Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

26 Escape

The instruction from Akira needs no further clarification; his hand searches for an arrow in time as the glint of the sword pass in front of his eyes, and he uses the arrow as a shield. It cracks under pressure, and he has to roll further to his side to escape the weapon. The other guard is coming for Akira and Yunho, so now he has one guard all to himself.

It's time to play.

He jumps up, balancing himself as he locates the rest of his arrows. He doesn't have time to gather the rest of his arrows as the guard is intent on killing him right then, so he does a mental check on what he has: a bow and his hands. That's all he has to fight, but he doesn't complain. He will make do.

The enemy charges at him again, giving off a gruntled snort when the tip of his sword slices through his torso. However, the guard's eyes widen in surprise when he realises Seonghwa's body is unmarked - he had actually grabbed the blade with his hands, pushing it away from his body and letting the blood from his palms drip to the ground. For once, the guard thinks: the man in front of him is the devil himself.

Even under the limited light available, he sees Seonghwa's eyes clearly: they are red and only know death. Stunned by the sight, he loses grip of the sword and is pushed back. Seonghwa takes a moment to wipe off the blood from his palms, but he doesn't show any indication that he is in pain. In fact, he only looks dissatisfied with the state of his hands. Then he returns his gaze towards the guard.

The man stumbles to get up while Seonghwa advances towards him, already thumbing his bow. He feels the groove of his bow and he lets himself get absorbed in the situation: he is the prey and I am the predator. He ignores the sword on the ground as he pulls out his own bow, already forming a plan on how he can end his enemy's life. He lifts his bow past his shoulder, careful to aim for the scared prey's head. He did get to slam down his bow on the guard's head, but at the same time a sharp pain emanates from his backside and he falls on top of the guard. His hand immediately travels to his back; he can feel the wet sensation of his blood cascading down and the handle of a dagger sticking out from his flesh. He looks past his shoulders, and he sees another enemy. It must have been one of the guards from the top floors.

Almost shaking, he steadies himself before pulling out the dagger, gritting his teeth in the process. "ARGH!" he shouts, but he doesn't dwell in his own pain. Letting his blood drip messily, he grips the dagger so tight his knuckles turn white. The red in his irises intensifies. "My face will be the last thing you see," he growls.

With his bow in his right hand and the dagger in his left, he aims for the guard's stomach first as he stabs it with the tip of his bow. As the guard reels backwards, he throws away the bow, shifts the dagger over to his right hand before driving the blade into the man's back. The man lets out a whimper as the sharp weapon tears through his clothes then his skin, buried so deep he feels the short tip could have emerged from his front. Seonghwa pushes the guard's head backwards, slamming it against the wall of the tower. "I promised you my face will be the last thing you see, didn't I?" He rips off his mask, letting the guard see his face for the last time before his fingers curl around the man's neck, pressing it hard. The man's eyes look like they are about to pop off from his sockets and Seonghwa lets out a huff as the man slides to the ground, no longer alive.

Only when his own fight is over does he realize the severity of his wounds. He turns around to look for the rest of his entourage, and he sees Mingi idling awkwardly on the side, not knowing what to do. He grabs his mask off the ground, sprints over to Mingi before asking, "Have you seen the other two?"

"You're hurt!" Mingi exclaims, but he waves him off.

"It doesn't matter! Where are the others?"