Keita moved into a fighting stance, his summoned demons tensing beside him. His team and the three enemy demons in front of him were all that existed. Everything else was darkness.
His mind clear, Keita launched a right straight at the rangda in front of him. Instantly he felt hot pain tear through his knuckles, doing nothing to slow his barrage of punches that were falling like rain upon the demon. His brain was empty save for the jolt of pain after each hit and the steady rhythm of his right fist against the monster, until finally he heard a crack. Unwavering, his fist slammed again the demon, unraveling into a crumpled mass of limp limbs.
The pain was unbearable now, but his mind registered nothing and without hesitation he let his useless hand fall, raising the other and digging it into the still unharmed demon. He was putting more force behind his blows, the shock travelling in throbs up his arm with each futile blow. His mind was beginning to awaken, but his body moved on his own, slamming hit after hit into the rangda, his knuckles becoming raw and red.
This time the snapping came from his forearm, the limb falling limply to his side. Keita's sense of urgency had returned to him, and he took a few quick steps to separate himself from his enemy, fighting down his fear as he realized how handicapped he'd become.
Keita turned just in time to see his rakasha pierce into an enemy agares, severing his arms. Seeing the opening in his enemy's guard, his fighting spirit kicked in again and he swung his leg to deliver the finishing blow.
The moment his kick landed, though, he knew something was wrong.
The agares' severed limbs were regenerating, and when Keita looked down he saw with horror that his leg was disappearing.
Horrified, Keita tried to back away only to stumble and fall backwards.
It was over. Without his fists, his feet; he was nothing.
Useless.
A shadow loomed over, and for a moment Keita almost felt grateful. Before despair could truly grip him, the third demon would.
Keita woke up in the dark, gasping for breath. He looked around wildly, but this was not the same black as before, already the familiar shapes of his room were fading into view.
Feeling the sweat-soaked sheets under him, Keita cursed himself for falling prey to something as childish as a nightmare. When he lay down again and closed his eyes, however, he shuddered at the sudden completeness of the dark.
With a sigh he lugged his weary body out of bed.
To his annoyance, when he thought of sleep, a single face kept appearing in his mind.
There was no helping it, he had to see him.