A new night descended. Exactly how many days had this thousand-mile pursuit lasted? The count had long since dissolved into a blur of exhaustion.
The moment the sun's final rays vanished, the Hawk Demon struggled out of his latest hiding spot and beat his wings toward the sky. His movements were frantic, driven by a soul-deep terror that Horitake might have discovered his sanctuary.
If his enemy found him on the ground, he would truly be left without a grave. For the Hawk Demon, safety was measured in altitude. Only in the thin, cold air of the heights could he find even a semblance of peace.
The days of relentless hunting had left his nerves frayed and hypersensitive. Every rustle of leaves, every shift in the wind felt like the precursor to a purple lightning strike. He was a creature possessed by paranoia, constantly looking over his shoulder for the shadow that refused to let him go.
Once he reached a sufficient height, he let out a jagged, rattling breath. This altitude... I'm safe here.
Vigilant as ever, he immediately activated his Hawk Eyes. He scanned the landscape below, searching for any sign of danger—searching for the man who had become his living nightmare.
The good news: his pursuer was nowhere to be seen.
The bad news: the hunger was finally driving him mad.
How long had it been since he tasted human flesh? He couldn't remember. If this continued, he truly would become a pathetic footnote in history—the first demon to die of simple starvation.
No... no! I must find someone to eat tonight. No matter the risk, I have to try. Otherwise, I'm dead anyway!
High in the night sky, the Hawk Demon's resolve hardened into a desperate, feverish edge. He began to bank and turn, his sharp eyes scouring the terrain for prey while simultaneously keeping a lookout for his enemy.
The immediate vicinity was empty. These woods were silent, devoid of human life.
What do I do? Is there nothing?
Maybe... a wild animal?
He knew he couldn't get enough energy from a beast to truly recover, but it would at least provide a sense of fullness. It would silence the screaming void in his stomach that was currently threatening to snap his sanity.
He considered descending to snatch up a few forest creatures. Through his Hawk Eyes, he could see movement in the underbrush; the mountains were teeming with life.
But he hesitated.
Based on the agonizing lessons of the past few nights, he knew the pattern. The moment he lowered his altitude, the moment he drew near the earth, Horitake would appear like a vengeful spirit. He would be forced to flee back to the clouds, humiliated and still starving.
That man was too terrifying. His strength was overwhelming. In a direct confrontation, the Hawk Demon knew he didn't stand a ghost of a chance.
What should I do? What can I do?!
The hunger, sharp as a knife, urged him to make a choice. After a moment of indecision, he decided to stay high for a while longer. He would fly toward the horizon, seeking some sign of human habitation. If he could find a lone traveler or a remote cabin, he might have a chance.
He suppressed his hunger once more, his wings cutting through the cold air.
The Hawk Demon's caution was well-founded.
Hidden in the dense shadows of the forest below, Horitake was watching.
During the day, the demon hid well enough that finding him was a chore. But as soon as night fell, the creature was forced to emerge to hunt. Horitake only had to activate his Spirit Vision and sweep the sky to find his mark.
On any other night, Horitake would have revealed himself immediately, hounding the demon from the ground. But tonight, he remained a ghost.
He had pushed the demon to the absolute brink. The creature's mind was stretched like a bowstring about to snap. If he pressed any harder, the demon might simply lose its mind or fly blindly into the distance until it collapsed.
Besides, Horitake had reached a conclusion on the second night of the chase.
He had realized that chasing a flying target from the ground was an exercise in futility. It could go on forever. So, on that second night, he had formulated a plan—a plan involving bait.
He had dispatched his Kasugai Crow days ago to coordinate with a contact in the distance. After days of herding the Hawk Demon like a sheep to the slaughter, the stage was finally set.
Standing on the branch of a towering tree, draped in thick foliage, Horitake kept his presence erased. He watched the demon through his Spirit Vision, noting the way it moved.
From the demon's erratic flight path, Horitake could tell the creature was at its limit. It was starving, desperate, and reaching the point where instinct would override self-preservation.
As soon as I drop the bait, he won't be able to resist.
Horitake tracked the demon's direction and noted with satisfaction that it was heading exactly where he had positioned the trap. He didn't even need to drive the creature anymore; hunger was doing the work for him.
Silently, Horitake began to leap from tree to tree, following the demon's trail from below. He moved with a measured pace, ensuring he stayed within range without being detected.
Up above, the Hawk Demon flew on, each beat of his wings feeling heavier than the last. The hunger was a physical weight now.
I have to eat. I have to!
Even if it's dangerous... even if it's just a deer... I need something!
His eyes, bloodshot from exhaustion and starvation, scanned the earth with predatory intensity. He saw no sign of his pursuer, which was a small mercy.
Instead, he saw life.
There, on a mid-mountain slope, a deer was grazing in a small clearing. It looked plump, healthy.
Wait... what is that?
His Hawk Eyes twitched as they caught a flash of something anomalous in the dark green of the forest. Something pink was moving.
It was strange. The Hawk Demon couldn't think of any animal that was that particular shade of pink.
He lowered his altitude slightly, squinting through the darkness.
It wasn't an animal. It was a person.
Specifically, it was a woman with a very unusual hair color—a vibrant, striking pink.
A human! Food!
And a woman! She looks weak... she doesn't look dangerous at all!
She must be delicious... her flesh must be so tender...
That was the Hawk Demon's first and only thought the moment he laid eyes on her. The trap had been set, and the starving predator was already salivating.
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