Archer (Klein x Reader)

Chapter 22 - Sliced Nose

As you continued running, you turned on your stealth- hoping that might buy you some time. After all, you weren't sure where you were going, considering that you were oh-so-conveniently dumped by Issin onto a level higher than your own.

The men slowed and stopped in confusion, allowing you to slow down a bit in an attempt to keep from gasping for air. If you made noises, they would certainly find you. Spying a bush on the side of the path, you ducked into it quietly and situated yourself among the branches so that you could see in a full circle around yourself.

Watching the group of players, you turned your head slightly to look back to the entrance of their headquarters, just in time to see PoH walking out of the doors towards the congregation. Judging by his quick gait, he was either upset or confused like the rest of the players.

"She couldn't have gone far," he said angrily. "This level is above her own- she won't know where to go. Find her."

You began shaking with a mixture of adrenaline, fear, and anger.

How does he know what I'm going to do? I didn't invite him into my mind!

Looking ahead, the congregation split into groups and began searching for you. You knew that hardly anyone had a detecting skill, but that didn't mean you couldn't be caught again- so you settled it in your mind that you needed to move to higher ground, where you could conceal yourself further, and, if you were lucky, explain the entire thing to Klein via message.

Slowly and cautiously working your way out of the bush to avoid rustling the leaves, you straightened yourself and checked on the search groups. Noticing that the closest was within ten feet of you, you began to quietly trek with your sword in hand to a large rock a few feet away.

Finally reaching the rock, you crouched behind it.

How am I going to get out of this?

Standing up, you leaned over the front of the rock to look at the men still searching. You began looking around for something that may help you- although things were looking bleak. A hand then roughly grasped your bicep and pulled you to the side, and you (on impulse) held your sword out to the side to slice through your captor- but he barely missed the tip of your sword.

As you hit the ground and picked yourself back up at a super-sonic pace, you saw the ever-cloaked PoH grinning. There was no one even there a couple of seconds ago!

"It takes one to find one," he darkly explained.

Heavily breathing, you bent your knees slightly and held your sword out in front of your body. You were going to let him try to attack first, considering you were better at defensive moves.

Laughing, he then raised his cleaver towards his right shoulder and ran at you. When he got close enough, he began to swing, and you took the opportunity to jump up, spring your body off of his wrist, and flip over his back- running your sword down the back of his head and body in the process. Hitting the ground in a crouched position, you noticed all of the other Laughing Coffin members were running over to the occurring fight.

Keeping the other men in mind, you whipped around to face the now unconcealed PoH, noticing his scraggly grey hair and scarred face- but you didn't care about his appearance. You were going to fight them all, you were going to get away, and you were going to get back to Klein. That was the only thing you cared about.

He ran at you once more, this time with his smile gone and cleaver raised over his head. You blocked it with your own glowing sword- however, you could see small chips coming out of your own sword as you kept pushing against the blade of his cleaver.

You looked at the chips, wide-eyed.

Is his cleaver... breaking my sword?

PoH must have noticed this as well, because his sinister smile returned and he began pushing harder with his cleaver.

Moving your body quickly to the side, your sword disintegrated into iridescent prisms. PoH's cleaver flew down through the area your body was previously in.

As you reached up to grab your bow off of your back in shock, some of the other members then grabbed you by various body parts and slammed you down onto the ground, spreading your arms and legs out and pinning you down.

Gritting your teeth, you began pulling at the restraints, every fiber of your being itching to be free of these horrid people.

"It's a shame we couldn't keep you around longer, (Y/N)," PoH said. "You could have been more than a prisoner."

"I want nothing to do with you," you spat at them all as you continued to struggle.

"You have such a nice face too," he smoothly said, tilting his head to the side. "The things that are the nicest don't last very long, though."

"What...?" you irritably questioned. Your eyes widened as he raised his cleaver and brought it down- you thankfully moving your head out of the way on time. The tip of the blade scraped your collar bone.

"Someone hold her head still," he commanded. Your head was then grabbed by the temples and forcefully held to the ground.

You gritted your teeth and squirmed once more, still unable to move.

PoH then repeated the action with the cleaver. You gasped in horror as you watched your nose progressively cut through.

Then, when you felt the blade reach your skull, everything went black.