Scarlet

I frown while raising one of my hands to get the others to stop. Then I close my eyes and focus on the sounds.

Sounds like humanoid footsteps stopping somewhere around the corner, directly inside of the bunker.

But judging by the crinkling sound of their strange armor – one that’s akin to flesh or some sort of pseudo hide – I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that they’re huntsmen. At least three of them.

“Stay here,” I whisper to the others, making them tense up. “There aren’t any demons on the floor behind us, so you’ll be safe. Let me go deal with the ones in the bunker.”

My mention of the bunker seems to spring hope in the eyes of the people, but they also appear even more wary at the same time thanks to the part about demons being in there.

I turn the corner and make my way over to the bunker. And once I reach it, I quickly stick my hand out and yank it back, making a bolt fly straight past where my hand just was.

After a very brief sigh of relief, I leap into a roll, passing straight through the doorway of the bunker and letting two more bolts fly by as I roll. Then I get up and rush over to the three huntsmen, focusing first on the one on the left which is the closest to reloading. Before it can do so, I swipe my claws straight at its crossbow’s string, snapping it in the process before kicking my leg out at its own leg, knocking it on the floor.

Right as I’m about to jump over and tear out its throat though, I hear the sound of another bolt being released and barely manage to dodge it, only for another one to follow right after and tear straight into my shoulder, making me let out a cry of pain as I drop to my knees. But this time – unlike the last time I was struck by a bolt – I manage to keep my thoughts together and push against the ground with my unhurt arm, sending me over the downed huntsman who I quickly and awkwardly tear my claws across the chest of before landing in a sprawled mess on the ground next to him.

I grit my teeth in pain before getting my feet beneath me again and grabbing the bolt to yank it out. Then I glance at the downed and dying huntsman, followed by the two living ones who are both reloading.

Shit. This isn’t going well.

But the second the first huntsmen dies, I feel a small surge of relief run through my body as I grow a little stronger, and I use that surge to life drain the other two huntsmen while also boiling their blood, making the both of them miss their shots in surprise from the two sudden attacks. And I take advantage of that while ignoring the pain of the very slowly healing wound on my shoulder to rush them both with my arms out wide, knocking them both down by the neck to the ground where I then tear out their throats with the extra time that gives me.

[Blood Thirst Effect applied. Stack is now 2]

[Blood Thirst Effect applied. Stack is now 3]

Ignoring the messages, I collapse on the ground flat on my back, waiting for my shoulder to stop throbbing. But it never does since my sources of life energy are now dead.

Certainly a major problem with my only healing skill.

I lie there on the ground for several seconds before hearing footsteps echoing from down the hall, in the direction of the civilians.

Shit, did I somehow miss a demon?!

The tension that had left my body after the battle returns again at the thought, only to die down once I see the mother turning the corner of the bunker with a slightly fearful but determined look on her face. A look that grows to panic the moment she sees me lying on the ground next to three huntsmen corpses while bleeding from my shoulder through my jacket.

“Don’t worry,” I pause as a cough comes out, but fortunately not with any blood, “it won’t take-”

The woman cuts me off by shushing me.

By shushing me.

I vaguely hear Tar laughing somewhere in my head, only for him to be cut off as well once she pulls a glowing vial of blue-green liquid from her purse and then grabs my mouth, dumping the disgusting stuff down into my mouth by force. And while I’m choking the stuff down, I vaguely notice her reaching into her bag again and then feel her tugging on my jacket for something. But I’m too busy trying not to choke to look down to see what.

After having it forced in, right before I can complain and ask what that was, I feel a warm glow suffusing my wound as it closes up, making me turn my head and gawk at my shoulder.

“A potion?!” I whisper-shout, my mind blanking at the sheer cost of one of those things.

The woman just smiles and sits down with her legs to her side as she says, “Don’t worry, sweetie. Dozens of those old things aren’t worth as much as the girl who saved the lives of me and my daughter.”

I blink, surprised as I stare up at her, still lying flat on my back. But after a second, I begin to sit up and stare instead.

‘Dozens’ she says. ‘Old things’ she says.

Just how rich is this lady?!

Also, I can’t help but notice that she only said her and her daughter, acting as if me saving the lives of the other two women were of no consequence to her or something.

Eventually I manage to climb to my feet again, the woman following after me as I say, “You should’ve just waited till I told you it was safe.” Although I don’t really care too much, since it would’ve been her own fault if she got hurt.

At least she didn’t bring the kid.

Anyways, I walk up to the hallway before shouting, “It’s clear!” Calling the others to join us, which they quickly do, with the daughter walking on her own this time instead of being carried.

I warily watch the daughter walk by me while staring at my ears with an obvious desire to touch them unhidden behind her eyes.

After all of them are inside of the bunker, I walk over to the lever, only to pause as the mother says, “I’ll be in contact with you once this is over, sweetie!”

I glance at her for a second before pulling the lever without a word.

Wish she’d stop calling me that.