"What's this feeling?" Code staggered backwards, sweat pouring down his face.
A menacing feeling fell upon the group, as they watched the man's body slide down the tree with a sickling squelch.
THUD!!
The footsteps were drawing closer.
Ran turned to face Kael, his heart beating loud enough for the whole forest to shake.
"This feeling..." He whispered, gulping repeatedly.
Code shifted his gaze, from Ran's fear-stricken face to Tenò to Soudra, and Elara.
"Uh?" Code's eyes widened as he locked his gaze on Elara.
She was shivering.
Code's breath hitched, but strangely, what kept bugging his mind wasn't the impending doom, instead they were two other words that shouldn't relate:
"Four percent!"
'Shit, what the hell's wrong with me?' Code asked himself, trying to get his mind off some payment.
Then suddenly, Kael cut in.
"Let's maintain formation!" He shouted, face grim. Even with how much he tried to hide it, the fear still showed in his eyes.
THUD!!
"Now!" Kael exclaimed, as the whole group formed into formation, sword users in front, Elara and Code in the middle, and Ran and Kael leading.
THUD!!!
A massive shockwave shook the earth.
Code chuckled nervously, forcing a smile amidst the impending doom.
Elara stared at the ground intently, shivering, and Tenò and Soudra held their swords weakly, their fingers shaking.
When it seemed like everyone would fall in fear, Kael's voice raised their spirits.
"Everyone! Raise those damn heads of yours, we've a job to do."
"Uh?" Code raised a brow.
"I'm not a motivational speaker," Kael continued. "But one thing I know, if we work together, we can get out of this. Alive."
"Only those that survive will get any payment."
Then, Kael's narrowed, his face changed, as he gritted his teeth.
"We-we can...we'll survive," he stammered.
Kael's words penetrated deep into their hearts, raising their morales.
Code's racing heart calmed. 'Yeah,' he thought to himself, clenching his fist in determination.
'Yes, I can, and will survive!'
"No matter what happens," Code whispered, raising his head. "I'll survive..."
"...and go home with a full wallet!"
Code turned to the left, and beside him stood Elara. Though her expression was emotionless, a spark of determination still lit in her eyes.
Tenò and Soudra took their stances, tightening the grip on their swords.
Ran's eyes narrowed, his brows furrowing in determination.
"That's the spirit," Kael nodded, as he glanced through their faces.
THUD!!!
The rumbling was already very very close.
Kael turned forward, Ran stood beside him, Tenò and Soudra in front, swords flaying, and Code and Elara behind.
"We'll give the demon no breathing space. Once I give the signal, sword users - attack immediately, after which Ran and I will launch tenzen attacks, Elara - support, and as for you..."
Kael paused, as he turned to face Code.
Code forced a slight smile, as if saying: "I'm pretty useful too".
"Survive!" Kael said, turning back to face the darkness from which the rumbles were coming.
"Once I give the signals..."
"...we move!" Kael commanded.
"Yeah!" The group yelled in unison.
Thud!!!
The forest shook violently again
The trees quaked, earth shivered.
"Ran..." Kael whispered, as he braced himself.
Ran nodded, breathing heavily.
The footsteps drew nearer, as Code's breath hitched.
He gulped repeatedly, barraging his brain with motivational words.
"I must survive! I can't die, yet, I haven't enjoyed life enough...I have to get my four percent!" Code kept whispering to himself.
THUD!!!
"It's coming," Code looked up,and his eyes widened.
Out of the dense woods and darkness, it came.
A massive foot - the size of an hill stepped out of the forest.
Kael and Ran staggered backwards, but Kael jerked forward back, gritting his teeth.
"Now!!!" Kael's voice echoed all over the forest, and in that instant -
Shiuuuun!!
Tenò and Soudra exploded forward, blades drawnoyt wide.
But almost immediately -
Swoosh!!
A massive wind blew through the space, followed by-
Booooooooooommm!!!
"Uh?" Code froze.
There was something on his face. Sliding down. Warm and red.
"What?!" Ran jumped backwards, trepidation written all over his face.
Kael stood frozen.
Code's eyeballs twitched slowly, gradually, as he shifted his gaze to the tree standing far beside them, and on the tree, sliding down its trunk...
...was Tenò.
He didn't look like Tenò anymore, instead, he was a large chunk of smoothened meat smeared with warm-red blood.
Code slowly shifted his gaze to the demon, moving from its massive outstretched hand that dripped with Tenò's blood.
The demon was the true definition of ugly. A huge mass of flesh, two horns that stretched out of his skull, and a twisted grin that screamed "nightmare"!
"Ahhh!!!"
A sudden cry suddenly jolted the group back to reality.
"What?" Code whispered, as he turned his gaze to the source of the scream.
Right in the demon's right hand, was Soudra, clenched within the demon's grip.
Twitch.
"No! No! It's painful!" Soudra screamed, as the demon tightened his grip upon him.
The rest of the group could only stare in horror. No one could move, or even flinch.
Code was even finding it hard to breathe.
"Nooooo!!!" Soudra cried, as blood and tears poured out of his eyes, but the group were too fear-stricken to even take a step.
"Save me! Help!!" Soudra screamed, wriggling violently, all to no avail in the demon's tight grip.
"Noooo...!"
BURST!!!
Soudra's entire being exploded instantly, his cries silenced forever.
Code's mouth opened wide. "Wh-what the hell?" He muttered.
His legs shivered intently, threatening to give.
The demon locked gazes on the group, his gaze piercing and terrifying. Saliva stained with blood dripped from its massive maw.
Code turned to Elara, and surprisingly, her legs had given way.
She had fallen to the ground, shivering, as she faced the ground.
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die..." She kept repeating, as tears poured down her face.
"Hahaha..." Code chuckled, staring at the massive doom before them.
Then, in that instant -
Shiuuuun!!
A low sound erupted, like the slashing of metal.
Code and Elara raised their gazes, to see Kael.
He stood upright, though shivering. In his hands were two axes, curved and sharp, their edges reflecting the moonlight.
"I refuse to fear!" Kael muttered, gritting his teeth violently.
"I refuse to fall!"
"I refuse to bend to fear!"
Kael swinged his axes, forming a vacuum that slashed through some trees.
He bent, focusing.
A dark blue light emanated out of his palms, and covered his axes.
"I'll finish you!" Kael shouted, locking gazes with the demon.
***
To Be Continued...