“Can you handle it?” I looked at the Four to see it tilt its head. “Animae.”
I inhaled deeply before wincing momentarily. “Y-yeah.”
“Can you try to not die?”
“You’re the one that ran in headfirst and got my arm torn off,” I reminded.
“And I fixed it,” he countered, “Just try not to fucking suck while I take care of the rib.”
I sucked my teeth before tensing as Four took step forward. “Your eyes are green.” A large toothy grin appeared soon after. “Jayden, promise to show a lot more emotion than you’re boring other half, ok?”
“Boring my ass,” Cordis griped in my head. “Switch with me.”
I shook my head. “Knock it off,” I whispered. “You said you’d focus on healing. You owe me that much for having my arm torn off!”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“Hey, Jayden.” I focused to see Four closer than before with its head tilted. Gold eyes then closed as its smile broadened. “Put up a good fight, ok? Food always tastes better when its scared.”
I took a step back as the Umbra opened its eyes before jumping back to avoid the tentacle that erupted from the ground where I had once stood. A second then third came into view as the first removed itself. The first snagged a piece of rubble to hurl before I dodged it to see it smash into the old car behind me. The other tendrils grabbed a hold of the debris and followed suit. Dodging the first few, I looked down to see one of the tentacles wrapped around my shoe before being thrown into the car.
Rolling over the hood as another tentacle stabbed into the windshield, I snagged a glass shard to stab the tentacle that snaked its way from underneath. A second tentacle reached around to flip the car out the way before another two tentacles attempted to snag me. Grabbing another two shards, I threw one at Four’s face to cut its cheek before using the other as a knife when the tentacle came too close.
Glancing towards the pillar, I made a run for it before having my leg snagged. Being tripped up, I kicked off the tentacle before rolling out the way as another stabbed down into the ground. As another then another stabbed into the ground, I sat up when I backed into a wall before ducking as one of the things struck behind me. Spotting the scythe nearby, I made a grab at it before rolling over to deflect the tentacle. A second then struck the blade before I swung it to sever them. Peering over the debris, I fell back as Four was standing there. A smile then spread across its face as it snagged my leg to throw me high into the air.
Swinging the scythe to hook it around a streetlight, I slid back down to be on defense as another tentacle lashed out. Sidestepping the Umbra that lunged, I threw the second blade at its neck before running past it. Snagging the other half of the weapon still suspended from the lamppost, I gave it a swift pull as Four turned. The blade at its neck caught and sliced through, ridding the Umbra of its head.
Before I could get to it, however, two tentacles slammed down to distance me before the third retrieved the missing head.
“What are you doing?” Cordis asked. “Stop playing with it!”
“Have you not learned anything from the last time you fought this thing?” I questioned under my breath. “You can’t easily overpower something like Four.”
“Not with that attitude.”
“Your attitude is the fucking reason we got our arm torn off in the first place, asshole.”
“Hey, Jayden.” Four rolled its shoulders before cracking its neck once its head was reattached. “I’m going to remove your head from your shoulders,” it announced as it flexed its clawed fingers.
It lunged without warning. I dropped to the ground to avoid being tackled before swinging one of the blades at its feet. It darted back to avoid being hit before pouncing again as I climbed to my feet. Teeth bit into the staff before one of those tentacles stabbed into my leg. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making a sound.
“Get off!” I ordered when its spit started to drip onto my skin.
I swung my leg up and over to kick it off before scrubbing my arm over my face as it started to burn. All too soon did Four pounce again to have me pinned. Its teeth latched onto the staff again before a tendril stabbed down into the concrete at either side of my head.
“Animae–”
“Not now, Cordis,” I ground out as the third tentacle loomed over the Umbra’s shoulder.
Snagging a glass shard, I ignored the burning coming from the saliva dripping onto my face before slashing it across its eyes. I swear I would’ve went deaf by how loud its pained screeching was before I managed to kick it up and over.
Scrubbing my arm against my face to rid myself of its spit, I held up one of the blades to deflect the tentacle that was swing haphazardly before knocked into the overturned car. I stabbed one of the blades into the tentacle that shot forward to pin it down before cutting the next one that shot forward. Stepping out the way of the tentacle that got free, I got knocked down by another before snagged. Righting myself, I rolled to my feet to avoid the tentacle that stabbed into the ground in front of me.
Looking at the wound healing over one eye, I noticed the open wound over the scarred eye.
“It’s still that one,” I mused.
“What are you doing?” Cordis asked as I dodged the tentacle that shot out the ground. “Fight or switch with me!”
“Head on won’t work, Cordis.” I looked back at the pillar then over at the Four. “C’mon, Four. Your aim is all off.”
I ducked as a tentacle swung at my head before beelining it for the collapsing structure. Glancing over my shoulder to see the Umbra stalking towards me, I severed the tentacles that attempted to grab me before hiding inside.
“You’re only working up my appetite, Jayden,” Four called as it entered.
“What are you doing?”
I ignored Cordis as I watched from a ledge before ducking as Four threw a piece debris in my direction. As it lashed out again, I severed the tentacles before dodging debris to get to a different spot. Once in position, I wrapped one of the crumbling ledges before swinging down to standing in the entryway.
I looked around before dodging a piece of debris that was thrown. Watching as it sailed by, I caught one to the stomach and dropped down to one knee.
“You’re way to nimble. I’m starting to wonder if I should break your legs,” Four mused aloud as I got to my feet. A tentacle then punched through the ground to jab me in the stomach hard enough to drop me to my knee again. “But pulling them off would be much more fun,” it added as it walked forward.
“Animae, switch with me.”
Climbing to my feet to step back, I watched as Four proceeded forward before pulling on the binding to bring down the second blade. The crumbling sound that followed drew Four’s attention upwards in time to have the rubble topple on top of it. Collecting the weapon as an aggravated snarl echoed through the demolished pillar, I twirled the blade in my hand as the rubble shifted.
A gold eye peered from the shadows of the pieces before they fell over as Four erupted. I then swung once it was close enough to catch Four across the face. The screeching rang throughout the area before I swung again. I cut across one eye though distorted tentacles protected the one that had been scarred. It lunged forward, lashing out with its claws before I managed to rid it of one of its hands. The other blade was used to slash across Four’s face. I took out one of its legs before swinging vertically to partially bisect it. When it tried to back away or heal, I cut it down again.
If its core was continuously damaged, it wouldn’t be able to regenerate at its normal rate.
That was the notion I had.
I raised the scythe as I looked down at the Four that was knelt before me. It was strange to see the always smiling entity looking at me apprehensively, panicked.
Scared.
The idea of that was somewhat thrilling as I went to swing the blade; however, I was met with sudden hesitation. I glanced at the scythe to see it tremble as I tried to bring it down before I raised it higher to get the same result.
“Animae.”
“What are you doing,” I growled quietly.
“That expression.” I looked down at Four to see it peering through clawed fingers as it cradled the injured half of its face. “I love that. We’ve seen that expression before.”
“Cordis—”
“It’s the same look those shitty mounds make when they know they’re beaten. When they know they’re food.” I grimaced at the thought of where this was going. “Animae, switch with me.”
“No.” I reeled the scythe higher before it froze. “Cordis—”
“You owe me for the rib. It’s fixed so switch.”
“I don’t owe you shit, Cordis,” I growled under my breath. This was not the time to be going back and forth over the matter. “Just let me—!”
Chuckling from the Four had me tense before taking notice of the tentacle looming over its shoulder. Willing the scythe to swing came up a bit too short as all too soon did I feel a dull pain in my chest. I then felt something welling up at the back of my mouth. Looking down to see the tentacle lodged in my chest, I looked at Four to see it rising to its feet slowly as it dropped its hand to its side.
“Even in a situation like this, you can’t get your shit together,” it chuckled as it drove the tentacle further, "and this is why you lose–”
I swung the scythe to sever the tentacle before staggering back. “C-Cordis.” It was silent. “C-Cordis…?” I looked back down at the tentacle before dropping down to my knees as it moved. “Cordis…”
I wasn’t going to be able to remove that thing myself.
Should I?
It’d be suicide.
The thought of what Cordis hinted at then flashed in front of me.
I didn’t know what would happen but that was my only option now if he was gone.
“Jayden, Jayden, Jayden. You truly are a handful. You almost had me with that little stunt you pulled.” I lowered my head as the Umbra hoisted me up with one of its tentacles. “Don’t hide your face. I can’t see those wonderful expressions.” My body started to feel heavy as my sight slowly burred. “Hey, let’s remove this, shall we?” I blinked slowly before the sharp pain of the tentacle being removed jolted me. “Ah, there we go. Show me that fear and pain,” Four chuckled as I gripped the scythe. “Let’s just–!”
I swung the weapon to cut the dark tendril as well as rid the Four of its head. Being dropped back to the ground, I grabbed a hold of the head before the Umbra could retrieve it. The sharpened points of the tentacles aimed at me then came to a halt the moment I closed my fingers around the Four’s eye.
“Four…” I ground out through clenched teeth.
“J…Jayden…hey, w—!”
I tilted my head to look at the blurry Umbra before ripping the eye out. A loud screeching sound echoed throughout the block before I rolled the head back towards its owner. Once the Umbra reattached it, Four took a tentative step forward before pausing as I held the yellow eye.
“F…for someone who c-can’t get their shit t-together, looks like I w…win,” I muttered, earning a growl from the other.
Three tentacles reared up before one shot forward. “You–!”
I narrowed my eyes at Four before popping the object into my mouth. The tentacle closest to me halted before the outline bristled as I bit down on its core. I bit down harder to watch the rest of the Umbra’s outline bristled before swallowing the eye entirely. A sudden pang in my chest had me lurching forward before grabbing at the hole in my chest to see the blood transitioning to the same black substance that had leaked out from when my arm was torn off.
Four’s other eye widened before it snarled. One of the tentacles that went to lash out then quivered. Two of the other tentacles tried to wrap around me though there was no strength behind it. Brushing them aside, I watched as Four’s eye widened again before it took a step back. Its outline bristled and distorted with each step before it stumbled over its own feet. It then tried to lash out again before its tentacles bristled then broke apart. The edges started to flake away on the third attempt. As I took a step forward, Four scooted back a foot or two. It tried to retaliate with one of the tentacles before it wilted and crumbled.
“Four…”
It growled at its name but it lacked its bite. If anything, its watery voice trembled much like its outline. The way it kept watching then led me to think about what Cordis said. That alone had me crack a smile.
It was so pitiful.
Four was scared.
“Cordis, c’mon…” it muttered as it scooted back. “I thought I was going to play with Jayden.”
I twirled the scythe overhead before swinging it across the Umbra’s neck to pin it in place. “I am Jayden,” I replied as I drove my heel down on the blade to make sure Four was effectively captured.
“Your eyes are –”
My eyes, huh?
I crouched down over the Umbra before shaking my head. “I’m not foolish enough to take you head on in a battle of strengths. You know that. That’s something Cordis would do–” I then leaned down to be in its face. “ – but it’s just easier to believe that he beat you rather than me, right?” Four growled quietly though it lacked bite. “Scared is a good look on you. It’s the look that food makes and fear makes food taste so much better, right?”
“Y…you wouldn’t…” It sounded like it was trying to convince itself. “You’re not like Cordis.”
I simply hummed as I watched the outline of the Umbra distort. “Are you sure? You couldn’t tell us apart a moment ago.” Fear was a lot more evident this time as it struggled to remove the blade that pinned it. “Goodbye, Four.”
I leaned down to take a bite out of it. The sounds it made at first were angry as it swore at me saying all kinds of horrible things before quieting momentarily as I stared at it. As I started eating again, it tried flattery to get me to stop by offering to do whatever I had requested of it if I spared it.
I wasn’t.
When the flattery didn’t help, it went back to threats before finally pleading pitifully. That actually got me to stop for a moment to look down at the clawed hand grasping at my shirt. The outline bristled and it didn’t take much effort to pull the arm off entirely to toss it aside to the lower level Umbra that had been watching from the shadows.
We listened to them fight over it for a moment before it grew silent when they were done. I then leaned in to finish eating
“A…Animae.”
The voice startled me for a second. “Cordis? So you’re still there.”
“I’m kinda offended that you thought otherwise.” There was a brief silence. “You do that to Four?”
I focused on the Umbra to see it struggling to form a proper sentence as its eye started losing focus. “I guess so.”
"And you didn't just full on fight it?"
"You should know better than anyone that doing that won't work."380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMO0Z7bxhk
That got me a small chuckle before there was a hysterical laughter ringing in my head. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Animae. How was it?” he questioned. “Was it scared?”
I remembered that look it had when I got a hold of its core. “It was.”
“How did that make you feel? Was it exhilarating?”
I kept watching the Four as I removed the scythe that pinned it. One of the last tentacles reach out before flaking away as the rest of Four followed suit. That look it gave me before it expired then made me smile a bit.
“It was,” I replied as I inspected the chest wound that was closing. I rubbed the black substance between my fingers before looking around to get my bearings. “But now I need to get back to the others.”
“Because what, your duty as a reaper?” I started walking. “It was so much more fun having Four fear you though, right? Let’s stay here and get even with the shitty mounds that ate our goddamn arm!” I kept going. “Why do you want to help people that were going to trade you off for someone else?!”
I stopped. “Cordis—”
“When you were knocked out by the oxy, I had proposed a deal."380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirJ86geEhp
"How do I know you're not lying?" I questioned.380Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30fOXb9dV0
"I haven't lied to you yet so why the hell would I start now?" Cordis asked. "This truth hurts a lot more than me lying anyway, doesn't it, Animae?"
I grimaced. "What... did you propose?"
"They were going to trade you in for my assistance. Gunner didn’t hesitate to take my offer. The two timer wants to say his lover after all. I could give two shits less what Banana thought and Ignatius was willing to go along with whatever his girlfriend wanted. Isn't that just sweet.” He gave a sarcastic chuckle. “The only one that bothered sticking up for you was Princey, despite you being the reason his dear spitfire died again. So, I will ask you this one last time; why do you want to help people that were going to trade you off for someone else?! I’ve said it once and I will fucking say it again, they don’t need you and this should be enough to prove it! Let’s leave them behind and go home!” I started walking again. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going back to the hospital –” I held the scythe tighter as he swore quietly. “ – and we’re all going to have a fucking chat.”
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