came within inches of his eye, he vanished from sight. His companion, the leopard demi-human, followed suit, sidestepping with speed that defied comprehension. The bullets ricocheted off trees, snapping branches in their wake, but the demi-humans melted into the dense undergrowth, leaving no trace but the tremor of disturbed leaves.
Without hesitation, Tatsuya darted back into the shadows of the dense forest, his footsteps light against the undergrowth.
No honor lost using guerrilla tactics against speed freaks.
Yuki was left standing where he'd been moments before, her hands shaking as she searched the shadows for any sign of the predators. Her grip tightened on her katana, but her thoughts were drowning out the present.
Why did I think I could do this? How could I be so naive? I'm no match for them…
As her vision tunneled, she missed the black-haired wolf's furious charge, his spear aimed directly at her heart. He was mere inches away when a pillar of earth surged up at her side, shoving her out of his path. The wolf demi-human smashed into the pillar instead, and the impact shattered the stone with a deafening crack. But the momentum didn't stop—he was launched straight into the trunk of a massive tree. The resulting crash sent a rain of leaves scattering down over the clearing.
Yuki collapsed onto her knees, her breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps. Why… why can't I move? Why can't I strike, even when he's right there?
The underbrush in front of her suddenly rustled. She looked up, eyes widening as the leopard demi-human sprang toward her, his claws bared and face twisted with a mix of rage and grief. His eyes glinted with unrestrained hatred, a sharp contrast to his earlier composure.
But before he reached her, Tatsuya dropped down from a tree branch, landing right between Yuki and the lunging demi-human. With perfect timing, he met the leopard's chest with his stone-encased fist, using the momentum of the demi-human's own leap to drive the blow deep into his abdomen. The leopard doubled over, coughing up blood as Tatsuya extended his arm, sending the leopard crashing into the trunk of a nearby tree. Another crack filled the clearing, louder than before.
"When someone's faster, you use their speed against them," Tatsuya said, looking back over his shoulder with a wry smirk. "Add a bit of strategy, and the fight becomes a lot easier."
The earth gauntlet around his arm began to crumble, pieces falling away like dust. Yuki's gaze softened as he extended his hand toward her.
He had a plan all along… he was calm because he knew how to win. Master really is amazing.
She accepted his hand, her fingers trembling as he pulled her to her feet. Her cloak was dusted with leaves and dirt, but she managed a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Master. I'm sorry… I've only been a burden."
Her voice wavered, tears gathering at the edges of her eyes. Tatsuya's expression softened as he raised a hand, moving to wipe them away. "You can always trust me, Yuki," he murmured. "You don't have to be afraid—"
But before he could reach her, a blinding pain exploded in the back of his head. The world went dark as he fell forward, his hand dropping uselessly to his side. His thoughts shattered in the pain, and all he could think, grasping onto the last shreds of awareness, was Yuki's name.
The hazy sensation of waking up settled over him, slowly drawing him back from the void. Tatsuya sat up, the cold bite of chains against his wrists grounding him to reality. He looked around, taking in the narrow, wooden walls surrounding him, and the worn, makeshift bed beneath him. The room was dim, its only light coming from gaps between the haphazardly nailed wooden planks.
So this is a demi-human outpost, he thought. That doesn't matter. I need to find Yuki. And get out.
He closed his eyes, feeling the faint current of mana flowing through his veins, and began channeling it into his hands, heating the chains wrapped tightly around his wrists. The metal warmed, scalding his skin until it sizzled, but he gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain.
Once I'm free, I'll make them regret every—
The creak of the door pulled him back, and he stilled. A girl with light pink hair, shaded darker at the ends, entered the room. She wore a simple fur coat over brown pants, and her purple eyes, sharp and assessing, swept over him.
"Please don't hurt yourself," she said, her voice calm, her eyes flicking to his wrists where faint burn marks remained. "It'll only make things harder for our healers, who went out of their way to bandage you."
She shut the door, crossing the room and settling into a wooden chair beside him.
Tatsuya glared, his eyes glowing faintly red as he attempted to call on his blood bond, only to feel an unsettling stillness on the other end. He clenched his fists, narrowing his gaze as he growled, "Like I care about your healers. You attacked us unprovoked."
But the girl didn't flinch. If anything, a faint smile played at her lips as she leaned closer, her gaze holding his with an unsettling calm.
"Such intelligence for a Soulborne," she said softly, her tone unchanging. "But there's still so much for you to learn. Calm yourself, and let me explain."