Pandemonium

Pressure builds up within my chest and warmth covers my body whole as I let my souls energy flow through my veins and channel it into my bottom limbs, but also my arm equipped with a weapon. Faint sparks of electricity flashing violently surround me and my hair rises steadily as I become the slight beam of light in this darkness. I've successfully accumulated enough force, a portion of which I then transfer to the stick and toss it like a thunderbolt at my target.

The impact is just enough to move the beast by a step - it's exactly what I need. I move on to phase two of my operation and unleash the built-up energy within my legs all at once. Only a bright blinding flash can be seen as I traverse from my position across the landscape with lightening speed, grabbing my injured friend along the way.

Unfortunately enough I'm still incapable of properly controlling my power and an obstruction in our path forces us to a full stop. Though, I've managed to slow down sufficiently and avoided any major injuries. My legs are steadily going numb; I can barely move them, the stress generated by my ability is far too great. My body is too weak to manage that kind of power and my ability to control it isn't there just yet either.

To my surprise, even with my in-humane speed, the enemy was fast enough to react. It attempted to strike me with something and whatever it was covered me in wet marks. Wait, is this blood? Is it Hidiku's? I check up on my friend lying cushioned by my own body; his body bears some slight wounds, yet they don't seem to correspond with the amount of fluids drenching my clothes. I swiftly redirect my sight back to the threat - my eyes widen with disbelief.

Hanging by her short white hair, within the Demon's grasp lays the rescued boy's older sister. Covered in wounds and dirt, Himari's abdomen is slit open, leaving its contents hanging outside. The girl displays no emotions making it apparent she's already been through her hell and any strength she had left has been squeezed out with force.

My body is already shivering from stress when it's sent into a state of shock once more due to the sight of Himari. The smug-looking Demon seems to grin only in my presence. It slightly wiggles her relaxed body before sticking its tongue out, revealing a shiny object - It's a soul stone, it stole Himari's!

A soul stone is what makes using abilities possible. It's the core that fuels of with energy, hidden without our bodies. But it also happens to be the very thing Demons are after as consuming it gives them a boost in power. The boost depends on how much the vessel's power and how it has been refined through honing its skills. Losing it means losing your abilities altogether.

This thing… it's taunting me. I notice Hidiku's consciousness revert back to this cruel world when he grabs the cloth covering me and tightens his grip.

"You can still save her… please…"

Suffering from fatigue, he struggles to speak with his voice thin as a strand of hair. I look at the girl again - it's faint but visible. I can see her chest moving as she intakes air into her lungs. Can I really save her? - I begin to doubt myself and by doing so I only give the monster more time to mess with my head.

Equipped with nails sharp as blades, the Demon begins to bury them beneath its victim's facial skin. A single heartbeat reverberates within my body, a beat louder than any of the previous. Anger sprouts deep within my heart and spreads all the way to my mind. As a result, I lose control of my emotions, and without thinking I use all of the strength I have left.

Another sharp gust of wind, generated by my own kinetic energy, hits the ruined arena. I've crash-landed on my starting point and with Himari in my arms we continue rolling a bit further down the street. All I can feel is the pain of bruises and wounds covering my body, caused by my inability to control my own powers. Thankfully I've gotten my friend out of the enemy's clutches. Now we just need to find hel-

My words are immediately swallowed as I lower my gaze to check Himari's condition. However, before I'm even able to process her state, an unpleasant feeling swirls within my stomach as its contents are being forced out. Her face is gone. Completely ripped off, exposing her bloodied-up muscle tissue and yellowish fat. I can't recognize my friend anymore.

The urge is unstoppable and I once again throw up. Did I do this? Is this my fault? Blame towards myself fills up my shaken-up mind.

"I'm so sorry… Himari…"

I silently say just before I begin to weep tears and slowly progress to crying out loud. I can no longer even look at her face without becoming ill. The feelings of regret and sorrow overwhelm me. I feel disheartened and powerless once more. In the end, I couldn't do anything to save her. My mourning is soon interrupted by the movement I sense behind me.

I sneak a glance at the demon. It's approaching me while chewing on Himari's remains, I can see some of her skin poking through its powerful-looking jaws. All I can do is hopelessly stare it down.

What should I do? I can't run away. I can't even feel my legs. My ability has rendered them useless. But… I don't want to die. The demon eventually appears above me, and as Himari's blood drips from its stiff jaw, I gaze at its awful grin, knowing it's the last thing I will ever see. I close my eyes as all hope escapes my list of possibilities.

I catch the sound of a rock hitting the ground before me. I open my eyes and see the demon above me turning its focus away. Moments later, a rock strikes it and drops to the ground, creating the same noise I heard just earlier.

"Yuuna! Run!"

A voice beckons me, and I turn to face the direction where the sound is coming from. It's Charlotte. She's desperately throwing rocks at it, but there's no point. I can't use my legs. I don't even have enough strength to tell her anymore.

"What are you doing, Yuuna? Get away from it, NOW!"

She's still trying to distract it. I guess she doesn't realize that It's already over. There is nothing we can do. Please run, Charlotte. Take Lena and run… please.

The monster puts its fist into motion and I can see my life flash before my eyes, yet there's no impact. Not even any kind of physical contact I could feel. For whatever reason the finishing blow hasn't been delivered. Instead, the beast's arm is severed in two.

As if nothing had ever happened, the demon calmly straightens up and an arm materializes from its bloody wound. The rapidity of the beast's regeneration abilities astounds me. But what I want to know is why its arm suddenly fell off. Did Charlotte do that? My mind becomes puzzled to the extent that I fail to notice the footsteps coming from behind me.

"Are you alright?"

It's a boy whose voice I don't recognize. I swiftly direct my attention to him. He appears to be approximately Lena's age dressed in black. His short, spiky black hair is imperfectly concealed beneath the general cap he is wearing. His crimson eyes lock onto mine as his dark cloak sways in the light breeze.

He looks just a little bit taller than me. He also has a katana strapped to his hip. Could he be the one who has wounded the demon? The mysterious person offers me a hand to help me get up and I take it with gratitude. Is he a soldier? His military uniform differs from everyone else's of this town. Who is he?

"Was she someone close?"

He calmly asks me as he views Himari lying on the ground. I confirm with a nod.

"You have my condolences."

The boy takes notice of the demon looking our way. It became angered. With each step the beast makes, its movement speed increases until it finally transitions into a full sprint. We find ourselves within the demon's range when it waves one of its arms at us, and as the force hits the ground, a small layer of dust gets lifted into the air, ending up covering us whole.

It's only a matter of seconds before we swiftly emerge from the cloud with my arm in the boy's grasp. He pulled me further back together with Himari's body, to where Charlotte is standing, ensuring a better chance of my safety. It all happens so fast. Before I get to say a single word, my savior is gone within the blink of an eye as I observe him beginning the assault.

"Yuuna… who is that?

I look at my older sister, standing above me with an expression showing strictly the feeling of terror. She's glancing at the lifeless body lying on the ground next to me.

"Is that…"

Charlotte knows exactly who it is, her face is proof of that. But the cruelty of this truth makes her hesitant to ask. Seeing her in this state only makes my urge to cry stronger.

"It's Himari."

Shifting my gaze away from her while tilting my head downwards, I hide my face, and then give her the unwanted answer. I tried to avoid eye contact, yet I still witnessed her kneel before me in disbelief. It feels like it's too big of a shock to shed tears.

My thoughts are rapidly interrupted by a sudden loud bang made from within the ongoing showdown.

It's a battle to the death. The young soldier is driven back as the angered demon swings its two rock-hard-looking arms. Every attempt at a blow is either evaded or deflected by the boy's sword. Though the beast's fury is fraying, its strikes are still well-aimed. …Until one of its missed whips gets mocked by the boy.

His arrogant look and protruding tongue make the monster furious. Although it may appear clever, it is certainly not on a human level. At its core, it's still just a beast. The demon swings its fist at the youngster, this time with considerably greater force and range, but it's uncontrolled and driven purely by anger. It's a mistake the soldier takes full advantage of.

One step to the left. The demon waves to the boy's right side, the boy leans forward and spins in the same direction as the single step he made, slicing across its abdomen in the process, but he isn't done just yet. Due to the monster's wide attack, its side is now fully open, and under its ribcage, another scar develops.

The demon won't give in and attempts to defend itself, but the young soldier has already taken command. All of the demon's strikes, although launched one after another, are successfully blocked within an instant. The fight is heating up, it's getting more intense with each second. I can hardly keep up with them as I see the soldier leaping and whirling all around the beast.

"We need to help the others. Let's make use of this opportunity and find them while he's distracting the demon."

Charlotte is back on her feet and she looks determined, but I'm still shaken up after everything that has happened. Did she get over it already? No… her hands are shaking, her cheeks are still bright red beneath all the dirt. She's forcing herself into this. My sister is right, we need to secure them while we can.

"I've left Hidiku over on the other side. He should be safe there, but I haven't seen Enmei. He could be in danger."

I rise up to match my older sister's spirit to at least some extent.

"Alright. In that case, let's go look for him first."

And with that, we move out. During the ongoing fight, the soldier is doing a good job keeping the beast in one place, making it easier for us to circle around. After some time of searching through destroyed paths and crumbled buildings, we finally managed to spot our friend.

Enmei is lying beneath a wall, covered in its contents. Most likely the remains of someone's home. He's unconscious. Charlotte quickly crouches down in front of him and places one ear next to Enmei's lips.

"He's breathing!"

That's a relief. I don't know if I could take losing another friend. Slowly and carefully, we begin to remove the debris. After lifting one of the stone bricks, I find a bloody bruise on one of his thighs.

"There's a chance his leg might be fractured."

Charlotte informs me. Can we move him like this? I'm worried. We become troubled trying to find a way to help Enmei. I don't know how to check if it's broken and I don't want to worsen it either.

"If only Lena was here."

My sister murmurs, most likely without thinking. I don't expect it and so my eyes once again tear up without a chance of stopping. Realizing her words aren't helping the situation, she swiftly directs her attention toward me and embraces me in her arms.

"I'm sorry. But it's alright, Lena is safe."

I glance over at my older sister sitting once she lets go of me and spot a rock heading straight for us from above.

"Watch out!"

I yell out as I cover my sister's body with my own. The rock misses us and hits a house further behind us. I've completely overlooked the fact that there's still a fight going on as well as my legs being nearly out of juice. Just getting here was enough of a stretch.

"We need to get him out right now. It's too dangerous to wait for someone else to help."

Charlotte stands up and carries the boy on her back.

"I will move him to Lena. You go get Hidiku."

She says before carrying Enmei away. Isn't he heavy? I only turn around for a moment when I hear the soldier's voice.

"Watch out!"

Who is that directed at? I point my gaze toward the boy; he's looking Charlotte's way as the demon flees and heads in her direction. Its arms are in place, it can regenerate this fast? It's not letting her get away easily. Charlotte is frozen in her tracks as she watches the beast rush towards her while rapidly regenerating its arm.

"Shadow Art - ninth form: Eclipse!"

Just before my elder sister's eyes, the young soldier descends on the beast's back from above with great force, pushing it down to the ground. He then slashes the beast's head off. The cut was precise and the sound of the blade sliding through the thick flesh was satisfying to hear. The path of the blade leaves behind a shining fiery trail, creating a lare ring that appears to be running through the beast's throat.

Dust briefly blanketed Charlotte and Enmei as a result of the hit, but the demon's severed head continued to move through it and gently tapped Charlotte's foot. She panics and drops flat on her butt.

"So your brain was inside your head after all."

Says the boy as he stands on top of the freshly deceased body that's now slowly disintegrating into ashes. A kind of weird thing to say. Where else was it supposed to be? And what was that call out he made? It almost sounded like a chant of some sort, not to mention the move he used. It was kind of cool...

As I'm mesmerized by our savior, he proceeds to pick up two soul stones that are left behind. One of them is Himari's… Oh right, I still need to get Hidiku.

I hear slow-moving footsteps behind me. It sounds almost as if someone is limping toward us, and I'm right. It's Hidiku, now about to fall over. I catch him as gently as I can; he's gasping for air.

"What are you doing?! You shouldn't be moving!"

I reprimand him with concern. He asks a query in response. A situation I've never dreamed of finding myself in is now present.

"How's… my sister?"

Should I be truthful in my response? He's already in poor condition, so it could wait until later, right? No, even if I wait, how am I going to tell him his sister has died? As I pause to brainstorm for an appropriate answer, Hidiku pushes on.

"Yuuna... Where is she?"

Anxiety begins to rise within me yet again. I'm not too fond of this feeling. I don't want to be the one to tell him. Before I know it, I give him the first words of comfort I can come up with.

"Don't worry about her. We need to get you patched up."

"Yuuna, answer me! Where is my sister?!"

Hidiku aggressively grabs my collar as he raises his voice. I'm startled, unable to give him a straight answer. Instead, I look at the ground in silence and fear combined.

"I'm sorry."

That's the only thing left within my chaos-struck mind, repeating itself over and over again.

"Hidiku. This way."

With those few words Charlotte stole his attention and I'm released from his grip. I can see the discomfort and grief leaking through the serious face my sister is trying to put up. She took over the role I'm unable to fulfill. Both of them head back as I observe with the soldier.

I'm sorry, Charlotte. Why did things have to end up like this? I sink to my knees and stare up at the pitch-black sky, overcome with regret. If it weren't for that single Demon, we would have been peacefully sleeping in our beds right now. Wait, what about mom and dad? Are they alright?

Soon enough my thoughts are interrupted by a cry in the distance. He found her. I can't bring myself to look his way. I couldn't even bring myself to lead him to his sister or comfort him. What a friend I am. And so I quietly pronounce a single sentence, only to be heard by myself.

"I feel pathetic."

After which, two watery droplets, one from each eye, come running down my face.

"Hey, girl."

The young soldier walks up to me just before handing me a small object.

"I'm pretty sure this is your friend's"

It's Himari's soul stone. Small, sharp and rigid. It looks like any other rock you could pick up from the ground with some small extra details. Just that it's yellow in color. Hard to believe this small thing is the source of our powers.

"They say that the colour of a person's soul stone reflects their heart. Yellow usually represents warmth and kindness. She must have been a good person."

I nod in approval as I continue to stare down at what are my friend's remains. Though soon enough my vision begins to dim and shortly after I black out.

———

Black. Pitch black. That's all my eyes discern. I gaze into the darkness, but no matter how hard I look, no light is present. Where am I? What happened? I can't see my legs. The only thing assuring me that I'm standing is the sensation I'm feeling at the bottom of my feet.

"Charlotte? Hidiku? Anyone?"

I call out to the two I recall being with the most recent but get no response.

"Is anyone there?"

Still nothing. There's no echo, and I'm not being kept in some kind of empty room. That's the most I can make out of my situation because I'm still perplexed. My mental condition is steadily being overtaken by fear. I take each step cautiously and gently, moving forward. I keep walking, but the trail appears to go on forever. My footfall is the only sound I hear for some time as I stutter through the pitch-blackness. Suddenly, I detect another noise.

What was that? The closest way I can think of to describe it is the sound of chains dragging across the floor. It's become clear that I'm not alone. The din is all around me. I scan every angle of the space but can't find anyone. What's more, I no longer remember where I was heading. Wandering around in the darkness wasn't the best idea.

"Who's there?"

I let my voice resonate through the open space, with no response. Instead, I hear a peculiar hissing sound. A cat? Some kind of an animal? I get the feeling that it's hostile. I take a few careful steps back before suddenly going blind, although briefly. I soon get my sight back, and to my astonishment, I see light shining down on me.

I'm so confused. What the hell is going on? Where is that light coming from? There's no source visible whatsoever. Once more, I hear the rattling of chains echoing around me, which makes me feel more uneasy. Let me out! I don't want to be here! I'm scared! As soon as these thoughts run through my mind, I spot a pair of crimson dots resembling eyeballs glowing through the layers of darkness. A chill runs down my spine.

My first instinct is to run, but a single step back is all I make when I see the illuminated edge of the glowing circle surrounding me. I feel secure here. I'm not keeping an eye on whatever is hiding in the shadows, and upon realizing it could be lurking up on me this very moment, I frantically begin searching for the entity.

I scan the area from left to right until I spot the creature again. It doesn't make me feel any more at ease. It begins to move. The two red pupils first descend to a point just above the ground, then they furiously zigzag around the area. As panic sets in, I take a few steps back out of instinct. My anxiety is peaking. I then lose control, trip over my foot, and land on my butt.

Just before entering the circle of light, the silhouette vanishes, leaving no trance. Alright, Yuuna, calm down and take a deep breath; my heart is racing. I've almost left the lit-up area, I was sitting on the edge of it. Am I safe? Where did it go? Unable to comprehend the situation, I continue to stare ahead.

"Time's up."

A sinister female voice whispers into my ear. It startles me and forces out a reaction; I quickly direct my view toward whoever just spoke to me. Once more, the two red eyes meet mine, this time point-blank, staring. I startle awake when I open my eyes and find myself gasping in terror. It was just a dream, a nightmare. I cross my arms over my chest and clench my hands; the chills are not at all comfortable.

But of course, it's chilly, It's still spring, and I'm outside, cold, probably around where I was just earlier… wait, what happened? Have I passed out? And what am I laying on? I wonder because, unlike rocks or soil, the surface seemed strange but soft. I look to my right and find Lena right next to me.

She's sleeping, facing away from me, leaning against a wall. It seems I've been taking a nap on her legs. A sudden light beam comes into view, forcing me to cover my eyes. The sun is rising, blinding me while revealing Lena's right side from the darkness. I stand up and walk over to my older sister in an effort to rouse her up. I don't want her to catch a cold out here, so I grab her right shoulder and gently shake her.

"Lena, wake up. You will get sick sleeping out in the cold."

I release my hold on her, and she stumbles to the corner of the wall. I approach my sister to pick her up, but for some reason I have a strange feeling. The upper portion of my sister's torso is shaded by a structure blocking the sun's path. Lena's body is entirely exposed as soon as the light passes over the building.

The left half of her face is detached from the flesh, ultimately revealing it while hanging on to the right half only. My legs lose all of their power, and I find myself on my knees. My blood pressure increases and my breathing becomes uncontrollable. My head is starting to spin.

"Lena?"

My eyes begin to tear up as I firmly grasp my hair. I think I'm going crazy.

"This isn't real! It can't be!"

I finally give in to the rage that has been building up inside of me the entire time, and in tears, I begin to yell from the bottom of my lungs while facing the ground.

"Why?... Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why Lena? Why Himari? Wasn't one enough already? How many more are you going to take from us? How much more are you going to make us suffer? What have we done to deserve this? To hell with God! Is this your idea of enjoyment? Do you take please from seeing us being tortured, you freak?! To hell with the powers you have gifted us! They are useless! They… I'm… I'm so powerless."

Overcome with dread and driven by hatred, I curse God together with the holy powers he has gifted us. I'm breaking down.

"Lena, Himari, they didn't deserve this. So why, God? Why have you forsaken them? Why have you forsaken us?"

I have so much more that I want to say and so much rage that I want to express, but at the same time, I'm exhausted. All the squealing is making me tired. And so, with just tears by my side, I come to an end of my diatribe. Or so I think.

"Yuuna."

I'm still trembling, struggling to breathe when I hear a crooked voice calling out to me. What was that? It doesn't sound in the least bit human. And the tone, it's as if it's trying to sound friendly but can't disguise its sinister tone. I take a look at Lena; I'm sure it came from behind the corner of the wall she is leaning on. I go cautiously in the direction of the towering wall since it doesn't appear as though the creature intends to show itself. Is it the demon? But it was defeated. Is there more than just one of them? If there is, it might as well take my life too.

That's not the case, though. More than I could have imagined, what I discover around that corner completely petrifies me. A tall and slim figure, the body, resembles a demon's. Its abdomen is open, allowing the intestines to protrude. But its head is what grabs my attention.

Its face closely resembles Himari. It's in the same condition as when I last saw her lifeless, decomposing body. Why? why can't you just let her rest?

"Yuuna, it's me. I'm back."

It says, even giggles, and gives me a smile at the end. The thing is trying to impersonate her. I still didn't get a break to catch my breath, my lungs are being pushed to work even harder than before, yet they are already at their breaking point.

"Yuuna. Yuuna, what's wrong? Yuuna."

Shut up! Please! Make it stop! I'm left standing there, unable to inhale properly anymore, just gasping aggressively as the creature repeatedly calls out my name. And when I'm about to pass out, I open a new pair of eyes again, then jolt up. Just this time, I find myself covered in tears, screaming uncontrollably.

"Yuuna, calm down! It's me!"

I don't have time to take in my surroundings before I'm instantly offered a firm hug. I temporarily stop sobbing as I try to comprehend my predicament.

"It was just a nightmare. Everything is alright now."

This scent. That's Lena's voice and she's alright. Somehow I can tell this isn't a dream. This is real. I'm so overcome with relief that I start crying again, but this time my tears are more subdued and less dreadful. They are tears of joy. Then someone else comes up behind me and pats me on the head.

"There, there, no need to worry. You are safe here."

It's Charlotte. I can finally rest with ease knowing that my two sisters are next to me, hugging me tightly.