The red-head opened her eyes.
Damn!
Roji immediately dodged to his left as the girl in the enemy's arms lunged forward, her mouth opened so wide that her cheeks tore apart. Roji caught a glimpse of elongated, uneven teeth behind the torn flesh and saw that her eyes were as black as her companion's. He inscribed a ward of binding and prepared to toss it at her, but when he noticed that she never collided with the ground, he knew he was up against something much more powerful.
The red-head's torso was meters away from her bottom half. Her innards were hideously deformed into some gooey black substance that kept her upright. Black blood seeped out from every crevice and dripped onto the cold stone, covering their glistening light with gruesome clots. Roji's attention went to the other girl, whose hip was pulsating with the same dark flesh. She smiled with crooked teeth and hissed, "Get her, Cera!"
Cera twirled back around, aiming for the fresh wound on Roji's back. He jumped out of the way, barely missing the pointed teeth. However, he lost his balance and promptly fell right onto the injury, more blood spewing from it.
"Agh! Mu-" Roji tensed up even more as he looked down at the torpid form he held. Muhyo can't fight!
Roji was at a total loss. His only hope was still unconscious and losing blood at a rapid pace. He couldn't move freely due to the hindrance that was his exhausted body. The ghoul was definitely too powerful for him to take on alone. Roji tried to think of any advice his partner had given him that fit such circumstances. The sound of the creatures' every movement bounced off the starry stones and their cackling even more so. Roji decided then that he'd have to give himself his own advice.
Run.
He tossed a ward of dissipation to distract the two-headed spirit, who screeched when it blasted in their faces. He fled to a group of jagged pillars, making sure that the spirits were still dazed before going further in. Roji quickly placed Muhyo out of harm's way, making sure that he was in a comfortable position despite the rough terrain. He sighed, taking a last look at his boss before turning away.
"Hey, idiot."
Roji whirled around and watched as Muhyo struggled to keep his torso upright. He was panting heavily and looked like he was ready to pass out. "What do you think you're doing?"
Roji smiled grimly. "Fighting. To keep us safe."
"Hee h-" Blood spurted from his mouth and he shot forward, coughing violently. Roji scurried over to Muhyo, dropping his pen beside him and catching the executor's head before it could fall. He sat the boy upright and patted his back lightly, checking his expression for signs of pain. Muhyo's eyes darkened and he made a smile that was more of a grimace.
"You're going to die."
Roji paused, then laughed lightly. "I know."
He stood up and turned his back to Muhyo. "But at least you won't."
"Roji-!"
Roji ran into the ghosts' sights once more and took a defensive stance; he was ready to defend himself and Muhyo. He was ready to make up for all the times when he was considered useless. He was ready to learn to become a better assistant, starting with this.
He was ready to remove all traces of malice hidden within their imperfections and to earn the mercy of his powerful, brave, perfect executor.