The Devil Summoner in Shadow

Chapter 16: Boss Fight ! (Part 3)

Two spheres of darkness meet mid-air.
A heartbeat later-they detonate.

A deafening shockwave.
The cavern howls as dust and shattered rock erupt into the air, swallowing everything in a blinding cloud. The earth groans beneath my feet, trembling like it might collapse under its own weight.

I lower my stance. Narrow my eyes.

Somewhere inside that storm of smoke... she's watching me.

Thanks to Mei's Rakunda, her offense-both physical and magical-is weaker now. The gap's narrowed.
But let's not lie to ourselves.

She's still stronger.

I don't wait for the dust to settle.

I can't.

Then-
Something whistles through the air.

A lance. Formed from pure shadow. It screams toward my face with deadly precision.

I duck, just in time-the tip tears a few strands of hair as it passes.

"Shit!" I twist, retaliating immediately with a blast of Bufu. The ice spear roars across the battlefield, slicing through fog and darkness, leaving frost in its wake.

But it misses.

Silence.
I don't feel her.
I can't see her.

Where is she!?

Then it hits me-too late.

I feel it first.
A twisting, sugary pulse of Magatsuhi, flooding toward me like syrupy perfume. And then-

"It's your end, Marin Karin is starting to take effect."

And just like that...
my thoughts slide into honey.

Wait...
What am I doing again?

I blink slowly.

She stands there, that beautiful demon, her form glowing like dusk wrapped in silk. My heart stutters. My breath catches. Why... why was I fighting her?

Why would I want to hurt her?

I can't tear my gaze away. Every inch of her-divine.

It doesn't matter what I was doing.

This... this is all I want now.

I don't even notice Mei's voice at first. It's distant. Faint. Like a breeze behind a locked door.

"Minoru!"

Tch. Why is she interrupting?

Why ruin this perfect moment?

Then the demon speaks with a charming voice.

Velvet. Sweet poison in my ears.

"Kill her. And I'll give you a place by my side."

...

That sounds... tempting.
Just a little.
Just a moment.

I glance back, half-heartedly.
I don't want to kill Mei. Of course not.
But maybe if she just... went away?

I begin to turn-

And then it hits me.

What the hell am I doing?

Why am I listening to her?
Why do I feel this way?
What's wrong with me?

Suddenly-green light.

Not Dia, but familiar. Patra, maybe.