Saving My World

My arms and legs cramp as I ignore it and continue running and then climbing. Rain falls, thunder claps, and the air is thin and cold as I go up. Smoke puffs out from every breath, and for every breath, a sharp pain stabs at my lungs. But every step and every scale gets me closer to her.

We’re counting on you!

Liam… Please…

Save this world!

Liam!

I’m sorry, everyone. I have failed. You all wanted me to save this world from the Chimeras. But I can’t do that. I can’t save this world. I’m not a hero. This world had already ended. I’m just a survivor. I’m sorry for not saving this world.

But now.

I need to save mine.

I slam open the last door. I gasp. Tamamo is tied up on a tree, still unconscious. “Tamamo!”

The roof of this building is littered with bones, darkened flesh, and black feathers. The tree that wraps around the two buildings covers the stormy sky above. The other structure leans to the side of this one, making the other roof look like a slanted wall.

A slow rhythm of claps above draws my attention. My blood boils. Black Wing.

“That didn’t take you long to get here,” Black Wing smirks. “Now we can begin the wedding ceremony! You, human, shall be my best man an-”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

As usual, none of the bullets had hit my target.

“Fine.” The scimitar sings out of Black Wing’s curved scabbard. He swings it around, flashing its steel.

I empty my gun and replace a new magazine in it, then install it into the SMG. Drawing out my sword, I connect it to the hilt and twist, collapsing the greatsword out from my back, then I swing over my head and smash it to the ground. 

Black Wing chuckles. “Let’s dance, human!”

I lunge forward, roaring my lungs out. Black Wing flaps and soars at me. My blade clashes with his. He smirks at me. I grunt, then push my weapon off. A volley of slashes ignites shards of flames.

Black Wing pulls his scimitar back, going for a wide slash. I swing my sword, meeting his blade, then leap and kick him in the chest to flip me back into the air. I raise my gun and spray streams of orange light.

With a flap of his wings, Black Wing turns into a shadow and swiftly dodges and slashes away the bullets as he laughs.

I land on my feet and blink. Black Wing disappears. I flit around, but he’s nowhere. My heart races, searching.

“Up here!”

I gasp, looking up. A black blur swoops in and cuts me in the guts, spilling fresh blood upon the dried ones.

Clink.

I drop a grenade as I roll across the ground, then push myself up, flipping back on my feet and raising my gun and firing. Black Wing slashes away, and I lunge forward tightly, gripping the greatsword for a swing. But Black Wing repels it. My chest tightens. I rush to point my gun to his face to end it. But a sharp pain runs up my arm to my hand as more blood spills, splattering on Black Wing’s smiling face. The SMG of the gun gets sliced off, leaving only the handgun left, flying in the air and then clattering on the floor. Then, a blow from Black Wing sends me flying back.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

I drop more. Looking up from the ground, Black Wing disappears again into the air. Like a blur, he comes at me again. Raising my sword up and holding it up like a shield, I brace myself.

Clash!

The blow sends me rolling again, but Black Wing howls into the storm with laughter and drops in from all directions, knocking me across the roof like I’m a ball.

Clash! Clash!

Clink.

Clash! Clash!

Clink.

Clash! Clash!

Black Wing knocks me up into the air then his blade digs into my shoulder, pushing me against the wind and crashing into a wall.

I cry out, still firmly holding my greatsword.

“This is fun, human. Play with me more!” Black Wing grips my throat with his other hand and pulls the scimitar out, then smashes my left eye with the pommel.

I scream as Black Wing drops me, and I fall flat on my face. Blood drenches my clothes and burns my face. I stab the greatsword into the ground, pulling myself up to my knees. My breaths are long, shallow, and sharp. But I need to save her. 

“Come on, human! COME ON!”

Save Tamamo! 

I rise to my feet with shaking knees, staring straight at Black Wing, tilting his head with wide beady eyes and a smirk on his bloodied face.

“That’s it. It’s a wedding party, so dance until you drop!”

My veins twitch to the surface of my skin. I launch forward, gripping the greatsword in both hands, and roar out my lungs along with the clap of thunder. I meet Black Wing at the center and clash. I slash, I thrust, I parry, I swing, I hack, I duck, I pivot, I pierce.

A million sparks explode from the clashing of steel, and blood paints the roof red.

I leap into the air, bringing down my blade downward, but Black Wing twirls away as my blade smashes the ground. He charges at me with his scimitar; I spin, packing force behind my swing and clash. But a blow to the gut sends me rolling.

“You can never beat me, human. But I love your desperation.”

I cough out fluids that mix with my dripping blood on the ground. Then, I slowly rise back up.

“You still want to play?” Black Wing cackles. “Time to stop playing hero and be a good little prey for me.”

“You’re mistaken.” I raise my gun that I had picked up from rolling. “I’m the hunter.”

Bang!

“You mis-”

BOOM!

The bombs I dropped all around the roof explode. Flames erupt toward the sky, shaking the structure and the air. But I know this won’t kill him.

I drop the gun and lunge one last time, giving everything I have. The wind brushes past me; I tightly grip my greatsword, pulling it inward. Then I dive into the flames. My skin scorches and flakes off as my clothes catch on fire and slowly burn into black ash.

In the fire, Black Wing’s smile jumps out along with his scimitar. I roar and thrust my greatsword into him as his blade also sinks into me. Black Wing’s cackle howls as his blade pushes through me and protrudes through my back. Then I twist the handle; the short sword slides out of the greatsword. Black Wing gasps. I roar.

The steel blade connects to the neck and smoothly slices through. The head of Black Wing soars into the air. Then, the fire dies.

My lungs hurt. My body aches. Everything looks blurry. My ears are ringing, but I can hear her calling my name.

“Liam!”

Then everything goes black.