Chapter 7: The Predator's Hunt

  Vardünheim (Potsdam, Germany)

I closed my eyes and covered my head with my arms, landing painfully on the hard ground. It wasn't uprooted like the ground back in Kamakura and the landscape was different too.

I first assumed that he had thrown me into another realm, like the deity, but it would take almost a millenia to develop a separate realm even for an archimage. With the condition his magic user left his brain in, I didn't think he would have the capability to use his powers at all.

Behind me, the tear sealed back up and I immediately lunged at him.

Good, his eyes were still red, which meant the one feeling the pain would be the user and not him.

I pressed my head against his. It felt like it was cold and lifeless, just like his eyes whenever he's used. I took a deep breath and relaxed my eyes as a mignonette aura began to take over the skies.

Isholde began to writhe in distress as his bones tightened, only temporarily. It wasn't damaging to Isholde, thankfully.

Instead, I had also given his brain a little break from the suffering and torture he was forced to smile through all the time.

After some time, he had collapsed from the pain. It was best for him to be immobile, I thought, so that he wouldn't forget who he was after bearing the anguish and torment.

I was a bit guilty that even though it didn't hurt Isholde in terms of feelings, I had still harmed him when he was faultless, vulnerable and castoff, like I was.

Thinking that he would wake up in due time, I went out to collect sources for camping since we landed straight in the woods.

When I was collecting dry logs, I suddenly had a feeling that everything had gone quiet in the woods.

Since I could protect myself, I projected the surroundings of Isholde and cast a shield on the area.

The bushes began to rustle and out of it, somebody walked out. He had a horrible stench coming from within his energy, primarily metallic and like heated plastic. He had a terrifying face and cerise-red eyes, making him look almost otherworldly.

Wearing his unsightly, fancy-pant clothing, he came to me in complete silence. And put his hand on my shoulder.

I felt my stomach lurch as he came right near my back. A cold wave shot across my body, making me not able to move despite my desperate desire to.

I could feel his disgusting and revolting breath on my neck, warm in a way that made my skin crawl.

I tried to escape before he locked his arms on my shoulders and all I felt was pain on an unexplainable level and a loud crack in my shoulder joints.

He broke my arms so that I couldn't defend myself.

A scream got trapped in my throat.

My body was numb and cold yet I couldn't move it.

He came closer and closer… and closer.

My heart began to slow down as I desperately gasped for air and safety. It felt like there wasn't enough oxygen in the whole area to make my heart beat come back.

"You don't know for how long I've been wanting to meet you, Tazuki Takahiro," he chuckled as he slid his hands across my back.

My last name wasn't legally Takahiro as I was born after the divorce so my mother took custody of me and gave me her family name. Who else would know I was Takahiro Rei's daughter, I wondered.

My thoughts had also started to slip away, as if my mind was shutting down on its own.

After a bit of time, my heart had gone silent and I could feel the pain. Maybe I was having a heart attack but whatever it was, it was his doing.

My chest weakly squeezed as a last straw.

My eyes slowly rolled up and I lost all senses of myself.