Kimoko’s heavy breathing was drowned out by the clatter of the demoness’s heels, echoing in the empty corridor. Her sword gleamed in the dim candlelight, and silver flames danced on her fingers, casting ominous reflections on the stone walls.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAoM7XcCJ2xa
Kimoko stood up unsteadily, her muscles burning with effort, but she couldn’t allow herself a moment of weakness. With every second, Nikita was getting closer.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA00a2Lvnh7P
“You look tired,” the demoness noted lazily, tilting her head. Her crimson eyes gleamed in the semidarkness, cold and impenetrable. “You want me to spare you?”
37Please respect copyright.PENANAwQhlviVa7j
Kimoko didn’t answer. She tightened her fingers around the hilt of her knife, feeling sweat trickle down her neck. Thoughts raced through her mind. She couldn’t let fear paralyze her.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAkWVhbdFuVG
Nikita sighed theatrically.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA9L2cJl35Wn
“You really are stubborn. This is getting… boring.’’
37Please respect copyright.PENANAHQv3ARym7K
Her fourth hand rose, and silver fire exploded in the air. Kimoko threw herself to the side at the last moment, heat stinging her skin, but she didn’t let herself be hit. She curled into a ball, rolled across the cold stone, and fell to her feet, almost immediately throwing a knife at the demoness.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAlzzxN0I53K
The blade flew toward Nikita… but it missed.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA93sukeSSPm
The demoness caught it in mid-air with two fingers and looked at it with amusement.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAG8IcchkoXK
“That was cute,” she said, then tossed the weapon aside.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4HwrnpcqO
Kimoko gritted her teeth. She had to think. Fast. Nikita was faster, stronger, almost untouchable. Fighting in the open made no sense.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAh6h1H52mbj
But maybe… maybe she didn’t have to fight.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAGFI9ZoNcjh
“Where’s Estella?” she hissed, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAYr4jr59hFs
Nikita smiled slowly, with obvious satisfaction.
‘' Maybe you should ask Koshei about that’’ she said, a hint of mockery in her voice.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAEU6Qnjh329
Kimoko felt her heart stop.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAzrrL396tn9
‘‘Kigami, what have you done to her…’’
The girl felt her heart stop, felt a warm tear running down her cheek.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAJICQwx1NgQ
“Maybe he is a monster after all, maybe I was the one who was blinded all this time?”
Kimoko had no idea who to believe. Her mind was in chaos. Was it possible that Koshei… that Kigami… had really betrayed her? That he was the one who was a threat to Estella?
Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her body was refusing to obey. The feeling of betrayal, the sudden doubt all of it overwhelmed her like a wave. She didn’t notice that Nikita had raised her sword, ready for the final blow.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA6qeaKAFcPy
But before the blade could fall,
The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the hallway. Sparks flashed as Kigami’s long, pitch-black sword blocked Nikita’s blow.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAinf1OcYV7R
“Enough,” his voice was low, cold as steel, devoid of emotion.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAForCnxMQKx
Kimoko looked up. Kigami stood before her… or maybe not? Koshei. His figure seemed even darker, and in his eyes a cold, black void. The blackness of his blade seemed to absorb the light, contrasting with the flashes of Nikita’s silver flames.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAS0ihcuF55u
The demoness smiled slowly, tilting her head.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA7pa457TTvX
“Well, well. But you decided to show your true face, brother.”
37Please respect copyright.PENANAoDs4wJFLxt
Kigami didn’t answer. He pushed her sword away in one, brutal movement and attacked, aiming straight for her neck.
Nikita parried the blow with both hands, while the other two rose up - a whirlwind of silver flames appeared in one, and a second sword, shorter but equally dangerous, in the other.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” she whispered, her eyes flashing with excitement.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAN9KryRHuxf
Their swords clashed again. Koshei attacked with brutal precision, and Nikita responded with an almost dance-like ease, spinning, parrying, and launching swift counterattacks.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAzjH2P7tn6v
Kimoko gasped as she watched their fight. Every move was deadly precise, any mistake could cost her life.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA6V3hzov5WM
Kigami dodged a flame that almost brushed his arm, and in a split second, he counterattacked. Nikita had to jump back, but he didn’t give her much space, he moved after her like a shadow, his blade slicing through the air.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAnXtBNKvA7e
Their pace increased. Blow after blow. Flames and shadow intertwined in a deadly dance.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAsMLcDD4Aq6
And then…
Nikita made a move no one expected.
Instead of attacking, she stepped back abruptly and extended her hand toward Kimoko.
‘' If you can’t defeat the wolf… distract him.’’
37Please respect copyright.PENANAXy3HnPtgmZ
Kigami saw a silver flash, but it was too late.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAkrWi7TKjGD
The flame flew towards Kimoko.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA2KqtKp0BE4
Kigami cursed under his breath and without thinking, he rushed towards the girl. At the last moment, his sword cut through the air, dispelling part of the attack…
37Please respect copyright.PENANAGQhEx7cIzY
But not all of it.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAuFL0b4WSlm
An explosion of fire threw him against the wall.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA792jbOEMCz
Kimoko felt pain shoot through her arm. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAVC9y7zkkr1
Nikita smiled triumphantly.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAAstAHbjj90
‘‘Well, Koshei, it looks like you’re not as clever as I thought.’’
37Please respect copyright.PENANAqGec5IIhbf
Kigami raised his head, a dark substance began to roll from his mouth and eyes.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAJrnoMwDjDE
‘' And you shouldn’t have done that.’’
37Please respect copyright.PENANAtK0XPmOwbS
Dark, almost sticky shadows began to emanate from his body. The air around him thickened, as if space itself was collapsing.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAVw4P4UZ1T7
Nikita raised an eyebrow, but her smile faded slightly.
‘' So… are we getting serious?’’
37Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZiOJ0Qqq3
Darkness exploded.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAEy24pvNlTn
Kigami stood up from the ground, his silhouette surrounded by darkness that seemed to penetrate the walls and absorb the light of the candles. His eyes shone with an ominous glow, and the pitch-black sword in his hand seemed to pulsate like a living creature, thirsting for blood.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAqT2fL9uMFb
Nikita narrowed her eyes. For a second… just for a second, a shadow of uncertainty appeared on her face.
37Please respect copyright.PENANALS580hz31R
“Well, please…” she muttered, although her tone was no longer as light as before. “So this is Koshei’s true power?”
37Please respect copyright.PENANAgLyBh7vG15
She got no answer.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA7kaAJFAMT8
Kigami moved.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAAEiWhpKfJU
He was fast. Too fast.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAI5TYKF7rQR
Nikita barely managed to block his blow, and the force of the impact made her take a few steps back, her shoes sliding on the stone floor. The second blow came immediately - heavy, precise, deadly.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAlrlbKaFGLI
The demoness tried to use her numerical advantage, all four hands worked simultaneously. Two swords parried his attacks while the third hand created another silver flame, ready to send it straight at the opponent.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA5HKzroPcYA
But Kigami was no longer there.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAyPG3E0OVi4
He disappeared.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA1vWxA51VAr
The shadow moved right behind her.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAUlHs0YpG7O
“What?” Kigami appeared out of nowhere, his hand tightening around her wrist, immobilizing the hand that was about to throw the fire. Nikita tried to pull away, but then Kigami’s blade cut through the air and sank into her arm.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAcTjdJvXe0T
“Gh…!”
crimson blood sprayed onto the floor.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAnZN1fJ4rLr
Kimoko watched with wide eyes. Nikita… was bleeding.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAjnHTajJxY9
Kigami didn’t give her a moment to regain her balance. He yanked her down and kicked her to the other end of the corridor.
37Please respect copyright.PENANATJB9K7wUM3
Nikita landed hard on her knees, hissing as she gritted her teeth. Her lower right hand was trembling, and her own energy was seeping from the wound.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAHREYWrjwsZ
“You…” she hissed, looking up.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAhCtlZ8Xq1P
Kigami slowly walked towards her, his shadow lengthening as if it would swallow the entire space around him.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAwxybfMdbgc
“It’s over,” he said in an icy voice.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAuIg9nIedHW
Nikita looked at him… and then smiled.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAHrpuB02NGP
“Maybe some other time.”
37Please respect copyright.PENANA7Yu0efIdXC
Kimoko only had time to blink, and the demoness was already moving.
A flame flared in her hand, but this time she didn’t attack Kigami.
She threw it to the ground between them.
The silver fire exploded, blinding everyone.
Kigami reflexively covered his eyes.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAcHf9WEKpUH
When he opened them again…
Nikita was gone.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAJyBDkLGY3i
All that remained was a faint trail of smoke and the echo of her quiet laughter.
Kimoko rose from the ground, holding her burned arm. She looked at Kigami, or rather his true demonic face Koshei.
He didn’t turn to her. He looked where Nikita had been standing just a moment ago, his face as if carved from stone.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA4nPD9IkilT
“She ran away…” whispered Kimoko.
37Please respect copyright.PENANAvBrJoL0TYo
Kigami slowly sheathed his sword.
37Please respect copyright.PENANA1Zgl2lhB6a
“For now.”
ns216.73.216.48da2