The Whispering Death

Kaminari felt an unsettling chill crawl up his spine.

“Oi, Devil King…” he muttered. “Tell me you feel that.”

“…I feel nothing,” the Devil King replied, voice grim. “But something is wrong. Very wrong.”

A whisper drifted through the air—haunting, impossible to place.

“You… should not be here.”

Kaminari spun around, eyes darting through the shadows. “Who said that?!”

No answer came. Only silence… until his own sword twitched in his grip—and turned on him.

“What the—?!”

Before he could react, the blade slashed across his abdomen. Kaminari staggered, blood spilling through his fingers as he tried to comprehend the betrayal.

“Oye!” the Devil King growled. “What happened?!”

“I don’t know,” Kaminari panted, frantically scanning his surroundings. “Something’s attacking me!”

An invisible force sliced through the air, striking his chest—a precise cut that narrowly missed his heart. He gasped, stumbling backward.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” the Devil King roared. “IS THAT A GHOST-TYPE DEMON?!”

Kaminari clutched his chest, blood pouring out faster than he could stop it. His vision dimmed, darkness closing in from all sides.

“This… this is bad…” he whispered. “I…”

His body trembled. He dropped to his knees, coughing violently. His limbs felt like lead.

“Oi! Stay awake!” the Devil King shouted. “You die here, and we BOTH die!”

Kaminari forced a weak grin, blood staining his lips. “Heh… at least I’d get some sleep…”

“DAMN IT, KID!” the Devil King’s voice boomed. “I’M NOT LETTING YOU DIE!”

With a thunderous clap, the world twisted—and Kaminari vanished.

—

Kaminari crashed onto the floor of his bedroom, his body mangled and soaked in blood.

Sumire’s eyes widened in horror as she rushed to his side. “Kaminari-kun?!”

“Sumire…” Kaminari croaked, barely conscious. “Give me… blood…”

She froze, confused. “M-My blood?!”

“Yes, hurry…”

Though stunned, she slowly extended her arm. “W-Well… if it’s you…”

Kaminari hesitated, teeth hovering above her skin.

(…This feels really wrong.)

“Just do it!” Sumire shouted, cheeks flushed. “Before I lose confidence!”

With a sigh, Kaminari bit down.

“AHHH!!” Sumire yelped, her body stiffening, her face turning beet red.

(Huh… it’s kinda sweet… wait, am I drinking too much?)

(H-He’s sucking my blood! Th-this is basically an indirect kiss!!)

As the blood flowed, his wounds closed rapidly. His strength returned. His body flushed with heat, and the pain faded into distant memory.

“Hah… that’s good stuff…” Kaminari exhaled.

(GOOD STUFF?! I—I’M GONNA FAINT!) Sumire thought.

“What happened to you?” she managed, trying to steady her voice.

“I encountered a demon,” Kaminari said. “An invisible one.”

Sumire’s expression turned serious. “So this is his aura attribute…”

“It was a ghost-type?” he asked, eyes wide.

She nodded. “Ghost-type demons are powerful. They can erase their presence and smell—but not sound.”

“I dodged one of his attacks by sound alone…” Kaminari murmured.

“Oye!” the Devil King growled. “What if he’s still after you? You gonna fight him like this? My power would kill you—it’s too dense.”

Sumire stepped forward, fire in her eyes. “Don’t worry, King-sama. I’ll protect him.”

(…I’ll do anything to protect my husband.) Her face flushed.

“What a weird girl,” Kaminari muttered under his breath.

“Where is this demon?” Sumire asked.

“The Ninth Town,” the Devil King replied. “Vareth.”

Kaminari looked down at his blood-soaked hands. “I almost died…”

“You WERE dead,” Devil King snapped. “If I’d been a second late, you’d be a corpse.”

Kaminari gritted his teeth. “Tch…”

Sumire zipped up her jacket, fierce determination radiating from her. “We don’t have time to sit around. That demon’s still out there.”

Kaminari took a deep breath, then smiled. “Fine. But this time, I’m not running.”

He placed his hand on Sumire’s shoulder.

“Alright, hold on—this one’s gonna be rough,” the Devil King warned.

With a clap, darkness swallowed them—and when Kaminari opened his eyes, they were in Vareth.

The sky above them bled red. The ground was cracked and blackened. Dried blood coated the streets of the abandoned town. Leafless trees loomed like sentinels of death.

“touch her,” Devil King ordered. “I’ll use my power.”

Kaminari placed a light hand on Sumire’s shoulder.

Another clap.

The teleportation finalized.

They began walking, the eerie silence of Vareth pressing against them.

“I sense him,” Sumire said suddenly. “Let me fight him.”

Kaminari blinked. “Oi, Sumire…?”

She stepped forward. Golden energy shimmered around her body, crackling across her skin. Her jacket fell from her shoulders, revealing glowing markings etched along her arms.

Kaminari’s eyes widened. (What… the hell is this power?)

Her hair lifted gently, aglow with celestial light. The blood scattered on the ground evaporated into mist, drawn toward her.

“Ghost-type demons cannot hide from me,” she said, her golden eyes blazing.

She raised her hand, energy swirling.

“I will burn this one to ashes.”

—To be continued.