Chapter 9, The Dreadful Engagement

…

Clashing head-on despite his breaths shortening per minute. The shadowy creatures weren't allowing Kefir to receive any rest as they continued their rampage, claws dashing with its sharpening mellows of lust. 

Kefir ducked as he bashed the flaming branch upwards to one of the shadow creatures, scooping a handful of soil, tossing it at the creature as a distraction which worked. 

"DAMN-, JUST FUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BASTARDS!" He roared, suppressing his rational mindset from going berserk from the constant barrages of attacks by the damned beings.

Managing within a timeframe to distract the shadowy being who he threw the soil at. He slid through its legs, followed by various sharp claws striking down with intensifying precision, similar to a downpour of heavy rain in a rainstorm. 

Grasping his branch, he swinged and slashed the creatures around him who fumbled and fell while others evaded who handled some hits on Kefir. Light and deep wounds mixed in harmony were etched onto his body though none reached his vital organs fortunately.

Kefir's heart rate was intensifying accompanied by the soaring bloodlust that filled the atmosphere from the creatures and him who clashed again and again; blood splattering everywhere along with tattered fabrics laid on the cold ground. 

The fatigue was crawling to him closer than ever as hours passed. The ground battered into craters with dirt mixed with other minerals tossed everywhere and pieces of shadowy substance evaporating into the ground. 

It contrasted from the pristine bell which, rusted by age, didn't have any remarkable scratches from it from the recent ongoing battle. 

'Papa, keep fighting! I'm trying to increase more blood flow into the body but I think I'm reaching my limit.." the voice said in anxiety, worried for its father who was still bashing and tossing his branch that was about to run out. 

He nodded, bothered not to reply, his fingers were in extreme pain as the branch was now near the end of its life. The lingering flames now one feet closer to his fingers, the heat was excruciating and painful but he held on. 

Dashing in with hastening paste, the shadowy beings continued to appear in hordes again in a constant cycle with some copying his manner and throwing soil to blind Kefir. Others utilizing his blind spots to charge at him while others at some distance, shot objects like branches onwards to him with extreme might. It trailed like a whistling bullet that could instantly explode his head into piñatas. 

Kefir placed some ripped cloth clenched tightly within his engulfing dried mouth, in order to not bite his tongue. Evading the projectiles shot at him, he lunged forward giving a round kick at one of the shadowy creatures, not impacting it slightly.

His brain was a mixed jumble of fury and fatigue, his rationality was losing it, wishing to just scream like those parents who had kids screaming constantly 24/7. 

Eyes bloodshot as the figure managed to grab onto the ankle of the foot which kicked, it slowly snapped the foot as Kefir moaned in pain. Unwilling to let his emotions get to him of fear and other negative traits. He desperately twisted his head all around in his given vision, filtered with blood drops and blurriness. 

The flames on the branch were truly about to extinguish as his fingers were churned in burn marks. He couldn't get away from the grasp of the being in front of it nor was there anything flammable within his given area as the shadowy creatures began to circle in. 

His brain felt so fried from this dire situation like Kentucky fried-chicken. Staring at his clothes which were flammable. It could spark some ignition for sure however the clothes wouldn't burst much flames required for him to fend off.

Given such a stressful situation, Kefir couldn't handle it anymore before he received a maniacal idea.

Diving deep into his holster, he clutched one of the rounds as he shoved it onto the extreme flames, surrounding his fingers, he was going to ignite a combustion from the bullet at the support of the flames. 

The shadowy creatures could be considered intelligent however they didn't fully comprehend situations such as 'combustions' judging from the lack of reaction the figures gave as Kefir placed the bullet within the screaming flames. 

"Yeah, keep acting like that ya b-" he groaned in a muffled manner, a crazed smile curved on his face before some claws proceeded to dig deep. One of them gouged his left eye; sliding its sharp fingers under and above his eyelids, pinching it out as a strand of the optic nerve followed it.

"FUCK FUCK, STOP— ARGHHH" he yelled in muffled pain as it sliced the nerve. It was the most horrific and intensifying pain he felt in his life as he brain ached from the alerting blood-gurgling cramps, burn and such inexplicable dread of paralysis.

Biting down on the cloth, clenching his fingers that ooze with blood which sourced from everywhere especially his left eye socket that spurted blood.

The ignition finally occurred as Kefir's hand, holding the branch burst into flames, metal fragments flinging out. His hand was literally on fire as the skin-tone ascended its darkening.

His nervous system was in extreme shock, it was numbing and the adrenaline couldn't stop pouring in. Tears and gore blended in unknowingly, Kefir brain malfunctioned. 

Upon the realization of the ignited flames, the shadowy creatures stood at bay, fearful of the sudden combustion of flames. Kefir jumped forward, laughing wildly as his mental health couldn't take the pain it felt in the heat of the moment. 

Whacking, striking, knocking, kicking, lunging, and intense actions assisted his rampage. Kefir struck one of the beasts with his flaming hand as another scratched his back; tattering more of the once beautiful embedded red overcoat. 

…

The dawn of the next morning soon peeked out like a curious neighbor. An eye perched at the gory looking individual who was laying half-way unconscious. 

A lingering somewhat remainder of his rationality crawled back into his melted brain as he laid there almost about to pass out. 

Tying the cloth over his empty left eye socket and some around his deep wounds. Kefir, once a dazing bastard, was now seen as a hobo; a homeless looking man that appeared to receive brutal wounds from some sort of a cartel. 

…

A few minutes passed, tilting his attention to the eye that he earlier was unfond of. A smile curved on his face, it was finally over.

A sense of relief wavering in this exhausting nightmare he crawled in with gritting will, he fell unconscious.