Girl Trouble

As I stretched out on the soft, sun-kissed earth, the vibrant yellow petals of the sunflowers surrounded me like a sea of golden suns, their faces turned toward the sky, basking in the light.

"Banri!"

The gentle hum of bees flitting from flower to flower filled the air.

"Banri!"

It felt as if Mother Nature herself was calling my name.

"Banri, you ass—"

The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a warm glow that seeped into my skin, making me feel alive and connected to the world around me.

SPLASH!

My paradise quickly turned to despair as I found myself sinking into a pool of mud. As I struggled to stay afloat, I opened my eyes to see an unsightly figure laughing her head off while I desperately clung to life. When I sank low enough that only my head remained visible, the ground hardened again, leaving three-quarters of my body trapped beneath the earth.

"Is this supposed to be a joke? Let me out, Alina."

"You should've answered when I called you," she replied, an annoying smile on her face. She knows I have no qualms about hitting girls, right?

"What do you want? I'm busy."

"BUSY?!" She yelled the word back at me as if it were the first time she had ever heard it. "We were sent here to look for demons! Why the hell are you just lying around?!"

It was at this point that I noticed she was wearing a very short skirt, and from this angle, the view was quite distracting. This girl had potential, but she was a pain in the ass. Things might have been different for us if she'd been born a mute.

"Alina, is it possible you have feelings for me?"

"You do realize you're in a vulnerable position right now? No one would hear you scream."

"Fair enough... You win. I'll get back to work."

It was in my best interest not to antagonize her.

And that was how I was dragged out of paradise and thrown into despair. To effectively protect the town from the demons, we had been separated into groups. Unfortunately, I got paired up with Alina of all people. I could tell she was thinking the same thing about me, judging by the scornful look she was giving me.

We were right outside of town, patrolling the surrounding area. So far, we hadn't spotted any signs of demons. As we walked, Alina made sure to keep her distance from me. The air was thick with tension; neither of us intended to speak to the other. After walking in silence for nearly an hour, she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Banri... what are your intentions?"

She glared at me as she asked this rather vague question.

"My intentions?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I've known you since we were kids. You're not exactly a good person, but you're not a bad person either. However, if you do anything to hurt Hikari, I won't forgive you!"

It's true that Alina and I grew up together; our families were very close. She might know me better than anyone else. I bet she didn't expect me to join them when she decided to run off with Hikari.

"Why would you think I'd do something to hurt Hikari?" I asked.

"Because you're a selfish jerk who only thinks about himself," she shot back.

I began to see where this was coming from, and it had nothing to do with me. I wondered if I should tell her my plans; she would be a useful ally, but...

"Alina, how do you see things turning out?"

"What do you mean?"

"These people here are not our allies. The moment they find out who we are, they'll turn against us. You've heard about what they do to people like us, right? That should be your biggest concern right now."

"You're scheming something, aren't you?"

Alina gave me a threatening glare, looking deep into my eyes as if trying to ascertain the truth.

I closed the distance between us, getting so close that our bodies were almost touching. Alina seemed flustered by my actions and instinctively moved to step back, but I grabbed her hand, pulling her close until our bodies were actually touching. We stared into each other's eyes, not uttering a word as we desperately tried to read each other's thoughts.

"You were right, Alina. I am selfish. You three can spend your days living out your fantasies for all I care, but I don't intend to be killed alongside you. You can go on your little demon hunt all you want; I don't plan on getting in your way. But just know this: you have a choice to make—either you kill them, or they kill you."

"I'm not stupid; I know what we'll have to do. I just don't want your recklessness to make the situation worse."

"Then do something. Hikari's got his hands full with Katherine, so you're on your own."

Alina's expression shifted to one of anger, all her bottled-up emotions threatening to spill over. She clenched her fist, ready to hit me, but just then—

"HELP! Someone help me!"

A cry echoed in the distance, not too far from where we were standing. We rushed toward the sound. Upon arriving, we saw a grotesque figure holding the dismembered body of a young man. The beast was covered in light blue crystal scales and stood around seven feet tall, surrounded by eight men wielding axes and swords. The creature gazed at the corpse in its hand, seemingly oblivious to us newcomers or the violent mob trying to take it down.

"IT'S A DEMON!!"

"IT GOT MARCUS!!"

"LET'S KILL IT!"

The mob charged at the demon, but one by one, they were slaughtered. Alina signaled for us to help, but I didn't budge an inch.

"What are you doing? We have to help them! They're going to die if we don't intervene!" Alina shouted at me.

"That's not my problem."

Alina shot me a scowl before running off to assist them. Just as the demon was about to claim its fourth victim, Alina concentrated her ability on the ground, transforming it into quicksand. In response, the demon reached down to touch the quicksand, and within seconds, it began to crystallize. This solidification allowed the demon to break free with ease. It then directed its blood-red eyes at her, and the sight of the creature glaring at her caused her body to stiffen involuntarily.

"I see you've come. You're a Guardian, I presume," the demon said.

"What a well-spoken demon! He seems quite the gentleman too; you two would make a great match," I taunted Alina.

"Compared to you, even a demon is a catch." Alina shot back.

"Are you a Guardian too?" the demon asked, shifting its gaze to me.

"No, I'm just a useless human like the rest of them." I replied

"That's too bad. If it were two against one, maybe she would have stood a better chance."

The demon lunged at Alina, throwing a fist aimed directly at her face. She barely dodged, but the demon followed up with a kick to her abdomen. The force of the impact sent her crashing to her knees in pain, struggling to regain her breath. The blow had undoubtedly knocked the air out of her lungs. As the demon circled around her, it wore a disappointed expression and crystallized a sword from its own body.

It raised the sword above her head as if preparing for an execution. Just as the weapon came down with tremendous force, it suddenly liquidized upon impact. Instead of decapitating her, Alina was splashed with water.

"What's this?" the demon wondered, amusement flickering in its eyes.

"ARHAA!!" Alina unleashed a loud scream, and without warning, the area was engulfed in black smoke. The foul stench filled the air, and my vision blurred as I dropped to my knees, coughing uncontrollably. It felt as if I were being suffocated. This sudden change forced my body to adapt, taking on a bluish tint. My organs felt swollen, as if they had increased in size, allowing me to endure whatever this smoke was.

Having regained my composure, I looked around for any sign of Alina or the demon. Sure enough, there they were. The situation had done a complete 180; Alina was now standing over the demon, which was coughing uncontrollably.

"What is this? What have you done?" the demon gasped.

"It's called carbon monoxide. It's really dangerous for you to inhale, so why don't you close your mouth?" Alina replied, seemingly glowing with joy at the sight of the demon suffering beneath her.

"You bitch!" the demon roared.

"You know, when you kicked me in the stomach, it made it hard for me to breathe. I started thinking about ways I could make you suffer the same way I had, and then it clicked: I should turn the oxygen in the air to carbon monoxide so you won't be able to breath. "

"What is happening to me?" the demon asked in a frightened tone.

"At first, you'll experience confusion and disorientation as the gas infiltrates your system, binding to hemoglobin in your blood more effectively than oxygen. This will cause a decrease in the oxygen supply to your vital organs, causing a gradual weakening of your once formidable strength."

As the demon struggled to cope, it exhibited signs of distress—its skin, once vibrant, began to take on a pallid, ashen tone, reflecting its loss of vitality. Its breathing became labored, and the demon clutched at its throat, gasping for air as the gas overwhelmed its respiratory system. The once fierce and menacing presence was now a shadow of its former self, wracked by coughing fits and a deepening sense of panic.

In its final moments, the demon's eyes, usually filled with malice and power, widened in terror as it realized the inevitability of its fate. Alina knelt down and placed her hand on the demon's body, crystallizing it with a mere touch. She was being kind-hearted, ending the creature's suffering. I made my way over to her and stood by her side as she cradled the fallen creature.

"Are you alright? You did inhale the gas, didn't you?" I asked.

"I used my ability to filter it before it entered my body. I'll be fine." she replied

I extended my hand to her in an act of kindness, but she just stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"How long will you continue to act weak?" I asked.

"I'm not pretending to be weak," she replied.

"Yes, you are. Look around you," I said, gesturing to the bodies of the men who had tried to fight the demon. "You can't protect the people you love by being weak. With your help, I can ensure we survive this. So... will you help me?"

She took hold of my hand, and I pulled her to her feet.

"I'll help you, Banri," Alina said, staring into my eyes with conviction. "What do we do now?"

"Lets pay the demon lord a visit."