11 The light from darkness

English is not my first language so you might find some mistakes in the translation of the chapter.

This book has been translated by me by various means to get the best result so you can find some simple or normal redactions.

Enjoy the chapter.

*****

"You! Are you coming with her?!"

With extreme anger the cat man moved towards me and I could not articulate any words because of the fear I had at that moment.

His eyes were crazed and full of hate, it looked as if he was afraid as he looked around and not just at me, as if someone else was going to attack him.

I have no chance to run away from this place and escape from him. There is no one nearby and I don't see any place to hide either.

He already has me as his target and even if I am not the person he is looking for the anger he has built up inside him makes anyone he meets consider him an enemy and attack him.

"I d-don't kn-"

"Answer me! Are you with her?!"

The cat man shouted with fury and extreme hostility making me step back unconsciously. My legs can barely keep me standing and I was trying to stay calm in the face of his threats.

He was watching every part of my body as he analyzed it without stopping to identify if I was a threat to him.. Even in their worst moments people try to survive.

"Eh n-no, w-who is s-she?"

Between stammering I try to tell him that I don't know that person and I am not his enemy since I can't even speak properly.

It is impossible to articulate any words because of the fear and terror that grew inside me, just by seeing the man the fear grows even more and I can't think correctly about what to do to escape.

"Of course I do! Like I believe that shit you're saying! It's clear brat! What else would you do around here if not to help her?!"

The cat man yelled at me while he answered himself as if he was the right one in this situation, I could only listen to him and think of something else.

Something that made me feel a little hopeful was that he was swaying as he walked but quickly shook his head and lifted it up as if he was seeing me in a much bigger league.

He was taller than me anyway.

'Stay down you piece of shit!'

"I w-was just passing b-"

"Aaaaargh!"

I tried to explain that I was just passing through this place and that I didn't want any trouble but before I could explain something had hit me in the chest and I fell to the ground screaming in pain.

"Fuck you! I'll kill you right now and then I'll enjoy my revenge on her!"

"Arrgh!"

He had attacked me with his whip.

My chest and arm were hurt, I couldn't move my arm and I was holding my chest while crying in pain.

I could tell that the whip was made of a much tougher material as opposed to what was normally used for this type of weapon.

I didn't even manage to see when he had attacked me and I could also only feel the full blow to my whole body.

The power behind the blow was too much that I was sent flying by the blow. My body had started to bleed where it had taken a direct hit and everything else was so sore that I could only roll around on the ground.

'How is he moving?!'

'He doesn't have an arm, he's lost his ear and he's bleeding to death nonstop! Damn falna!'

'How?!'

"P-Plea-" *Ugh*

With all my might I screamed what could have been mercy for my life but I spat blood pooled in my mouth and couldn't stop writhing in pain.

The whip had done more damage to me than was apparent to the naked eye and I possibly received internal damage to my body.

I could not even say anything before I died.

The power granted by the Gods is very high compared to those who do not possess it.

One blow and the cat man was done with me before I could blink.

A fucking demonstration while I was being used as a guinea pig for my own data.

*Tap*

*Tap*

*Tap*

Slowly the footsteps were heard much closer to me as time passed, even if it was only seconds for me it was an eternity as I listened as the cat man approached my position.

"Hehehehe, don't worry I will enjoy making you feel much more pain than I felt"

*Bam*

With a twisted laugh he placed a foot on top of my body and began to crush it as he enjoyed how I writhed from side to side in pain.

I just let out moans of pain and tried to use my healthy arm to move his foot so I could breathe properly.

I kicked the ground moving some loose stones and hit with all my strength using both arms, even if one arm was damaged it is more important my life than the pain.

"Tch! You're weak! There's no point in doing this with you! I'll enjoy watching you cry in pain!"

The cat man decided to drop down on top of me as he took a seat on my stomach to which I received the full weight of him on me and let out a choked scream as I expelled all the air from my lungs.

The man released his whip, I see how his one arm goes to my neck and squeezes it mercilessly causing me to be unable to take a breath.

"It's the end brat!"

"Urgh!"

Grabbing my neck with his remaining arm, the cat man began to choke me hard as I tried to move his hand to no avail.

My whole body was shaking with despair and the pain I felt was unbearable for me.

My body was slowly losing its strength and my attempts to counter the cat man were less effective, yet I was still not getting any results with my 'attacks'.

I felt a veil fall into my eyes, my vision began to blur and darken from lack of air.

My eyes began to lose clarity and the last thing I could make out was the man laughing at my misery.

All the sensation around me was fading away, I was losing my life.

"Pl-a-e s-p"

The pain was unbearable, the ringing in my ears was so loud that I could not hear the man's laughter and I could only imagine my own words without saying them, I could only see the light disappear from my sight.

The urge to breathe was so great that it was impossible for me to use force to free myself or stay awake.

My fingers stopped squeezing the man's arm and an unpleasant clatter like an electric tingle shook my whole body.

My arms had finally lost their strength and fell to my sides as my face lost color from lack of oxygen.

If this is the end at least I got to enjoy the time I spent with the girls at the Hostess of Fertility.

I never managed to know if I died in my first life but in this one I will be able to confirm it.

Everything I did, my research, my talks, my life, all that will be wasted for a person I have never seen in my life.

I didn't even get to say goodbye.

"S-ry"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Haaaaaahhh!"

*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*

A deep breath flooded my whole body and the air caused every sensation inside me to return to its place.

I had started coughing because of the air I had taken in, even if he wanted to torture me my mind would unconsciously try to avoid my death and my body would take air to survive.

The pain caused by the air rushing through my body was unpleasant but satisfying to be able to breathe again.

"What the fuck?! That's not supposed to happen!"

Raising my head I focus my point of view to the same direction in which the cat man was cursing furiously.

The light was flooding my face in the middle of the night but I still opened my eyes as wide as I could to see the miracle that saved me.

Incredible.

A gigantic pillar of light suddenly appeared in the middle of the night illuminating every place nearby.

The cat man preferred to focus on the pillar of light and set aside his goal of killing me because of the disbelief he was showing.

Eventually I remember the words of that Goddess.

/////

'Can the Gods die?'

'...Interesting question, child'.

'It's just curiosity Loki-sama! I can think that there are people who don't trust you and things like that.'

'Well, we do that though we simply return to heaven. Our Arcanum activates and saves us from danger by taking into account the damage received in us and returning us to heaven without a scratch. After that we cannot return to the earthly world'.

'Do you disappear from the earthly world or...?'

"No child! A pillar of light appears with the 'death' of a God, anyone could see it from far away'.

'I understand, thank you for confirming. Then we were still with… '

/////

It was the death of a God that saved me from suffocating to death.

A creature whose existence far surpasses my own was killed tonight and that person saved me from dying. The disbelief on my face could not be removed and I could only watch the event with wide eyes.

Whoever the God who died someone had just ignored the rules and showed that he/she doesn't mind unleashing the wrath of thousands of people.

Realizing that this is my chance with my remaining arm I turn around to face the ground.

Crawling across the destroyed floor I try to approach Mama Mia's bag and grab something I had seen in it.

Thanks to the adrenaline I can act with more awareness and less fear, but I am still afraid of my surroundings.

Even with my wounds and bruises I am ignoring everything else and just concentrating on the one thing I want at this moment.

Seeing some concoctions I try to take some, but the man's shout catches my attention and I feel an unbearable pain in my body.

"Arghh!"

Using his whip the man struck me on my left leg and tightened his whip by wrapping it around my foot as he began to drag me into position with a wild and crazed look on his face.

Because of the battle that had happened a long time ago there were some buildings and the pavement was destroyed so there were some stones on the ground.

The remains of the previous battle had left many sharp stones on the ground and several of them hurt me as the man dragged me along.

"Damn you! This was all your plan to trick me and kill my God! I'll tear you apart!"

With a cry of anger the man gave a thrust in my direction and I shuddered at what would happen until I saw something that favored me.

"Agh!"

He had stepped in a hole in the ground and slipped, for some reason he is having a hard time moving and I felt a feeling grow inside me.

The speed with which he had attacked me had disappeared and I only saw a wounded and emaciated person.

That pillar could have related the words he said about 'his God'.

Releasing my foot from the grip of the whip I move to the shopping bag and hug it in my arms to protect it.

My body is asking me to do something else that I can't do at the moment and I'm nagging in my head about that feeling.

Reaching for a potion I quickly open it and drink it without hesitation even if I choke a little on it.

I can't think with this.

If I delay I will die and I don't want that.

Immediately after drinking the concoction I feel all over my body a relief over the pain in most of my wounds and I can move my arm again.

The burning in my neck disappeared and the pain I had in my chest and arm vanished as if it had only been a small sting.

It simply left, although my body still ached from retaliating injuries.

Being impressed by the power of magic, I stand momentarily still without noticing the man who was trying to kill me.

I turn my head quickly looking for the man and direct my vision towards him. I see how all mockery had been left behind by him and he was only showing unbridled anger towards me.

His eyes show the pure hatred he has at this moment and the desire to kill anyone who gets in his way.

"You won't run away you bitch! I'll break you into pieces!"

I pulled out a small dagger I had hidden in my waist and raised it towards the man, the only bad thing was that my hand was shaking even if my other hand was trying to stop my tremors.

Some time ago by accident Anya discovered my goal of being an adventurer and taught me a little bit about it. She taught me about keeping a weapon always within reach so that I can defend myself against others.

It didn't do much good since I almost died, but that's okay.

"Haaa!"

"Dieee!"

With a cry of exertion I gave a little jump towards him and in the same way the cat man pounced on me.

*Splat

I was overcome by the man's strength, although his strength was less than at the beginning, he still overcame me. He fell on top of me, I still had the dagger in my hands and I was grateful that I knew how to hold it to defend myself.

*Ugh*

The man's whole body fell like a bag on top of me, he weighed more than I did and the only thing that remained up was his head.

I had gotten blood on my face and I could tell that all my clothes were stained with blood and dirt from the encounter here.

My dagger was stuck in his neck, even if it is small a person's neck is a vital part of the human body and if it is damaged there is a high probability of death.

"I c-se y-u"

His body instantly weakened and all signs that he was alive were gone, his eyes had lost their luster.

I stopped putting strength in my arms and dropped the weight of his head next to mine.

His body was on top of mine and I was underneath him so I couldn't move to get out of here easily.

"I survived" I muttered even with the same disbelief with which I saw the pillar of light rise in the middle of the night.

With tears in my eyes I said the first words that flooded my mind and I try not to break down as I am in a somewhat dying state with my attacker on top of me.

My first encounter with death had been completed and had it not been for the pillar of light I would have been dead from suffocation.

Whoever the killer of the Cat Man Family is I am glad he/she did it, but in the same way I am upset as it led to the man going crazy and trying to kill me.

Shaking my body I crawl to the right to get the weight off me and slowly escape from there.

It took me a while to do it because of the pain and lack of strength so I had to push and crawl slowly being careful not to hurt myself.

Grabbing the dagger from the man's neck I pull it out with all my might as the remaining blood spills on the ground and leaves me the full view of the dead man.

Shaking my head I get up from the floor between gasps and quickly grab Mama Mia's bag as I start running towards the Fertility Hostess.

My face reflected massive fear now that the dangerous situation was over and tears were starting to wet my cheeks from trying to calm down.

Every place I crossed I could see the corpses of people even if there was nothing on the road and I could also feel a person following me behind me trying to catch me to try to kill me.

The memories of every moment about what happened earlier were going through my head over and over again and slowly my mind was succumbing to the pressure of fear and panic over my action.

'Please'

A feeling stirred inside me, I was looking for an immediate answer to something that would happen and show me the truth of things.

I didn't want to do it... but if I didn't do it the person who would die would be me and not him. I preferred my life to his, I'm selfish and that's good for me.

'It wasn't my fault'

The light was gone and all that remained was the all-consuming darkness that was slowly placing me in an abyss from which I could not return.

"Riku!"

At that moment, arms wrapped around me.

"Buaaaaaaa!"

I cried.

After all...

Crying is okay.