The fog appears in the night. Slowly, things became blurry.
With heavy boots, Spincer stepped forward, crushing a pebble beneath him... as he closed in his distance with the demon and took his stance.
Kilihigo destroyed the ground beneath him, causing huge smoke, a mass of claws and sickening red flesh stitched with rot and rage.
Its shadow is visible to Spincer. But Spincer anticipates.
Around them, the broken ruins of the wooden temple groaned like old bones, visible that time hasn't been easy on it. Winter ducked behind a fractured support beam. "The power amplification curse that I learned from these new memories may come in handy right now."
He looked at Phil, who was unconscious, lying on the ground. Beside him, his dagger was visible in the bright moonlight, the reflection exposing its position.
"You can't stay hidden from my gun for long," Spincer drawled, drawing his revolver with a snap. "You love tormenting humans, don't you? Why wait—don't you wanna try me?"
A shadow moves on Spincer's left side.
Something caught the gunner's bullet. The fog moved. The answer turned out to be a piece of wood. Spincer clicks his tongue. "Disappointing."
Kilihigo's laughter gurgled, deep and layered like meat grinding inside a throat that never closed."I'm in the mood for some games," its voice not from its mouth but from the thousand holes lining its limbs.
Spincer's hat tilted forward as he spat into the dirt. "I don't have winter with me to translate what this thing is saying, but it laughs a lot."
He fired.
The bullet hit Kilihigo's shoulder—it cracked open like glass filled with writhing worms, but the demon didn't flinch.
Behind the broken wall, Winter pressed himself tighter against the cold stone, breath held like a prayer.
But Kilihigo isn't only focused on Spincer. He noticed Winter's movements toward his allies. DAMN human. There are a lot of you here. Then I'll get allies of my own. Kilihigo vomits bug-like creatures. The creatures moved in Winter's direction.
"A shot made Kilihigo's head fragment spurt gore—but he stifled his scream."
The sound was from that side. I guess I hit it... But no reaction. He'll stay hidden until I'm at my weakest bullet again. The demon is trying to get me to empty my chamber and use all my stronger bullets. Cheap tactics.
"I'm not running this time," Winter determined. Winter saw the chance—he sprinted to the slab where Phil's unconscious body lay.
"Target his forehead," Winter screamed through the mist.
THERE! Kilihigo commands his beetles via his mind.
Spincer leapt sideways, narrowly dodging a whip of tendons Kilihigo flicked from its back like spiked hair.
"I've danced with worse," Spincer muttered, spinning the cylinder of his revolver with a casual flick. He noticed the crawling bugs and cleaned a couple of them with a single strike. "Kid, get out of here. Quickly."
Kilihigo's leg crashed into the floor. Spincer backflipped off a broken crate, his gun steady.
Phil stirred, groaning weakly, dried blood crusted near his temple as if it were war paint. A bug jumps on Winter, but the bear-like figure emerges from the dark, crushing the bug with one attack.
"The bear's arrival confirmed Phil was awake."
"Can you move?" Winter asks.
Phil blinked, dazed, then nodded slowly.
"You... summoned it, didn't you?"
Winter didn't answer. His hand tightened.
I will tell you what happened. He grabbed the dagger, grip like iron despite the tremor.
"Don't move," Winter hissed. "And don't tell anyone what I did. Promise me."
Spincer grunted as Kilihigo's claw grazed his side, tearing fabric but not flesh—he bit down a curse." Gotta do better than that, ugly face," he said, shooting the claw mid-air with pinpoint flair.
The bullet rang out like a bell tolling for madness—Kilihigo moved away from him and retreated.
Winter used the distraction—he rolled behind an iron pillar.
Kilihigo suddenly jerked its neck, as though sniffing something foul beyond the stench of blood and sulfur.
"I smell cowardice," it snarled, and its mouth opened wider than any living thing should allow.
From its throat, a flood of black, skittering insects poured—eyes like glass beads, limbs serrated.
They rushed toward Winter, a living tide of chittering hate. Winter panicked for a breath.
He kicked a broken crate into the swarm—it burst apart, scattering nails.
Phil screamed again, trying to stand, but Winter raised a hand to still him.
"Trust me," he whispered, more to himself than Phil.
Spincer fired again—this time at Kilihigo's eye, but it blinked sideways, deflecting the bullet with cunningness.
"Missed the Forehead. fuck." he muttered.
Kilihigo lunged—its body moved like a twisting tornado, impossibly fast, dragging a sick wind behind it.
Spincer rolled, then dove behind a slab of collapsed ceiling, loading his last silver bullet.
"Just a few more seconds," Winter murmured, watching the swarm climb the walls to corner him.
They hummed as they came, like metals rubbing against each other.
He darted out from cover, swiping the dagger in a wide arc—the bugs recoiled at the glyph's glow. Behind the swarm, Kilihigo paused. It could not kill Winter, not by its hand.
So it watched, rage boiling behind eyes that blinked out of sync, waiting for failure.
Spincer drew his last shot—he could feel the bullet hum, silver etched with old prayers. Winter began chanting the dark spell he had memorised... The dagger was now fully pulsing with the activated spell's pale blue light.
Kilihigo turned, sensing the moment—that exact sliver of time when fate twisted its neck to listen. Winter stopped, aimed, and with every ounce of his strength, threw the dagger straight at the demon's skull.
It arced beautifully, cutting through the thick, sulfuric air like it was drawn to its mark.The blade buried itself in Kilihigo's forehead, exactly between the eyes.
The demon roared, arms flailing in spasms, as if something sacred had just touched forbidden blood.
Spincer didn't wait—he stood, lined up the shot, and fired.
The silver bullet traced a line of fire through the air.
It slammed into the embedded dagger, driving it deeper, unlocking a crack through Kilihigo's plated skull.
The creature screamed—a thousand voices at once, crumbling inward like stone under thunder. The swarm of bugs scattered, flailing without will, evaporating in whimpers of shadow and smoke. Phil covered his ears, face twisted in terror. "What did you do?!"
Winter fell to one knee, eyes wide, breath stolen by the moment. "I made myself useful."
Phil brought out a circle-shaped metal; the metal, with a small explosion, turns into a holographic pigeon. "Call the wizards." The pigeon gave a nod and soared into the night sky.
Spincer holstered his gun, breathing hard, blood dripping down his side, and came to winter. "I was not expecting you to stay and give a fight. Why didn't you call for help?"
"The demon... is my responsibility. That's why." Winter gasps then smiles shyly.
hmmm..... Spincer smiles back. impressed.
"The help will be here. anytime. It's a matter of minutes, Phil tells Spincer.
Kilihigo's body staggered, still standing, twitching under the weight of its unravelling form. But then... it laughed.
Its cracked head lifted, dagger still embedded, yet its eyes flared brighter than before."You're a little late, humans."
Winter helped Phil to his feet, but his gaze never left the demon.
Kilihigo's chest split open—not from damage, but willingly—as if to reveal something waiting inside.
A pulse of light, red and ancient, flared within its core, beating like a second heart."Phase one is over," it whispered. "It was only to test you guys. The more I fight, the better my body gets."
"The mana wavelength emitted from this new body will make hiding from wizards harder. My plans for raiding villages are now ruined. Winter, leaving you alive proved to be a huge mistake. I can't let you ruin more of my plans."
Kilihigo took the dagger out and burned his old skin.
And the demon vanished—appeared beside Spincer and stabbed the dagger, injuring his shoulder.