"Eighteen times. This is the eighteenth time now. Same attack, eighteen deaths. Each time, the pain lasts only a few moments — when my stomach gets torn open, or my arms and legs get cut off. But it fades fast. The pain isn't breaking me anymore. Though dying the same way eighteen times — it reminds me of that one game where I kept making the same mistake in a boss fight over and over. I got so frustrated I threw my phone. Didn't touch the game for a whole week after that."
Jhed thought all of this while staring at the Blood Demon. He had died at her hands eighteen times — each time from the same mistake. His clothes, his sword, even his face were soaked in his own blood. He was out of breath. Some blood had gotten into his mouth. Every inhale brought more of it with it. He kept his eyes on the demon anyway.
They had both stopped. They'd been fighting for a long time. Both exhausted.
"You keep coming back to life. It's becoming very irritating. You can't defeat me, and I can't kill you." The Blood Demon said.
"This feels like a video game. But doing it in real life is so much harder. In games, an enemy's moves are fixed — once you figure them out, you win. But here, she changes her moves every time. I've noticed that already. And besides — when you can't beat an enemy, you make them an ally." Jhed thought.
He sheathed his sword.
"Look — this fight has no end. Better we become friends than waste time on a pointless battle." Jhed called out.
The massive, terrifying Blood Demon brought her face close to his. And shifted back into the girl's form.
"What are you suggesting?" Silia asked.
"You do all of this for blood. So why not just drink mine? My blood will never run out. That way — you won't have to wander around killing people. I'll supply everything you need on my own. And you can keep the card. Just travel with me." Jhed said it all without hesitation.
Silia stared at him. He was drenched in blood.
She licked the blood off his face.
"Not bad. Better than before." She said.
"But why should I trust you?"
"As you've seen — I can't beat you. That alone should be enough reason to trust me. And my teleportation card is already with you — it's useless to me without your cooperation." Jhed had talked her into a corner.
"You make a fair point. I do all of this for blood. I need at least ten thousand people's worth just to feel full. I haven't had that much in a long time — I've grown weak." She looked into his eyes.
"You won't deceive me... fine then. Deal." Silia extended her hand.
Jhed looked at it.
"That was easier than I expected. I thought she'd refuse. I'm about to travel with a demon. I'll make full use of this — but I have to stay careful." He shook her hand.
"Should I call you Silia or Blood Demon?" Jhed asked.
"You'll call me Silia." She said.
She came closer.
"I'm hungry." She said it and lunged at him, biting into his neck and drinking.
The pain was intense. He was dying inside from it. But he stayed still.
Shine is going to find out about this. What will his face look like?
After a long while, she stopped and wiped her mouth.
Jhed had already begun to heal.
"That hurt a lot. By the way — where are we?" Jhed asked.
"This is my world. I never kill anyone in the real world. I bring them here first. So no one knows a Blood Demon is still alive." Silia said. Perhaps she was afraid of someone too.
Moments later, Jhed was pulled out of the Blood Demon's world and found himself back in Daichi's house — the same place he'd been standing when he was pulled in. Silia came with him.
Outside, the sounds of people moving around could be heard.