My sword is out in half a second. I’m whirling around to point it at the intruder, but it’s a mere blur as it charges at me. I barely have enough time to raise my sword to block the attack. When the beast collides with my sword, I’m nearly thrown off my feet, the impact is so great. I have to throw my whole body weight into the block. Finally, I manage to stop the creature in its tracks, and I get a good look at it. My stomach drops at the sight of it.
“An Oni? Out here?” I gasp.
The creature is like something out of a nightmare. Its skin, an unnatural blood-red hue, is unsettlingly human-like, as is its face and body structure. It has the muscle of a god, and a height greater than my own. From its three fingers and three toes sprout two inch claws, razor-sharp and ready to disembowel me, should it get the chance. Its irises may be surprisingly brown, but its pupils are so large and dilated, it looks like a rabid dog. Its three horns, projecting from the middle and the sides of its head, glint strangely in the moonlight.
Gods above, am I going to have nightmares about this.
But first things first: it touched Alessia.
Therefore, it must die, and in the most painful, gruesome way possible.
I push back with all my might, finally putting some distance between myself and the Oni. I pull back and prepare to swing again, but before I can, the monster is upon me again, its claws raking through the air in a deadly arc, aimed straight for my throat. I instinctively fall back to dodge, hitting the ground just as its claws swipe the air where my neck had been a heartbeat before. Kicking out with my feet, I sweep the Oni’s legs out from under it, and it yelps as it topples to the ground.
Seizing the moment, I pounce on the Oni, stabbing downward with my sword. But just when I think my victory is secure, the Oni rolls aside, swipes out with its claws, and slices right through my left shoulder. Piercing, white-hot pain explodes in the area, and I cry out in agony. There’s another flash of claws, and it kicks me straight in the gut, sending me flying through the air with a few puncture wounds just below my ribs. I hit the ground flat on my back, the air escaping my lungs in a painful gasp.
I can’t win like this. He’s too fast.
I struggle to my feet, noticing the way the Oni prowls around the fire between us, its eyes locked on me. I don’t dare to glance away, not even to check on Alessia. One wrong move, and my guts will spill onto the forest floor. Oni are some of the most dangerous monsters out there, on par with griffins and ancient wendigos. There isn’t any point in me worrying about Alessia if I die here.
Come on, brain, think! I shout at myself.
The Oni is edging around the fire, almost clear of the obstacle now. I have less than two seconds to decide my next move. If it pounces, there’s no telling if I’ll block in time. Oni learn quickly, so it probably knows I’m not fast enough to block any follow-up attacks after the first, especially if it pins my sword with only one arm. The only option is for me to be faster than it or to disable it.
I’m going with the not impossible option.
Just as the Oni prepares to launch its next attack, I do the unexpected: I throw my sword directly at the monster’s feet. Of course, it easily dodges, but it loses track of me in the process. I’m already sprinting straight to the fire, my hands outstretched. I grab the skewering stick in my hands and throw the sizzling meat at the monster. It tries to catch it, but in the process, it burns its hands. It screams, the unholy sound piercing my ears. I block it out the best I can, sprint forward, grab my sword, and swing with all my might at the back of its left leg.
To my surprise, even as the Oni tries to dodge, I land a damning blow. It shrieks again as it falls to one knee, its left leg hanging together by only a few tendons. Before it can gather its thoughts and attack again, I swing my sword twice more, and its hands fall to the ground. The monster now writhes pitifully on the ground, screeching and seething for all it’s worth. I raise my sword high above my head, looking it dead in the eyes.
“Don’t. Touch. Her,” I growl.
My blade cuts through the air, then flesh, as its body is officially relieved of its head. The Oni’s body finally lies still and remains there, a small pool of black blood trickling onto the forest floor. I fall to my knees, panting hard, feeling the sweat pour down my sides.
Or…is that really sweat?
I instinctively go to clutch my wound, only to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. Yanking my hand away, I find it oddly warm and sticky, only to reveal it as an alarming amount of blood in the firelight. I dare to look down at my wound, but that’s a mistake, because I’m lightheaded a heartbeat later. It’s rather difficult not to feel a little panicked at the sight of my own blood.
“AURELIO!”
“Alessia?”
I look up, and there she is, running to my side. She appears as the picture of health. I smile and drop my sword as she arrives and picks me up in her arms.
“Hey. I did it. I fulfilled a quest all by myself, too,” I chuckle.
“Right. That Oni was one of the quests, wasn’t it? It wasn’t supposed to be all the way out here, though. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you myself,” Alessia apologizes.
“No, you’re fine. I need to hold my own, too. How am I supposed to support my wife if I can’t even protect myself?”
Alessia returns my smile, but it fades when my vision goes fuzzy and my body goes limp. My limbs feel weak, then I lose feeling in them entirely. My whole body has gone numb.
“Um, Alessia? I think I’ve got a problem,” I mumble.
“Yeah, you’ve got a problem. Don’t get hurt next time, dumbass.”
“Will do,” I sigh.
I lean my head into her chest, feeling her set to work on my shoulder just as I lose consciousness.
