A Guide to Surviving Against Monsters
00:33

The mirror was dirty, unlike the one in my apartment. Still, it showed the renewed look of my skin, the bags under my eyes gone for the time being. My clean coat gleamed as I checked my gear one last time. The clip that had been a gift held back my hair, revealing both my eyes.

Even the weird one.

My black leather clothing hugged my body, giving me extra protection while still being breathable. I left the women's bathroom alone, but relieved. I was still breathing easier after Saturday.

I was surprised that the good mood lasted all the way until Monday.

After all, today was the day I hunted down Sasora.

Michaelson's class awaited me outside, skipping their morning lessons. The teacher eyed me uncomfortably as I strode past, heading for the gates of the school without a word.

"Hey, you don't get off that easily, Foxit!"

I smirked to myself, stopping in my tracks.

Behind me, Malekai was standing with his hands on his hips. One step behind him was the six other hunters, ready to keep up with our mission of protecting the new generation of hunters.

Luca rolled his eyes at Malekai's antics, but I managed a smile.

My only other option would be to flip him off, but Michaelson wasn't prepared for that behaviour from me.

"I'll be back soon, Malekai," I promised. "I'll teach you some defense tactics, so don't be too excited for my return."

He shrugged, smirking. I swore one girl in his class swooned.

"Bring it on," he teased, "it can't be too bad."

I raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

The confidence drained away from his stance. He rubbed his neck sheepishly, his ears tinged red.

"Go easy on me?"

I snorted, glancing over his shoulder. Wendy grinned back at me, holding up a thin slip of paper.

You're kidding, I thought, watching as she strode toward me. My friend lurched forward, giving me a tight hug before she pressed the paper into my empty hand. Hers was different that what mine had been, but served a similar purpose.

"Activate the rune if you need a rescue team," Wendy told me. "This fight will be hard, Emmalyn. Even for you."

I wrapped one arm around her shoulders, returning her embrace.

"Hard... But not impossible. I'll see you tonight."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

I pulled away with a half-smile, tucking her rune into my pocket. I lifted a hand, forcing a wave.

Ignoring the way some of the students cried like they would never see me again.

"I wouldn't make a promise I can't keep."

I winked, turning on my heel.

"So make sure you have a coffee and a few bandages waiting for me, okay?"

I didn't look back. If I did, I would've given them false hope. However, it wasn't my responsibility to give them hope.

It was my responsibility to kill this demoness, and for that, I needed to focus.

Maybe I was a weapon. Maybe I was still just a dead girl.

Maybe this was me, this was Emmalyn.

But that didn't matter.

The katana was light in my hand as I pulled it out of its sheath, the blade a tougher build than Theo's. I held a handgun in my other hand, my coat brushed back as the symbols in my eye began to swirl. Purple glimmered in my iris, the symbols coming to life as the flaming flakes fell from the sky.

Then, I picked up her trail.

I should've expected that she would be over confident.

Sasora didn't hide her tracks. Instead, she wanted me to replace them. This demoness was waiting for this fight, luring me right to her.

And I followed her wishes willingly. I jogged through the forest on the dangerous side of the barrier, having left the Academy over two hours ago. The afternoon was warmer than this morning, though that didn't say much for the winter weather. My even breathing came out in white clouds as I followed the glowing trail of purple.

Purple that had shone gold.

But I didn't have time to think about that.

Instead, I pushed my thoughts away. I was on a hunt, a cool, clear mindset taking over my brain. My focus remained on one sole thing.

Bringing a demoness' head back on a silver platter.

My resolve hardened as the trail finally went cold, my purple flakes dissolving. I wouldn't need them any longer.

Sasora, with her fiery hair, stood proudly in the center of a pond. The pond's water was murky, filled with dirt that came from the surrounding forest. On either side of her were two hellhounds, their fur growing in tufts on their bodies. Burns scarred their exposed skin, toxic saliva dripping from their mouths. This time Sasora's hair grew down to her waist, the strands twitching, responding to her agitation.

"It's about time," the demoness purred. "My superiors heard of my fun playtime with you. I've been promised the rank of tenth strongest if I kill you, here and now."

I tilted my head, my hair pinned back by Theo's clip. "That's a ballsy reward, in demonic terms."

She laughed, the sound cold and haunting. Her eyes, filled with black, began to glow red as she grinned madly, her canine teeth elongating into fangs. The hounds at her feet began to howl, heat pouring off them.

"And what will your reward be for killing me?" She demanded, still cackling. "A fancy new house? Maybe a promotion? Buckets of money?"

I glared at her, drawing my katana. The blade hummed as purple fire writhed along its edge, responding to my fury.

"I'm getting paid with the satisfaction of prying your head off your shoulders," I snarled. "So be prepared to meet your superiors. I hope you don't get too badly demoted."

I tensed as the hounds leaned backward on their haunches, getting ready to pounce. Sasora's grin faded into a mere look of offense.

"I came to prove that no angel wannabe is strong enough to kill a demon. Everyone that died for your pathetic life wasted their own, Emmalyn Foxit. It's time you faced that truth."

My parents died for me. My brother died for me. Everyone on the experiment died because of it.

I can't be a waste of so much life.

The beginning of the fight was a blur. The hellhounds pounced, flying through the air with the speed of something inhuman. I rolled to the side, clashing with one instead of both. It narrowly dodged my blade, ducking toward my legs. I barely managed to avoid getting bitten as I growled, slamming my foot into its skull. As it stumbled, the second hound attacked. This one wasn't quick enough to avoid my katana -- the very tip managed to graze its neck, leaving purple flames dotting its skin. Those flames would spread given time and energy, which meant I practically had a hold over one already.

I noticed Sasora's sour look as her hounds took up the attack once again. Fire gathered in my open palm, spewing from my fingertips. Whenever a hellhound got too close, I blasted it with my divine power. They weren't able to fight against the pure magic of my flames, and they didn't have the ability to put them out. I grinned like a madwoman as I gained the advantage, slicing my way through the hellhounds who were distracted by the purple fire burning them alive.

By the time I was done with them, the surrounding area stank of burnt flesh.

Sasora slowly clapped her hands for me, her expression blank. The only thing she gave away was her hatred for me, stored in her eyes.

"Since you're warmed up," she sneered, her body slowly beginning to transform, "I supposed its my turn..."

I swallowed, trying to keep calm as the demoness transformed. Horns sprouted from her temples, her skin turning ashy and gray as her nails became talons. Her teeth were no longer fangs -- they were more like razor-sharp tusks. Her shoes tore apart, revealing clawed feet. Sasora's shoulders snapped forward, the demon unable to stand up straight as her legs bent awkwardly. She leaned forward, her claws brushing the ground. Spikes shot from her spine, making her seem more like a dinosaur than a human woman. Saliva dripped from her long teeth, her eyes filled to the lids with red.

"I'm going to devour your soul and let the devil himself snack on your body."

I held my katana in front of me like a shield.

Like hell you--

My thoughts fell silent as a piece of my katana's blade sliced my cheek.

A piece.

Sasora stood in front of me with an insane smile, her breath like fire on my skin. My katana's blade laid on the ground in pieces, the hilt useless in my hand.

"The more pain you're in when you die, the better your soul tastes," she whispered, "so be prepared, huntress. This will not be easy for you."

I saw her reaching for me in slow motion. Her talons brushed my chest, stabbing through my thick leather clothing with ease.

But the second those deadly claws touched my skin, I snapped back to reality.

"Don't underestimate me, wench."

Fire exploded from my skin, my hair whipping around my face. It shoved her away from me, burning the trees around us. The only thing unscathed was the dirty pond water that Sasora landed in, her ashy skin destroyed by the divine flames. Half her face was burned nearly to the bone, shredded pieces of it hanging off her body.

I grabbed my gun from my waistband, firing off three shots. The demoness scrambled to her feet, stopping just on the other side of the pond. I levered my gun, aiming it for her forehead, fire pouring off me in waves.

"Did that hurt?" I demanded.

She hissed.

"I'll take that as a 'it didn't hurt enough!'"

The demoness ran as I continued to shoot, throwing a stream of fire at her. She rounded the pond, leaping toward me like a wild cat. I vaulted backwards, flipping mid air and landing as softly as a feather, my gun replaced by my sai blades. The demoness didn't stop her assault, lurching toward me with her talons extended. I hid behind my reinforced trench coat as some sort of sharp shards flew from her fingers, conjured by her own magic.

Upon further inspection, I realized the projectiles were made of pure bone, shaped to be like arrowheads.

Sasora collided with me as she landed, the two of us rolling in the dirt. My skin, coated by fire, burned her as she wrapped her hands around my throat, sinking her claws into my skin. Unfortunately for her, the fire burned away those freaky talons before they could sink too far, leaving me with only shallow gashes around my neck. The pain from my fire overwhelmed the demoness, making her judgement cloudy. It gave me the opportunity to drive my sai into her side, plunging the blade in between what I assumed was her ribs. Sasora screeched inhumanely as I pulled the blade toward me, ripping it through her stomach.

Her grip was now lost, the demoness flying off me as I kicked her in her bleeding gut. We both hobbled to our feet, blood splattered in the dirt. Mine came from my neck, as well as gashes on my arms from Sasora and on my legs from the hounds. Hers poured from her stomach, which was practically halfway severed.

But that wasn't enough to kill a demon.

My breath came out in pants as I clenched my sai, my opposite hand gathering flames. They burned bright and with purpose, dancing along my skin as I stood opposite of the red-haired lover of lies.

Celestial King... If you can hear me, then just listen for a second.

I don't need to survive this. I'll be grateful if I get out even with a leg or an arm missing.

But you need to promise me that I can kill this demon.

Nothing came in response to my thoughts, but I didn't expect anything less.

The hope was enough to give me the energy to finish this fight. I reached back with the hand full of fire, grabbing the medium-sized shuriken off my back. The purple flames spread out to cover the entire star-shaped weapon just waiting to be thrown.

Sasora sneered, wiping my blood off her claws and onto her clothes. The demoness' hair pulsed, rising off her shoulders. Each strand hardened, becoming like a porcupine's quill. Black shadows writhed around them, lining the knife-like locks of hair with something lethal.

I raised my shuriken with a glare, maneuvering into my fighting stance, my knees bent as I watched the demon.

Sasora smiled.

"I will tell the tale of how well you fought," she told me.

"And I will tell the story of how easy you were to beat," I snarled, the shuriken flying from my fingers. Sasora rolled her eyes, dropping below it, only to realize she made a mistake. With a flick of my fingers, the fire dripped off the blade that flew over Sasora's head, clinging to her instead. She screamed as it began to spread, burning away at her demonic body and hair. I took a step closer, let fire fly from my hands onto her. Eventually I tucked my sai back into my belt, clasping my hands together.

Energy poured from my very veins as purple flames began to flick from my skin, gathering between my hands. I pulled them apart slowly, gathering as much as I could. My strength wavered, one knee hitting the ground as I stared at the demoness. She was still very much alive, though the fire would be enough to kill her if I had another hour to wait around.

But I didn't. I was still a human with a limit to how much my body could take. Bruises were already blossoming around my throat and down my back, and my muscles ached from the intense yet short fights.

I needed to finish this.

The tree branches swayed from the force of the fire churning between my hands. My coat was blown back, my hair whipping in the wind my power created. Sasora managed to stand, staring at me as I kneeled in the dirt.

There wasn't even a layer of fire around my skin as I forced everything into one ball, the symbols in my eye creating a perfect violet ring.

Sasora's confidence wavered, her voice breaking.

"...but mortals aren't meant to be this strong..."

And those would be her last words.

She stood no chance against such concentrated power, and since this power was meant to counteract her kind, it was even stronger when used against her. My flames flew, striking her entire body all at once. They ate through her, burning her to the bone and then consuming those bones. Her screams were shrill and nightmare-inducing -- at least they were until her throat vanished, leaving behind a pile of black ashes and the smell of death.

My body hit the ground, drained of energy. I managed to scoot myself around to face the spot where she stood, my eyes glued to that pile of ashes. My flames were still sticking to what remained of Sasora, eventually burning away the biggest pieces of soot until all that was left was dust.

And, as if the Celestial King was orchestrating it, the wind happened to blow that dust away, separating it for good.

The second it was over, my battle with a demon and her two hellhounds, my vision began to darken.

Definitely overdid myself.

I almost laughed at my own situation. I was bleeding, bruised, exhausted...

And alone.

Which meant I could die here, and Sasora could get what she wanted, too.

A single face popped into mind.

Malekai.

I promised him a lesson. I promised Wendy I'd come home.

A sad smile stretched across my lips, a tear running down my face. It dampened the dirt below my cheek, leaving an itchy trail.

I couldn't even wipe the trail away -- I could barely move.

I never make promises I can't keep.

Wendy's grin filled my head.

And with it, the memory of her rune, which seemed to suddenly weigh a thousand pounds in my pocket.

I need to reach it. If I activate it, they'll come for me.

My fingers wiggled, my hand at my side. It was already so close that I wanted to scream.

My body deflated as I used the last of my energy to sink my fingers into my pocket, touching the rune. I sent a blast of energy into it, a light coming from the folds of fabric.

Relief swept over me, because I knew Wendy would come for me.

Sleep finally took me with that hopeful sentiment hanging in my mind.