is not very sexy.

Even in such an intense moment, a look at the oni told Ishtar everything she needed. The dilatation of their pupils, the subtle stumbling as they ran, the flushing in their cheeks. The **** had done its work, or at least some of it. Ideally, they would’ve been passed out drunk, but these guys clearly didn’t have all their faculties. Not to mention the sexual frustration caused by wanting a good time yet having to watch their cocksleeves escape.

One of the oni ran towards Ishtar, wooden club held high. Ishtar smirked confidently and ran to meet the giant. The club came down on her, or it would have, had they not been fighting in a cave. The wooden weapon hit not William’s head, but the ceiling. The idiot in front of her was too dumb, and more importantly, too drunk to realize that his size was working against him here.

Once more recognizing Will had good ideas sometimes, Ishtar drove her knee directly into the oni’s crotch. She felt Will cringing in sympathy, but Ishtar had none to spare. When the oni bent over from the insufferable pain, Ishtar elbowed him in his lowered chin. A final kick to the side of the head sent him to the ground and out for the count. Ishtar was no fighter, but the **** in their blood and the fact she could overpower them in raw strength still gave her the advantage. Now only three to go.

“The FUCK are you waiting for!?” the boss yelled, slurring his words. “Get our fuck toys back!”

His words and his very voice irritated Ishtar. She watched two more giants running towards her, dropping their weapons after seeing their friend lose because of it. Ishtar took advantage of it, now picking up the club her victim had left forgotten on the ground and hurled it like a javelin towards the oni on the left. It hit him right in the face, giving her precious seconds to deal with the other one on one. Ishtar went in confidently, ready to repeat the ball crushing they deserved.

She didn’t see the straight punch coming. It hit her like a rock and sent her flying back a couple of meters. Thankfully it hit more on the forehead due to the height difference, but the world still spun and the throbbing pain was oh so very present.

She looked up in a panic to see the oni rushing at her, the other not far behind. Their eyes were focused, their movements more precise. The adrenaline and fear of their yelling boss woke them up from their light drunkenness.

The oni’s huge hand reach out to grab her neck, and in her panic, Ishtar swung the knife she still held onto. The blade sliced through three of the oni’s fingers like butter, yet she still felt how the knife passed through each one.

“AAAAAAAGGGHHHH!” The oni let out a guttural scream, red blood dripping from the severed fingers.

Ishtar had no time to focus on the disgust and nausea she felt and stood back up, the world around her spinning again as she did. Her heart beat so fast and loud she believed she could hear it inside her ears. It was a very unpleasant rush of adrenaline, but it took her mind off the headache.

A quick look back revealed the others had already made their escape. On top of that, now that she had cut the fingers from one of them, the oni seemed to be more cautious of her. At the very least, she was doing well in buying time.

“What’s wrong? Are the big boys scared?” she boasted with fake bravado, her laughter coming more ragged than she intended.

“To think a single brat would give us this much trouble…” the boss grunted, stepping forth. “And on the day of a good haul, too.” His stride was bold, heavy and… intimidating. Ishtar unwillingly took a step back. The oni in front of her was different. His desire for sex was gone, his drunkenness too. It made it near impossible to read his thoughts.

He pushed his underlings aside and, in the blink of an eye, thrust his huge sword forward. Ishtar was barely able to step back just out of range, avoiding the tip by a hair’s breadth. However, the oni’s boss didn’t stop there. With heavy steps that made the entire cave shake, he charged towards Ishtar, thrusting the sword again.

Ishtar kicked the floor and jumped back again by a longer distance. Without noticing, she was already back at the entrance to the cave. The oni had driven her back to open space where he could swing his sword as much as he wanted.

“Quick on your feet, aren’t you?” the oni said, spitting to the side. “Too agile and too strong to be a human. What the hell are you?”

“Guess,” Ishtar replied with a nasty grin. She took that moment to glance around. Maybe being outside wasn’t so bad. The ravine was rocky and more spacious, but the ground was full of rocks to chuck at them. She moved further back, creating distance little by little.

“Stop running away.” The boss held tighter onto his sword and stepped forwards.

Then Ishtar caught glimpse of a blur. Something like a human silhouette quickly falling from above and landing just behind the oni boss. Not a moment later, Ishtar saw the oni’s head split from his body and fall to the floor.

Ishtar felt a chill run through her entire body and her stomach churned, nearly making her throw up. The feeling was shared by Will, who was frozen with shock at the sight. No, not only the sight of the suddenly decapitated oni, but of the perpetrator.

Standing behind the now lifeless body stood a woman they both recognized from a picture shown to them. Long black hair, a voluptuous bust trapped inside a t-shirt, pale-ish skin, Asian features, a bloodied katana in her hand.

That was Nanami’s aunt, without a doubt. And by the look she was giving them, she wasn’t here to help.

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