Monkeys… Monkeys?
They came all at once, screaming and howling, their grotesque forms hurtling out of the forest. They looked like monkeys but were far larger, with sinewy bodies and fangs more fitting for a predator. Their timers glinted in the dark—hours, maybe a day or two, nothing more.
"Lord Solice!" Tsuki's shout snapped me out of my trance. His blade was already glowing red as it slashed through the first of the creatures, spraying blood into the firelight. "Aim for the maokii's necks!"
Maokii?
I didn't have time to think. A white aura began to form around me, but I hesitated. Could I afford to use wind magic?
"Place your magic into the blade! It's less—" Tsuki shouted again, just as one of the maokii leaped onto his back. He twisted, throwing the beast off, but it left a deep gash on his shoulder.
I focused, forcing the aura into the short blade Tsuki had given me. The weapon pulsed in my hand, feeling unnaturally light. My timer began ticking faster—twice as fast as normal. It reminded me of the fight against the time bandits in the town square when I first unlocked wind magic. That punch… the way the air had spiraled around their fist…
I shook the thought away as two maokii lunged at me from opposite sides. Panic set in. What do I do? What do I—
Instinct took over. I hurled the blade at the one to my right. It flew like a bullet, embedding itself in the creature's throat. Its timer disappeared, and mine ticked up: +4 hours. The second maokii was almost on me. I raised my left hand and grabbed its throat mid-leap.
Wind magic surged through me. Squeeze. -1 hour. The maokii's timer vanished: +7 hours.
The remaining creatures grew more aggressive. They must have sensed that Tsuki was the stronger of us. They swarmed him, but his blade danced with fire, cutting through them relentlessly.
I retrieved my blade and rushed to his side. Infusing more wind magic into the weapon, I joined the fray. Swing. Punch. Grab. Squeeze. Blood splattered across my face and hands, and though none of it was ours, exhaustion began to set in. My arms felt like lead, and my breaths came ragged.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
A heavy thud reverberated through the forest. My eyes caught the timer before the figure emerged: 47 days. The remaining maokii scattered, their shrieks fading into the distance.
The massive creature stepped into the clearing. It was still a maokii, but grotesquely larger—its hunched frame easily ten feet tall. Saliva dripped from its fanged maw, and its glowing red eyes locked onto us.
I barely had time to react before it charged.
The impact sent me flying into a tree. Pain exploded in my back, and blood filled my mouth as I coughed. My vision blurred.
"Lord Solice!" Tsuki's voice, sharp and uncharacteristically frantic, cut through the haze.
I forced myself to sit up. Through the blur, I saw him—fire magic coursing through his blade, slashing at the monstrous maokii. He fought valiantly, but even he was being pushed to his limit.
I couldn't let him fight alone. Not when it was my life on the line, too.
Staggering to my feet, I steadied myself against the tree.
"Tsuki!" I called. "Send me flying!"
"What?" he shouted, confused.
"Imbue me with flames and launch me at its neck!"
"I don't—"
"Just do it!"
I positioned myself on the tip of his blade, angling it into the dirt. His hesitation was brief. The moment I planted both feet, I felt the heat of his fire magic surging beneath me. With all his monstrous strength, Tsuki launches me forward. The world blurs.
Time seemed to slow as I flew through the air. The maokii's grotesque features came into sharp focus: the scars marring its face, the blood-soaked fangs, the remnants of cloth and flesh caught between its teeth.
The fire surrounding me burned hotter, turning my vision red. I channeled it into my blade, pushing my lifespan further. Four times the speed. Eight times. My timer ticked faster and faster, but I couldn't stop now.
The blade struck true, sinking deep into the creature's throat. Blood erupted in a torrent, coating me as the maokii roared in agony. Its legs buckled, and it crashed to the ground with a deafening thud, taking me down with it.
But it wasn't dead yet.
The maokii thrashed violently, its massive hand closing around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. My ribs groaned under the pressure as its grip tightened. My timer plummeted.
6 days. 5 days. 4 days…
I screamed, pouring every ounce of fire magic I had left into the blade. The white and red aura surrounding me swirled together in a desperate burst of light.
"Tsuki!" I gasped, barely able to get the word out.
He was already there. I felt his hands close over mine, his strength steadying the blade. His fire magic surged through me and into the weapon, reigniting the flames. The red glow turned blindingly blue, hotter and fiercer than anything I had ever felt.
Together, we pushed. The maokii's screams shook the forest as the blade sank deeper. Flames erupted from the wound, consuming its flesh from the inside.
3 days. 2 days. 1 day…
The creature's hand went limp, and its timer vanished.
I crumpled to the ground, my body trembling uncontrollably. The overwhelming heat, the blood, the raw exhaustion—it was too much. My vision dimmed, narrowing to the faint glow of my own timer.
47 days, 2 hours, and 12 minutes.
That's how much time I have left in this world.