Chapter 37: Seeking.
The surface of the black pool trembled at the touch of a single slender fingertip. The oily substance flowing and ebbing beneath the power of her hand; distorting the reflection of her face in strange ways before it was finally swallowed up into the darkness. A ripple of power crackled over the pool before an image formed, allowing her to witness the armies of her monsters locked in battle. With who she did not look into, nor did she care. For it did not matter what her beautiful children took down. In the end they would all rise again from death to serve her with undying loyally.
"Such futile struggles," She whispered softly to the pool, rousing a smaller nuribotoke that was curled by her feet like a pet. "May their struggles end quickly for in death they shall be claimed by me!" A hiss wove through the latter part of that sentence as she drew away from the pool. Wrapping her arms around herself as her dark eyes scanned the sanctuary she had found shelter in. Pools of black goo were scattered along the floors while trickles of darkness crept up the walls.
Hidden in the darkness were several of her monsters, lying in wait and ever alert, always longing for her words. Just like children, her beautiful nuribotoke would gather around her. Eager for her command, ready to carry out even the most dangerous of tasks. After all, what did that have to fear when even death was not absolute? A look of pain crossed over her face as the answer dredged itself from the corners of her memory.
Yes there was something her children had to fear, that creature! That monstrous man-creature that roamed the city streets, stealing the souls of her children and severing her power over them! Twice she cursed that creature and mourned the loss of so many at his hands. How dare such a beast meddle in the affairs of his betters! He was nothing more than…
What was he? This is what bothered the Shikome the most, she simply could not tell what that creature even was! At first one would think he was a youkai but there was more to him. Or more accurately, something within him that she could sense but not place a finger on. In her minds eye she conjured up an image of the demon, standing before her, clutching those wicked blades that pulsed with a power as old as the gods themselves. She remembered looking into his eyes of brilliant gold and seeing a shadow deep within them. As if something else was looking through them.
Or maybe it was someone else?
Then there was that unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach, the kind of feeling you get when you knew you'd seen someone before. A feeling of familiarity, of recognition yet not enough so to put a name to the face. Despite her vast memory of faces and names, nearly all of her victims, all the souls that passed her into the yoma. She knew them all and would soon enough add his name to her memory the moment she tore his old tattered soul from that spell bound flesh. For that desire seemed to flare with the very thought of ending his life, yes there was something deep within her. This creature had to die.
A soft smile drew over her black painted lips while a petite hand softly caressed the cheek of a nuribotoke curled beside her. Whispering to the beast in a tone that was as soft as the night time breeze. "He is dangerous, I know this well my children. But he is only one and we are many, we will strip him of the mortals that he has banded with." Sinking down to her knees beside the rumbling monster, she softly pressed her cheek against the beasts head. " I will pick all of them off one by one. Snuffing out their life forces right before his eyes, before I savor him for last."
The depths of those dark eyes took on an eerie glow, the monsters around her rising from their restful states at the silent signal. Shadows welling up from the walls around her, all summoned by ancient and terrible magic. The entire mass on the move with a silent command as the Shikome watched on. "To find that creature we will need to find one of his mortals." Her smile only grew then for she already knew where one of those mortals was.
…
A fire burned cheerfully from within the warped rim of a trucks wheel, the center piled high with splintered bits of wood any anything else he could find to fuel it. It's warm light chasing away the darkness of the partially collapsed warehouse, leaving shadows dancing around the form of the old Daiyoukai and his stash of swords. Bit by bit he continued to feed the fire with carefully selected scraps of materials, building up it's intensity little by little. If this was to work he would need a flame hot enough to cook steel even though he harbored the small fear that these blades just might melt instead!
A rat scurried about just beyond the reach of the warm light, drawing his attention away for a moment at the sounds of it's scratching paws. Ever since he'd walked away from his son's home he'd felt a little subdued, perhaps even a little embarrassed. Though he did his best to not let it effect the task at hand, not allowing himself to lapse back into that state of mind he forcefully dismissed the past day's memories. By now he should be used to the fact that his head was a battle ground for the wars that raged between his heart and his reality.
The reality was right now that he needed to somehow imbed his demonic power into five man made weapons. Weak weapons at that. As the fire burned with a deep red core over a bed of brightly glowing coals, he carefully laid out the first of the swords. Watching as the chrome shine of the blade darkened in the searing heat. The sight of which was not helping him dispel the feeling of skepticism over this little plan.
He was no stranger to wielding human made weapons, however his demonic power was almost always too much for them. It was like a copper electrical wire, if too much current tried to travel through it the wire would burn up. Much the same way, beautifully crafted steel that would otherwise cleave a samurai's helmet in half, withered and practically melted when his demonic power flowed through it. What he was attempting here was a trick he'd learned from watching Toutousai work at his forge.
Granted though he was not a sword smith, nor was he going to pretend to be one, he'd simply destroyed enough swords in his time to have learned a thing or two. At least he knew what to look for. Once the blade began to develop an ash colored crust he knew the blade was ready and continued on to the next step. Curling a clawed hand into an awkward fist, he pressed the tips of his claws into his palm and cupped his other hand over it. Gritting his teeth he abruptly drove his fist into his other hand, clutching it tightly as blood began to well through his fingers.
Sucking in a breath between his fanged teeth he waited for the wave of pain to lose it's edge before releasing his hand. Keeping it balled up while the other carefully removed the sword from the flames. With great care he dripped blood along the heated blade, watching it sizzle and dance over the steel with a critical eye. The blood bubbled as it burned into the steel, leaving streaks of black over the ashen surface. When the last of it had sizzled away over the steel he dribbled a little more, repeating the process until he could hear a crackling sound emanating from the blade.
That was a sound made by each layer of steel as it began to buckle under the demonic power that coursed through it. Telling him that he'd reached the blades limit, it had been faster than anticipated and he silently hoped this would be enough. Setting the sword down onto the concrete to cool he scooped up the next blade and set it onto the flames next. If this plan worked, he would have five demonically possessed swords for his use. If the swords were the quality that he'd hoped they were, then they would hold intact while opening the meidou. If his blood magic was still as strong as before his untimely death, then he should be able to keep the portal to the underworld in his control.
That was already one to many "ifs" for his liking, but unless he became lucky and found demonic weapons lying around somewhere, then this was his best shot. After a few hours of painful work the end result was five swords resonating some demonic power between them. Sitting back he lightly licked the wounds over his palm while intently scrutinizing his work before him. The first stage of his plan was finished and this was only the easy part, the trial-by-fire was yet to come.
Though his eyes wandered to his personal weapons laying by his side. The wicked looking twin swords that he'd carried as a hunter. Long ago he learned that they were not demonic in nature, they were forged with a power that was far older. Perhaps even the earliest of forms of magic. Could the swords carry his power? Yes they can and have, as he could unleash a form of the Kaze No kizu using them as proof. However there in lay the evidence, the magic simply did not work the same way as a true demonic weapon could. The magic within these weapons was something beyond even his full understanding and if there was one unwise thing in this world, it was depending on magic you did not understand.
Losing interest in his wounded hand he idly picked up one of those wicked swords to study. His gaze wandering over the black metal adorned in small black stones that formed a pattern of scales in places. The entire blade flowed in a gentle curve that was half way lined with wickedly sharp hooks. Once stabbed there was little chance of escape, not without suffering grave damage.
These swords were not given to him for protection, they are tools for the hunt. Crafted specifically to slay magical creatures and harvest their souls. Silently he studied the flow of the blade between his fingers, his mind mulling over those sad little facts. Despair was becoming to close of a friend with him, closing his eyes he banished all the negative thoughts. Reprimanding himself. Stop focusing on what you lack and concentrate on what you have.
When he finally opened his eyes, there was a spark of determination within them. Let whatever happened be, he'd assure himself at the very least that those he cared for would not be weathered and taken by this Shikome. With that vowed the dark cloud over his heart lifted a little and he set the wicked sword down. Turning his attention back to his work as he carefully picked up one of the charred blades, taking care that it was cool enough to handle. Turning it carefully over while running his fingers over the steel. Only the tiniest bit of ash came off, meaning his blood had successfully integrated into the weapon.
A satisfied smirk drew over his face as he picked up each blade one by one to give them a final inspection. Gathering them all into a pile and binding them together with a length of leather twine. Picking up a container of water, he put out the fire with a splash. The hot coals sizzling unhappily as smoke poured from the tire rim. The youkai paying it no further heed as he geared himself up to track his son and the miko down.
Completely unaware of the eyes watching him from outside.
…..…
By now he should have been used to this, however Inuyasha still found the sight of the destroyed city hard to digest. Even if he did not call this place home, the sight of the toppled buildings and the ever present stench of decay brought him a sense of sorrow. Perched on the wreckage that had once been a semi truck the hanyou looked out over the street. Keeping guard over the scene while Kagome picked her way through the scattered debris and broken ground. In her hands a crystal hung by a thin chain, swinging back and forth with every step. Forcing her to measure every movement with care as she crossed the street.
At first glance she looked like she was on to something. Though the look of frustration on her face however told the hanyou that she was not having an easy time in her efforts. Reading crystals was a tricky business for even a seasoned spiritualist, which Kagome wasn't quite to that level yet. Not that Inuyasha could bring himself to trust the wibbly wobblings of a pretty little rock to find the dark queen anyway. Yet it was all they had at the moment and the hanyou could not think of anything better.
Sinking to a crouch on the edge of the trailer, his golden eyes followed after the form of the young miko. Watching as she carefully raised her feet one at a time, keeping her motions smooth as possible only to make a discontent sound when she accidentally knocked the crystal around. To make matters even more difficult, a strong wind was beginning to pick up, whipping soot and dirt about as it blew through the streets.
Inuyasha had little choice but to look away from the scene, raising his crimson sleeve to shield his face. Catching sight of a crumpled can of soda as it tumbled from out of nowhere and came to rest on the ground a few feet away. His eyes narrowing on it as it lay there in a puddle of dust, a furry ear twitching back. This whole idea seemed simple, if the Shikome's power was flowing through these invisible lines of magic, then the pendulum should be able to detect it. Then they could follow it back to the Dark Queen where he could pick from a neatly compiled list of ways he'd love to destroy her!
Of course, he compiled that list after conveniently forgetting that she could not be destroyed. Considering she was a deity and no one they knew had anything that could kill a god. Not that they had any hope at this rate of even finding her! Blinded by hope, they had dove head first into this plan without thinking it through enough! Now they were dealing with their mistakes, like not factoring the environment that they would have to work in. Not to mention, they neglected to consider a plan B in the event the crystal was unable to find anything.
"Oh this is hopeless!" A furry ear perked to Kagome's whimper, the boy taking a moment to blame all their ill luck on the soda can he was glaring at before turning back around. The miko had sunk to her knees on the broken tarmac, bracing herself with a raised arm as the winds brought another wave of dust to whip through her hair and skirts. She looked miserable and defeated, prompting the hanyou to leap off the truck and hurry to her side. Drawing a hand along her back in a comforting gesture.
"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place? " In truth they had decided to start their search at the last place they had encountered the Shikome's power. The building that was serving as a focusing point of her magic. Though it seemed like they were trading safety for progress as they has circled the dilapidated area twice now with nothing to show for their efforts.
"The fairy paths should still be here even thought they aren't being used anymore. " Kagome sighed in discontent as she fidgeted with the crystal. "But I can't find it anywhere." It was like looking for a dead electrical line hidden in the ground. A hopeless effort no matter how strong the electrical meter was.
"You could feel it before without the pendulum." He gave an exasperated little huff before turning his gaze back to that soda can. Blaming it again out of frustration. "I bet you they're dormant now and all the metal and concrete around us is concealing it. Fairies don't like metal for a reason."
"Then we'll have to go to one of the other of the Shikome's power points and work from there. " Kagome idly followed her husband's gaze, wondering why he was glaring daggers at a crumpled soda can. Before she could ask however he gave a snort.
Inuyasha had been against the idea from the start, the remaining two power points were very dangerous. Between the violent energy whipping around them and the monsters that heavily guarded the area, there was a slim chance that they could catch a break long enough to find anything. "We don't have the time to search for miles around those things." With his frustrations reaching a boiling point the boy could not sit still any longer. Rising to his feet he began to pace about. Studying the area as if he could find something Kagome might have missed.
Dropping her hands into her lap Kagome sat silent for a moment, watching him prowl the area in search of nothing. Bracing herself as another strong gust of wind whipped through the broken streets. Blinding her momentarily with her blue black hair. " Inuyasha let's get out of here," She sighed as she brushed lingering locks back from her face. " there is nothing more for us here unless we're lucky enough to find a magical line that is still active."
"Yeah, I think Fairies have been gone from these lands for hundreds of years now, so I doubt these will go active anytime soon." Not that he could be sure of that, personally he'd only encountered a handful of the secretive creatures. They were not abundant around here like in other places, least that was what he could tell from stories. Though that could be attributed to the fact that many creatures that were called 'fairies' elsewhere were called youkai here.
That thought caused him to stop pacing and stare thoughtfully at the area around him, his gaze falling on that soda can once more. Drawing Kagome's attention back to him, quietly waiting for him to give her a hint of what he could be thinking about. After a few long minutes of nothing she cast the can a glance herself before finally biting. "So…what is so fascinating about the Soda can? I thought you hated the stuff." Inuyasha tended to hate carbonated beverages, claimed he could feel it bubbling in his stomach.
"Get that pendulum ready Kagome and give me a few meters." Looking about a moment he figured that where he was standing was no better than anywhere else. Drawing the Tetsusaiga from his side he clutched the bade before him as it flared with the transformation.
That earned him a puzzled look from the young miko. Pushing herself back to her feet she brushed off her skirts as she studied his movements. He had an idea and she could guess what it was. "Your demonic aura is going to interfere with the crystal, Inuyasha. "
"That's why I asked to give me a few yards." The snap was unjustified, but his patience was already worn thin from the start. Flipping the blade around, he buried the tip into the ground and clutched the hilt with both hands. " My demonic aura is weak compared to other youkai. But I think there is enough that I can power up one of these lines myself."
It was an odd notion, could youki flow through a fairie's line? Well, there was only one way to find out! With a look of determination on her face Kagome nodded once and quickly backed away. Dangling the crystal by it's chain over her hand and silently watching as it fell still. Inuyasha meanwhile closed his eyes and focused on himself.
Dealing with his youki was often a frustrating thing, he simply did not have the control of it that other demon's possessed. Often when his demon power grew too strong it would could control him instead! Pushing him deep into the territory of madness that drove him into a blood thirsty rage. Only the Tetsusaiga could help him temper it, but even then he could not confidently say it was under his complete control. Focusing on the sword alone in his hands he felt the gentle trickle of power flowing through his fingertips and along the blade. Spreading the demonic energy down below his feet at a slow but steady pace, searching for the path of least resistance.
Kagome stared at the crystal in her hands, watching the bauble as it spun lazily in the breeze. Waiting for what felt like an eternity as questions began to bubble into her head. Did she even know what she was doing? Was this the right crystal? What if the problem was her and not the magical line? The doubts began to build in her heart and she drew a shuddering breath to steady them. Accidentally tampering with the crystal once more as her hand moved, adding to her despair. This was hopeless! Even with Inuyasha's help there was nothing she could do! On the verge of tears she watched the little crystal swing and swing.
It wouldn't stop swinging, for a moment she thought that she was trembling. But her hand was steady as could be! Silently she watched the stone, her lips parted in awe as it began to dance on it's chain. Swinging in circles as if searching for something, following the flow of Inuyasha's demonic power. Before her eyes the pendulum spun it's last and hung in the air at an angle of only a few degree's . With great care she began to move, sliding her feet along the ground as she turned.
The crystal would swing once with her movement, then lock again in the same direction. It was working, it was finally working! She almost couldn't contain her excitement. Following the directions taught to her by Kaede, she checked several points around her, taking mental notes. The path leading her away from Inuyasha as she picked her along the destroyed streets. When at last the crystal point began to move and sway, as if caught in a current. Nothing could stop the smile that appeared on her face as she tried to quell the welling surge of excitement. She was standing right on top of the line of power! Her gaze following the flow out to the city.
"You found it?" Inuyasha's voice snapped her from that moment of awe, bringing her attention to the hanyou as he quickly joined her side. His eyes falling on the crystal as it fell lax in the miko's hands once more. Though the smile on her face told him everything, with a smirk of his own he sheathed the fang and growled.
"Lets go."
….…..
The attacking wave of monsters hit the hospital grounds with all the ferocity and violence of a tsunami. Monsters practically burst up through the damaged asphalt, some crawling out of sewer drains while more squeezed themselves out of every crack and crevice they could fit through! Many were greeted with a volley of bullets as police and military opened fired! A dangerous tactic as even bullets sometimes failed to kill some of these creatures.
Yet they needed to try, if only to buy time for the evacuation still going on behind them. The ambulance bays were swarmed with people, any vehicle that would run and could carry people was there being loaded up. To the eyes of the Demon Slayer standing on the rooftop, the scene below was of pure chaos! Gosan had been patrolling the parameter of the hospital grounds when he received the warning beacon from the command center. Running all the way back to the hospital from his guard post in the city, only to encounter the heart breaking sight below.
"Why is it that I am the one who is always stuck with you?" Riko's tongue was especially sharp, no thanks to that pink haired demon that escaped her. Placing the young woman in a foul mood as she approached her partner. Gosan rolled his eyes and stepped away from the roofs edge, casting the woman a patient look.
"Well Excuuuuuuuse me, Princess!" He snapped back. " Why don't you save that gripe for Sentei? Maybe he'll actually listen to you!" Although he did understand why the leader of the demon slayers split their forces this way, it didn't mean he had to like it. But before he could voice his discontent any further, the sounds of screams down below quickly put an end to their little spat. Gazing back over the roofs edge he reached for his guns.
"Don't waste the bullets Gosan, unless you have something that can blow the heads off those things your Glock pistols are useless." Riko cautioned as she shed her coat and geared up her glaives. " I got a message on my phone from Sentei, a helicopter is coming to pick up the remaining evacuees. You should go through the hospital and get anyone who is still in there to climb to the roof."
Why did these things have to come from underground? What could be down there helping these creatures travel. " I need to get down there." He muttered absently as he watched one of the monsters collapse with morbid fascination.
"After everyone is evacuated!" She hissed at her partner then and nudged him with her elbow. " Go and if you see a Pink haired woman, put a few bullets in her for me."
Gosan flinched a little to the venom in her words, he'd only heard snippets from Chousa about what happened in the hospital room. Riko had lost the one man who could have answered questions about that strange demon they encountered. She was not happy and he wisely kept his mouth shut as she climbed down over the edge of the roof.
Needless to say he was more than a little relieved to have the rooftop to himself once again. Turning on his heel he quickly made his way to the entrance that headed down into the bowels of the building. Carefully making his way down the broken staircase before pushing open the emergency doors as he thought to himself
'A hospital was no place for a battle ground.'
These words also echoed through Ryosei's head as she picked her way through the broken halls. Every step was treacherous, the earthquake had left cracks in the floors and walls, as well as thrown medical equipment around. Though really, even a clear floor would have done the female dog demon any favors right now. For perched on her back was the dead weight of an unconscious man. After fleeing the hospital room with her prize she made her escape, however when the going became tough she had little choice but to abandon Sakagami's wheel chair.
Forcing her to carry the man instead through the war zone within the hospital. As if the debris and pit falls were not enough she could hear the monsters prowling. Unfortunately for her, the halls were filled with corners and blind spots that were perfect places to launch an ambush! Crouching beside a corner on an intersection, she peered through the darkness while fighting back the urge to dump Sakagami off somewhere.
It was all too convenient of a thought really, to abandon this idiot and find a quick path to freedom outside. But then she would be breaking the promise she made and no doubt ruin her chances of getting close to that strange dog demon. There was something about him that drew her along, like a moth to a flame, a mystery that she wanted to unlock. Provided she could get them both out of this nightmarish labyrinth alive to do so!
Just when she thought she was safe, Sakagami stirred a little and gave a soft moan. Soft for human ears anyway, to the demoness however it managed to sound disturbingly loud in the near absolute silence of the hospital. Question was, did the lacquered skinned monsters hear it? Gritting her teeth she flashed the unconscious man a wicked look. Cursing under her breath as the sounds of scraping claws answered her unspoken question. Of course he would make noise once he was picked up from bed he'd laid silent as death in for days!
Fleeing her hiding place she stayed close to the wall while trying to put plenty of distance between herself and the sounds of clicking claws on linoleum behind her. Not an easy feat with all the junk piled in her path that only piled higher when part of the ceiling suddenly caved down right in front of her. Forcing the demoness to shield her face and turn away from the blast of debris, coughing from the choking dust carried with it.
When the last of ceiling finished coming down she cast the mess a look of contempt from behind a raised arm. If only she had taken the window out of Sakagami's room, instead of trying to search for an emergency exit that would bring them to ground level! When the earthquake struck Ryosei had thought for a moment that luck was on her side, until she encountered the first of the monsters!
If only she can taken that window, or found ANY damned window that didn't have a monster stuck in it for that matter! Then she could simply transform and escape! A snarl thundered somewhere behind her and without even bothering to look back the demoness took off running. Only becoming vaguely aware of the gun shots ringing out behind her as she fled. Please don't tell me that they NOW have fire arms!? That was all that she needed!
What followed next was the sounds of boots pounding on the floor, shaking the already rickety part of the building in an unnerving way! An annoyed hiss rose from the demoness as she quickly spun about, three blades already in her free hand as she snarled. "Stay back if you know what's good for you!"
She was expecting a monster, maybe one of the military, or even just some other human wandering around. What she saw instead was a man in tight clothing wearing a utility belt that would make Batman proud and wielding a set of rather evil looking guns. Narrowing her dusty pink eyes in a sultry way he held the three blades at the ready, addressing him in a far more gentle tone. "Well hello there, never thought I would run into a man in tights around a place like this."
Gosan skin hard to a hault several yards before the woman, he'd been patrolling the floors one by one searching for stragglers when he heard the crash. Training his weapons on the woman he flashed her a curious look, sometime after kidnapping Sakagami, Ryosei had changed clothes. "Funny, never thought I would see a woman in a jump suit with a pink fetish running around a place like this." He mocked a little and slowly lowered his weapons.
Sakagami gave another soft moan to interrupt the odd little spat, reminding her that he was not too happy about being carried about like a sack of potatoes. Rolling her eyes a moment she turned her attention to the unconscious man in her grasp. "Look, I'd love to hang around and chat, but I really need to get this guy out of here." Just to make it aware how unwell he was, the cruel demoness bounced him on her shoulder and smirked when she heard a whimper.
The taijiya scowled a little at the rough treatment, obviously she didn't care that much about the guy. But she seemed to care enough to want to rescue him. Giving a snort Gosan opened his mouth to enquire further when the wall behind him practically exploded when a huge body broke through it! Sending him stumbling wildly forward a few steps, but training kicked in and he quickly recovered his footing. Spinning about on the huge monster that crashed their party, the beast looking like an elephant with a trunk hanging from its face. But it's mouth was filled with sharp tusk like teeth and its forelegs had claws that would gut a man wide open with one kick!
"RUN! I'll be behind you!" Raising both his pistols the slayer shot out part of the beasts face, slowing the creature down.
Ryosei however did not need a prompt to run! She'd already taken off down the hallway, practically abandoning the demon slayer in her dust! Meanwhile all around her the walls were breaking down, monsters crashing through when they could find no other way to reach the warm blood that was calling to them. One monster came charging for her and in the blink of an eye three blades were embedded in the creatures face!
Much to her dismay however it barely slowed the beast down! Forcing her to stop or become flattened by the charging thing! Just when she reached into her top for another weapon, gun shots rang out from behind. This time the beasts head split open and spilled a small wave of black goo and brain matter almost over her feet! Making a face she leapt back onto to feel a hand hit her in the middle of the back and push!
"Do not stop here! There are eight of these things behind us!" Gosan gasped in a mixture of awe and fright. He'd been wanting some action for a while now but even he saw how bad the situation was getting! Then he saw how close he was to losing a few of his fingers and thought twice ! In the blink of an eye the woman had turned on him and a blade slashed for the slayer! Had he been only a second too long and he'd have been missing three fingers! "The hell are you doing!?"
If there was one thing she hated, it was being pushed around. She glared daggers at the young man as he recoiled back from the shock, before she resumed running once more! Taking care not to touch the corpse she bound over but quickly realized to her horror that things just went down hill.
The hall way before her was choked with monsters, she stopped counting at six. All the beasts were large and for the moment they were fighting amongst themselves. The torn remains of what might have been a human being tossed about between them all. They were not paying attention to the demoness yet, but any second now.
More shots rang out behind Ryosei, though this time she failed to see any bullets fly past. Only to see the reason why a moment later, Gosan had his back to her as he fired. What at first looked like another group of monsters already flooding the other end of the hall, turned out to be the same monsters the slayer had shot only seconds before! Littered with bullet holes the beasts seemed to be barely slowed down by Gosan's weapon. With a silent gasp Ryosei turned to check on the monster.
Only to find herself face to face with a set of burning red eyes affixed to a large human skull. Her own gaze widening as her nose filled with the stink of rotted flesh and the monsters growl managed to shake her to the very core.
This was not going to end well.
Chapter 37 - End.