And Into the Fire

They descended as quickly as they dared, with Hunter leading Saki down as carefully as he could. His first clumsy attempt to hold Saki was met with an icy stare.

"How do we lure it away? What if it ignored us and went straight to the others?"

"It can't ignore us. Our scent is probably the strongest in these mountains. It won't be able to resist the two who were able to withstand its overpowering aura. It will definitely come after us."

The attack came without warning.

It was on the fork in the road leading to the peak. They came in a shambling run that might have been comical if not for the screaming and guttural roars.

It might have been more effective if it was an ambush but with the noise they were making, Saki noted, that might have been impossible for them.

Hunter punched the first one in the chest and the glowing cestus caused the creature's entire chest cavity to cave in even more. The crunch of broken bones made Saki wince but the attacker seemed to have paid it no mind. It's howl of rage as it crashed back to the others fueled them and they doubled their ferocity.

Hunter, without restraint, went through them like a hurricane and most of them were knocked on their back even before the first one was on its feet.

Saki would have been too fascinated at watching Hunter fight if not for one roaring zombie who made a mistake of jumping to her.

With a flash of metal in the dark, the undead fell twitching on the ground, clawing and kicking at the dust.

Normally, a wound that deep would have rendered her attacker incapacitated but the creature was as lively as a fresh fish out of water. Except it was trying to claw its way towards Saki's feet. 

She dodged away in revulsion.

Hunter's opponents were also still as fierce as ever although some of them now have difficulty moving normally now that their limbs are broken in several places.

One unfortunate soul lunged at Hunter baring his teeth as if to bite him. That made his head the perfect target for Hunter's fist. It was not a powerful blow at first glance but the creature's head exploded as if hit by a shotgun. 

Whatever control the Ghost had on the others, it broke at that point. The others lunged at the latest casualty of Hunter's glowing fists. Saki's stomach heaved when she saw one putting a slimy brain in its mouth while the others were scrambling to get their share.

"Come on, we have to move while they are busy", Hunter took her hand and tugged. Warmth spread from her palms to other parts of her body. It calmed her a little.

The rocky terrain did little to impede their movement. They were almost synchronized in their movement. Like they were doing this for a long time. When Saki lags a little, Hunter is always there giving her a boost or pulling her. He is there as soon as she feels her feet slip; almost as if he knows when that will happen.

A strong gust of wind pushed at Saki's face and she stopped in mid stride. Hunter immediately moved towards Saki's side in a protective gesture. She smiled at that but her momentary distraction got cut by the infernal screamed that reverberated around them. It shook the ground and made the very air around them seem electric.

Saki's skin crawled and her head hurt so much that her eyes watered. The howls sounded like the wind at first but Saki soon distinguished what they were; sounds of anguish and despair. Her ears hurt just by hearing it.

A lump of shadow appeared in front of Saki and Hunter and was growing by the second. The wails also grew stronger and made them feel like the air is as thick as jello. They found it hard to move and their eyes had a hard time comprehending the shape in front of them. 

As suddenly as it came, the heavy electric feeling in the air vanished along with the sound. Now, the silence hurt. Like they are inside a limbo where no sound travel. Looking at the creature, they suddenly understood: it pulled the dark atmosphere around it and it coalesced into something solid. If at first it did seem like it can only hurt them psychically, now it can definitely hurt them physically.

The Ghost looked like an armored ape; only more monstrous looking. It's face is hairy and its fangs protrude from its muzzle. It is clad in what can only be called an armor except it looked mismatched and dirty like it just picked up anything it came across at random and slapped it on. Its eyes are even more scary because it showed intelligence behind its apparent madness.

It bared them its claws and screamed like it was issuing a challenge.

Hunter, strangely calm, replied, "We'd rather not fight if it were up to us. We know you can't help it but I was hoping there was still some reason left in there."

Its answer was a charge so fast Saki did not even see it. In the blink of an eye, Hunter crashed on the boulders behind them. 

"So be it," Hunter wiped the blood from his lips. The glow from his fists shone more fiercely and is now enveloping the rest of his body. Maybe it's just a trick of the light but Saki thought that Hunter looked positively larger; imposing and majestic.

The creature turned to her but before it could move, a flash of light crashed into it and sent it sprawling several meters away. She turned at Hunter but it seemed like he didn't move from where he was standing.

The Ghost stood up, unharmed. It screamed at them in fury. Saki raised her blade to prepare for the impending attack.

To her surprise, the Ghost picked up a large rock and threw it at her without apparent effort. With that surprising burst of speed, Hunter moved in front of her to deflect the rock. He sent it crashing to the side of the mountain.

"Show off," she murmured.

Saki stared in amazement as Hunter formed a glowing pattern a few feet from them and with a gesture, pushed that seemingly solid light with a force and speed that looked greater than a bullet train.

It struck the Ghost solidly and the rocks around it appeared like they got pulverized by the impact.

Nobody could have possibly survived that, thought Saki when Hunter tugged at her hand with an urgency that made Saki move at once.

They ran until they got to where the hanging bridge was.

"We go down to the river and follow it downstream. There would be a shortcut there that can lead us back to the camp." Hunter panted.

"Shortcut? Why didn't we take it earlier?" Saki was incredulous.

"It would have been hard for the entire group. The paths are too narrow and it is full of traps," he explained.

As soon as he finished talking, the Ghost appeared again. Its rage took them both by surprise. Its barrage was so swift and powerful that the two of them grudgingly retreated while defending until they were at the edge of the cliff overlooking the lake.

Saki distanced herself from Hunter, meaning to divide the creature's attention. Hunter, picking up on this, roared a challenge. It worked as the Ghost stopped on its tracks; undecided whether to attack Saki or the roaring Hunter.

Saki thrusted swiftly at the Ghost's unprotected flank. She felt the blade sink deep. Her elation is short lived as she felt the blade encounter a resistance then got pushed back violently that she was forced to let go of the weapon. It was like thrusting against rubber!

It turned to swipe at her with one enormous arm. Saki rolled safely to one side and smoothly retrieved her sword from the ground. 

Hunter took advantage of the creature's distraction and charged at it, winding for a strong blow. The impact shook the ground and Saki saw flashes of light as the two collided.

When Saki's sight turned to normal, the Ghost had its gigantic hand on Hunter's bloody face, holding him in the air while the other struggled to come free.

She moved without thinking. Fire erupted in her mind and it's as if her body similarly erupted in flames as she defiantly roared. The creature tossed Hunter aside and moved towards Saki threateningly. Amid her fear, Saki stood her ground.

The creature stopped before getting close enough to Saki. At its foot was Hunter, holding on to it, locking it in place.

"Now!" He shouted and Saki moved like lightning to slash at the creature's neck. Blood erupted from its wound but Saki saw that it wasn't deep enough. It's hairy hide took much of the blow.

Enraged to the point of mindless rampage, it swung at Saki who leapt backward to safety. It tried to kick free from Hunter's hold but it couldn't so he turned his full attention to the man who is locked at his leg like a human vise. 

Hunter's hold is slowly tightening and he can feel the bones underneath start to break. The Ghost howled in pain and in one desperate move, leapt down to the waiting river below with Hunter still gripping determinedly at one leg.

Saki screamed as the two of them plunged rapidly into the dark waters.

"Hunteeer!"