Kimoko swallowed, feeling the tension building.
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“Which of these options is more likely?” Kigami grimaced, clenching his fingers into fists.
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“Both, and I don’t like either of them.”
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The hooded figure stopped a few steps away from them. When she lifted her head, two crimson eyes flashed from under the hood, cold and piercing.
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“Koshei.” Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the air like a blade. “You’re causing trouble.”
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The demon raised an eyebrow and grimaced in amusement.
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“Oh, really? I didn’t notice.”
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Kimoko noticed his body tense slightly, ready to react.
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“Who are you?” she asked sharply.
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The stranger tilted her head, as if she had just noticed her.
“Someone who should end this chaos.”
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Suddenly, she held out a hand, and silver energy swirled around her fingers. In an instant, Kigami’s shadows began to retreat even further, as if some invisible force was pushing them away.
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The demon growled.
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“So the crystal, or my head?” The stranger didn’t answer immediately. A smile appeared on her lips.
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“Both.”
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And then she charged at him.
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Kigami threw himself to the side, avoiding a streak of silver light that pierced the air where he had been standing a moment ago. The impact was so strong that the ground cracked along the trajectory of the attack.
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“Kimoko! Take Estella and run!” he shouted, jumping back and simultaneously sending a wave of shadows towards his opponent.
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Kimoko wasn’t going to argue. She grabbed Estella tighter and began to pull her towards the nearest alley.
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“Kimoko…” The goddess tried to say something, but she was too weak to protest.
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Kimoko looked over her shoulder.
Kigami and the unknown demoness clashed in the middle of the square, their powers clashing like two elements. Silver light consumed the darkness, and Kigami’s shadows danced around, trying to reach her opponent.
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But Kimoko saw something that worried her.
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The stranger was fast. Too fast.
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Kigami was starting to lose.
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Kimoko gritted her teeth. She couldn’t just walk away, not when Kigami was fighting alone against someone who could kill him.
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“Kimoko, don’t…” Estella croaked, but the girl was already letting go of her arm.
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then she turned and ran towards the fighters.
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Meanwhile, Kigami groaned as another wave of silver energy hit him in the chest, throwing him back a few meters. He barely managed to stop, pressing his shoes into the cracked ground. He was breathing heavily, and a grimace of pain appeared on his face.
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“What exactly do you want?! What have I ever done to you?!” he growled, wiping blood from his mouth.
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The hooded demoness raised her hand, and silver energy began to pulse around it again.
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“I want your death, Koshei.”
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And then she threw herself at him with a speed that Kimoko couldn’t track.
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“NO!” she screamed, reaching for the first thing she could use.
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She grabbed a metal rod lying on the ground, probably broken off from one of the buildings. Without thinking, she threw it towards the stranger.
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The rod cut through the air and… the demoness stopped just before impact. She raised her hand and threw it to the side in one movement, without even turning her head.
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But that was enough.
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Kigami used a split second to gather all his remaining power in his hands.
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“Ha! I’ve got you!”
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The shadow shot out from under his feet like a tentacle and seduced the stranger, squeezing her tightly. For the first time in this fight, her body tensed.
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“Do you think this will stop me?”
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“No, but it will definitely slow you down,” the demon hissed, clenching his fingers into a fist.
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A shadow exploded around her like black fire, and Kigami roared, pouring all of his anger and desperation into the attack.
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Kimoko narrowed her eyes, shielding her face from the blast of air. For a moment, it seemed as if the attack had succeeded.
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But when the smoke cleared, the stranger was still standing.
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Her cloak was torn, and the hood had fallen from her head, revealing dark hair tied in a loose braid. The first sign of surprise appeared on her pale face.
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“Stronger than I thought,” she muttered, blowing ash from her shoulder. “But still too weak, my dear brother.”
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And then she raised her hand.
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Kigami had no time to react as a silver blade of energy sliced through the air.
It hit him in the stomach, and he hissed in pain, falling to one knee.
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“No…” Kimoko took a step forward, but before she could move,
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she held her breath.
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She saw how the ground next to Kigami was wet with his own blood. She saw how a dark red stream flowed from between his fingers, pressed tightly to the deep wound. His face paled.
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The demoness crouched down next to him, a terrifying smile on her lips. Kigami looked at her, but his vision was blurry, and her words were becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
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“I finally finished what mother wanted.” He tried to say something, but all he heard was his own ragged breath. It felt like his lungs were filling with blood.
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The last thing he heard was her eerie laughter receding into the darkness… and Kimoko’s desperate cry:
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“KIGAMI, NO! DON’T LEAVE ME!”
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Then there was silence.
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And darkness.
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