Kill

I mentally prepared myself. I don't want to do it, but looking at it rationally, Fisti was absolutely right. We are dealing with a devil here. They deceive people. Furthermore, this is that crafty Beatrice we are talking about.

Instead of wishfully thinking that Femto just happens to want to betray her master it is way more reasonable to assume that this is yet another trap by the witch.

I took a deep breath as I further steeled myself.“We will kill the Devil”, I stated firmly.

“Good!” Fisti nodded pleased, while Aiju seemed just as eager. I think in her case it is more in order to get rid of any competition though.

“Oi, Oi, you serious?”, Cassandra looked at me in disbelief. “I was sure, you would tell them off.”

“Devils are not invincible”, I reasoned. “There are four of us, we are skilled warriors and have the element of surprise on our side. We can take her down.”

Cassandra was not having it. “No, we can’t”, she firmly stated. “Holy shit, if it comes down to this just surrender to the witch!”

This was getting tiresome. “We don’t have time for this. We can’t trust neither Beatrice nor her devil. This is the most prudent course of action.”

“Prudent my ass, this isn't some mobster we're talking about! We are up against a devil! You doom us all to hell!”

“I always knew ya where a coward”, Fisti spat.

“Oh fuck you!”

“Enough.” I cut in once more. “This decision is final. Cassandra, I'm sorry but you will fight along side us to the best of your ability.”

A plan was quickly hatched. I would seemingly go along with Femto's offer and then we ambush her. While a devil was a tremendously powerful being, it was not invulnerable. If we all work together, we should be able to bring her down.

No, we will bring her down.

…

..

.

“Good evening, Rasheul. I am back and wow, is traffic bad or what?. You think there is a huge sex tournament going on or something!”, Femto laughed at her own joke, while she slowly climbed up from the floor. “You good people come to a decision?”

“We did”, I answered stiffly. “We will accept your proposal.”

Femto's smile got a little bit wider. “And once more you have proven your excellent reasoning skills, Sir. Now then, shall we...”

Fisti was the first to react. Using her sharp reflexes she punched Femto directly in the back.

“What's this now?” In a grotesque display Femto snapped her head 180 degree and stared at her assailant.

This was the signal for the rest of us. I had my dirks ready and pierced at Femto's neck Both Aiju and Cassandra pincered the devil from two sides.

Femto screeched and charged backwards towards Fisti. The martial artist quickly raised her fists, but the Devils speed was unearthly. Even I could barely follow it.

“You are a particular stupid bunch, aren't you?” Femto sneered as she grabbed Fisti by the head and flung her against the wall. “I make you such an excellent offer and you spit in my face.”

With a mighty roar Aiju leaped onto the Devil and started biting and scratching at her face. Femto retaliated in kind, before simply shaking her off.

That's when the arrow whizzed through the air and impaled itself directly into Femto's face. It pierced her left eyeball. The devil staggered for a bit. “Ouch. I'm going to feel this in the morning, Cass.”

“Fucking monster”, Cassandra spat and notched another arrow.

We can't let up. I screamed, brandished my two dirks and jumped at the devil, piercing her skull directly.

Finally, the devil let out a shrill shriek, falling to her knees. Cassandra followed up with another arrow through her body.

With a grunt, Fisti got back on her feet. “Ugh”, she grimaced in pain. “Did we do it?”

For a moment nobody dared to even breath.

Then, a black beam shot out of Femto's battered body and impaled Cassandra.

“I knew...this plan was shit. Mari, you stupid piece of fuck.” Cassandra shuddered and managed one last grin before her life expired.

Fisti screamed. She rushed Femto, pulled her hand back for another punch, but Femto caught it with ease. A black mist started to engulf the martial artist. Followed by screams and...nothing.

“Sir Sir Sir” The sound came all around us as the room seemed to grew darker. “ThAt waS A mistAKe.”

“Mari! Run!” Aiju shouted at me before lunging at the devil once more.

And I did.

Fight or flight response kicked in. All my training was overridden with the instinctual behavior that is ingrained in all of us. To preserve our own life at all cost.

I ran.

…

..

.

When I regained my senses I awoke in a field. Rain splattered at my face but the sun was already up. I must have run through most of the night before finally collapsing from exhaustion. I was...somewhere to the north of Rasheul as it appeared.

And then the memory came back. Did I really just abandon all of them? I...I have to go back! I looked to the city walls and a feeling of immense dread overcame me.

I can't...I can't.

I started to shiver. What...did I do? And then I cried.

…

..

.

I wandered aimlessly for hours. I must have instinctively follow the road north though because eventually I came across a small village. Yes...I remember, I stayed the night here on my way to Rasheul.

Luckily, I still had some gold coins in my pockets. I found a pub with an Inn and finally got some food back into me. My room had magic vision and what happened in the dorm was all over the news.

A gruesome slaughter inside the fighters dorm with three casualties and the perpetrator missing. It was apparently a big enough deal that the tournament was suspended.

From the sound of it, they suspected me as the main culprit.

I had to laugh. They would suspect me, wouldn't they? And does that mean I won't by punished for forfeiting? Such a silly thing to consider after what just had happened

No wait.

I still had that tracking spell on me, didn’t I? If I’m the suspect wouldn’t they use it to track me down? And the people here know me.

I needed to escape. Put as much distance between Rasheul and myself as possible. Go back to my brother in Helman.

Suddenly the tiny room I was in felt wrong. Claustrophobic. I absolutely could not risk staying the night here. And so after getting the barest minimum of rest needed I sneaked out once the sun started to set.

The feeling I encountered while the cool air of the night guided me along was peculiar. A strange sense of giddiness, almost euphoric enveloped me. I needed to sleep but at the same time, I felt unable to.

Aiju, Fisti, Cassandra.

They are all dead, because of me.

But I escaped.

My mind was not working properly. Perhaps it was trying to protect itself? I felt like I was going mad.

That was...until my time came.

“You are a bold one, aren't you, Sir?” Femto said as she manifested herself right in front of me.

“Here I was, being generous, offering you an amazing deal to save your skin and how do you repay me? By shoving a dagger through my skull. Not exactly my notion of fair dinkum, Sir.”

I couldn't even run away anymore. Forget fight or flight. I froze in sheer terror.

The devil seemed to care little about my inaction. “You could have refused, you know? I mean sure, Beatrice would have gotten you. But hey, you win some, you lose some.”

I merely stared at the monstrosity in front of me.

“Tell me, Sir,” Femto asked with a fiendish grin. “Why do you think I let you escape in the first place?”

I opened and closed my mouth, unable to say anything.

“Because I am a professional. And as a professional I hold up my side of the bargain. Your soul belongs to me only after the grace period is over. Let me be level with you, Sir. You really should have killed yourself in that time. Believe it or not, that is actually a loophole.”, Femto laughed. “Funny don't you think? If our debtors would simply kill themselves a day or so before the due date we would be completely out of business.”

“S-stay back.” I managed to squeeze out.

Femto was unimpressed. “I'm angry, Sir. Very angry.”

I ran.

“Well then. It is time to collect my due.”

Darkness.