The Disillusioned Land

Chapter 12 - Sanguine Distortion (Opening Half)

I continue through the halls of the corporation with Kyoko. Nothing of interest catches my eye during our trip, no obstacles interrupt us either. I decided to make idle conversation with Kyoko to pass the time.

"So uh, what exactly is it that you do? You know other than kill people on the streets."

"Youkai, not people jackass, also we usually don't do that. I work under Reimu with a couple others to keep the peace where the world of man and illusion meet."

"What? She couldn't be bothered to do it herself anymore? I highly doubt she's paying you either, are you really trying to tell me she has multiple people working under her?"

"If you must know, the area we have to control has been increasing ever since the barrier was lifted, absolutely shocking I know, no one could have seen it coming. Also she's selling moon crack to the humans now, that's how this operation is funded"

"Damn, that's crazy." I regret asking, I was just bored, this is way too much information, I do not care.

As we advanced through the wretched walls the tremors I felt before only increase. Not only that, another instrument joins the orchestra. Faint screams can be heard through the walls, wailing, stopping suddenly, and starting once again. Pools of blood can be seen along the hallways, eventually even discarded organs and limbs litter the ground. Though the sight disgusts me, I remain unfazed, this is nothing compared to what I've seen in the city, let alone this facility. Looking over I see Kyoko similarly jaded, charging forth single-mindedly, heeding no mind to the growing corruption surrounding us.

With an end to this hallway already in sight, the wails that followed us so far cease. If only for a moment, we are met with silence, equal parts calming and unnerving. Within this shroud of nothingness we enter where the hallway ends.

The room in front of us isn't much wider than the narrow hallways we traversed thus far. On the other side stands a woman, facing away from us, clad in the attire of a Hakurei shrine maiden. "I thought I was the only one assigned to this district?" Kyoko says in her signature stoic voice before calling out to the woman, "Hey, what are you doing here?". The woman turns to face us, as her body shifts I can make out something behind her, something that might have been alive once, though in the state it's in it's near impossible to tell. In fact I wouldn't call it something anymore, it forms piles upon piles... some of it appears to writhe as if reacting to my gaze.

The woman stares directly at us, at least I think she is, her face is covered by a talisman, the shapes and colours that adorn it seem to shift, morphing into indecipherable nonsense. Her gohei is wrapped by red tendrils that converge upon the weapon's tip in a blade, forming something akin to a glaive. "W-what?" With her previous confidence gone, Kyoko stutters from beside me "Is that Shiraki?".

The woman begins to approach us with her weapon in hand, her movements are unnatural and lifeless, a mockery of the human form. Wounds cover her entire body, still seeping red. "I have to report this to Reimu!" I hear before noticing my companion leave me. Before I can stop her she already disappeared, seemingly forgetting all about me. In her haste she drops the knife she confiscated from me earlier, I pick it up and prepare to defend myself from this new threat.

Before I can finish that thought a blow from the creature's weapon lands to my left, only narrowly missing me, seemingly by sheer luck. I dash away to make distance, the creature follows my movements with her gaze, or lack thereof, though none of her previous speed is shown. I think I know what's going on, but I have to make absolutely sure, I've lived too long to wager my life on a hunch. I break into a sprint once more, this time heading straight at her with my knife prepared, once again she follows my movement with uncharacteristic torpor, though it fades as I get closer. As soon as I enter her range she swings again, using her range advantage to its fullest. Unwilling to retreat from my attack I attempt to block her blade with my own, I divert the initial impact, the red blade writhes at the collision and immediately starts wrapping around my knife as if trying to consume it. I pull away my blade before it can take hold and deliver a slice to her shoulder.

Her gaze leaves me and instead focuses on the wound she received, as her head moves I catch a glimpse of her eyes. Whatever happened to them, I can be certain that she cannot see and is following me through sound and touch. I stomp my right foot while deftly jumping to the left, once again her focus is shifted to the noise and she is unable to defend herself from another attack, this time to her neck.

The woman starts slicing away at me repeatedly in retaliation, I step away from the first slash but am hit by the second, cutting a deep line across my stomach. Her assault doesn't stop at that, arc after arc is drawn through the air. Though none of her following attacks hit me, they force me to dodge again and again without giving me a chance to plan a counter. I try hitting some rocks from the ground with my foot, they fly through the air and land right behind her snapping apart in the process, but she is unfazed by the sound, she knows exactly where I am. Her advance is rapidly backing me into a corner, I need to think of something. I strike the tip of her glaive with my knife, it slithers around as if alive, and briefly, loses its edge. I grab her weapon by the now dulled blade with my free hand and divert it to my side, simultaneously I drive my own blade into her throat.

My assailant's movement stops and I step away. Attempting to make my way away from this already bloodstained room. I look back and see the woman on her feet once more, red liquid far too viscous to be blood drips from her wounds, both old and new. The liquid converges together and sharpens out into hundreds of red spikes covering her entire body.

She charges at me once again. I have no chance of meeting her assault, any attack of mine would hurt me in equal measure. I think about throwing my knife, but i don't think i'll get an opportunity, the beast has shown to be unimaginably tenacious, nothing but an extremely well placed blow would stop her, were I to fail I would be unarmed. Can I wait for Kyoko to return? I doubt I could withstand this barrage for much longer, especially with no way to damage the creature. My foe seems intent on following me even to the gates of hell. I weigh my options over and over again but I see no clear path before me.