Chapter 23

Kai's face hardened as the Yomigaeri's words echoed through his mind.

"You won't get away with this," Kai growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You've underestimated me. You've underestimated all of us."

The Yomigaeri's laughter rang out once more, the sound a chilling reminder of the danger that lay before him.

The Yomigaeri's laughter subsided as a menacing smile appeared on its face, exposing rows of incredibly sharp fangs.

"Underestimated you?" With a voice full of mocking laughter, it purred. You couldn't be more wrong, Kai. I have considered every possible action on your part. I've been observing and preparing for every move you make, every breath you take, and every thought you have since i first saw you guys going towards that supermarket. Each of you is merely a pawn in my scheme."

Kai had a wave of rage as the Yomigaeri spoke.

The markings on his hands came to life, casting the room in an unsettling glow, and Kai let out a guttural growl. The exhaustion and agony of his previous injuries vanished from his body as a wave of energy and vitality. shot through it.

Driven by anger and sorrow, he sprang at the Yomigaeri, using lightning-fast reflexes to unleash a torrent of strikes on its contorted body.

However, the Yomigaeri was no typical foe; it retaliated to Kai's strikes with an equally vicious savagery.

As the battle continued, Kai and the Yomigaeri engaged in a vicious dance of death, exchanging strike for blow. Kai's actions became more precise and fluid with each stroke, almost as if he was channeling the souls of his slain comrades. He felt his anger and anguish rising with every blow.

However, the Yomigaeri returned with twice the force for each blow he delivered to it. With the creature's teeth and claws finding their target, Kai could feel his own strength fading away from him.

Kai used all of his last-ditch effort to throw one last, powerful strike that sent him flying into the Yomigaeri like a freight train. He yelled, his voice a hoarse whisper as he launched himself into the attack.

"This is for all of you!" He hit the beast in the skull with his fist, sending it reeling back.

And for a split second it looked like he might succeed. However, the Yomigaeri recovered as fast as it had staggered, its features twisted into a feral smile.

Before Kai could react, the Yomigaeri was on him, its claws digging deep into his flesh as it moved at a speed that seemed to defy the rules of physics.

The creature's talons ripped into Kai's chest, causing his blood to stream onto the ground as he yelled in pain. But his resolve did not waver, even as he felt his life slipping away. His voice weak and raspy.

"You won't win," he gasped. "We're going to stop you. We are going to find a way."

The room started to spin and Kai's eyesight became blurry as the last of his strength left him. He sensed his own descent as the blackness encircled him.

He uttered in a barely audible murmur, "You...will...not...win..." as the light engulfed him and embraced him warmly.

Kaori, who had been watching the fight in terror, screamed loudly as Kai's body hit the ground.

"Kai!" she exclaimed, her face wet with tears as she hurried to his side and held his motionless body in her arms.

"You bastard," she growled, glaring at the Yomigaeri that had a twisted smile on its face as it watched them. "What have you done to him?"

The Yomigaeri laughed, the sound of its laughing resonating off the walls like the snapping of bones.

"Oh, my dear Kaori," it uttered in a low, mocking voice. "What have I done to him? Why, I just taught him a lesson.

"A lesson about underestimating the power of the Yomigaeri."

Kaori felt the creature's words twist like a scalpel through her chest, causing her anguish and wrath to explode.

With a menacing smile on its face, the Yomigaeri gazed down at Kaori and the still forms of Kai. It purred, "But don't worry," in a falsely sympathetic voice. "At this point, I won't murder you. I have plans for the both of you, you see."

Kaori confused looked at Kai's motionless body.

"Oh, don't worry I didn't kill him. I made sure to avoid the vital spots so he will survive." The yomigaeri told Kaori

Kaori's eyes blazed with defiance as she gazed up at the beast. She growled, "You won't get away with this." "You'll pay for what you've done."

"I've already gotten away with it, there's nothing you lot could possibly do."

"And when the time is right, I will return, and I will finish what I started."

With that, the Yomigaeri turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Kaori alone with the motionless body of her friend.

For a long moment, she sat there, staring down at Kai's motionless form, her mind numb with shock and grief.

Kaori's mind raced, panic and desperation threatening to overtake her. But she forced herself to focus, remembering what she had learned about first aid during her training as a nurse.

With trembling hands, she tore a strip of fabric from her shirt and pressed it against the wound in Kai's chest, applying pressure to slow the bleeding. She knew it was a stopgap measure, but it was all she could do for now.

"Hang on, Kai," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I won't let you die.

As the minutes ticked by, Kaori could feel Kai's pulse beginning to weaken. She continued to press against the wound with all her strength, but she knew that it wasn't enough.

"Please, Kai," she pleaded, her voice shaking. "You have to hold on. You can't leave me here alone.

"I need you."

But no matter how hard she pressed, no matter how desperately she begged, the flow of blood continued. And with every passing second, Kai grew weaker and weaker.

Just when Kaori was starting to lose hope, she heard a faint moan from Kai.

"K-Kaori?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

She let out a gasp, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Kai!" she cried, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're alive!"

As Kai's words faded away, Kaori felt his body go limp in her arms. She let out a sob, her tears mixing with the blood on Kai's chest as she cradled his unconscious form.

And then, she felt it—a subtle shift in his pulse, a slowing of the blood flow from his wound. She looked down, her eyes widening in disbelief as she realized that the bleeding had stopped.

"Kai," she murmured, her voice trembling with hope and fear. "Please, please be okay."