'Is this how it ends..?'
I thought to myself as I cowered against the rock. I was losing hope... i was lost in thought when..
I heard a faint noise. 'Are my ears ringing..?'
Shoto..!
'am I hearing things or is someone calling me..? but how? everyone's dead..'
"Shoto!" someone yelled.
I recognize this voice..
"koto..?" I questioned the voice as I peaked from the rock
Who my eyes met wasn't who I expected. It was the dragon. It's sharp golden eyes staring into mine.
Swoosh
Clang!
Koto stood in front of me as he stood between me and the dragons claw.
"Shoto! Are you okay??" he asked. his voice strained as he barely kept up with the pressure of the dragons claw.
"im okay.. but what are you doing here?? How did you know im here??"
I questioned.. I had many questions but there were many I couldn't ask at the moment.
Clang! Clang!
"well… "
***
[At the guild masters headquarters meeting.]
During a discussion over a recent dungeon's sudden change in rank.
A assistant barges in "Boss! There's another D-rank dungeon who's rank just changed!"
The assistant panted as he gathered his breathe and continued
"It's a red alert! The energy of the mana around the gate is extremely high! There's at least a S-rank monster or even higher!" the assistant spoke in urgency.
A guild leader stood up from his chair as he spoke
"how many people are in the dungeon and what are their ranks?"
"there are 6 people in the dungeon. 3 D-rankers, 2 C-ranker, 1 F-ranker." The assistant spoke as he wiped his sweat off his chin. he breathed heavily which was probably from running.
"F-ranker..?" a voice rose from the shadows as soon as the word 'F-ranker' was mentioned
"melody give me the details on the F-ranker." The same voice spoke to his assistant.
"mr koto, this is the F-ranker." She replied as she offered the tablet to koto.
Koto swinged up from his chair as he yelled
"What!?"
"s-sir is there something wrong?" melody spoke as her voice faltered 'what's wrong with boss..?'
"dispatch unit 1 at the scene this Instant!" koto commanded.
Melody nodded and rushed out of the office as she called the guild's unit 1
"im assuming your handling this case?" a guild master spoke with a smirk and smug tone
Koto glared at him.
"woah there your gonna burn a hole through me with that glare" he raised his hands in the air in a mocking way.
***
"That's what happened"
"You shouldn't have come here.. you know you cant defeat that thing very well!" I spoke with anxiousness he wasn't even listening to me!
"Koto Listen to m-"
"stay back I can handle this" koto cut me off as he grunted but continued fighting despite hardly being able to hold up with its speed
I felt so helpless at the moment as I saw him fight with the dragon.
I felt really useless I couldn't help him in any way at all..
From his movements it looked like, it was me that was the issue.. his movements were... it looked like he was holding back because he was trying his best to keep me unscathed
I backed away so he could fight that thing freely but it only ended up distracting him
i froze the dragon swinged it's claw aiming for his neck
Koto dodged the dragon but there was still a big impact he took in order to save his neck.
Swoosh THUD!
"KO!" I yelled his name as he fell on the ground
I ran to koto and inspected his injuries
"Ko! Are you okay?? Do have more healing potions?? Give it to me" I spoke to him in hurry as he was bleeding pretty badly. The fight with the dragon was having a big toll on him.
"just stay back and don't interfere." Koto ordered. it left me frozen in place.
He was a S-ranker after all. I was slowing him down as he was just protecting me while trying his best to damage the tough skin of that damned dragon.
'what should I do..? is watching him slowly die the only thing I can do..?' I pondered and pondered desperately trying to find a way to kill that thing, trying to come up with a strategy.
I froze in place as I heard a thud.
I turned around and saw Koto's body on the ground as he attempted to stand up again.
I quickly rushed to him and made him sit, he limped as his left side of the stomach was almost gone. The damage from a claw was visible. it was bad really bad..
"what do i do??? i- it doesn't look like it would heal" my voice trembled.. after all he was the only one who was a like a family to me
"im okay.. I have a tough skin Im a S-ranker." Koto reassured me
He tried to stand up but ended on his knees again as he coughed up blood
"fuck im at my limits now.." he mumbled as he stumbled
"Ofc you're at your limits! Damn it!" I cursed under my breath
I supported koto's limp body up and ran behind a pillar.
"Hang in there! ill find a solution" I muttered unable to think of a solution despite my words.
Tears formed up in my eyes as I saw Koto's eyes starting to become dull. Koto opened his mouth to speak
"im sorry.."
His voice sounded really hoarse.
"what..?"
"I'm sorry for everything. Im sorry for everything I've done" he murmured as tears ran down his face.
"now's not the time to say that! I- I just have to get you out of here.." I said as I held back my tears.
the dragon was roaring destroying everything in attempt to find us since i had distracted that thing with a fake noise
"back then. I pushed you away.. im really sorry.. I just wanted you to be safe"
"stop talking!"
"I didn't want people to target yo-" he got cut off as he coughed up blood.
His eyes slowly losing sign of life.
"please don't hate me too much"
"please stop talking.." it was too much..
He suddenly appeared and now he's gonna leave me again..?
My face went cold as my heart skipped a beat.
"ko..?" I mumbled.
His body went limp the only things that hinted he's still alive were gone.
I didn't know anything. At this rate.. anything or anyone didn't matter to me.
Tears trickled down my face.
"what should I do..?"
more like what could i do at this rate..?
To Be Continued >