A Demon's Fate

Chapter 4: Fight for your Life

I managed to dive to the floor as the demon leapt at me, tearing through the desks. "Kukukuku, this is going to be funner than I thought!"

I scrambled under a desk as another one came crashing down on it. I shrieked, and then again as I was plucked from the floor. "Let go of me you-"

The breath was knocked out of me as I was thrown to the front of the room. "Hmm, I don't think you appreciate how long I've waited for this..."

"Screw you!" I shout as I scramble up from the ruins. "I don't need to know how long you waited to kill me!"

The demon reared up and charged me again, but I managed to jump on a desk this time as he plowed straight through. I had to find a weapon soon...

I hardly had time to look around before the desk I stood on was knocked off its feet, sending me straight to the floor. I looked up right as it stomped on my ribs several times. Finally, it stopped and kicked me across the room again.

I tried to steady myself, but I could hardly get up... "You know," the demon said, "the more we fight, the more it hurts. Give up."

It stomped on me again and I crumpled to the floor. In the corner of my eye, I saw my opportunity-

"KYAUGH!!" Rangurren reeled back as I jammed a broken chair leg into his neck, sending scalding black ichor gushing out onto the floor. Quickly, I tried to wipe some of the sticky demon blood from my clothes as the source turned toward me again, furious. "You have some fight in you after all, huh? Fine! I'll just kill you now!" He ran at me again and I quickly sidestepped and hurled a desk at him, smashing it over his head.

I had hardly recovered and had my hand on my chest when it suddenly whirled around and launched me across the room again, coming with me and landing directly on top of me. I found more debris and immediately threw it at him, but he kept stomping me into the ground, forcing blood out of my throat and crushing me into numbness. I suddenly found it hard to even lift my arms and my vision was starting to fade...

The metal chair leg fell out with a clang and reopened the demon's wound, pushing it off of me and allowing me to finally breathe. Every bone in my body ached and I struggled to lift my head to see. In the edge of my vision, I could see it trying to contain the blood flowing freely now, stumbling around the room and finally crashing to the floor with one last violent scream.

As I started passing out from pain and blood loss as well, I began hearing shouts from outside. The door crashed open and three figures ran in, picking me up, yelling my name...

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When I finally woke up, I could feel my bones aching again. I thought I saw Soma's familiar purple jacket, but I realized it was only the jacket, and he wasn't actually here. As I got a better grip on my surroundings, I saw I was in the hospital, not surprisingly. I suspect I broke every rib, and probably my back and both arms. Beyond that, I guessed there was extensive internal damage I didn't know about.

"Sir, it's past visiting hours," I heard a male voice saying, "You'll have to leave."

"Oi, unless you want this blade shoved up your ass," another male replied, "you're gonna let me through." A moment later, he came into view, and I saw it was Mr. Wraithe. "You're awake huh?"

I somewhat nodded at him. I guess I wasn't confident enough to speak yet.

"Well luckily for all of us we got to you in time. Doctors say you were knockin' on Death's door."

I figured that much. After all, I wasn't exactly built to hunt demons, even if I had just killed one.

"Listen, I'm gonna stay here. Demons are going to try to get at you again, and I can't let that happen. Soma has to school, so instead, I'll watch over. You don't worry about a thing."

I wondered briefly if Wraithe hunted demons as well. I guess that would explain a few things. He leaned back for a while and didn't say anything.

"Did you know you have surgery tomorrow? They say you need screws, so I guess that's that. I think there's probably a better way to do that. What if we used spatial anomalies..."

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After I blacked out, I woke up again, and it was dark this time. I felt like I had a little more energy; I was probably under some anesthetics or something. I looked over and Wraithe was sleeping in the chair next to my bed-

I gasped and nearly fell off the bed when I saw another person standing next to him. "Ah, good. I thought I'd be standing here creepily all night." I could hardly make out his appearance, but I saw short dark red hair and he looked to be wearing a loose green t-shirt. I could only wonder why he choose that outfit of everything he could have worn. "You know, you caused quite a ruckus back at the school. I thought Rangurren would make short work of you. I have to say, you're a squirrelly little girl."

I couldn't punch him even if I wanted to, so I shot him the rudest glare I could muster.

The demon, I was pretty sure, chuckled. "Ha, you're too cute. I have a feeling that won't last long though. I should know... You can't keep yourself locked away forever."

What's that supposed to mean?! This is why you don't talk to the villain!

"Say, next time you drop by the lake, you should give me a shout. I'll be waiting for you..." The demon slowly left the room with a soft chuckle hanging in the air. I stared for a few minutes in the darkness before I fell asleep again...

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The next day, I was conscious most of the time, except during the surgery. Soma came to visit me right before, and I had started talking again as well. It was good to see him again, even if only for a short while. As soon as he entered, I pulled him in and held him tightly. "What's happening, Soma...?"

Soma didn't respond. He didn't even seem to return my hug.

"Soma, I'm scared-"

"I know," he said quickly, "I should never have gotten you involved."

I couldn't tell what was wrong with him. "It's not your fault that this happened."

"Of course it is," he replied bitterly. "I was supposed to protect you."

We stood there locked for a few minutes longer, silent. It was an uneasy silence. I knew there was something eating away at Soma, but I couldn't quite place it. By what he was saying, it seemed he was just feeling remorse for not being there to save me again. I couldn't tell if I was special, or if he was this protective of everyone.

"You need to leave," Soma said after a while. "You need to get far away from here."

"But Soma, I can't leave!" I interjected, finally breaking away from him. "I can't leave now when I'm so close to finally living! You, and Tamina-san, maybe even Tak-kun, and Mr. Wraithe- That's all I have!"

Soma brought a piercing glare down on me that stopped me cold. "I mean it! I can't let you get hurt anymore! It's me they're after, so why do you stick around, huh? Do you have a death wish or something?" He suddenly turned and started for the door. "Don't follow me."

As Soma walked out of that room, I broke down completely and collapsed on the floor, watching him walk away.