Escape from Hell 4 (High School DxD SI)

I jumped onto another branch, grabbing another orange adding it to the pile against my chest. The vines and branches of this living tree caught me, and the rest of the nearby trees finally manged to entangle me as well.

Like always, I twisted quickly angling myself downward, while pulling my limbs down. I broke and snapped all the branches and vines, and then kept kicking any branch that came nearby. The second I landed, it was too late for the living tree to catch me again, as I was instantly gone from their radius.

As I ran back to my hideout I saw a fire boar nearby. I thought about slaying it to have some back up jerky, considering the fruit mix pile I got, I think I'm set for a whole month. Well, four given use of Critical Heal.

I headed to the giant hollowed out tree that I claimed as my place. Other monsters stayed away because they knew it was mine, and because of the traps I placed around it. Mostly pit falls. I could only make one or two spear and giant log traps. My skill at trap making just wasn't that good beyond the basics.

My home tree was about as big as my old room on the inside. The entrance hole to it, needed me to climb a bit, but that was worth it to keep the grounded predators off, when I first found the place. Now I could jump straight into the two story high hole into my home.

I entered the small room, and placed the fruit pile on the ice grizzly's fur, before wrapping around my catch. Ice grizzly fur basically works the same as a refrigerator, as long as I charge it with magic every once in a while.

I looked at the wall with scratch marks on it. I went and picked the rock next to the scratched wall, picked up the rock next to it and added another mark. It's been two years now since I landed in this monster forest in Hell. I stopped denying the idea a few months after staying here. Better believe this place is the Underworld where Devils live and be wrong, than keep denying it and be confronted by undeniable proof later on and mentally break from the revelation.

Life in the monster forest is...it wasn't good by any measure, but I got used to it. I learned where I needed to live and eat to survive, and how to avoid danger. I was strong enough to kill most of the critters, and quick enough to run away from the giant creatures. I haven't delved deep into the poison or illusion monsters territory, but I've got some pretty good resistance to poisons and illusions from Healing myself from the encounters I had with those types of monster.

My mental map of the forest wasn't complete, but I know that the poison and illusion monster territory leads to a dead end. A few times, I would charge up Critical Heal for days keeping the Heals layered up, and then sprint at full speed across those territories while periodically Healing myself to get a good mental map of those area. The poison monsters area lead to a mountain side, where the poison concentration was so strong, it felt like the air itself was a living thing trying to kill me. I didn't even consider trying to find a tunnel or anything. I lost nearly half a three day Heal charge just by being in that inner most area for five minutes. I got the fuck out of there instantly.

The illusion monsters area lead to a giant cliff where everything down from it, lead to an everlasting darkness that I couldn't see. I tried throwing torch their once, but it was like watching a flashlight in a horror movie. The torch could only show itself, and after a few second was out of my sight like the darkness ate it.

I throw a boulder there once and didn't hear it land.

So yeah, those two areas are out as an exit.

That left the mountain where no monster trended, and the giant monsters area.

Forget about the mountain, and I wasn't strong enough to travel the giant monster area. Not only did the monsters in the giant territory were stronger, their magic power was greater, and some with special abilities could be faster than me, despite their size. I wasn't willing to risk something like that yet.

Still, if I keep a steady pace of training, exhausting my stamina everyday, hunting, and occasionally fighting some of the mid-sized monsters--like a nightmare or an earth bison--I should eventually be able to traverse the giant monsters territory safely.

Today I headed to the river to get some water like I usually did once a month.

I quickly hid as before fully reaching the place as ol' Powergird was there. For a giant lightning generating gorilla, he was surprisingly good hiding himself. However, lately as I continued my scuffles with Sparky, and running away from Powergird when I stumbled on him hunting his meal, I began to sense static electricity in the air.

Rather, my ability to sense...things, began to improve. First it was getting a feel in the wind when a fast attack was heading my way. Usually at that point if I wasn't moving, I would be heavily injured. I became more sensitive to vibration from the ground and surfaces, if something was running and stomping nearby.

Still, I needed to focus to actually be able to work this sixth sense, but I guess I interacted with Sparky enough times to just get a feel when electricity was nearby.

Powergrid was still good at hiding his energy though, however I got close enough, a hundred or so meters, that I could sense him anyways. Usually he would have been trying to ambush me or something better nearby at that point. Since he didn't notice me, giving me a chance to hide, I guess he's hunting something else.

That's when I saw it.

Or rather him.

A familiar electric rat that's been the bane of my life at the start in this forest. Getting into fights with me over scraps, and shocking me whenever I got close to some fruit he had an eye on.

"No, no, no, what the hell are you doing, Sparky?" I whispered to myself.

I could see a small trail of blood from the electric rat, as he headed toward the river. He had cuts and lacerations all over him. Left alone, and with some food and water he would have recovered and survived.

But with Powergrid present, and about to ambush him...

I can just leave and ignore this.

It would be so easy to get water while Powergrid is busy killing and eating Sparky.

I kept arguing with myself, as Sparky reach the water and began to sip from it.

It's not my pet. It's not my friend. It's not someone--No. Not something I should care about.

Powergird jumped down from his space high up in the trees, a roar in it's throat.

A roar that was interrupted by a giant boulder slamming into him mid-air, cuasing the colossal ape to spin and hit a tree next to it, and losing it's balance before smashing into the ground.

It got up, shaking it's head, not really hurt so much as startled by the unexpected attack, and quickly regained it's balance standing up on all fours.

Powergird look at where the boulder came from and saw me. Sparky saw Powergrid, then me, and bolted.

It was the smart choice and I followed suit, with the raging shout of the thunder-blessed beast behind me.

No good deed goes unpunished.

I really should have expected this outcome.

It took my nearly six hours to escape from Powergrid. Mostly using my size and speed to keep ahead, before finally going into the poison area, forcing him to leave me alone. I circled back, and hid, taking my time to secure my route before heading home.

Except I don't have a home anymore.

My tree was broken in half, leaving the room I build open and exposed to the elements. Meaning critters and scavenger animals--after Powergird--had ransacked the place taking anything edible in it. The traps were all sprung and broken.

Given the smell of ozone, and the left over feel of heavy static electricity in the air, I had no doubt Powergird did this.

All because I interrupted his meal.

"It's fine." I told myself. "It's not like this is the first time this happened." I said the words, hoping speaking them would make me believe them.

"Kreek?" I looked to a tree a few feet away to see Sparky. I already sensed him, but I expected that he got some food from my tree--former tree--and was in the process of running away.

I looked at him with an empty stare, only for my eyes to widen as he slowly made his way to me.

"Kreee?"

"You..."

A pomegranate.

One of the plentiful in the monster forest, and the one usually Sparky and I fought a lot over.

And he was offering it to me.

My eyes felt hot.

"This is stupid." I said rubbing away my tears. "You're stupid. You should just take the food and run, idiot."

"Kreek." The thunder critter cried out. I wasn't sure he understood me and was insulted, or annoyed I haven't taken the fruit yet.

The tears won't stop. I missed...someone just caring. I missed that so, so much.

I sat down, taking the fruit from Sparky, and just waited for the tears to stop.

"Kerrr." Getting impatient, Sparky took the fruit from my hand cracked it in half, before taking some of the seeds, and pushing them into my mouth.

"Okay, okay, I got it." I said, finding a laugh, the first genuine one I felt in forever coming to me, as I ate shared a fruit with a monster from hell.

I took a deep breath as the tears stopped and the pomegranate. I was calm again, it why when I thought about my decision again, and still wanted to go through with it, I resolved to do it.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Kreek?"

I turned to Sparky who looked at me questioningly.

"I'm going after Powergird. This time, I'm the one hunting him."