Author's Note: Short chapter this time, but hey, at least it was a quick update, right? *crickets*
To Graphospasm, who asked about the male ice-wielder: I meant to include a note last time, but that was actually a cameo of Touya. He's just in a slightly different outfit. And if anyone's wondering what he's doing out in public so long before the big unmasking thing...secret identity. Yup. (He won't become important in this story, I don't think.)
UPDATE: Well, that was embarrassing. I've had the wrong version of this chapter up for a week and never noticed! *hangs head*
I thought I'd fixed it before, but now here's the EDITED version of this chapter, up for your enjoyment! Or ignore-ance! Whichever!
Chapter 5: Collision
The wind whipped through Hina's hair as she ran, ignoring the protests of her aching body. She skidded around a corner, stumbling, trying to escape the certain death that was trying to ensnare her.
She was in one of the larger streets now, dodging around pedestrian traffic and carts being pulled by all manner of different creatures. A cry of rage screeched over her head and crashed into the building in front of her even as she skidded sideways to avoid it.
But it wasn't the sonic blasts she was running from. Rather, it was the sound demon's companion that she feared.
He was a ways behind her, but still far too close. He exhaled his purple miasma with a power born of rage, and it was gaining on her even faster than he was.
Her first glimpse of the purple cloud had triggered memories of one of the types of demons she'd read about—she cursed herself for not recognizing his aura alone.
He was clearly a poison-element demon—and they didn't have to rely on strong energy to kill. She had underestimated him, and she only hoped she could live to regret it.
"You will pay for thisss," he hissed at her, somehow able to speak around the purple fog. As the cloud spread through the more populated area, shouts started ringing out in the crowd. A massive stampede went up as demons pushed past each other to escape the gathering mist. Even as they ran, some fell to the ground, gasping and choking as the miasma ensnared them.
Hina ran on, her need to find the easiest path taking her downhill, back towards the outskirts of the city. It was when she saw the big, bustling gate of the city that she realized that this wasn't going to work. How could she outrun them when she had no goal, no refuge in sight? What would she do even if she managed to get outside those gates? That would only make her an easier target.
With a sense of resignation, she realized that her only chance for survival was to turn and fight—and that it was a slim chance indeed. She would have to kill the snake demon before his cloud of poisonous gas killed her, and the air around her was already starting to turn a pale shade of purple.
All of this took a bare instant to pass though her mind, and even before it had finished, she was wheeling around to face the demons again.
She was starting to feel lightheaded as the poisonous mist engulfed her, but she had enough strength left for one final attack. She gathered it up, willing her ice into the fine points she had used earlier, but the response was sluggish. The best she could manage were jagged chunks.
But she was out of time. With the her last ounce of strength, she flung the ice outward, willing it to cross the distance with sufficient force left to kill the poison user.
She never found out if it was enough.
The bird demon dove out of the sky, shrieking, and her ice shards shattered into a million pieces.
Hina fell to her knees, gasping, as the noxious purple cloud surrounded her. It smelled like death and decay. Her vision swam as the world turned dark around her, which must have been why she started hallucinating. Why else would the sky have started burning?
Swirling yellow flames raced up from somewhere behind her and collided with the malevolent purple of the fog, twisting and grappling together as they fought for mastery of the air. It was as though the blazing sunsets of this world had erupted to violent life around her, fighting over her with reckless abandon. The heat of their clash burned Hina's exposed skin, but she couldn't even muster up enough strength to raise her good arm to protect her face.
As she slipped away from consciousness, the last thing she saw was a dark figure step up beside her, arm raised toward the fiery vortex above.