INDECISIVE • KNY

Thirteen

You froze up, your body stiffening like your bones had been frozen by his gaze and for a moment, you felt as if you were dead with color draining from your face, air pushed out of your lungs as the hands of indescribable agony pulled at your ribs, expressing the helplessness and struggle the being inside of you felt, it was looking at you with something akeen to fondness but with its scleras painted bright red and orbs a yellow you could only compare to the rageful sun, you knew it was not because your existence pleased the demon but because you would benefit it in a way or another, dependant on whatever plans fleeted in and out of his hollow mind.

Trembling, you began to shake as your orbs shifted towards Itsuki who seemed to not care much for the words that left the lips of the human-like entity as it was meaningless to him, completely void of reason for him to care much less spare a thought about as he applied pressure to his arm, a slight hiss leaving him. You knew he was suffering, the pain must have felt excruciating as you grasped on to the edges of what remained of his haori, tugging twice to catch his attention. You were no idiotic to think that you would be able to defeat it with sheer strength alone, many were dead and much more were struggling to stay alive because of it — it was evident who was more superior.

This was the fifth night, two more and you would be free to go down the mountain as soon as the surviving participants were able. You didn't need to fight this demon, you didn't need to lose more individuals from the hands of this demon, you didn't need complete victory, being a coward was okay more often than not as you screamed for everyone to just run away, the unoccupied ones glancing at you before nodding their heads.

But it seemed hope did not shine on your group today as it grinned, laughing maliciously and with terrifying glee that you almost wanted to die by your own hands for a death less painful, it came to face a crowd of boys in their mid-teens before it lunged forward with a speed that took you aback, its claws ripping apart skin as it continued to cackle, the sounds being drowned out by the screams of despair by people you knew you could not assist no matter how much strength you borrowed from the gods. You grimace before dragging Itsuki away as quickly as possible, he was far too injured and having an encounter with a demon who was obviously mighty was not something you wouldn't like him to do if you didn't want him to die.

"what the hell?! We need to help them!"

He exclaimed loudly, anger lingering in his words as he furrowed his brows while he dug his foot on the ground, successfully stopping but you shook your head, pushing him down with enough force out of nowhere. Crouching down to his current stature, you placed two hands on his shoulders firmly with lips pursed, you didn't want to do this frankly, you'd rather run away now and avoid any threats but you had your responsibilities as a part of this group and as a fellow participant and that was to assist the others as much as you could.

Some would call you selfless but you'd only call yourself human for those who allowed the weak and the helpless to die when they could have done something were shameful. But you understood them, not everyone was chivalrous enough to throw their life away but you assured yourself that you wouldn't be doing such, you would only be lending it to death for a moment before stealing it back without notice.

"you stay here. I'll go help them. You're injured. You'll only kill more people and end up getting killed as well."

It wasn't true — well, perhaps it was in a sense of changed perspectives but that wasn't what you believed as you knew how capable Itsuki was as both a person and as a potential demon slayer. But you knew stating the worst possible situation to him in the bluntest way possible was best, you didn't want him to be blinded by his humanity and forget about his own life. Being brave was one thing and being suicidal was another, they were two different things that needed to be separated for the sake of sanity on whoever needed to think of it so deeply.