Kimoko swallowed, feeling the tension building.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLg40lpCJW
“Which of these options is more likely?” Kigami grimaced, clenching his fingers into fists.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZoaIl4GHt
“Both, and I don’t like either of them.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rqNtUo9FC
The hooded figure stopped a few steps away from them. When she lifted her head, two crimson eyes flashed from under the hood, cold and piercing.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmULF09EXTK
“Koshei.” Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the air like a blade. “You’re causing trouble.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIPLpsbgX3
The demon raised an eyebrow and grimaced in amusement.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwvSXJoLnR
“Oh, really? I didn’t notice.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup36jUxUyi
Kimoko noticed his body tense slightly, ready to react.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZ15hpMrjr
“Who are you?” she asked sharply.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpItq82vDgX
The stranger tilted her head, as if she had just noticed her.
“Someone who should end this chaos.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnV3nVLIvZU
Suddenly, she held out a hand, and silver energy swirled around her fingers. In an instant, Kigami’s shadows began to retreat even further, as if some invisible force was pushing them away.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNajZ5heo2
The demon growled.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyssQibq9i
“So the crystal, or my head?” The stranger didn’t answer immediately. A smile appeared on her lips.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVGIKWmtV8
“Both.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIz35WSNcXF
And then she charged at him.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlmbIqoDxH
Kigami threw himself to the side, avoiding a streak of silver light that pierced the air where he had been standing a moment ago. The impact was so strong that the ground cracked along the trajectory of the attack.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9rXWKi2JB
“Kimoko! Take Estella and run!” he shouted, jumping back and simultaneously sending a wave of shadows towards his opponent.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBepzic8ltU
Kimoko wasn’t going to argue. She grabbed Estella tighter and began to pull her towards the nearest alley.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cK9NE9gs4
“Kimoko…” The goddess tried to say something, but she was too weak to protest.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXxxk0hIPO
Kimoko looked over her shoulder.
Kigami and the unknown demoness clashed in the middle of the square, their powers clashing like two elements. Silver light consumed the darkness, and Kigami’s shadows danced around, trying to reach her opponent.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvriI1WKZ1
But Kimoko saw something that worried her.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpLvEuHLZo
The stranger was fast. Too fast.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwdz7slDRT
Kigami was starting to lose.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQg7UgH8TM
Kimoko gritted her teeth. She couldn’t just walk away, not when Kigami was fighting alone against someone who could kill him.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSBhtiLpKe
“Kimoko, don’t…” Estella croaked, but the girl was already letting go of her arm.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoGMy36fWX
then she turned and ran towards the fighters.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkrBi8kZlu
Meanwhile, Kigami groaned as another wave of silver energy hit him in the chest, throwing him back a few meters. He barely managed to stop, pressing his shoes into the cracked ground. He was breathing heavily, and a grimace of pain appeared on his face.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RyIAM8DWe
“What exactly do you want?! What have I ever done to you?!” he growled, wiping blood from his mouth.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eHoPWTXMp
The hooded demoness raised her hand, and silver energy began to pulse around it again.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtogmo2FVAN
“I want your death, Koshei.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqyhAauDPC
And then she threw herself at him with a speed that Kimoko couldn’t track.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaa29V3HPK
“NO!” she screamed, reaching for the first thing she could use.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiuLZg8TjB
She grabbed a metal rod lying on the ground, probably broken off from one of the buildings. Without thinking, she threw it towards the stranger.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAC0cURlRX
The rod cut through the air and… the demoness stopped just before impact. She raised her hand and threw it to the side in one movement, without even turning her head.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3XtMoLtwR
But that was enough.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjTiCsqwzm
Kigami used a split second to gather all his remaining power in his hands.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXtaawr2Zr
“Ha! I’ve got you!”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclVdwBjIGj
The shadow shot out from under his feet like a tentacle and seduced the stranger, squeezing her tightly. For the first time in this fight, her body tensed.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgqxUJaPMM
“Do you think this will stop me?”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tO3ubsMDO
“No, but it will definitely slow you down,” the demon hissed, clenching his fingers into a fist.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzzrJlvDzE
A shadow exploded around her like black fire, and Kigami roared, pouring all of his anger and desperation into the attack.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2R9px18XC
Kimoko narrowed her eyes, shielding her face from the blast of air. For a moment, it seemed as if the attack had succeeded.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUm3I34sSRU
But when the smoke cleared, the stranger was still standing.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0WjdvGFnw
Her cloak was torn, and the hood had fallen from her head, revealing dark hair tied in a loose braid. The first sign of surprise appeared on her pale face.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YRoEVFn3W
“Stronger than I thought,” she muttered, blowing ash from her shoulder. “But still too weak, my dear brother.”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RM8icV4VW
And then she raised her hand.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNqPTDXapi
Kigami had no time to react as a silver blade of energy sliced through the air.
It hit him in the stomach, and he hissed in pain, falling to one knee.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzi2UkPAMq
“No…” Kimoko took a step forward, but before she could move,
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrexhq7H4Zq
she held her breath.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9XicjI4Ym
She saw how the ground next to Kigami was wet with his own blood. She saw how a dark red stream flowed from between his fingers, pressed tightly to the deep wound. His face paled.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uxHXZkF4e
The demoness crouched down next to him, a terrifying smile on her lips. Kigami looked at her, but his vision was blurry, and her words were becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY54e0R7CEN
“I finally finished what mother wanted.” He tried to say something, but all he heard was his own ragged breath. It felt like his lungs were filling with blood.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYmq23gwRN
The last thing he heard was her eerie laughter receding into the darkness… and Kimoko’s desperate cry:
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmgqGR9cTQ
“KIGAMI, NO! DON’T LEAVE ME!”
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0PGL5EuPH
Then there was silence.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4snh2kBQR
And darkness.
ns216.73.216.6da2
