Wait! I'm not a Demigod, I'm a Gamer!

Chapter 22: Banshee

Yuuya moves to the side just in time, the tree behind him taking the attack instead, falling as the banshee screams in anger at having missed her target. Sam pulls Yuuya to him while Damian stands in front, shielding them as he summons his fire to envelop his blade. "Yuuya! You alright?" The ombré haired man asks, not looking away from the terrifying figure in front of him as she gets on all fours, showing no signs of once being human. The disguised beast-man faintly hears the question, his ears rings still ringing, and answers, "I'm good. *Cough* Be careful Damian!" The banshee leaps for him, the attack fully being anticipated. Damian raises his sword and slices her arm, making her wail in agony. The scream affects Yuuya, his head pounding even more while Sam and Damian wince, still faintly hearing the sound despite wearing the earplugs. Sam shakes Yuuya out of his daze, "Yuuya! You need to put in the earplugs." Damian is fully engaged in battle, missing the whole conversation between the pair. Yuuya shakes his head, "I can't! My disguise is in the way!" Sam's eyes widen then jumps when he hears a scream, "Sam, Yuuya! Watch out!" The pair quickly snap their heads and see the banshee flying straight towards them. Yuuya summons his light magic to create a shield right before the banshee could slam into them. She pounds her fists on the shield, making Yuuya grunt in effort as he tries to push her off. A flaming sword pierces through her back all the way her shoulder. She screams in pain and smacks the offender off, his sword being ripped out of his hands as he is sent flying a few feet away from them. Yuuya sees Damian struggling, his eyes widening, "Damian!" The banshee removes the sword out of her shoulder, screeching at the blade's dark color as she throws it far from the group. Yuuya stands up suddenly while pulling out his sword, encasing it in light magic. "Hey!" The banshee turns to look at him as he swings down, slicing from neck to stomach in a diagonal direction. The banshee screams and flies off, disappearing up in the trees. Yuuya moves his eyes left and right, sensing the monster still nearby. "Sam, check on Damian." Yuuya whispers quietly while pointing towards the ombré haired man's position, the man still trying to get up. Sam nods and quickly runs over to the fallen man, pulling out his first aid kit. Yuuya is still trying to track the monster, her presence still within the vicinity. "Where are you?" Sam is wrapping Damian's arm, also looking around him for their foe. Yuuya is a bit far from the pair when the banshee suddenly appears, she screams at the humans as she grabs Sam around the neck, choking him in the process. "Sam!" Screamed Damian, making Yuuya look over at them. "Shit!" He tries to move towards them, but the banshee stops him by choking Sam harder, his breaths coming out strained as he claws at her hand. Seeing Yuuya unable to help from his position, Damian summons his fire and stands up slowly, "Hey, bitch!" She snaps her head at him, her eyes full of rage. "Let go of him!" He punches hard with his fist of fire, her skin sizzling at the heat. The sudden attack stuns her and forces her to let go of Sam, making him cough as he tries to regain oxygen back into his lungs. She sees Yuuya running towards them and quickly kicks the stunned man beneath her, causing him to crash into the disguised beast-man. She wails one last time before dashing deep into the woods. Damian curses as he picks up his sword and chases after her. "Damian wait! Don't go, it's not safe!" Yelled out Yuuya as he tries to help Sam breathe. The ombré haired man ignores the warning and runs in the direction the banshee went.
Damian pants as he runs through the woods, trying to track down the banshee. He stops at a clearing, trying to catch his breath. He looks around, only seeing trees and fog, making him more frustrated. A few minutes go by when the man decides to finally give up. He starts to head back when a strong force crashes into him, pushing his back into a tree and making him drop his sword. He yells out in pain before being abruptly cut off as a clawed hand squeezes his throat hard, not enough to kill but enough to immobilize the man. The banshee opens her mouth, showing her blood stained teeth as she screams in his face. The earplugs do their jobs, his mind stable, she growls in annoyance and slowly brings her face closer as she examines him. The man struggles to break free, her nails cutting into his flesh in the process. The banshee must've saw something distasteful in the man because she decides to wail in his face again while raising her unoccupied hand. Damian's face pale as he sees her claws glisten in the moonlight. He tries desperately to summon his magic, his mind too panicked to think properly and his throat closed off from her strong grip, stopping him from chanting. He closes his eyes, expecting his death. Suddenly, a bright light fills his closed-eye vision and the grip on his throat vanishes as his form falls to the ground. Damian coughs while the banshee screams in agony. She disappears from sight, leaving Damian alone with his rescuer. He looks up and sees Yuuya holding up his hand as the white light in his palm slowly dims with an angered expression. Sam is a bit further off holding onto a tree as he tries to stand up straight. Yuuya walks over to Damian as he gets up. "Th-*cough* Thanks Yuuya. For a second, I thought-" A slap silences the man, his cheek stinging from the hit. Sam gasps while covering his mouth. Yuuya had slapped the man on the cheek once, his anger having reached a whole new level while he looks down, his bangs hiding his true expression. Damian blinks in surprise, slowly covering his injured cheek with one hand. For a good minute, no one says a word until Yuuya starts, "How..could you..." Damian remains quiet, not sure how to respond, making Yuuya look back at him, allowing the stunned human to see the tears going down the disguised beast-man's face. "How could you do something so stupid!? I told you to wait! It takes a party to take down a banshee, you know that and yet...You went after it...alone." More tears fall down his face at the memory of Damian held against his will while the banshee readies herself to make the killing move. "If I hadn't been here in time you-you would've...*sniff*died..." The disguised beast-man sobs softly at the thought of his friend no longer existing. Damian stares at the sobbing man, feeling shame and regret rather than anger and embarrassed. Yuuya pulls Damian into his arms, further surprising the man. "Please...don't do that again. We're friends, and friends stick together, okay?" Damian stands still for a few seconds, unsure what to do, until he sighs and pulls the saddened man closer. He nods in his hair as he responds, "Okay." Sam watches the pair, worried if he should intervene. He sighs in relief when sees them hugging. The blue haired man walks to the pair, placing his hands on their shoulders, drawing their attentions. "Let's head back. I think we lost her tonight." Damian and Yuuya nod, knowing they would have to try again the next night.
Before the trio leave, Yuuya heals everyone with his light magic, apologizing to his friend for the slap. Damian shakes it off, saying he deserved it for being so reckless. When they get back, Sam informs the chief about the missing woman, making him cry at the loss of a precious being. The chief announces to the rest of the village of the grim news, a group of the woman's loved ones crying out in sorrow. Yuuya and his friends look down, feeling guilty that they could not save the woman in time. The chief waves off their guilt, thanking them for at least giving them clarity. The family kindly asked for them to bring back her body next time, wanting to put her to rest in the place she called home. The group nod and head into an inn, wanting to get some rest after the whole ordeal. The group doesn't speak a word as they get ready for the night in their room, thinking over their recent events. Sam changes his clothes while thinking, "This was not a great start...we should've expected that thing coming back. Yuuya couldn't even put in the earplugs because of his disguise...what if he looses his mind the next time we see her!? I wonder if I have anything that could cover his head and block out her screams..." Damian is in a corner taking off his gear, his mind far away, "I should've been better prepared. That damn banshee was too strong...Why the hell did I chase it? It's common sense to fight banshees in a group. I almost...I never thought Yuuya would react that way. He looked so mad and upset...He even cried over me. I can't remember the last time someone cried about me..." Yuuya is in another corner, feeling embarrassed and self conscious at the thought of changing with two guys in the same room, "Oh God! I know I said we had to stay together, but why can't we change in separate rooms!? This is so awkward...Why did I have to be a guy!?" Yuuya sneaks a glance towards Damian's direction, seeing him taking off his shirt revealing a nicely set of toned abs, making him blush darkly. "Holy shit he's hot! God why do both of these guys have to be so good looking!? With those muscles its no wonder he prefers to adventure alone." A dark thought crosses his mind that makes him frown, remembering how Damian ran off on his own, seeing him in the banshee's clutches, the look of fear in his friend's eyes when she raised her claws to finish him. A couple tears go down before being scrubbed away roughly, catching Sam's attention. "You okay Yuuya?" The man jumps and quickly turns with the biggest, fake, smile, "I'm good! Just, tired and hungry. I could really go for some meat kebabs." Both men could see his false positivity, but choose to ignore it. "Same, I could use some food. I'll go check with the kitchen, see if they could spare us some." Sam puts on his shoes once fully dressed and leaves the room, giving the pair one last uneasy look before closing the door. Damian sighs while standing in his corner and watches the disguised beast-man discreetly as he sits on the one bed in the room, flopping on his back in exhaustion. Both occupants remain quiet, unsure what to say to the other. Yuuya feels guilty over hitting his friend and getting angry at him while Damian feels regret and confused over his actions. Both speak at the same time, "I'm sorry." This surprises both men, making Yuuya sit up and stare at the human. "Why are you sorry? I shouldn't have hit you..." Damian sighs in frustration as he sits on the edge of the bed, combing his fingers through his hair. "No I deserved it. It's common sense to stick together when fighting against a banshee. I just...wanted to complete this quest so badly. I want to rise up the ranks quickly, prove I'm not a weakling. I thought...I could handle it. *Sigh* I guess I was wrong." Yuuya pulls forward to sit next to him. "No Damian, you are strong! You were so brave against that thing, I was terrified of her when she suddenly appeared and threw me into a tree. I admire your conviction to climb the ranks, but it's not worth it if you put your life on the line. You can't become a high ranked adventurer...dead." Damian looks down, shame growing before Yuuya takes his hand, rubbing it soothingly while looking straight into his eyes. "Damian, I want you to promise to never risk your life like that again. I can't bear the thought of you dying. We stand together. If the threat is too high, we run got it? I will not have either of you sacrificing yourselves, okay?" Damian stares into the glowing violet eyes, finding the color beautiful, his hand growing warmer the longer the man holds it, making him blush. "Uhh okay...I promise." Yuuya smiles brightly, making him blush darkly, and pulls the flustered man into a hug. "Good. I'm glad. I promise to protect you and Sam and...I won't ever hit you like that. That was wrong of me. I'm sorry." Damian rubs his cheek absentmindedly, the hit stuck on his mind. "It's fine...I'm used to it. My father would criticize me everyday during my sword training days. Saying my skills were inadequate, that I would never be able to protect anyone at the rate I was going. That's when I decided I didn't want to be my father and joined the Adventurer's Guild." Yuuya looked up during the explanation, stunned by his dismissal. Damian looks away from Yuuya's stare, growing slightly uncomfortable. "Honestly, I was kinda...happy. Seeing someone fret over me felt nice. I can't really remember the last time someone put in the care in a lecture. My mother always took care of me when I was training..." Yuuya sensed his depression growing and rubs his back in comfort. "What happened to her?" Damian doesn't say anything for a few seconds, looking down at his feet, letting Yuuya see the unshed tears in his eyes. "She...died. My mother and I...We were on our to the capital to see father, our home is in the country and takes a few days to travel. On the way, our carriage was attacked...a group of beast-men slaughtered the men protecting us until we were the only ones left. My mother pushed me into the hidden compartment in the seats, telling me everything would be alright...her screams were the last thing I heard...*Sniff* It took three days before the royal guards found me, I hid in the carriage the entire time. My father...has blamed me for her death ever since..." A couple tears fall down his face, memories of his mother's death flashing across his mind. His eyes widen when his face is suddenly pushed into Yuuya's chest, his ears picking up soft sobs. "I'm *sniff* so sorry! That must've been awful." Damian hesitantly hugs the shaking man, unsure what to do. Yuuya tries to calm down, focusing on his friend, "How old were you?" "...Eight." His response makes Yuuya tighten his hold on the man. "How could that possibly be your fault!? You were only a child...Your mother was protecting her child." Damian sits up suddenly, defending his father's reasons, "Yes it is! I should've protected her." The disguised beast-man shakes his head in disagreement, "No! If your father had actually paid attention, he would've realized that you were a kid. You wouldn't have stood a chance against them. He would've had to bury two people...Your mother made the right choice." Yuuya covers Damian's mouth before he could argue, "Let me finish. Your mom...loved you, so much. She would've put herself in between you and those beast-men if you had faced them. No matter how much you blame yourself and thought of other options, the outcome would've been the same: you and your mother would be dead. She made the choice to make sure you stayed alive. Your father was too consumed with grief to realize that. Please...know that her death was not your fault. The beast-men that attacked are the guilty ones." More tears fall down Damian's face, relief growing within but he refuses to fully accept it. Yuuya gently removes his hand, allowing the man to speak, "B-but...I should've...done more." Yuuya pulls him back into his chest while combing his fingers in ombré hair while rubbing his back. "Damian, you were only a child. There was nothing you could've done to change that...I'm sure your mother would be happy to see you living your life. If you really want to give back to your mother, then don't throw away the life she saved. Live your life to the fullest!" Damian's eyes widen as a memory crosses his mind, a scene of his younger self hugging his mother's waist. Her pale green dress flowing gently in the wind as she smiled at her son while combing through his hair lovingly. Young Damian looks up, seeing her bright golden eyes looking down at him while her white braided hair frames her beautiful smile, making him smile back. "Damian, my sweet boy." He giggles as she rubs his cheek, tickling him slightly. "Promise me, no matter what happens, I want you to live your life freely." Young Damian scrunches his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean mommy?" The woman smiles bigger, finding his innocence adorable. "You'll learn soon. Your father will want you to follow his path. Damian, you have a choice, no one has the right to take that away from you. Be who you want to be." She leans over until their foreheads were touching. Young Damian giggles more while she chuckles, "I love you, my son." The memory ends, leaving Damian crying nonstop and gripping onto Yuuya hard. The disguised beast-man continues his gentle combing as he lets the man cry out. The pair are so focused that they miss their third party member hanging by the door, having heard the ombré haired man's past. Sam stares at the door while holding a tray full of bowls containing soup. His eyes waver in sorrow and understanding. "Poor Damian..." He gives the pair a few minutes before announcing his arrival by knocking on the door gently. "Hey guys, I brought some food." Damian lets go of Yuuya, rubbing his eyes tiredly while the red haired man leans back to give the man some space, still holding onto his shoulder to ground the man. "You okay?" Yuuya questions worriedly. Damian nods, allowing Yuuya to answer the patient man outside. "Coming!"
The men eat in calming silence on the bed, enjoying the warm food in peace. Sam doesn't say a word regarding what he heard, wanting to give the usually hot-headed man some privacy. Yuuya yawns loudly, having been awake for two days straight, fought a banshee, rather unsuccessfully, and kept his disguise up the entire time. His strength finally reaching a breaking point. He puts the bowl on the side table and gets up, laying his blanket on the floor. "I'm exhausted guys, I'm gonna get some sleep. We can plan on how to take down the banshee in the morning." Damian and Sam watch in confusion as he lies down on the blanket, grabbing another one to cover himself. "Why are you on the floor? There's room on the bed." "I was kinda hoping we could sleep together..." Damian shakes the embarrassing thought while Sam answers, "Are you sure you'll be comfortable down there?" Yuuya nods while sneaking the little crow statue under the covers. "I'm good. You guys should get some rest. Goodnight!" Sam blows out the light, basking the group in darkness, allowing Yuuya to activate the magical item to provide a dark veil that hides his true form. Yuuya sighs in relief as he finally lets go of his disguise. Damian and Sam situate themselves in the bed, facing away from each other and leaving a few inches of space in between. They don't say a word, Sam believing the man had fallen asleep. So he jumps in surprise when Damian suddenly speaks, "How much did you hear?" Sam turn his head to look at him, his back still facing him. "Heard what?" Damian turns, his golden eyes showing exhaustion and slight annoyance, "You know what. My...past." Sam looks away in shame and answers softly, "Since...Yuuya apologized for hitting you. I'm sorry." Damian sighs and lays on his back, refusing to look at the man. "Whatever. It's not like you barged in and watched the entire thing." Sam turns to lay on his back, unsure how to continue. After a few seconds he asks, "How did you know I was listening?" Damian responds in soft voice, "I could sense your presence through the door. I learned how to pick up on magic through my sword training days." It was Damian's turn to question. "How did you two even meet? I heard you two came from the same village." "He...saved me. A boar-wolf cornered me in the woods when I was collecting medicinal herbs. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't showed up in time." Damian looks at him, confusion still swarming his mind. "Wait, he wasn't raised in your village? Where did he come from?" Sam bites his lip, unsure how to respond. "Honestly, I don't know. He doesn't even know. He told me he woke up in the middle of the Escal forest, alone." This further confuses the ombré haired man, "What? How doesn't he know? What about his family? He said he had siblings, where are they?" Sam sighs as he thinks back to what Yuuya said, "I...died." The image of his crying face haunts his mind. "Only Yuuya knows." Sam turns back on his side, ending the conversation. "Sorry Damian. I don't think you're ready for the truth. If you found out what Yuuya really is...you'd leave us." The group finally sleeps, morning slowly approaching.
When the sun rises, a few rays of light shine into their room, awakening one soul in particular. Yuuya sits up and lets out a loud yawn, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looks over and sees his human companions still resting peacefully on the bed, snuggling together under the covers. Yuuya smiles at the sweet sight and gets up, nature calling him. He easily walks into the bathroom with no issues, still embarrassed no matter how many times he has went in the past, the first time he had to relieve himself still haunting his mind as he tried to figure out the...function. The beast-man finally notices his form when he washes his hands and glances at the mirror. His tall ears twitching slightly while his tail puffing out at his panic. "Shit!" He moves his hand to his chest, finding it bare, his amulet no where to be seen. "Shit! It must've fallen off while I was sleeping, I gotta grab it before Damian wakes up!" Yuuya dashes back to his room, thankful for the lack of guests in the hallway, and opens the door slowly. He sees the ombré haired man sitting up in bed as he stretches his arms up, Yuuya curses and closes the door again, unsure what to do. His ears pick up on the sounds of footsteps climbing up the stairs, making him panic more. "Shit shit shit! What do I do!?" The beast-man makes a last minute choice to dash back into the bathroom and slams the door shut, thus trapping him inside. Damian looks towards the door at the sound of knocking. A woman's voice is heard through the door,"Excuse me, I brought up some breakfast. May I come in?" The tired man sighs while rubbing his head, "Come in." The woman opens the door holding a tray containing plates of eggs and toast and cups full of juice. She places the tray down on the desk, leaving some silverware for the men. "You can leave the tray outside once you're done." Damian nods while yawning as she exits through the door, "Thanks." With the woman gone, Damian nudges the sleeping man next to him, stirring him from his slumber. "Get up. It's morning." Sam sits up, his eyes still closed as he stretches his back while yawning. "Mmmm...." Damian gets up from the bed and finally notices the floor empty, Yuuya no where to be seen. He raises one eyebrow in confusion, wondering where the man went before seeing something shining slightly under the covers. Damian leans down and removes the blanket, seeing Yuuya's precious amulet. His eyes widen in surprise, never seeing the man take off the piece of jewelry once. The jewels on the star pendant glisten in the morning light, captivating the man's attention. Sam leans over the side, curious over the man's position. "What are you looking at?" Damian quickly hides the pendant while answering, "Nothing, just wondering where the hell Yuuya is." Sam finally notices their missing member. "Oh yeah, where is he?" Said man was currently pacing inside the bathroom, trying to figure out how to get his amulet back. "Fuck! This sucks...I need Sam." Comical tears go down his face as he silently pleads for his friend's help. Damian and Sam finish their meal and are ready for the day, still confused where Yuuya was. "Where the hell is he? We're suppose to plan on how to take down that banshee together." Sam nods as he glances wearily at the door, half expecting the man to burst in. "I'm worried about him. It's not like him to miss a meal...Maybe he's in the bathroom? I'll go check on him." Sam stands up and walks to the bathroom, knocking on the wood gently. "Yuuya? Are you in there?" The door suddenly opens as hands grab him, silencing him in the process as he gets dragged inside. Sam's eyes widen at Yuuya's panicked face. "Sam! Thank God you're here!" He pulls the stunned man into a quick hug before pushing back to shake his shoulders. "You got help me, I lost my amulet!" Sam finally finds his voice and shrieks, "What!?" Yuuya covers his mouth again while shushing the man. Once Sam has calmed down enough, Yuuya lets go and steps back a little while gripping onto his tail, needing to hold onto something. "What do you mean you lost it? When did you have it last?" "In the blankets! It must've fallen off while I was sleeping. Have you seen it?" Sam shakes his head while answering, "No...It might still be in the blankets." "Get it please!" Sam sighs as he walks to the door, "I'll go, stay here." Yuuya yells out, "Thank you Sam, you're amazing I love you!" Sam blushes at the last comment and heads back to their room. He opens the door and sees Damian standing in the corner, holding Yuuya's beloved amulet in his hands. "Hey! That's Yuuya's." Damian snaps his head up and glares, tightening his hold on the jewelry. "So? I'm just looking at it. Doesn't seem that impressive..." Sam halts his movements, trying to calm down his rage. "Stay calm. I can't afford to pick a fight with him. Yuuya needs me." Sam calmly walks over to the man, Damian eyeing him the entire time. "Damian, Yuuya's in the bathroom. He really needs that back." Damian leans back against wall, twisting the pendant around in his fingers, "Does he? Well, why doesn't he just come in and grab it? I'm not keeping this." Sam's eye twitches in aggravation, wanting to snatch the amulet back but the fear of breaking it in the process holds him back. "Breathe, he's just testing you. He's still trying to figure out what it does. I gotta get around his questions." "He's stuck in the bathroom, he won't come out until he gets it back. Please give it to me." Damian continues to stare at the pendant, mulling over his thoughts. A couple of minutes go by when he suddenly straightens up and speed walks past Sam towards the bathroom. He bangs on the door loudly, startling the beast-man. "Hey! Come out already, we need to plan. And! I've got your dumb necklace." Yuuya leans back against the door, bracing it in case the man decides to get more violent. "Uh-um I'll be right out, but uh...could you...give me my necklace back please." Damian glares at the door as he yells out, "Why don't you come out? I can hand it to you." Sam rushes to the man, intending to pull him away. "Damian, leave Yuuya alone. He's not-" Damian cuts him, still yelling at the door, "What are you so afraid of!?" A few beats of silence go by, the atmosphere growing more tense, before Yuuya's weak voice answers, "I don't...want you to hate me..." The answer stuns the man, hurt flashes in his heart briefly. Yuuya continues, "I'm not...what you think I am. I care about you and I value your opinions. Seeing me like this...you'll definitely hate me. Please...give it back." He doesn't see it, but he suspects the man on the other side crying. Anger flares up in his body, finding the accusation ridiculous. "Whatever, fine! Take it." He slides the pendant under the door while walking back to their room, Yuuya's comment hovering in his mind.
Yuuya puts on his disguise, relieved to have convinced the man in returning his magical item back. The trio carry on their day, ignoring the mornin's events, and develop a plan on how to take the banshee down. The group learns that a woman used to live in the abandoned house before being murdered brutally by a group of bandits, the details making them sick. Her death was so violent that her spirit became a restless and transformed into a banshee. She haunted the land near her home, killing anyone that got too close. Decades went by, her life forgotten to the world which allowed her spirit to slumber. Miss Cross awakened her when she took the music box, a treasured item to the banshee, starting the village's troubles. Yuuya knows that banshees typically fear fire and light and that the only way to kill them is by destroying their hearts. Seeing how Sam was only one without a protective magic type, he was to act as bait, something Yuuya had a problem with. Both humans reasoned with him that the banshee would run from him or Damian, the two that fought the most, and will most likely chase Sam. Sam would lead the banshee to a magic circle designed to hold spirits, thankfully Damian was skilled in creating magic circles so he would lay out the trap. Once the banshee was in the circle, he and Yuuya would strike. Yuuya warns the two to be safe, should they run into any issues they are to yell for him and run away. The glare he sent them has the two humans agree without question, remembering what happened the previous day. They execute their plan, Damian finds a clearing not too far from the abandoned house but far enough away from the village, keeping the people away from harm. Sam packs light, not wanting any dead weight as he prepares to run. Yuuya lends him a piece of his wind magic to make him lighter and faster to run. Yuuya positions himself near the circle, high in the tree to avoid detection. Damian finishes the circle and waits by the tree Yuuya is stationed at. Soon, night comes around, making the group tense. Sam paces around slowly, idly waiting for a sign that the banshee was near. A few minutes go by before he hears a faint scream, warning him the banshee was coming. He stands his guard, looking all around him as he waits for the banshee to charge at him. A few more minutes go by before he feels a cold presence behind him, signaling him that he wasn't alone. Sam turns slowly and sees the banshee a few feet away, glaring at him from the trees. Sam makes a run for it, hearing her wail in anger. He can hear and sense the monster chasing him as he follows the route he glued into his brain while preparing. He ducks and weaves, avoiding her claws each time. He yells out while runnning, "Help! She's coming!" That was the signal. Damian bend down more, not wanting to give their positions too soon. They wait a couple of minutes before seeing Sam burst through the trees, the banshee right on his heel. The pair watch as Sam crosses the magic circle, the banshee following in step. She collides against an invisible wall, making her wail in confusion and blind fury. She claws at the invisible wall, trying to escape. Seeing her trapped, Damian rushes forward and strikes her in the back, she screams in pain and tries to swipe at him. He backs away in time and stabs her again, making her frantically wave her arms. Yuuya jumps down from the trees and dashes to Damian's aid. The banshee sees him coming, fear gripping her heart. She opens her mouth wide and lets out a bloodcurdling scream from the top of her lungs, her scream causing the grass to sway as if a storm was coming and stuns everyone, including the disguised beast-man. He stumbles as he tries to focus once more, his foot crossing the magic circle. She grabs him and, before anyone could stop her, punches her hand through his chest, barely missing his heart. Yuuya's eyes widen in shock, never having felt such pain before since the day he died as Sakura. Sam and Damian regained their focus and stare in horror as Yuuya coughs up blood. "Yuuya!" Both humans scream as they watch him drop his sword, no longer having the strength to hold it. She wails in his face and throws him into the woods, his blood sprayed across the ground. "Yuuya no!" Damian angrily grabs his sword and runs straight at her, Yuuya's blood melting the charcoal line of the magic circle. She runs straight to him, engaging in battle against the hot-headed man. Sam leaves Damian to the fight and rushes to Yuuya's side, seeing him bleeding profusely and trying to breathe. "Yuuya! Hang on!" Sam covers the wound on his chest, his hands covered in his blood in seconds. Yuuya blearily looks up at Sam, getting a sense of deja vu. "Sakura! Please hold on! Stay with us!" His younger siblings pleads filling his mind as he tries to focus back on Sam. "Hang on Yuuya! Please, Goddess help me!" Yuuya feels his conscious slipping, making Sam panic more while grabbing his cheek, smearing the pale skin bright red, "Nonono Yuuya you have to stay awake! Yuuya!" The bleeding man barely hears his friend's voice, the pain becoming too much. "Yuuya?" He can barely feel Yuuya's chest moving, fearing the worse. "No..." Tears fall from his eyes as he sobs into his bloodied hands. Damian yells and the banshee's screams bring him back to reality. Grief turns into rage as Sam glares darkly at the monster. He sneaks over to Yuuya's fallen weapon, taking in hand as he waits for an opportunity. Once the banshee has Damian cornered, Sam jumps and strikes the monster right through her stomach. "You monster!" Damian watches in surprise, never expecting the man to take a sword. He spots his bloodied hands, his face growing pale as he suddenly realizes Yuuya is still missing. "No...Yuuya..." A few tears fall down his face before his body is engulfed in flames as he screams in anger, the thought of having failed to protect yet another person he held dear. The two humans fought hard and long until they were pushed into the ground, the banshee holding them down with her claws on their chests. The men are covered in several cuts and bruises, Sam's back bleeding badly from the three long scratches he got while Damian is sporting a fractured wrist and sprained ankle with a large cut on his collarbone. Both men pant as the banshee growls at them. She screams in their faces and moves to push her claws down, intending to impale them just as she did to Yuuya. Her scream of rage silences instantly when a foreign object pierces through her chest, her heart. Both men look up in shock, seeing the banshee gasping in pain before turning to dust, leaving behind a purple core in her place. The humans look up and see a red-haired beast-man with tall ears and a fluffy tail tipped in white, his eyes a familiar glowing set of violets.