A grin split Luna's lips, her eyes glinting with a manic, untamed light. The tension that had coiled through her shoulders melted away, replaced by a simmering, electric excitement. It was as if the sight of the beast, its empty, lifeless eyes fixed on her, had flipped a switch inside her — a switch that unleashed something wild.
Before he could even process what was happening, Luna's fists clenched, and the air around her began to hum. It was a deep, resonant vibration that seemed to seep into Tatsuya's bones, making his teeth chatter. Mana swirled around her hands, crackling like lightning and burning blue as it condensed into her fists.
The glow intensified, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat. The very air around them shuddered, as if recoiling from the sheer power radiating from her.
Her voice rang out, clear and fierce, each word like a thunderclap that echoed through the trees:
"Let walls quake and silence die,
Let voices scream and shadows fly!
By shock and sound, by blast and breath,
Ring the roar of sudden death!"
Her right fist snapping forward in a sharp, vicious strike. The glow around her fist flared, blazing like a comet.
"Sonic Boom!"
The air exploded.
A concussive blast tore through the clearing, the force so immense that the ground itself shook beneath Tatsuya's feet. The shockwave hit the beast square in the stomach, and in that instant, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, the beast's midsection ruptured.
The impact was so intense, so devastating, that the creature's flesh caved inward, imploding around Luna's fist before detonating outward in a spray of blood and entrails.
The shockwave didn't just pierce the beast; it tore straight through it, blowing a gaping hole clean through its torso. Blood splattered across the ground in a gruesome rain, painting the forest floor in crimson streaks. Fragments of bone and flesh splattered against nearby trees, and the air reeked of burnt meat and ruptured organs.
Its lifeless corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud, blood pooling beneath it, soaking into the moss like ink into a sponge.
Luna straightened, lowering her fist, her breath coming in short, heavy pants. The blue glow dissipated, the light fading back into her skin. She shook out her hand as if to dispel the lingering tingling sensation.
Tatsuya stood frozen, his sword still raised, his jaw slack.
Not because he was afraid. Not anymore. The fear that had once gnawed at him like a festering wound had vanished, burned away by the sight before him.
Because in that moment, as Luna's chest heaved and the air still vibrated with the aftershocks of her attack, all Tatsuya could think was...
She is strong.
Not just strong. Ridiculously, overwhelmingly strong.
He had thought she was just trouble maker, a girl who had been relying on him to protect her. But now… now he saw her in a completely different light.
Luna shook her hand again, rolling her shoulders as if the entire event had been nothing more than a warm-up.
Luna chuckled, her shoulders relaxing. The manic light in her eyes dimmed, and her breathing began to steady. "Well," she said, shaking out her hand. "Guess that's that."
She started to turn, her gaze seeking Tatsuya's. "See? Nothing to—"
But the words died on her lips.
A shadow moved behind her.
A second beast lunged from the underbrush, its black, oily fur gleaming as it burst forward with terrifying speed. Its maw opened wide, revealing rows of crooked, bloodstained fangs. Its eyes — empty, hollow, dead — bore into Luna with an almost human-like malice.
"Luna!" Tatsuya shouted, his heart leaping to his throat.
But it was too late.
The beast's jaws snapped shut around Luna's leg.
A sickening crunch echoed through the clearing.
Luna screamed, the sound raw and visceral, tearing through the air like a wounded animal. The beast's fangs sank deep, puncturing muscle and sinew, shredding through flesh as it thrashed its head back and forth like a rabid hound. Blood spattered across the ground, a dark spray that splashed against Tatsuya's boots.
Luna's body convulsed, her fingers clawing at the dirt as she tried to pull herself free. But the beast's jaws only tightened, its grip unrelenting.
Tatsuya's limbs moved before his mind could catch up, his sword swinging in a wild, desperate arc. "Get off her!"
The blade struck the beast's shoulder, slicing through flesh but barely grazing bone. The creature snarled, its eyes snapping to Tatsuya, black and empty and devoid of anything resembling life.
It released Luna's leg, letting her crumple to the ground like a rag doll. Blood poured from the torn flesh, soaking through her pants and pooling beneath her. Luna's breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, her teeth clenched as she fought to keep from screaming.
The beast turned toward Tatsuya, its fangs bared, fresh blood dripping from its maw. Its eyes glistened with that same mindless hunger, that same relentless, insatiable void.
Tatsuya's heart thundered in his chest. This is it. This is the moment.
But before he could so much as raise his sword, Luna's voice cut through the air, harsh and biting.
"Get back!"
Tatsuya stumbled, his gaze snapping to Luna.
Despite the blood pouring from her leg, despite the agony contorting her features, Luna was glaring at the beast, her eyes blazing with a fury that was almost inhuman.
She planted one shaking hand against the ground, forcing herself upright. Her injured leg trembled beneath her, blood continuing to flow, staining her boot and pooling around her foot. But she didn't falter.
Instead, she raised her uninjured arm, and the air around her crackled, pulsing with raw, unbridled mana.
Her palm shot forward, the blue light blazing like a comet tearing through the night.
"Lunaire beam!"
A beam of mana ripped through the clearing, the force so intense that it sent a gust of wind howling past Tatsuya's face. The blast struck the beast dead center, the impact so devastating that the creature's entire body, collapsing.
The beast dropped like a stone, its corpse hitting the ground with a wet, sickening thud. The air was still, the only sound the ragged, labored breaths coming from Luna's throat.
Luna swayed, her shoulders slumping, the light around her fist flickering and dying. Her eyes were half-lidded, her brow furrowed in pain. The blood from her leg continued to flow, soaking through the torn fabric and dripping onto the ground in rhythmic, nauseating splatters.
Tatsuya's legs moved on their own. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees beside her, his hands hovering uselessly over the wound. The sight of the shredded flesh, the torn muscle, the bone peeking through the mangled skin made bile rise in his throat.
Put pressure on the wound!! Tatsuya screamed to himself.
That was the only thing Tatsuya knew when it came to rightfully treating wounds, it was something he enjoyed learning about.
But at school those things were never taught, he could only learn it through video or series.
"Luna!" he gasped, his voice tight and trembling. "Are you—?"
Luna's head lolled toward him, her eyes glassy but still burning with that fierce, reckless light. She forced a grin, her teeth stained with blood.
"What's with that look?" she rasped, her voice weak but defiant. "It's… just a scratch."
"A scratch?!" Tatsuya's voice broke, his hands shaking as he pressed them against her leg to stem the bleeding. "Luna, you're—!"
Tatsuya's heart hammered against his chest, each beat echoing with the weight of his own uselessness.
She had killed the beast. Twice.
And still, she lay before him, bleeding out, grinning like a madwoman, as though she hadn't just been torn open.
Because she was strong. Stronger than he was. Stronger than he ever could be.
Tatsuya's mind whirred, thoughts tumbling over one another in a frantic, jumbled mess. Think. Think. Think. He needed to do something — anything — before it was too late.
"Can you heal the wound?" he asked, his voice tight, almost pleading.
Luna shook her head, her jaw clenched so hard that the veins in her neck stood out. Sweat mingled with blood on her brow, trickling down her temple in rivulets.
Shit!
Tatsuya's heart hammered against his ribs, each beat a relentless, panicked drum. He tried to steady his breathing, tried to force down the rising bile as he stared at the torn flesh, the way it gaped open, the blood still oozing in thick, sluggish streams.
If he didn't do something, if he didn't act now, Luna would bleed out right here in the middle of the forest.
His vision blurred as memories flickered through his mind. Images of late-night anime marathons back on Earth. Scenes of battlefields, of soldiers tying off wounds, of desperate characters using makeshift bandages and belts as tourniquets.
Would that work? Could that actually work?
His hands trembled as he reached for Luna, his voice as steady as he could manage, but still quivering beneath the strain.
"Luna," he said, forcing his gaze to lock onto hers. "Listen to me carefully, okay?"
Luna's eyes were glassy, her pupils dilated. She swallowed, her throat bobbing, and her gaze drifted back to the wound.
"Hey, Luna!" Tatsuya leaned forward, blocking her line of sight, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me."
Her gaze flickered, focusing on his face.
Tatsuya inhaled sharply, forcing himself to keep his expression firm, determined. Even though his insides felt like they were being twisted and wrung out, he couldn't let her see that. He had to be strong. He had to be.
He grasped Luna's hands, his palms damp with sweat and the sticky warmth of her blood. He pressed her hands against the wound, her fingers sinking into the torn flesh. Luna winced, a sharp gasp escaping her lips, but Tatsuya tightened his grip.
"Keep as much pressure on the wound as you can," he said, his voice dropping to a low, urgent rasp. "Don't let go, no matter how much it hurts."
Luna's breaths came faster, her eyes screwing shut as she nodded. "I-I can do that," she said through clenched teeth.
"Good." Tatsuya nodded back, his heart slamming against his chest as he forced himself to stand. His legs felt like they were made of lead, heavy and unsteady beneath him. But he couldn't hesitate. Not now.
His fingers fumbled for his belt, unbuckling it with jerky, frantic motions. He slid the leather free, his mind racing. Where do I put it? How tight?
He swallowed, forcing himself to remember those late-night anime scenes. The tourniquet goes above the wound. Tighten it until the blood flow slows.
Tatsuya knelt beside Luna, his hands trembling as he slipped the belt beneath her leg, just below the knee. Blood slicked his fingers, and the scent of copper filled his nostrils, thick and cloying.
"Okay… okay," he muttered, his voice shaking as he threaded the belt through the buckle and pulled.
Luna's leg jerked, Tatsuya didn't stop. He pulled harder, cinching the belt tight until Luna's leg quivered beneath the pressure.
"Hold on," he whispered, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Just a little more…"
The blood flow lessened, but it didn't stop completely.
His gaze snapped to Luna's face. Her skin was pale, almost gray, and her eyes were glassy, unfocused. Sweat slicked her brow, and her chest rose and fell in shallow, rapid pants.
"Here," Tatsuya said, his throat tight as he reached for his sword. He unsheathed the katana and placed it beside Luna, the blade gleaming in the fractured light that filtered through the trees.
The sight of it, the weight of it, sent a shiver through him. The sword was the only thing he had — a relic from Paul, his mentor. A weapon that felt like both a lifeline and a burden.
Luna's eyes fluttered, her gaze drifting to the sword. "What about… you?" she murmured, her voice thin, fragile.
Tatsuya forced a grin, a hollow, empty thing that felt more like a mask than a smile. "Don't worry about me," he said, his voice as firm as he could manage. "I'll be fine."
Tatsuya bit down on his lower lip until he tasted blood.
What was he supposed to do? What could he do?
His gaze darted from Luna's still form to the dense underbrush surrounding them. The trees loomed tall and menacing, their branches twisted like gnarled fingers clawing at the sky. Shadows shifted, and the wind whispered through the leaves, carrying a chill that sank deep into Tatsuya's bones.
If I try to carry her…
His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms. He glanced down at Luna's leg, the blood pooling beneath her, staining the moss beneath her body. If he tried to lift her, if he tried to carry her all the way back to the village, he'd be too slow. Too exposed.
And if a beast finds us…
A shiver ran down his spine, chilling him to the core. Luna couldn't defend herself. Not like this. Not with her leg torn open and her mana spent.
And him? He wasn't strong enough. He couldn't even swing a sword without his hands trembling. He couldn't even stop the beast that had injured her in the first place.
Useless. Weak.
Tatsuya's jaw clenched, the muscles tensing as he forced himself to think. He couldn't carry her. He wasn't strong enough. Not fast enough. Not capable enough. If they encountered another beast while he was carrying her…
We'd both die.
He swallowed, throat dry and tight. The memory of Stefan bleeding out flashed through his mind — his goat's cries mingling with the roars of the demon beast. Tatsuya had been too slow then. Too weak. Too afraid.
And now, Luna lay there, her life slipping away with every beat of her heart.
If she died…
If she died because he wasn't fast enough, because he wasn't strong enough…
Her blood would be on his hands.
Tatsuya's fists trembled, the tension in his jaw so tight it ached.
What was he supposed to do?
A cold, cruel thought slithered into his mind, wrapping itself around his brain like a venomous snake.
Hide her. Leave her. Run back to the village. Get help.
The thought was bitter and sharp, a knife twisting in his gut. Leave her? Leave her here, bleeding and defenseless, while he ran for help? What kind of coward would do that?
But what other choice did he have?
Tatsuya's gaze flickered to the underbrush nearby. Thick, thorny bushes with dense, tangled branches. A hiding spot. A place to keep her concealed while he ran for help.
It was a gamble. A terrible, reckless gamble. If a beast found her, if she cried out…
No. No. He couldn't think like that.
He had to believe that she would stay hidden. That the beasts wouldn't find her. That he could make it back to the village in time.
Because if he tried to carry her…
Tatsuya clenched his teeth, his heart pounding like a war drum.
If he tried to carry her, she'd bleed out before he even got halfway there.
If he tried to fight off another beast while carrying her, he'd be torn apart.
If he tried to save her…
He'd only end up killing her.
And that was the one thing he couldn't do.
Tatsuya forced himself to take a deep, shuddering breath. He knelt beside Luna, his hands shaking as he reached for the katana he had placed beside her. He wrapped her fingers around the hilt, pressing her hand tight against the cold steel.
"Luna," he said, voice tight and rough. "I need you to stay hidden. Stay quiet. No matter what happens."
Luna's eyes fluttered, her gaze unfocused, as though she were looking through him rather than at him.
"I-I'm coming back," Tatsuya said, the words burning his throat. "I promise."
Luna's lips moved, but no sound came out.
"Tatsuya…"
Her voice was weak, a strained whisper that barely rose above the wind's howl. But it was enough to root Tatsuya to the spot.
"Tatsuya," Luna said again, her voice shaking, quivering like a leaf on the verge of tearing free. "You… you're not really going to leave me here, right?"
Tatsuya squeezed his eyes shut. Don't turn around. Don't look at her.
"If you stay, we both die," he muttered, his jaw clenched so tightly that it hurt. "If I get help, you'll live."
Luna's breath hitched. Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath her, nails scraping against the ground as if trying to anchor herself to reality. "No… no, please," she said, her voice breaking, splintering like glass. "Please… don't leave me alone."
Tatsuya swallowed. The sound of her words felt like nails driven into his spine, each syllable a dagger twisting deeper.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to take another step forward. The wind bit at his skin, and the world around him felt colder, emptier, as if the forest itself was recoiling from Luna's desperation.
"Tatsuya!"
Luna's voice cracked, a strangled sob tearing from her throat. It was a sound that echoed in the air, raw and unfiltered, like the cry of a wounded animal.
And against his better judgment, Tatsuya's eyes slid back toward her.
Luna was trembling. Her body was hunched forward, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. Blood dripped from her leg, staining the earth beneath her, but she didn't seem to notice.
Instead, her wide, terrified eyes were fixed on Tatsuya — pleading, desperate, drowning in fear.
"Tatsuya… please," she whispered, her hands gripping the katana he had given her. The blade shook in her grasp, its edge glinting in the fractured light that filtered through the canopy above. "Don't leave me. Please… don't leave me alone."
Her arms fell back to her sides, her hands clenching into fists as she squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to hold back the flood that was breaking through. But it was too late.
Tears spilled from beneath her eyelids, carving glistening tracks down her dirt-streaked cheeks. The sobs came in waves, crashing against her with a force that left her gasping for air. Her whole body shook with the intensity of it, as though she were unraveling, her very being splitting apart at the seams.
"I-I can't…" she stammered, her voice breaking, her words dissolving into strangled gasps. "I… c-can't do it… not again… not again…"
The words tumbled out, unfiltered and raw, as if the dam holding them back had finally burst. Her breaths came in sharp, shallow pants, her chest rising and falling like a bird trapped in a cage.
"I-I tried…" Luna sobbed, her nails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood. "I tried to be strong… I tried to pretend I didn't care… that it didn't hurt… that it was fine… that I was fine…"
Her shoulders convulsed, the force of her sobs shaking her entire frame. Each word sounded like it was being ripped from her, as if she were clawing them up from somewhere deep inside — a place she had buried so far down that it hurt just to speak.
"But I'm not fine!" she screamed, the words shattering the stillness of the forest like a thunderclap. "I'm not fine… I'm not… fine…"
Luna's face crumpled, her expression folding in on itself as the tears streamed down unchecked. Snot mixed with blood and tears, her features contorted in a mask of utter devastation.
Her breaths came in ragged, broken hiccups, each one a desperate attempt to hold herself together. But the more she tried to steady herself, the more she seemed to break apart.
"I can't… I can't be alone…" Luna whispered, her hands trembling as they clutched at her own arms, fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises. "I can't… I can't do it again…"
Her eyes snapped open, wild and unfocused, darting around the forest as though searching for something or someone that wasn't there.
"When they left me… when they all left me… it was so dark… so cold…" Her voice was barely a whisper now, a choked, gasping sound that clawed its way out of her throat. "I screamed… I screamed and screamed… but no one came… no one… no one…"
Her gaze finally fixed on Tatsuya, her eyes wide and glistening, filled with a desperation so palpable it felt like a tangible force pressing against him.
"Tatsuya…" she said, her lower lip trembling as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "Please… don't go. Please. I'm begging you."
She tried to reach for him again, but her arms gave out, collapsing to her sides. Her head dropped forward, her hair sticking to her sweat-soaked forehead.
"If you leave me… I'll be alone again," she whispered, her voice breaking like a snapped thread. "He'll come! He'll come for me!"
Alone. Abandoned. Screaming into the darkness until his voice gave out, until his throat bled, until there was no one left to hear him but the silence.
The silence that had swallowed him whole.
Just like it was swallowing her now.
And suddenly, running to get help felt like a betrayal.
Because if he left her now, he wouldn't just be abandoning her.
He'd be abandoning himself.
Tatsuya clenched his fists so tightly that his nails bit into his palms, drawing blood. The metallic tang filled his senses, grounding him, anchoring him to this moment. He forced himself to look away from Luna, to tear his eyes from the sight of her — broken, crumpled, bleeding, and sobbing.
Each sob wrenched through the air like a knife cutting through flesh, twisting, digging deeper. Each plea, each gasp, each shuddering breath — they struck him like physical blows, battering against his resolve.
But he couldn't give in. He couldn't let himself stay.
If I stay, we both die.
His mind echoed the words like a mantra, over and over, a desperate chant to drown out Luna's cries.
If I stay, we both die.
"Luna," Tatsuya said, his voice flat, hollow, void of emotion because if he let himself feel even a fraction of what was coursing through him, he would break. "I have to go."
Luna's head snapped up. Her eyes were wide, bloodshot, glistening with a wetness that made her look younger than she was. The wild, desperate hope in them crushed something inside Tatsuya's chest.
"No…" Luna's breath hitched, her body jolting as if struck. "No, you… you can't."
She struggled to push herself up, but her injured leg gave way beneath her. Pain shot through her like a bolt of lightning, and she crumpled back to the ground, her fingers clawing at the earth.
"Luna—"
"Tatsuya, please!" she screamed, her voice cracking, breaking, splintering. "Please don't leave me here! You can't… You can't!"
Her hands clawed at the ground, dragging her body forward in a futile, pathetic attempt to reach him. Dirt smeared across her cheek as her hair fell in tangled strands over her eyes, hiding the tears that kept streaming down her face.
"Tatsuya, I'm begging you!" she sobbed, her voice raw and torn as if the words themselves were scraping her throat to pieces. "Don't… don't leave me alone… not again!"
Tatsuya squeezed his eyes shut, bile rising in his throat. He could still feel the weight of her fingers against his skin from when she had tried to grab him. The memory of her touch lingered like a ghost, burning, searing, a mark he couldn't erase.
But he had to do it. He had to leave.
Tatsuya swallowed, forcing his eyes open. The world blurred, the trees swaying and twisting as if mocking him. The wind howled, a mournful, haunting wail that echoed Luna's cries.
I have to go. I have to go now.
"Luna, listen," he said, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. "I'll come back. I promise. But if I stay… if I stay, I can't help you. You'll bleed out. You'll die."
"But I don't care!" Luna wailed, her hands slamming against the ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain up her arms, but she didn't care. "I don't care! Just don't go! Don't leave me!"
The words poured out of her like a dam bursting, each one louder, more frantic, more desperate than the last. Her body shook violently, each sob racking through her with the force of a gale.
"Tatsuya, I can't… I can't be alone again," she whimpered, her voice small, childlike, the voice of a little girl lost in the dark. "When they left me… when they all left me… I screamed for them. I screamed and screamed until my throat bled, but they never came back. They never came back…"
She was shaking her head now, over and over, as if denying reality itself. "Don't do it. Don't leave me here. Please… Please, Tatsuya. Please."
Tatsuya forced himself to take a step back. His feet felt heavy, as if the ground were trying to suck him in, to keep him there. He felt as though he were sinking, drowning in Luna's screams, in her tears, in her desperation.
But he couldn't stay.
I can't save her if I stay.
Another step.
Luna's eyes widened, the blood draining from her face. The fear in her gaze was so stark, so vivid, that it seared itself into Tatsuya's mind like a brand.
"No… No, no, no," Luna muttered, her hands scrabbling against the ground, trying to pull herself forward. "You can't… You can't… You promised…"
Her voice broke, shattering into sobs that echoed through the trees, bouncing back at Tatsuya like a haunting refrain.
"Tatsuya!"
Another step.
"Tatsuya, please!"
Luna's hands reached out, grasping for air, for him, for anything to keep her from sinking, from falling back into that dark, empty abyss where no one could hear her cries.
"Don't go!"
But Tatsuya couldn't turn back.
Because if he did, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to leave again.
And then they would both die.
I have to go.
One more step.
And Luna's scream pierced the air, sharp, raw, and filled with a pain so deep it made the forest tremble.
"TATSUYA!!!"
Part 5
The trees blurred past him. The wind lashed his face. Roots and branches reached out like claws to trip him, to stop him, to punish him. But Tatsuya didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
Every step forward felt like tearing muscle from bone.
His lungs burned. His heart pounded with an uneven rhythm, one part fear and one part guilt.
His legs screamed for rest, but there was no room for hesitation anymore.
I left her.
That thought clawed at the edge of his consciousness like a parasite gnawing at raw nerves.
I left her.
I left her screaming.
I left her begging.
Tatsuya's eyes burned with unshed tears as he vaulted over a fallen log, stumbled, nearly fell—and didn't stop.
She had cried out to him. She had begged with everything she had.
There was no sense of victory in moving faster. No relief in choosing logic over emotion. There was only this crushing pressure in his heart, this sinking weight that felt like it was pulling him into the earth.
What if I go back and she's gone?
The thought pierced through him like an arrow loosed straight into his core. His legs faltered for half a heartbeat.
What if the beasts find her? What if she's already—
He couldn't finish the thought. His body rejected it like poison.
"No…" he muttered aloud, the word dry and hoarse and barely louder than a breath. "She's strong. She's strong. She… she'll hold on."
she had cried.
Not because of the pain. Not because of the blood. But because he was leaving her.
Tatsuya, I can't be alone again.
His pace faltered again. He slammed a fist into the nearest tree, his body rocking forward as he let out a sound—half sob, half growl—that tore its way out of his throat. The bark bit into his knuckles. Blood bloomed along his fingers.
Still, he couldn't stop. He forced himself forward again, ignoring the fire in his lungs, the sweat in his eyes, the guilt twisting his insides like a knife.
"This is the only way," he whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it true.
"I am useless. I can't protect her."
If she died… it would be because of him.
If she lived… it would be in spite of him.
Damn it… Paul, what would you have done? he thought, looking up at the fading sunlight bleeding through the branches like the last glimmers of warmth. Would you have stayed? Would you have carried her? Would you have chosen the impossible over the inevitable, just because it was the right thing to do?
Paul would've. He knew that.
And that made it worse.
The forest began to shift. He hadn't realized how deep he'd gone. The trees grew thicker, clustered tighter. The path he'd followed on instinct no longer resembled a path at all.
He stopped. He was breathing hard, gasping as though the air had become syrup in his lungs.
And then—
A whisper.
No—
A voice.
Clear. Calm. But carrying a weight behind it like the sky pressing down on the earth.
"There you are."