Chapter 45: Escape! 2

*Boooooooooom!*

A loud supersonic sound erupted from afar.

The noise was rapidly getting louder. 

*Psuuuuuuuuuu!*

Whistles of a dropping missile resounded. 

Then it blasted off overpassing her and —

*Baaaaaaam!*

It landed, several meters away from Kanae.

Chunks of soil, weeds, and some pebbles ricochetted.

The landing created a massive crater. 

Spider cracks came along with it.

"..." Kanae shielded her face with her arms.

A cloud of obscuring dust was created.

Seconds later, a humanoid silhouette can be seen from the clearing.

'How?!' Kanae exclaimed internally.

She slightly believed that the demon would somehow revive, yes.

But to move and pinpoint her exact location in a short amount of time, was something Kanae hadn't expected.

'I'm pretty sure that I didn't leave tracks behind… Yet, how?!'

Kanae was confident that she didn't make a trail that would expose the direction she'd run into.

Feather-Steps.

As Kanae darted off, she used a special movement technique, developed over the years that don't create trails. 

As the name implies, her steps were as light as a feather. Every time they landed, they wouldn't make even a tiny dent in the ground. Nor signs of tracks will show on grassy areas.

(A/N: It's bullshit! I know. Don't mind ~)

'And what the heck is with that speed?! He just broke the sound barrier…' 

As she grumbled in her mind, he spoke:

"Hmm, hmm. You had the nerve to run away after what you did to me."

His voice was deep, it was sounding rather diabolic.

The cloud of dust finally dissipated, and Kanae had a clear visual of the demon.

"..." Seeing him, Kanae's eyes trembled. Taken aback by his horrifying features.

Different from his appearance before, the demon has sharply pointed ears, teeth that looked like a shark's, and creepy bat-like wings on his back.

His claws were exaggeratedly long; two times that of a falcon's talons. But even if it was the case, he could, and was still managing to hold his fan in a noble-like manner.

The divine rainbow glint couldn't be seen. Instead, two crimson-red eyes were staring coldly at Kanae.

"Heh~!" The demon snorted, amused by her reaction.

At that moment he released a strong pressure.

'!!! Fuck!' 

This sent shivers down Kanae's spine.

She couldn't help but swear in her thoughts as the demon's oppressive aura managed to intimidate her.

Kanae's lips quivered. 

Her entire being shooked.

"Hmm~." Gaining satisfaction from what he did, he calmed down.

Releasing, his pressure, he asked Kanae:

"Hey, how did you get out of my spell?" 

"..." She didn't reply to the demon's question.

Kanae bit her lips to get back her wavering courage.

With cautious movement, even as her hands were shaking, she reach out for something in her suit.

"..." The demon narrowed his eyes and saw Kanae make a slight movement.

"Oh no, you don't ~"

He didn't let whatever Kanae was about to do, happen.

He was fed up with her sudden assaults.

So, this time he initiates an attack on Kanae. 

He once again released an oppressive pressure while at the same time:

Waving his fan, and sent several wind blades in her direction.

*Woooooooshh Vrrrrrrrrrrr*

This attack seemed stronger than before. It was obvious from the loud vibration it produced.

The wind pressure was intense.

The attack was traveling faster, effectively eliminating Kanae's room for evasion.

But she wasn't in any way to move in the first place.

'Move!' Her legs were not listening to her. 

Her feet were shaking. The extreme pressure the demon had produced was fully concentrated on Kanae.

She sensed several sharp invisible wind blades rapidly approaching her as she stood in place.

'Damn it!' She was having difficulty commanding her body.

Kanae closed her eyes.

"..." Inhaling deeply, she took a whiff of Shin's scent in her body. 

This calmed her down.

"..." She opened her eyes and just in a nick of time for the attack to hit her —

'Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!' 

Kanae twisted her body.

She released several rotating sword slashes that blocked the incoming attack.

By doing so, she also manages to deflect some of it back to the demon.

This created a room for herself. 

Taking advantage of the moment, Kanae took a smoke bomb from her suit.

'This may be useless but I gotta try my luck...'

*Pssssshhhhhh* 

She smashed it on the ground.

It exploded and created a smoke screen that obscured the demon's vision.

Kanae then quickly darted off the place and continued running away.

She changed her route.

She was going northwest from her house.

She wanted to throw the demon off if that was possible.

'Please make this work…'

Kanae hoped it was just a fluke; the demon finding her quickly.

She ran.

Seconds later, Kanae sensed a fast-moving projectile approaching her side.

'Shit!'

Kanae slowed down, to avoid what was coming straight from her side.

But it change direction and followed her suit.

"..." Kanae changed her stance.

She turned to the side and raised her sword in a guard against the incoming attack.

*Ting!* 

A loud metal clang resounded in the dead of the night.

The demon's claw clashed with Kanae's sword. 

Sparks fluttered.

However, the attack approached at a greater momentum which was impossible for Kanae to block.

She was overpowered.

"Urghh!" Kanae couldn't stand her ground and was sent flying.

*Bang!* 

*Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack!*

She crashed into several trees, destroying them along the way.

These trees existed in the new path she took, and were placed in a line.

*Bang!* 

Finally, she landed on the final tree.

"Ugh!" Kanae groaned in pain and spit blood. She took great damage from the impact.

"..." Not giving Kanae enough room to breathe, he charged in her direction.

He rapidly approaches Kanae.

Kanae gritted her teeth and ignored the pain she was feeling.

Staggering, she stood up.

"..." Looking at his approaching figure, Kanae focused on her eyes. 

She saw the demon's muscles tensing in a certain way.

'He's aiming for my neck…'

She predicted the attack.

Soon, Kanae closed her eyes.

Her arms were hanging lifelessly.

She didn't move or made an effort to dodge what was incoming.

"Heh~!" The demon chuckled inwardly.

In his eyes, it looked like she had surrendered to her fate.

"It's a shame, but I guess this is goodbye!" 

He had an interest in Kanae.

But she was getting on his nerves.

He wasn't someone who would just receive assaults happily as if it was a joke.

Besides, at the start, she was hostile toward him. Even though he didn't do anything to her.

He was innocent — or so that's what he thought.

Soon, the demon's claw was coming for Kanae's throat.

Barely an inch on impact,  but suddenly —

"Szzzzzzzzzzzt." She quickly inhaled tons of air. 

Opening her eyes, she had activated her final form once again.

'There!' 

She pivoted her foot backward, creating a small gap for a counterattack.

Kanae quickly raised her sword, re-directing the demon's attack. 

And in quick succession, she sent a sword strike. 

*Slash!* 

Cutting the demon's arm in the process.  

The claw that was coming for Kanae's throat failed to hit its target. 

In a flash, she slashed his other arm.

*Shing!*

What happened exactly?

Earlier, Kanae was standing on her two feet parallel with each other seemingly waiting for her inevitable end.

However, that was a ruse. 

She purposely made the demon lower his guard by making him think that she was accepting her death.

And as he was approaching:

With her heightened instinct, she waited for the demon's claw to be exactly inches away from her throat.

Then her counterattack ensued. 

At the present,

*Thud* 

Both of his arms fell to the ground.

Kanae was about to follow an attack to cut the demon's head but —

*Stab*

…