Watch Your Debuffs

[SECOND CHANCE]

CHARACTER HAS BOOSTED RESISTANCES TO ALL NEGATIVE STATUS EFFECTS.

I wanted to laugh at the stupidity of it all. At a certain point, I'd taken the buff for granted. Being able to feel cold, hunger, and fatigue had tricked me into believing I was the same as Bixey. Of course I wasn't; I was human. I didn't have the fortitude or the fur that beastfolk did to handle the severe climate of the north.

"Bi…"

My throat choked and I curled into a ball from the repeated shanking pains assaulting my abdomen. Was Shiro stabbing me? Someone else? My eyes were too watery, my mind too spinny.

She's going to die if I don't do something! Where is that stupid Dusk?! Save her dammit! How long does it take to kill someone?

"I never meant for any of this to happen. Truly. You were like a sister to me, Bix."

Shut your fucking mouth.

I wanted to scream it at Shiro, wherever he was, but the words wouldn't come.

"Don't worry, human. You and your pet are next. Guess I lucked out with whatever is going on with you. The Dusk isn't even here anymore."

Not here? I tried to focus my vision on Yahime's status. Had something happened to her? Her health bar was still intact. Was she fighting someone else?

Through the ringing in my ears I could hear the scraping of Shiro's daggers against the stone walls. Dramatic much? It was working, though. Being paralyzed and helpless, hearing that grinding getting closer. Was that how chickens felt before decapitation?

I guess that's it then. I failed, just like I failed at everything else in my life. I don't know why I thought it'd be different here. Avenge Aurelie? I wouldn't have even survived if it weren't for [SECOND CHANCE], Bixey, and Yahime. I'd have died in that forest right after being reincarnated. So why do I feel so bitter?

Bitter. It was like my mouth was filled with old coffee grinds. I hated it. I wanted to spit it out, spit it in Shiro's stupid cat face.

My muscles screamed in agony as I pushed myself up. The grinding of Shiro's dagger stopped, either from surprise or curiosity. Or both. Either way, I wasn't going to lose my chance.

Still blurry eyed, I leaned against my spear to stand. Shiro stood waiting with a taunting smile. Killing us was a game to him and I wasn't about to let him win without a fight.

"I'm actually impressed," he laughed. "Don't worry. Your death won't be in vain. Now that Murus is gone I won't be able to stay in Edgeton, but if I go back to Stonewood with Bixey and tell them how the human she trusted betrayed her, they'll laud me as a hero!"

"My ass. You're not going anywhere you mangy cat."

The smile on his face only grew and he held his daggers wide at his side. Perfect.

If I'd learned anything during my time in the Royal Hearts world, it was that, while the people were real, they all had tropes ingrained into them. Bixey had been the whimsical character, the guards had been typical dirt bags. Even Yahime was the token overpowered familiar. The same applied to Shiro. The arrogant and self-serving traitor.

I hated myself for not noticing sooner. Should I have pressed Bixey more? He'd been suspicious from the start. Would that have saved her? A chasm of guilt split my chest. My passive nature, the same one that had led me to killing myself had gotten Bixey killed. Why? Because I was afraid? Because it was easier to rely on others?

It didn't matter. What mattered was ramming the tip of my spear through the bastard's chest.

To that end, I thrust my spear forward, taking advantage of the huge range advantage I had over Shiro's daggers. He dodged easily and closed the gap, but I followed through with a swift kick to his groin. He groaned and clutched his jewels, and I wondered if neutering him before killing him would be worth it. Assuming I could even do that.

Stunned from my kick, I swung my spear down on his collarbone, hitting him with the shaft. A loud crack responded and Shiro howled in pain, dropping the dagger in his off-hand and stumbling backwards.

This is going fairly well. I was afraid he'd be strong, but he's sort of a pushover.

A set of claws to my face punished me for my hubris. Stinging cuts covered my face. The gash on my forehead trickled blood into my eye and then I was on the back end.

Then he screamed.

Burning flesh and fur stung my nostrils and I stumbled back. Thrashing and rolling, Shiro tried to put out the blue flames eating at his flesh. He only lasted a few seconds before he stopped moving.

"Bixey!"

Ignoring Shiro's still burning corpse, I stumbled to the kitsune. Despite being covered in blood, she wore the same sly smile I'd grown to love.

"Got… Him…"

"You did," I said, falling to my knees beside her and resting her head on my lap. "You got him. So tell me how to fix this! How do I heal you?!"

My heart sank when she shook her head. Her blue eyes were already glassy and each breath she took was stuttered.

"It's alright," she whispered. "I'm just sorry I couldn't show you Stonewood."

"Then stop fooling around and come with me! I know you're just pulling another one of your stupid jokes."

Of course she was. Any second she was going to laugh at me, tell me how naive I was and how something like being stabbed would never kill her.

"Not this time," she laughed. "But maybe we'll meet again when I'm reincarnated."

That's right. There's no mystery about the afterlife in this world. Yahime is proof of that. Is that why she's so calm about this? But it's not like they're respawning. And how will I even know it's her?

"Maybe. But don't keep me waiting too long, okay?"

A flicker of life flashed in Bixey's glassed eyes. She tried to speak, but only a quiet hiss of air came out. So instead she merely smiled and squeezed my hand.

Then she was gone.

Gone. I thought I'd gotten accustomed to death. How many people had died around me already? That was the naivety that Bixey had made fun of me for. Because it wasn't death that tore apart a person's heart. It was the loss. Of course I hadn't felt strongly about strangers dying, especially not strangers who had it coming. But someone I was close to…

Had the same gaping chasm ripped at my parent's hearts when I died? How did they react? As I hugged Bixey against me, I couldn't help but wonder. I wanted to believe they cried, that they were angry enough to confront my manager and demand compensation for my death. At the very least an apology. It wasn't like I'd had a train "accident". I'd made the root cause of my demise clear. Or had they merely held the funeral and moved on?

"Yahime."

I whispered the Dusk's name and to my irritation, she appeared in a dark flicker beside me. Now she could be bothered to come? I grit my teeth. If it would've done any good, I would have punched the useless creature, beaten her until her health bar flashed, until she had one HP.

But I needed her. Now more than ever. Playful nature aside, Bixey had shown me the power I could obtain when she turned the guards into yakiniku. I would need at least that much at my disposal. Because now I had one more reason to burn the Goldsplain Empire to the ground.

"But now what? I don't want to just leave her here. Any suggestions?"

Expectedly, Yahime didn't respond.

"I guess… not…"

It felt inappropriate to yawn holding my only friend's body while surrounded by corpses, but I couldn't stop myself. The adrenaline had worn off and the pain I'd felt before fighting Shiro was quickly coming back. Thankfully, I passed out first.