Fiery Red Colours

Chapter 27: Turning Tides

Warning: THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

Your mind was blank and you weren't comprehending any of your surroundings. Adrenaline was coursing through your veins as your numb body went into autopilot and you threw yourself to the ground to avoid Orochi's sneak attack.
You landed with a thud and winced at the impact. Oh well it was better than getting tackled by that crazy puppeteer.

"Tch." Orochi gritted his teeth to stifle the stinging wound in his shoulder as the agony magnified when he jostled about in his sudden movements. He felt a searing sensation in his shoulder area and he staggered to his feet to glare at you.

Steak, who watched you from the corner of his eyes, released the breath that he was holding when he saw you barely dodge the fallen angel. However, with his focus temporarily shifted, Queen Conch took this opportunity to strike at him.

"How dare you look away! I'll make you pay for everything you've done to me! Face me!"

With a war cry, Queen Conch sent herself hurling at Steak who rose his twin swords to form an X in front of him like a shield, just in time to protect himself from the Queen's massive shell at the last minute.

"Why are you doing this," Steak growled lowly, his eyes locking with the fallen angel's as they pushed against each other. Her crooked smirk set him on edge and he felt himself getting overpowered when he felt himself get pushed back slightly. Where is Red Wine??

"I'm just adding a little more challenge to your daily pillages, my dear," her cold, sickly sweet voice lingered in the air as she finished "of course with a dash of revenge from all my soldiers you've killed."

Her hatred gave way to more norepinephrine being produced in her body and gave her muscles a boost that caught Steak by surprise. Her eyes widening with mad glee, Queen Conch brought her hardest, densest shell that was charged with magic, and swung it down towards Steak's crossed swords. To his horror, he watched his swords crack with a spiderweb pattern before completely shattering to the floor.

Oh fuck.

Nervous sweat beaded his brow as he re-evaluated the situation. Where IS Red Wine???

His thoughts were answered and he found the asshole staring at something behind them. Following his line of vision, he saw a trail of Orochi's blood left on the floor and he swallowed hard. His rival's sudden change of demeanour can turn the tides of battle against them.

Red Wine's eyes were wide and his breathing was shaky and uneven as he stared at the crimson liquid pouring from Orochi's shoulder. The smell of iron was thick which only made it worse for the vampire-like food soul.

There's a famous saying -familiarity breeds contempt. This was exactly the case for Steak and Red Wine for their relationship is nothing short of endless competition and insults. However, over the many years of their rivalry, if Steak hadn't learnt anything he would've at least picked up on Red Wine's extreme sensitivity to blood. Even the faintest smell of the substance would unhinge the purple food soul and make him go nuts. Now is no exception.

"Red Wine snap out of it!" bellowed Steak as he pivoted to the left to avoid a random shell Queen Conch chucked at him. He ran over to him and shook his comrade's shoulders, his attempts futile as the unfocused look on Red Wine's face didn't go away. "Damn it!"
Steak brought his hand back and harshly connected his palm to Red Wine's face, a sharp smack rung through the clearing, leaving Steak's red hand red and stinging.

Cupping his red cheek, Red Wine hissed in pain and sneered up at the red head. "You know what I'm going through, I hate this but I can't... do this..." He trailed off as he admitted his biggest weakness. "Damn it Steak I'm losing my fucking head!"

Weighing the options in his head, Steak tried to come up with the best solution for their tight situation. If Red Wine helps him fight Queen Conch, he'd still be able to smell the blood when he faces the other way and that would only slow both of them down. If he releases Red Wine to fill his dark desires - to spill as much blood as he can, he'd risk injuring you when he mindless slashes about.

Fuck. Only one option.

"Run home and get B-52's team," he firmly stated as he steadied Red Wine. "We need back up."

Sucking in a gulp of air, Red Wine didn't need to be told twice as he took off into the path they initially came from.

"And make sure you bring a healer while you're at it!" Steak added, hoping the retreating food soul heard his message.

Orochi bit his lower lip and glowered. Even your best healers won't save you after I'm done.
He slid his white, traditional mask on his face and once again charged at you, this time at a lower velocity due to his injuries.

Orochi is usually a long range fighter, using illusions to break his prey instead of engaging in on close up combat, so weaponry was not his forte at all. You knew this well and stood your ground with your frying pan at the ready, eyes looking at everywhere but the red gleaming orbs that were Orochi's eyes.

This is going to be hard, I can't look directly into his eyes or I'm fucked.

You stood there, guard up and trying your damn hardest to not look him in the eye as you watched his legs hop from spot to spot to dodge Black Tea's flying bullets.

"Oh the irony, the defence is defenceless now. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Steak bit his lip at Queen Conch's comment, despising the truth of reality as he stood empty handed and vulnerable. Not to mention his attention was compromised as it was split between the bitch in front of him and the battle behind his back.
"Focus Steak focus..." he mumbled to himself, feeling his heart pump erratically.
"I just need to stall them long enough for that bastard Red Wine to come back."

Queen Conch sprinted towards the red head, a sharp shell in her right hand as she prepared to tackle him and finish him off by slashing his guts out.

Steak's body went into a frenzy has fight-or-flight took over. For some reason his legs started moving on their own and before he knew it, he was charging back at the shelled woman, weaponless.

Wait SHIT what am I doing??!

The two made impact with a brief crack, then a sickening squelch sound. The sound of a sharp object imbedding itself into flesh.

Steak squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as he felt the cringy, nails on a chalkboard feeling go down his spine and back up again. It felt awful. Not to mention the warm liquid running down his forehead felt gross.

Wait. Warm? Liquid? ...Blood?

Snapping back to his senses, Steak lifted his head from his bowing posture and immediately felt nauseous at the sight before him.

The once proud and condescending fallen angel had all traces of arrogance wiped off from her face. Her eyes were wide and unfocused and a trail of blood trickled down the side of her slightly opened mouth that took a choked up breath.

Imbedding in her once armoured chest, was Steak's right horn, it's based protruding from her flesh as a stream of her life essence spilled from the sides.

She blinked twice before falling to her knees and then to her side, lifelessly slumped on the floor.