"Jaipa ! "
With blurry eyes, I tried to focus on the figure before me my consciousness couldn't keep up with my will to stay awake, as slowly fading away
Then i gritted my teeth and forced myself to remain alert, pressing hard against my wounds just to stay conscious, pressing my wounds i had a thought that i don't want to do it again there was too much pain in it
Finally when my vision finally cleared, I saw Jaipa fighting that monster could I even call it a fight? He was getting beaten mercilessly by that monster no, on second look ? Jaipa was actually landing hits on that creature somewhat
I took a deep breath and screamed, "Why... why did you come ? Did I not tell you to run ? "
His eyes flicked toward me for just a moment, but then he said nothing, focusing again on what was ahead of him i guess it was our end not only mine i had dragged even him in my fight shighing
I watched Jaipa he made the first move this time launching himself at Rakta with blinding speed, his blade cutting through the air in an elegant arc. One of Rakta's floating beads intercepted the blade, but Jaipa had anticipated this. His free hand thrust forward, suddenly glowing with vibrant green energy that collided with the bead, sending it careening into the forest
" Land of wind ," Jaipa called out the air around him became visible, currents of wind forming protective circles abound his body
Rakta responded immediately as its dozens of arms twisted and writhed, half transforming into various weapons blades, hooks, spikes while others remained fluid like tentacles rakta struck all at once, unleashing a barrage of attacks from every possible angle with insane speed
Jaipa's wind barrier deflected most of the assault, but three spear-like appendages pierced through one grazed his shoulder, drawing silvery blood that glowed eerily in the moonlight
I managed to drag myself to a nearby rock My body was screaming in agony with every movement, but looking at how this fight was going, Jaipa wouldn't last long and for now what I needed to do was to focus on my recovery
The battle behind me intensified. I turned to see Jaipa unleash a counterattack, the air around him compressing into visible razors before bursting outward a wind of blades sliced forward
To my amazement, several of Rakta's arms were severed, falling to the ground where they writhed briefly before dissolving into nothing. Black ichor sprayed from the wounds, but Rakta showed no sign of pain only growing interest the remaining two beads orbited faster around the black ring that hovered near its form
Jaipa pressed his advantage, moving with a grace that I'd never witnessed from him before his footwork was precise, it felt like his each step were calculated, each strike purposeful
I began to doubt was this really the Jaipa I knew? Or was I hallucinating from pain? Or perhaps it was because of the transformation his body had undergone... though in a good way it was a relief, for now
As I watched him fight, I realized he wasn't fighting like I do he was dancing a deadly rhythm in his every attack I could see centuries of experience in his movements Jaipa, who had always seemed like a comical companion, was now fighting the monster as an equal
"What are you ? " I muttered to myself
Jaipa did something unexpected, and suddenly it seemed as though he had multiple arms, his blade becoming a blur of motion as he parried and struck with impossible speed
For a moment just a moment I allowed myself to cling to hope
Then Rakta stopped
In an instant, the floating beads shot forward simultaneously, moving faster than before jaipa dodged one, deflected another with his blade practically mine but for now he was using it , but the third caught him square in the chest and the impact was deafening, like thunder contained in a single blow
Jaipa flew backward, crashing through three trees before coming to a stop somehow, he remained standing, though his robe was torn and silver blood now flowed freely down his chest
"Is that all, Blood sworn?" Jaipa taunted, his voice strained. Then suddenly he coughed blood, and when he looked down, I saw multiple arms of that monster had pierced his body
"JAIPAAAAAAA ! "
I screamed for the first time in my life not in the obvious way humans usually scream. For me, who did not want to have human emotions or get attached to them in any way, it was all a lie I'd been telling myself from the beginning and the truth of that lie was just never-ending
But... why did I scream just now ?
That simple question rang in my head "Why?" Why did I scream? Could it be that I had grown attached to him? Or was I just overreacting ?
Suddenly, the monster began gathering power and it was no small thing I could tell by the amount of energy it was releasing Slowly, it raised its hand toward the sky, and a small orb of energy began to form above its palm, growing larger with each passing second
Jaipa looked at me and smiled, muttering, "You can make that kind of face too, huh? You stone-faced!"
Ha!
I, who had always wanted to avoid the risks of putting my life in danger for anyone, was now pushing my body to stand and fight, to do something, to move
"This damn body move !" I commanding my body to move and in that moment, I found myself reacting differently than I expected i wanted to do something... I wanted to
"AAAAAAAAAAAA!" Scream...i screamed I did what i wanted to do in the end
As the monster responded to my scream by looking at me, then at Jaipa for a few seconds, before it began floating toward where I was crawling toward jaipa
The moment Rakta shifted its attention away from him, Jaipa felt it a drop in pressure the monster's gaze now settled on me
"No..." Jaipa said with heavy breath, staggering to his feet his limbs were trembling, not from fear he was already far past that stage but from the fury rising like a storm within him
" Oi !" Jaipa shouted, dragging one foot after the other as he stumbled forward
"Look at me, you bastard! I'm the one you were fighting.... finish it before you go ! "
Rakta didn't respond it didn't need to respond
"Hey... hey... hey ! Not that way, you piece of shit !" Jaipa screamed, but the monster paid him no mind and suddenly rocks began to hit Rakta's from behind the one who was throwing it was jaipa, as few hit him, even then rakta paid no attention to him as it continued heading my way looking at it approach, I questioned why I had called out
Ha..ha..ha. i laughed
And closed my eyes, accepting my incompleteness i was in this situation because of my lack of strength my people were in this kind of situation because I couldn't stand for what I believed
"In this faceless world, only one thing remains the eternal truth and an eternal melody, an eternal pursuit for strength Until the fire of life burns, I should burn my body to pursue it "
But I had failed to do so
Looking at the monster floating before me, I realized how little I had achieved with the fire I had with those thoughts, I closed my eyes, accepting death I finally had my lifelong answer I didn't fear death itself What I feared was the end that comes with it the end of everything
From where he was, Jaipa kept screaming He had crawled halfway to me. In acceptance of death, I waited for the silence but instead of deadly silence, what I experienced was pain
"AaaaAaa! " my body my teeth , my bones screamed with me
Pain... the pain of being cut Immediately opning my eyes i looked down and saw my foot had been severed from my leg still i was screaming with heavy breaths my eyes widened from the agony alone, and then came another wave of pain as my other foot was severed
Jaipa froze, i midway watching me
My voice usually calm, clipped, too damn smart for an nine year-old kid was now reduced to wet, broken gasps
"I can't bear it... I can't... be...ar... it."
Saliva dripped from my mouth as another wave of pain hit. The monster had cut higher up my leg, moving slowly, again and again, reducing my limb to small pieces until one side of my lower body was left in pieces. My mind burned with the pain itself
My eyes blurred my body felt cold
And Jaipa he was just watching powerless
Something cracked within him couldn't tell if it was his heart or his sanity
"He told me to run..." Jaipa whispered, his eyes wide open from the shock alon "That stone..."
Another scream tore from my throat as warm blood flowed like water
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"
"I let him in," Jaipa growled, his eyes suddenly glowing with violent light "That stone-faced brat with his silence and smirks... I let him in i chose to stay by him "
Rakta turned halfway, seemingly surprised by the spike in energy
"I chose him, damn it! I opened for someone after to long and now and now this is what my incompleteness leads him to....Aaaaa ! " He screamed with blood dripping from his mouth
Suddenly the beads rushed toward Jaipa
"YOU... DON'T... GET... TO TOUCH HIM ! "
A crack appeared on Jaipa's forehead, and from his body a wave of white flames like energy brusted out, slowly the crack widenen to expose a fifth eye...on his forehead