Chapter 2: The Unbeatable Evil Spirit
A hoarse, sticky voice rasped above Asuka's head, accompanied by a surge of danger that made every hair on his body stand on end.
Almost purely on instinct, he rolled forward in a clumsy scramble, snow and slush splattering over him as he forcibly widened the distance between himself and the source of the sound.
When he finally lifted his head in panic, his entire body went rigid.
Hanging upside down from a thick tree branch above him was something shaped vaguely like a human.
Vaguely—because its limbs were grotesquely long, like lengths of bamboo crudely pieced together. At the ends, fingers and toes twisted into sharp black talons, deeply embedded in the bark, still smeared with fresh crimson.
That thing's face could no longer be called a human face at all. Its features were warped and misaligned, its mouth split wide to reveal two rows of ghastly white fangs, grinning savagely down at Asuka.
"What luck today," it hissed with delight.
"Two meals in one day?"
A Hollow?
No—this wasn't one!
In Asuka's hazy memories, he remembered adults in Rukongai speaking of monsters called Hollows—creatures that devoured humans and wandering souls.
But they were nothing like this.
Run!
I have to run!
The instinct to survive hammered violently in the heart of the former street orphan, urging him to flee—now.
Just like running from guards' batons.
Just like escaping territories ruled by gangs.
If you can't win, you run. Wasn't that the most natural thing in the world?
I have to live!
No matter what—even if I have to live like a dog, I'll survive at all costs!
Survive…
Go back…
And take revenge on that bespectacled monster.
And yet—
For some reason, another emotion—hotter, heavier—latched onto him and refused to let go.
Asuka's entire body trembled. He clenched the tattered cotton coat wrapped around him and spat out the words in a voice colder than the snow.
"Old man… was it you who killed him?"
"Hm?"
The monster dangling from the tree slowly rotated its blood-red vertical pupils, clearly surprised that such a scrawny little thing would dare question it.
It licked the drool from the corner of its mouth and mocked him lightly, almost cheerfully.
"Scared stupid? Maybe I'll just—"
"I asked you," Asuka interrupted, his voice unwavering,
"Was it you who killed the old man?"
Asuka met those blood-red vertical pupils head-on, flames of something called rage churning within them.
Repaying a debt?
Maybe that wasn't quite it.
But to Asuka—someone long accustomed to the chaos and deception of Rukongai, to the cold plunder and beatings of another world—the concern that stiff-faced old man showed when he brought him a bowl of rice porridge was something he had never experienced before.
It was the most precious thing he had ever known.
Now that treasure had been ripped away.
That fury—mixed with overwhelming grief and a sliver of guilt—crushed his instinct to flee.
"Heeheehee…"
The monster let out a string of grotesque laughter, then suddenly flipped down from the tree, kicking up a cloud of snow.
"So what if it was me? That old thing's flesh was bland as hell…"
Its grin widened.
"Nothing compared to a fresh, lively little morsel like you—much chewier."
"…"
Asuka fell silent.
The trembling left his body.
He undid the ties at his chest, dragged the battered longsword from his back to the front, raised it high, and gripped the hilt with both hands. With his scrawny arms spread wide, he drew the blade sideways from its scabbard.
Clang—!
A radiance not belonging to this world burst from the blade, instantly illuminating the dark, snowy forest.
"What the hell…?"
Confusion flickered across the monster's warped face. It didn't understand what had just happened—only that something about the little human before it felt different now.
The light faded.
The scabbard was gone.
All that remained was a rusted, battered longsword clenched tightly in Asuka's hands.
The monster burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! I thought it was something special—turns out it's just some junk blade you picked up who-knows-where!"
"Kid, children don't get to play with grown-ups' toys. You'll get hurt!"
With that, it kicked off the ground and lunged at Asuka, its grin feral.
Asuka forced himself to stand his ground, gripping the broken sword that had crossed worlds with him, his eyes locked on the monster's charge.
"Die, brat! Next life, remember to steal a better sword!"
Rip—!
Razor-sharp claws tore effortlessly through the thin cotton coat on Asuka's chest. The dried straw stuffing burst apart in the cold wind, scattering through the air along with flying snow.
A split second later came the searing pain of flesh being ripped open.
"—!"
Asuka grunted. Years of survival under fists and batons let him barely dodge the worst of the strike, but the sheer force still sent him staggering, nearly toppling over.
And yet—he didn't waste the opening.
Slash—!
Using the monster's own momentum, Asuka gritted his teeth and swung back. The battered blade carved viciously into its body.
"Gah—!"
Though it looked like scrap, the sword was terrifyingly sharp. In a single exchange, it tore open a gruesome, gaping wound across the monster's abdomen.
Filthy blood gushed out as agonizing pain surged through its body.
"It hurts!!"
It was a demon—an eater of men. It had fought hunters and mountain folk before, had been wounded by axes and arrows—but never like this.
The pain drove it into a shriek of rage as it lashed out again. Asuka rolled with the blade's momentum, tumbling awkwardly into a deep snowbank ahead.
Using the sword to brace himself, Asuka shakily forced himself upright, enduring the icy sting mixing with the pain in his chest as he stared at the monster clutching its torn abdomen.
The creature pressed twisted claws against the wound, glaring at him with a face contorted in fury.
"Brat! I'll tear you to pieces—chew you up bit by bit!"
As it roared, something horrifying unfolded.
The massive wound began to writhe.
Muscle along the torn edges squirmed like a nest of maggots, twisting and dragging itself together, contracting violently.
Within a few breaths—right before Asuka's stunned eyes—the wound healed.
Seeing the shock on Asuka's face, the demon split its fang-filled grin and hissed smugly.
"Heeheehee… well? You thought that scrap metal could kill me? Don't be ridiculous!"
Still grinning, it charged again.
This time, it no longer toyed with him. Knowing the blade's sharpness, it meant to exploit Asuka's hesitation and rip him apart in one go.
Though shaken—though despair whispered that victory was impossible—Asuka refused to give up. Grim-faced, he dragged the broken sword forward to meet it.
"Fool!"
The demon spread its bamboo-thin arms wide, swinging them like enormous scythes, crossing toward Asuka from both sides.
Asuka dropped his center of gravity, trying to slip under the attack with his smaller frame—but he underestimated just how grotesquely twisted the demon's limbs could be.
Rip—! Rip—!
The arms snapped down at impossible angles. Two tearing sounds echoed as claws raked across Asuka's back, leaving wounds so deep bone was visible.
Agony exploded through his body.
Twin columns of blood sprayed into the air, splashing across the demon's tongue as it licked its lips.
"Damn it—!"
Asuka's vision went black. He nearly lost consciousness.
But clenching his teeth, he used the momentum of his fall and hacked with all his strength, the blade slamming into the demon's left leg.
Crunch—!
Steel split flesh again—this time cleaving through bone. The demon stumbled and crashed to the ground.
"Aaaargh! You little bastard!!"
Asuka didn't dare pause.
He scrambled up and fled desperately, not even stopping to catch his breath.
Glancing back, his face turned ashen.
Before his eyes, the demon's severed leg began to writhe—
to regenerate.
I was reckless…
Is this thing even something I can defeat?!