Arrived In Time

"Pant..." "Pant..." "Pant..."

Sakura took deep breaths as she was almost completely surrounded by the demons hiding in the trees in middle of the forest and Ishida hadn't arrived yet. So, did her best to hold on to fight and defend herself against the demons.

As the Demons were almost at most of the trees now, there was at least 20-23 demons in trees surrounding her. And no matter where she tried to escape , there were no , because she was in middle of the forest at this point and to get out of from so many demons who could travel from one tree to another easily.

Sakura tried her best to attack the demons several times , but her attack got missed or did very small damage to the demons. Her hands were almost giving up already of holding the sword and fatigue was taking over , slowing down her movements, her health was lowering slow by slow and his feet was giving up at the same time.

But , still somehow managed to steady herself as she dodged one of the attacks from a demon, as she said, "Water Breathing Third Form: Flowing Dance" saying this she Sakura's blade shimmered as she launched into the Flowing Dance. Her first strike was a swift horizontal slash, catching the nearest demon by surprise. The sword cut cleanly through its neck, and the demon dissolved into dark mist, vanishing with a hiss.

Without pausing, she pivoted on her heel, using the momentum to drive a vertical strike into the second demon. The blade pierced straight through its chest, and its eyes widened in shock before it crumbled into shadows.

As she completed her spin, Sakura spotted the third demon lunging at her from above. With a fluid motion, she sidestepped and brought her sword upward in a sharp arc. The blade sliced through the demon's torso, splitting it in two before it faded into nothingness.

With this desperate attack she takes down 3 down in a row, but the problem was it had taken a lot toll her body as well and those were not the last demons as well. She landed at the ground, as her legs started to given up completely, as another attack was launched towards her , but she had no strength to block or evade the attack, as the attack closed in on her , but before it could reach her the attack suddenly stopped, as she heard a voice say, "I have been known you for less 15 days, but I already had to save you twice now"

With a desperate burst of energy, Sakura managed to take down three demons in succession. But the effort left her drained, her body shaking with exhaustion and her breath coming in ragged gasps. She hit the ground hard, her legs ready to give out as the rest of the demons circled around, sensing her weakness.

Another demon lunged at her, claws ready to strike. Sakura, too tired to move or defend herself, could only watch as the attack closed in. It felt like everything was moving in slow motion, and she knew she couldn't stop it.

Just as the demon's claws were about to hit, a blade sliced through the air, stopping the attack in its tracks. The demon vanished into smoke, disappearing before it could reach her. Sakura blinked, trying to understand what had just happened.

"I've known you for less than fifteen days," came a voice filled with a mix of frustration and relief, "and I've already had to save you twice."

Ishida stood in front of her, sword in hand, looking both annoyed and relieved. His presence was like a light in the dark, giving her hope when she felt all was lost. He moved quickly and skillfully, taking out the remaining demons with ease, each swing of his sword precise and sure.

When the last demon was gone, the forest was silent except for the rustling leaves and their heavy breathing. Ishida turned to her with a slight smile, offering his hand.

"Looks like I got here just in time," he said.

Sakura took his hand, grateful for the support, "Thanks!" She said.

Ishida looked at her up and down, she already had injuries, bleeding from her hands and leg , "I don't think you can continue in this condition. You can leave if you want, I can continue alone here" Ishida said, as he turned around, "If you want , I can leave you outside the forest... And I hope you can return from there alone" He said coldly, as he turned around looking for something.

"I can continue... I almost defeated 4-5 demons there. I can do it" She said.

Ishida glanced over at Sakura, his gaze cold and unyielding. "Look, this isn't a place for half-baked heroics. If you want to play warrior, first learn how to stand without crumbling. I don't have time to babysit someone who's more of a liability than an ally. I have to complete the mission as soon as possible" He said

Just as the words left his mouth , a realization hit him as he turned back , as he brought out one of the potion of instant heal out of his inventory, "Take this!" He said, as he threw the bottle to her, as she somehow managed to catch it.

Ishida looked at Sakura, noticing her teary eyes and the strain in her expression. He sighed, his earlier frustration giving way to a sense of responsibility.

"Here," he said, reaching into his inventory and pulling out a small bottle. "Take this."

Sakura caught the bottle, her hands trembling slightly. She glanced up at him, confusion etched on her face.

"It's a healing potion," Ishida explained, his tone softening. "It'll help with your wounds."

She nodded, uncapping the bottle and taking a cautious sip. "It tastes awful," she grimaced.

"Just drink it," Ishida insisted, his voice a mix of gentle urgency. As she finished the potion, the effects were almost immediate. Her wounds began to close, and the fatigue lifted from her limbs.

"Wow," she murmured, astonished by the rapid recovery.

Ishida nodded, offering a faint smile. "Now that you're feeling better, are you ready to continue?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, determination returning to her voice. "I'm here to complete the mission with you."

Ishida sighed, as he nodded walking towards the house , the house that he was suspicious of and the house that has been reported for people getting missed in.

"Good, Now focus on the mission in hand. We need to enter the house, and according to what has been reported people has gone missing in that house, so there might be normal people too inside and obviously demons too" Ishida explained walking forward.

"oh, I forgot to tell you because of all the things you told to me, that's I heard a scream coming from the place I was standing when you came"

Ishida's faced serious, as he walked faster , as he murmured, "And you are telling the most important thing now!?"

The Ishida - Sakura duo will be going for their first mission, do you think they will be able to be successful !?