Demon Eyes

Chapter 9: Lights Out

Kori-San lies on the grass, surrounded by the debris of the broken wall. The police haven't arrived yet, and he is alone. His right eye is open as he stares at the sky. The entire left side of his face is covered in an ice-blue scar, one engraved deep into his skin. His body is riddled with holes from the tentacles mercilessly piercing into him.

The pain in his face startles him. "I went too far... I know," he silently whispers to himself. "I can't feel my left leg... I think I'm missing a finger, too."

A footstep sounds on the grass next to him. Kori-San can see the tail end of a pitch-black cloak next to him.
"You..." he croaks out. "Why..."
"You've failed, Archdemon Tribe," a male voice speaks out. "Every single one of you, failures."

Kori-San's right eye slowly closes. He knows the words the man speaks are true.
"My honor... is already... dead," Kori-San whispers. "What is left... for you to take?"

In his right hand, the man holds a shiny gray object with a sharp tip. His hand is clasped into a fist around the grip of the weapon. It points at Kori-San.
"You no longer have any worth for anyone."

He slowly opens his fingers, letting the blade fall. It silently slices through the air.
I know.

Blood splatters on the grass.

✦

Facing down Fū-San, Hirisu stands strong. Amidst the destruction, the bright flames burning away the homes of the rich, just a small area is devoid of fire. The area where Noreyu fought, surrounded by the inferno, is a clearing large enough for Hirisu and Fū-San to duel.

"You're not the one I wanted to fight," Fū-San says. His body is drenched in sweat and his posture weak, the wounds from battle taking a toll on him. His nose is still bloody from debris hitting him in the face. "Your name is Hirisu, correct?"

Hirisu's breathing is heavy, the glow in their Demon Eye flickering. "And you are...?"
"Fū-San. Oh, right, you were gone already during my introduction, off to save that Ishuma. Or was it Ishumai?"
He looks at Hirisu with a sincere expression. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself properly! That was rude of me!"

"...Rude?" Hirisu coughs out. The blue in their eye is weak, barely any shine remaining in their pupil. They still haven't properly recovered from their fight with Rai-Ni, and thanks to their fight with the fire, their energy levels are dangerously low.

When a Demon Eye user's body is exhausted, their energy production slows down too. At some point, the Demon Eye stops itself from producing energy as a protective mechanism. Both fighters are close to that point.

"You set... this whole place on fire," Hirisu says, their voice wavering. "You are far worse than rude."
"Ooh, fighting words!" Fū-San grins. The Soarblades on his hands start spinning again. "I wanted to fight someone else right now, someone strong. I've never seen anyone quite like him." Fū-San readies himself, forcing his energy production into overdrive. "So, what I mean to say is... don't disappoint me, Hirisu!"

A Soarblade shoots at Hirisu before they can realize. Just barely, they manage to put up a Wave Wall, which the Soarblade crashes against. It returns to Fū-San's hand.

Seeing the energy of the wall disperse with the water, Hirisu notices the extent of their exhaustion. Despite pushing themselves to keep going, they know they are on the brink of collapse. "I can't afford to spend much more energy," they think, watching the tiny blue particles disappear into thin air. "But maybe, I could..."

Stretching out their arm, they take back control over the dispersing energy, pulling it close to their body together with the water it formed. Mostly gathering around their feet, the water stays with Hirisu.