Survival (1)

"Crim, there's something approaching,"

Mia whispered as they walked through the dense forest. This part of the wood seemed different, as the trees grew to about twice the size of their usual sightings.

Even though they seemed normal, the forest itself bore an ominous feeling as winds howled during the day. The shade provided by the broad canopies of the trees gave the forest a cool yet weary vibe, as it felt as if every leaf that fell to the ground was a warning of death.

"Omniscient being, grant me the ability to know my surroundings."

Crimson chanted, his body radiating his usual aura. It could be clearly made out that his glow had intensified, proof of his relentless hard work over their stay in the demonic realm.

He sensed an ominous aura approaching from the distance, scattered around them in a circular pattern and approaching at a steady pace.

The way the aura seemed to move proved that whatever targeted them was wary, seemingly trained in the art of assassination.

In an instant, the aura disappeared, leaving on Crimson's face a dreaded look as he'd never experienced such an occurrence.

"Omniscient being, grant me the power to identify my enemies."

Before his aura could reform, an arrow struck through his chest, distorting his concentration. He fell to the ground, feeling like his body had been paralyzed as he couldn't move a muscle. Blood oozed out of his chest, staining his already miserable clothes that seemed like they'd been through a lot.

"Goddess of protection, grant me your divine shield."

Mia chanted in an instant upon noticing Crimson fall to the ground.

Even before getting the chance to tend to him, she was shot with several arrows. The futile attack of the enemy was persistent, as within seconds, over a dozen precise arrows clashed against Mia's divine armor, all aimed at instant kill spots.

"Omniscient being, grant me the power to identify my enemies,"

Crimson muttered, using his mana-avoiding healing technique to override his paralysis to a manageable rate.

"I'll kill you all,"

Mia exclaimed as she drew out her sword, slashing in front of her.

"What the?"

She muttered, surprised, as none of the trees fell after her attack, since that was the first time something as such had happened.

"What's going on here?"

She thought, raising her guard and assuming a battle posture as her eyes darted through the woods.

"Goddess of gifts..."

"God of war..."

"Cat spirits..."

She chanted, knowing that whatever was happening wasn't a bluff or a coincidence.

"Ah,"

Crimson expressed the lingering pain in his body as he stood to his feet, pulling out the arrow from his chest. The wound instantly closed up, leaving but a mere scar and a hole through his suit.

"I knew you would be alright. You had me worried there,"

Mia said, not breaking her concentration as she expressed her confidence in Crimson's capabilities.

Still not having a clue about his actual power, she inquired, knowing that he would know what's happening.

But before she could part her lips, a gust of wind blew through the forest. It seemed usual, just being a little intense compared to the norm, but it bore a peculiar chill as if it was frozen.

In an instant, the leaves that prevented them from viewing the skyline began to shake. Within seconds, they rained on them like boulders, each crushing into the ground upon impact and leaving a mark.

"Crim!" Mia exclaimed as she pushed Crimson to the ground, shielding him from the deadly downpour with her body.

"Mia, this entire place..."

Crimson said, worry in his eyes as he saw Mia actually feel the pain of the falling leaf-sized boulders raining on her back.

"I know,"

She interrupted him, still bearing a firm and straight face.

The rain lasted a few seconds. Blood drooled out of Mia's mouth as she couldn't handle the weight of things.

The warmth of the sun could be felt as all the trees in a few meter radius had shed their leaves. Even so, nothing could be made out that resembled an actual demon or enemy or any sort.

Mia stood up, cleaning the blood from her lips as she gave Crimson a hand.

But before they could think of anything else, the leaves of the trees began to grow back, seeming to make a complete recovery in a minute.

"Crim, what should we do? I don't think we can win this one,"

Mia said, still bearing a firm tone that proved she still had a fighting spirit, even though she knew the situation was dire.

"I guess I have to use another skill then,"

Crimson replied with a depressed tone, expressing his emotionless demeanor.

"Unleash!"

He muttered as the aura around his body broke like glass. His emotionless demeanor was replaced by a sense of seriousness as his crimson eyes shone like a blood moon appearing as the sun set.

"What's this?"

Mia thought, since this was the first time she'd seen Crimson in such a state. It could be clearly seen that he'd gotten stronger, as a new aura evolved around his body, not one that seemed to be given by a chant, but his raw strength manifesting itself.

"Mia, sorry for keeping this a secret from you. It's just that I realized I had this power not so long ago, after getting here to be precise,"

he said as he looked at Mia, who stood behind him with a side eye.

The winds that blew as a result of him unleashing his power settled down within seconds as he completed his awakening.

"I don't know how long I can hold this state, but I need to protect Mia. I still can't pinpoint the location of the people who were moving in, but I know one thing now: this entire forest is our enemy, and we have to survive."

The canopy completed its regrowth as it began to shiver once more, raining another storm in a matter of seconds.

"Crim!" Mia exclaimed, prepared to lay down her life to protect her love. But instead of that, Crimson pulled out his sword and skillfully blocked any and all leaves that flew their way with ease, seeming like he could read the movement of the leaves.