man vs devil

after ripping the dog to shreds. clutching the head of the monster in my jaw. the violent urges didn't subside but only satisfied as I looked up my hard work. all of the bite marks and scratch was healed after killing the two headed dog. gawking on my body that didn't left a single scar but the burns of my arms was still visible. why wasn't healed yet? all of my wounds healed in a flash but the scar stayed like a reminder. scratching my scar's but didn't remove the burn mark but was etched permanently on my skin. realizing it wasn't going to do anything I finally gave up on removing the memory that was stuck to my arms. finally realizing the little girl was still on the ground i panicked and try to look for her. the anxiety left as I found her small body still sleeping on the ground while blood was all over her. trying to raise to check on her but pain stabbed at my arms. I looked down and the scars that didn't left was emitting heat. my arms burned and i buckled on the ground. my body shaked and trembled but the pain reminded of me something. the scorching pain still lingered on my arm after realizing what I was doing. the heat comforted me while I slowly recall what happen in the last few moments before i got here. my mind is only protecting itself and purposely made me forget the pain. only tricking myself by caring about someone that I didn't even know. only finding a reason to live. my fist clenched harder and harder until it was turned into perfectly round sphere. digging my teeth down deeper until it reached the skull. being unable to contain the swirling emotion that is bottled up. snapping my head toward the heavens and let a soundless wail into the lightness world. crying to reach the heaven and letting god hear the despair I went through. all of my action was to distract myself to the truth ignoring everything I went through. all of this emotion stormed inside of me trying to get out of. bitting my lips until it bleed but is immediately healed. focusing on my jaw as it slowly sawed into the head of the dog. like a dame being flooded. a silent twig snapped. in a dark forest any small sound is amplified by the silent. jerking my head to the disturbance as if it was taboo in the quiet forest. there were three figure standing beyond the clearing. the first one that caught my attention but the dog got only one head. and the other looked like a insect with humanoid feature while the largest figure was still shrouded in darkness. but I didn't need to know what it is, a human who's wearing a military uniform. he has ash hair and looked like asian, not having facial hair he looked younger than me. he is the second human being i encountered and immediately after getting back from a bloody battle. my mind raced to say anything but couldn't as my mouth was still bitting down the severed head of the dog. the tense atmosphere got the both of us staying still and observing each other. both of our labor breathing was the only sound is present in the quiet dark forest. my eyes is glued into his body so when he slightly jerked his head I compose myself to receive any attack. he only moved his head like looking behind me. realizing what he is staring at. this scene doesn't look good for me. while thinking of something to explain the naked and bloodied little girl on the floor the man suddenly pulled a rifle from his back. the end of the barrel is pointed at my head and i froze in place. trying to find a reason to him not to pull the trigger but nothing came out. my mind is blank as if no answer is even present to my own question. I watched as he slowly pulled the trigger. or is it me? my mind is still can think of this in while i witness him pulling the trigger. not having a choice I shielded myself with my arms to block upcoming bullet. standing in the same position i didn't bother to move but didn't hear any gun firing. a stinging pain throb in my forehead like being flicked by a rubber band. opening my eyelids in disbelief as no bullet come out. the man in the military uniform is more in disbelief. his mouth is agape while his pupils shrink and rasing his eyebrows in a upward arch. like not wanting to believe what he saw he immediately pulled the trigger again but the same thing happened. he kept pulling the trigger but no bullet came out and i just stood there feeling the same stinging pain all over my body. in anger he throws the gun in the ground and pulled the sheathed sword on his hip. showing it off like he was proud he unsheathed the sword and there is a long sword. having a purple shine all over the sword gives it a mystical look while the edge of the hilt is coated in gold. he took a stand and I did the same while letting go of the head. standing up we looked and observed each other but more thoroughly after showing that I'm not affected by the rifle. raising both of my arms infront of me and he held the sword in one hand while his free hand is tuck behind him. the upcoming battle started when he moved his lips. I didn't hear what he said but suddenly the dog who previously look tame is now charging at me like a feral dog. the dog tried to bite my leg but i grasp it's mouth before reaching me. the man suddenly appeared Infront of me and swinging his sword down my throat. surprised i shielded myself with the dog but is sliced through like butter. the blood spatters on my face and i squint my eyes to avoid the blood getting in. panicked struck me while i tried to recover and hearing a man's voice yelling at the top of his lungs. a gust of wind went past my face after i back forward nearly avoiding the attack. my eyes opened and he is already attacking me. avoiding the consecutive swings while trying to find a opening. dodging each attack while leaving myself open. like seeing a opportunity he thrust his sword at my heart while I'm unguarded. falling for a trap he left himself open and i attacked without mercy. moving out of the sword range I immediately follow by swinging my fist upward. he flew backwards while the sword is left behind. a trail of blood followed the trajectory of his falling body. before touching the ground i tackled him mid air. scraping the ground as i bear hugged him. crashing down in the ground while dust and dirt flew everywhere. but before he could even regain himself my fist is already smashing his face. while i sat on top of him while my fist keep striking down his head.

*crunch* *crack* *crunch* *crack*

this sound reverberated throughout the silent forest. my fist made contact with his face while another fist is striking him. the consecutive punches drove his body deeper down on the ground. going through layers of dirt the creter that I made get more bigger as each punch made shock waves. the dirt and soil is being pushed downwards as i mercilessly pounded on the his face. we finally reached bed rock after pummeling his face into a unrecognizable red mash. my arms felt like was about fall off after using them to pile drive him to the ground. my fist is injured but is immediately healed up as the wounds close themselves i look down to see the man is still breathing. a groan escaped his mouth while his chest struggle to move to breath in air. I stood up from his body trying to let him breath more easier but didn't let him stand up. my feet was placed on his legs while he struggle to take in air as he started to cough. his gonna die if I don't do anything but I wasn't satisfied yet as my bottled up emotion wasn't out yet. wanting him to pay and regret when he started to attack me for no reason but can't let him die. holding him up while being supported by my hand I started to slap his back with my other hand trying to help him breath. finally coughing up the saliva that is stuck in his throat. he took a couple of small breath's before relaxing and taking a long one. he repeated this action over and over again until there's a sign of consciousness in his eyes. his obsidian eyes reminded me of her but he looked at me like i was insane. waving my hand to check and he nodded his head as if understanding me. after checking his still sane I helped him up to his feet. his faces was in horrible condition. there's bruises every part of his face and blood gushed out in each hole in his face and dripping down like a water fall. his vision is slightly impaired because around his eyes is swollen along with his cheeks and lips. he barely looked conscious as he struggle to be on his feet. the hand that help him to get up is still holding on but i didn't try to struggle off his grasp. we looked at each other while his face is bewildered. although I couldn't tell what his expression is all through the broken teeth and swollen jaw he struggled to even speak. releasing his grip on my hands we stood and silently watched each other. we both looked to respect each other but it wasn't true as i planned to make him regret before taking his life. after couple of second passed i finally place my hand Infront of his chest and was about to pierce his heart. he looked confuse as he looked at my palm that is placed on his chest. time froze and any outside sound is drowned up from this world as we looked at each other. but something interrupted us. a cold and oppressive air suddenly weight upon me like the sky is falling. looking up the sky and saw only the stars and the moon but it made me more horrid as the foreboding feeling got stronger.

my skin tingled and hair stood up while my back is drenched in cold sweat. a shiver went down my spine while the feeling of being watched is even worse. like being trapped inside of a invisible bubble i was surrounded and trap. nowhere to go I only stood defenseless while waiting something to come. being paralyzed in place I didn't realize that someone is talking to me while in this motion less world. he looked panicked by how frantic his movement are like his warning me but i only looked at him confused. like he finally realize that I couldn't understand him he thrown a tantrum. stomping down his feet and clutching his hair while talking to himself although i can't understand him. watching him like a child having tantrum it's clear that he isn't going to help and ignored him. the anonymous feeling that I get while waiting is something can't be described in words. someone staring at me like humans looked at ants insignificant and wort less. being at mercy of someone being more powerful made my stomach ache. but in the middle of my thinking I felt a force push me backwards. realizing who it is. —" bastard, what are doing "— before I got a response. a fantastic and dazzling light poured down on him and where i stood previously. my eyes is singe by the scorching light and the man who saved me get enveloped by the radiant light.

barely staying in conscious after the devil pummelled me to the ground. my mana is low so i couldn't even make a spell and so I didn't have any form of attack. I specifically focused on being a summoner and not a close quarter fighter because I thought it is more safer than the latter. regretting to not focus more on my hand to hand combat while i barely able to form a thought. i didn't need to suffer long from the pain because I'm already going to be unconscious. I breath in a sigh of relief but i was choking on my own saliva. trying to breath in but wasn't able as slowly die from this slow and agonizing death. devil is on top of me like helping me to suffocate. blocking my air way by straddling on my chest and pinning my lungs down. couldn't even lift my chest as i struggled to breath. struggling to stay awake but my urge to sleep grows stronger each second. grasping for nothing as I choked on my own saliva. the cruel hand of death slowly closed my eyes.

" I'm really going to die. but I didn't want do. there something that I need to ask my dad. I don't remember but it. it was im...important.. I don't want...to..o..die "

a far away voice try to call me. the voice sounded empty and was far away as it echoed in my mind. I saw my mother and father with 7 children. they were all weaving their hands up as if to cheer me on. I didn't recognize the children but I didn't care. I wave at them in return but feel something is missing. I'm not supposed to be here but couldn't careless as i try to talk to my mom. only happy as I finally meet my family again after a long day. I hesitated to approach them but I can't why. like something important is lost but I couldn't remember what it is. racking my head I saw my mother talk to me but couldn't hear as if my ears were closed.—" Arnold, that wasn't your fault. you were too young "— I looked at her and processed the words she said to me. my mind try to pieced the word that my mother told me. but I was lost in my thoughts. the words that left her mouth was like someone dropping cold water on my back. im receding towards my memories. going through the memories like a library. the first mission I was given when I joined the military, the fun memories that I have with siblings when we were in a festival, to the tiny but precious memory that I have with my mother. with those happy and precious memories mixed with my mundane routine. a cacophony of my sound that came from my memories reverberating inside my mind. it sounded like a chorus. my eyes moisten and something dripping in my nose. when seeing those memories. I was reminded of the lost i felt. how long when did see my family? how long when I last said hi to my dad? I was so in my engrossed about my helplessness since I joined the military that I forgoten their faces. something was lost inside of me. I held my arm forward trying to fill a hole inside of me. as my arm was about to touch the memory that has my mother's face. they all disappeared. turning into golden ash and blown away. I was devastated and felt lost. as I released the water that I was holding with my eyes. a water fall came down to the ground as i sit down in a fetal position. i weep and the my tears and snout came down my cheeks and dripped down on the ground forming a puddle. I can't form a coherent thought as I clutch my head to my chest. a face was a mess. a mixture of tears and snout stick to my face and some of my hair is stuck to my face. with tear filled eyes i tried to wipe them off but it gets immediately moist and wet after I wipe my tears. but in the midst of cleaning my face. I heard a voice. small and a weak voice that's it's barely audible to the ear.

I was shocked and thought it was my imagination but the voice still persisted. after I stood up still tears and snout was coming out of my face. I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision and to ease the stinging feeling that I got from crying so much and wiping the snout with my hand. i twisted my neck to look for the voice but was met with a white void. I only realized that I wasn't in the clearing but was somewhere else. I looked around but the white color seems to extend toward every direction. as no shadow is cast so it felt like I was floating in space. I try to take a step but it felt there is solid ground he stand on. feeling unsteady as I walk toward the endless void. being unable to determine if there's solid ground to stand made me feel nervous. I take each step while thinking the ground I'm going to step on is going to be empty space. I treaded through the white land scape carefully while following the voice that seems to be louder getting louder. I walk for so long that it felt like a day's have passed. but still can't tell how much time have passed. because the absence of light to tell it's day or night. but my body didn't grow tired nor hungry and thirsty. I continued to walk to no end until I see a black void that looks like it was clashing against the white void. both of them end abruptly meeting in the middle. the border of my consciosness and my subconscious. when I reached the border between them. I didn't see anything over in my subconscious. but voice that I followed still can't be understand but it was coming from my subconscious. as I hesitate to go through the endless black void or stay here. my heart was pounding in my chest. walking for days and being bored for so long I just wanted a way out. after I saw another place that I can go I stepped over the boarder of my consciosness and to the black void. after I crossed the border. I felt uncomfortable. my body was cold but no gust of wind can be found. my stomach dropped as i struggle to keep my balance. a anxiety of being stared at is growing more and more. but I tried to ignore the warning bells that my head is sending my body to go back and proceeded forward to the voice. I walked toward the voice that was growing louder as a humming noise occupied it. at first I walked slowly to not try to trip but I was growing in impatience. so after a while of walking I finally started to ran toward voice. I finally saw something after I ran for couple minutes. a light in the darkness. after I saw the light I started to run even faster. each step propelled me forward as I put more in each step. my feet was gliding through the darkness as i see the light glow even brighter. the voice and humming sound synchronize together making a beautiful chorus. as I reached the light the chorus was getting more and more louder making my head hurt although my ear drum didn't to pick up noise. I finally reached and saw it was memory. a small one and didn't looked familiar to me.—" Arnold, I love you "—i instantaneous say I love you back to the memory of my mother. my vision was obscure by my mother's chest and seems to me she hugging me. in my memory I looked up to my mother and saw her face was bleeding. I panicked and tried to reach her but I stopped myself before this memory disappears to like the others. as the memory Infront of me played out. I saw my mother panicked face looking to slide of her. as I heard a distance scream.—" Arnold where going to play a game, alright "—my mother carried me in her arms and then placed in a hollow up tree trunk. as she smile backed at me before turning back. I saw my small arms trying to reach her and then I heard a loud scream of a monster while I slowly slowed close my eyes. that were the memory ended. I stayed in the same position.

my eyes was previously dried is now drawn a single drop of tear. I can't believe what i saw.

I was trying to piece everything together but when I remembered my last memory with my mother. my eyes started to moist and water. the breathing was erratic. rabidly moving chest as I exhale slowly then inhaling extremely fast. trying to keep my breathing stable but ended up choked on my own saliva and making gurgling noise. but I didn't even realize I was choking before my vision started to go black. I finally was broken off the tranced and moved my hand around my neck trying to stop from choking to death. after I recovered and realizing the truth. finally remembering what happened to my mother. I felt responsible. finally seeing the truth. I was able to think calmly. like being able to see everything what there are and not they seem. after finding the answer that was plaguing my mind. like someone recognize my resolved and a light that broke through the endless void and was slowly wrapping my body.

what my eyes saw when I regained my consciosness is the man with the horn Infront of me. he was helping me to wake up and when I almost choking on my saliva. the guilt gnawed my stomach when realized that this man didn't kill me. but instead he was helping me. I tried to apologized but my voice didn't come out. as I regained my consciosness and my jaw is swollen while the pain made it difficult to utter a word. it is difficult to even see as my whole face is swollen. I was still trying to talk but it came out horsed. but suddenly he placed his hand to my heart. the warm feeling of his hand made me feel slightly less tense. how considered of him to even care for my well being it's unfortunate that we have to meet like this. I was deep agonizing pain but still tried to apologized but felt something is off. as I realized what it was. my heart skipped a beat as I realized the man was near me. started to warn the man with the horn to run away. but he looked at me confused. being frustrated and being out of time i decided to push him even if his infuriated at me. he was confused when I flung him backwards. but being unable to move my own jaw and from the pain, so i wasn't able to explain to anything to him. trying to get away but noticing it was to late. I accepted it and waited it to come.