Helluva Boss X Reader (Season 1)

CHAPTER 89: RAKED MEADOW

Y/N took a deep breath.

Ahead of her, a rocky clearing opened up. She had reached the edge of the Dark Forest.

Beyond it, stretched a long, dry grassland... and not a single tree left to hide her in the shadows.

Only brittle grass, cracked earth, and jagged rocks piled against one another.

One step forward, and she'd be completely exposed.

Y/N tightened her grip on the weapon she'd taken from Moxxie.

She leaned out from the trees and sniffed the air, searching for any sign that someone might be waiting to take a shot at her.

Nothing.

Only the acrid scent of dry grass and hell-baked stone.

She lowered herself into position.

Before her, a cluster of tall, jagged rocks offered the only real cover in the open field.

She had to be quick.

Her claws slid free from her paws... and she burst forward.

The dry soil gripped her paws far better than the muddy stubble of the forest she'd left behind. Each stride pushed her harder and faster across the field.

The wind whipped through her fur and roared past her ears.

With no roots to dodge and no mud to trip her up, the open meadow let her run faster than she had at any point during the entire trial.

For a moment, the kid wanted to keep running.

To keep racing across the open field until she collapsed from exhaustion.

Free.
On all fours.
Like a demon unleashed.

So fast it almost felt like flying.

However, she didn't veer off course.

The hellhound darted straight for the rocky formation. From there, she'd be harder to spot while she searched for the flag.

She reached the center of the outcrop and crouched low among the dark rocks, their sharp points rising around her like a threat.

She panted, catching her breath.

Still no scent of anyone else.

She adjusted her goggles and carefully peeked out from between the rocks. Her gray fur blended easily with the stone, so she pressed herself closer to the ground as she scanned the open field.

Far in the distance stood the Dark Forest she had come from... much farther away than it had felt while she was running.

A small surge of pride coursed through her chest.

She'd made it far.

And she'd made it fast.

A sudden flutter of wings made her jump.

She spun and aimed her weapon.

It was just a bird.

It had landed nearby and was tugging a worm from the soil, completely oblivious to the hellhound watching it.

Y/N tilted her head and crouched lower to get a better look.

The four-winged bird was far too focused on devouring its prey with its tiny fangs to care about anything else.

She hadn't see many birds in IMP City with all the concrete and buildings.

Much less so close up.

The closest thing she'd ever seen to something like this had been the prince and his daughter back at Loo Loo Land... after the fire where—...