A kick blurred through the smoke and almost smashed into Nicholas' skull, but the Obsidian Beast yanked its blade out of Yuki's torn stomach and drove the weapon up to intercept. The impact hurled both Nicholas and the Obsidian across the room, scraping them over cracked floorboards.
Nicholas staggered upright, ribs throbbing.
"…ghh"
Sayuri stepped in front of Yuki, her stance firm as she glanced back at her. Her teeth clenched, anger tightening her jaw until it hurt. This was not supposed to happen. Master Shin had given her one important order. Protect Yuki. No matter what.
From her right pocket she pulled out a white ring, its flat, square-cut stone set at the center. It rested in her palm as she studied it.
Nicholas grinned, pointing in her direction.
"You're in no condition to fight my Obsidian Beast. So don't resist. It will be easier that way."
Sayuri ignored him, her attention fixed on the ring between her fingers. A memory followed, pulling her back to the day she returned to the therapy clinic after saving Yuki for the first time.
***
The door to the therapy clinic opened, and Sasaki dropped into one of the chairs along the right wall. His legs spread as he leaned back, fatigue sinking into his bones. A breath slipped from him as he looked up at Sayuri.
"Uhh… What a long night. At least now we can finally relax, right?"
Quick strokes filled her notebook. She tore the page free and lifted it for Sasaki to see.
"Well… is it actually her? Or just some random human with extremely bad luck?"
Sasaki's grin lingered.
"It's her, alright. There's no mistake. The ring responded to her cries."
From his pocket came a white ring. It flashed once through the air before landing in her hands.
"Take this. And whatever you do, do not put it on her. You hear me? I'll need to reinforce the curse once I get my ring back. Until then, keep it on you."
***
Her senses returned. Sayuri looked down at Yuki's body, her chest lifting in thin breaths that barely moved her. Blood soaked the floor and crept toward Sayuri's feet. She knew what she had to do. If she wanted Yuki to survive, she had to disobey Sasaki.
The white ring rested in her hand, holding her between duty and the small hope that Yuki could survive. Her hesitation cracked through her composure, exposing the doubt she could no longer keep contained.
The Obsidian Beast charged at her. It swung its sword in a wide arc. Sayuri jumped, the blade cutting through empty air beneath her. Pain flared along her back as she twisted mid-motion and drove a kick toward its head. The Obsidian Beast pulled back in time, the strike grazing past its shadowy face. They closed again, trading blows without pause.
Nicholas adjusted his outfit and brushed the dust from his black pants. He pressed a hand over his mouth and nose, forcing each breath through the black smoke. The fire spread fast, forcing the wooden roof above him to groan.
Sayuri grabbed a chair and backflipped away from the sword, keeping it between herself and the blade. She hurled the broken pieces of the chair at the Obsidian Beast, throwing off its focus. The impact forced it to react. She closed the distance and struck, driving a short, brutal combo into its frame, then punched its stomach and sent it crashing into the wall. Nicholas dove aside as his Obsidian Beast slammed in beside him.
"Impressive. Even with a deep cut carved across your back, you can still fight like this? A demon through and through. How admirable. Unfortunately, my Obsidian Beast does not break easily. Even if you destroy it. Burn it. Tear it apart. It will return. Every single time."
Sayuri coughed as smoke filled the room. It burned her lungs with every breath. She realized She couldn't keep fighting much longer in her current condition but she also could not disobey Sasaki. She felt lost as uncertainty crowded her thoughts. She glanced back at Yuki once more, this time something felt off about her.
Yuki's Deathmark flickered. It glitched, the curse started to break apart. Sayuri felt the truth settle in her chest. This must have happened when Nicholas clashed with Yuki's Deathmark. The impact it caused weakened it.
She also knew Master Shin would most likely not arrive in time to strengthen the curse, which meant her soul would reincarnate once more. This was her golden opportunity to potentially revive her without losing Master Shin's trust. She dropped to the floor and slipped the white ring onto Yuki's pinky finger. The ring flooded the room in a blinding pale glow.
Nicholas staggered back covering his face with his arm.
"This…glow… what is happening to her?"
Koji, now awake, struggled to rise while the pale light burned across his vision.
"What the…"