Prompt: insidious
11. The Eleventh Rule
The twins find themselves in a plain, being chased by a goblin. His hammer nearly shatters Kouichi's legs with the shock wave alone. Wolfmon pulls him up and away, but he's a burden and they both know it.
They've never seen this guy before and they never want to again. He's touch, naturally tough, and Wolfmon is a speed master. If he can get a good hit in, they're in the clear. The problem, of course, is getting that hit. The longer they avoid, the more he crashes into the ground. It fades away, unlike on Earth, and he devours it.
He chases them further, cackling about sacrifices, cackling about destroying the future.
For a moment, Kouji is reminded of the others helping Tomoki tell his silly story, create a plot worthy of heroes.
He sure doesn't feel like a hero now.
The hammer finally hits them, careening into his back. It throws them, sending him spinning and unconscious to land on top of Kouichi. He stalks forward, lifts his hammer again.
Kouichi curses his helplessness. Then pain bursts from his stomach, red and black and with a sickening taste running up his throat. A blade bursts from his hand, glistening red and thrusts upward into a sneering face.
It almost works.
But the goblin grows into a larger monster and Kouichi, having never really fought and running on pure anger and hate, has no substance.
The ground shatters beneath them, and the twins fall just as their friends catch up to them.