The sun had barely risen over the horizon, casting a pale glow over the deserted streets of Bucharest. Nara groggily opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from his eyelids. He was met with the harsh glare of sunlight streaming through the window, and the sound of Hina's annoyed voice.
"Nara, get up! We're leaving in 30 minutes!" Hina shouted from downstairs, her tone laced with a hint of frustration.
Nara sat up with a start, his heart racing. "Ah, crap! I overslept!" he exclaimed, tossing off the covers and scrambling out of bed.
Code, who was already dressed and packing his gear, looked up at Nara with a mixture of amusement and concern. "You're going to be late, Nara," he said, his tone laced with a hint of warning.
Nara rushed past Code, heading for the bathroom. "I'll be fine, I'll just rush!" he shouted back, but his words were laced with a hint of desperation.
Hina appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed. "You'd better hurry," she said, her tone firm.
Code zipped up his bag, his eyes fixed on Hina. "I'm ready when you are," he said, his tone crisp.
Hina nodded, her expression serious. "Let's move out," she said, but her words were cut short by Nara's absence.
Nara stumbled into the bathroom, his eyes half-closed. He turned on the faucet, and as the cold water splashed his face, he let out a refreshing "Ahh...".
But as he reached for the toothbrush, his eyes began to droop. He leaned against the sink, his head nodding forward.
The next thing he knew, he was face-first in the sink, fast asleep. The sound of his own snores was what finally woke him up.
Nara jumped back, startled, and stumbled out of the bathroom. "What time is it?!" he exclaimed, his eyes wild with panic.
Code and Hina were waiting for him in the living room, their expressions a mix of amusement and annoyance.
"It's been an hour, Nara," Hina said, her tone dry.
Nara's face turned bright red. "Oh, crap! I'm so sorry!"
"Where's Van?" Nara asked, his eyes darting around, his tone laced with a hint of concern.
"When we woke up, he was nowhere to be found," Code replied, turning to Nara, his expression serious.
"He probably went on his walk again," Hina added, her tone laced with a hint of unease. She got up, and walked towards the door. "Alright, before we go, we need to know each other's sorcery techniques. Mine is dark sorcery", she said, shifting her gaze to Nara.
Nara replied, "Fire sorcery", as he turned to Code. "What's yours?", he asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"B-Blood sorcery", Code stammered slightly.
Hina's cheeks flushed with excitement. "Wow, you're the first blood sorcerer I've ever seen!"
Code's curiosity was piqued. "Oh, are they rare?"
Nara nodded. "Yeah, blood sorcerers are rare. Most of them don't live long enough to master their craft."
Code's heart sank, but Hina quickly reassured him. "Code, don't pay attention to Nara. He's just scaring you. Blood sorcerers are rare, but it's not because of anaemia or anything life-threatening."
Nara grinned mischievously. "Yeah, I was just kidding... sort of."
Code chuckled, feeling relieved.
The trio walked out of the house, headed for the mission site. Shivers ran down Code's spine, his heart beating loudly, as the weight of their mission settled upon him.
But as he looked at Hina and Nara, he felt a sense of reassurance, a sense of camaraderie that steadied his nerves.
"Nothing could possibly go wrong," he thought to himself, as the trio started their journey.
As they walked, Nara turned to Code and whispered, "Dude, I think I just set a new record for the fastest nap ever."
Code chuckled. "You're a marvel, Nara."
The trio set off from their house, walking to the nearby Gara de Nord (North Station), one of the main railway stations in Bucharest. They purchased their tickets and boarded the Regio train headed towards the suburb of Pantelimon.
As the train rumbled out of the station, it picked up speed, passing through the urban landscape of Bucharest. The trio watched as the city gave way to suburban areas, and eventually, the train approached the outskirts of the city.
After about 20-25 minutes, the train pulled into the Pantelimon Nord station. The trio disembarked and followed the signs to the nearby bus stop, where they boarded the bus (line 449 or 449B) that would take them closer to the Băneasa Forest. The Baneasa Forest was a large Forest area located in the southern part of Bucharest, covering over 250 hectares, and that was where Van had said the World Association of Sorcerers stated there were demonic signals.
The bus ride took around 10-15 minutes, passing through the scenic roads that wound their way through the forest's edge.
As the trio stepped off the bus and into the heart of Băneasa Forest, an oppressive silence suffocated them. The trees loomed above, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching for the sky. Hina's voice was barely audible, her words trembling with a mix of fear and anticipation. "Alright, let's move out."
Nara's grin was a stark contrast to the foreboding atmosphere. "Yeah, let's go kick some demon butt!", he exclaimed, cracking his knuckles.
Code's eyes darted nervously between his companions. He could feel a strange aura emanating from the forest, like a whispered warning. As they ventured deeper, the aura grew stronger, its toxicity making his skin crawl. At first, he was surprised at his newfound ability, but then he recalled Van's training, which must have honed his senses.
Hina's voice was low and urgent, her words laced with a growing sense of unease. "It's close. I can sense it."
Nara nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a growing sense of paranoia. "Yeah, me too."
But as they pushed forward, the aura began to weaken, like a siren's call fading into the distance. Hina's eyes narrowed, her grip on her weapon tightening. "Wait. Something's not right."
Code and Nara turned to face her, their hearts pounding in unison.
She glanced around, her eyes locking onto something above. She raised her head, and her eyes widened. "It's above us!" she exclaimed.
Code and Nara looked up, their eyes locking onto two grotesque figures clinging to a tree branch. The creatures' eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, casting an eerie glow over the forest floor. The air seemed to freeze, time standing still as the trio faced the horror above.
In an instant, the two demons plummeted down, their eyes blazing with an otherworldly hunger. They charged towards the trio with unnatural speed, their twisted faces contorted in grotesque grins. "Human flesh..." one of them hissed, its voice like a rusty gate.
Code's eyes widened in horror as memories of his last battle flooded his mind. His heart pounded like a jackhammer, threatening to shatter his resolve. But just as fear began to take hold, Nara's elbow jabbed him, followed by a serious look. "Let's do this..." Nara said, his voice low and steady. He clapped his hands, the sharp sound echoing through the forest like a challenge.
Hina, positioned on the far left, drew a Japanese Katana, its blade glinting in the fading light. She unsheathed it with a swift motion, the sound sending a shiver down Code's spine. With a fluid movement, she adopted a kamae stance, her leg stretched out, ready to strike.
The demons closed in, their twisted forms blurring as they hurtled towards the trio. Nara's eyes flashed with determination. "Fire Sorcery..." he muttered, his clapped hands beginning to redden, emitting a fierce heat. A blast of flames erupted from his hands, engulfing the demon charging towards him.
The demon, its body a mass of twisted muscle and dark, scaly skin, shrugged off the flames with an unnatural resilience. It counterattacked with a flurry of razor-sharp claws, each swipe aimed at Nara's vital organs. Nara dodged and weaved, his movements a blur as he avoided the demon's deadly attacks.
But the demon was relentless, its claws flashing in the fading light as it pressed its attack. Nara stumbled backward, his eyes locked on the demon's twisted face. "Hell flame!" he bellowed, his hand flashing towards the demon's torso. A blast of fire exploded from his palm, propelling the demon through the air like a ragdoll.
The demon soared through the air, its twisted form silhouetted against the darkening sky. But Nara was far from finished. With a fierce cry, he launched himself into the air, his fists glowing with a fierce, golden light.
Time seemed to slow as Nara's fist connected with the demon's torso, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. The demon's body cratered into the ground, the earth shattering beneath the force of the blow. The forest floor erupted into a maelstrom of debris and dust, the sound of the impact echoing through the forest like thunder.
The demon struggled to rise, its twisted form writhing and contorting as it tried to escape the crater. But Nara stood over it, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination.
Meanwhile, Hina faced off against the second demon, her katana flashing in the fading light. The demon, its body a mass of dark, shadowy anti-tenzen, lunged at Hina with a wave of twisted, nightmarish tendrils. Hina dodged and parried, her movements a blur as she avoided the demon's deadly attacks.
But the demon was relentless, its tendrils flashing in the fading light as it pressed its attack. The demon threw a particular vicious punch, Hina blocked it with her katana, the force sending her stumbling backwards, her eyes locked on the demon's twisted face.
The demon twisted its face, its grin growing wider. Hina met its gaze, her eyes flowing with a fierce determination. She adopted a kamae stance, her leg stretched out, her body coiled like a spring. "Dark sorcery..." she whispered, the air around her beginning to electrify with tension.
The forest seemed to darken, as if night itself was descending. Code's eyes widened as he noticed Hina's sword dripping with a thick, dark liquid. The substance seemed to spread across the ground, like a stain, as Hina charged forward with an unnatural velocity.
She was a blur of motion, her sword flashing in the fading light. She was so fast that the air let out a huge shockwave, as she penetrated through. Before the demon could react, Hina was mid-air, her sword poised for the killing blow. "Death cleaver!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the forest.
Her sword flashed down as she spun through the air, striking the demon's neck with a deadly precision. The demon's head severed, its upper body exploding in a shower of blood and gore, the impact shaking the earth beneath their feet, and sending shockwaves through the forest.
The forest fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the trio, and the distant creaking of trees. Code stared at Hina, his mind reeling from the display of power. Nara stood beside him, his eyes gleaming with a fierce pride. The battle was far from over, but for now, they had emerged victorious.
Hina and Nara shared a triumphant glance, their faces etched with pride. "Code, did you see my signature strike? Hell flame?" Nara asked, his voice resonating with confidence.
Code's eyes still widened in awe as he replied, "Yeah... it was epic!" Nara and Hina's incredible display of skill had left him breathless. Code's determination surged, and he clenched his fist, thinking, "I need to get stronger."
Hina let out a satisfied chuckle, shoving her hair aside. "Phew... that was easier than I thought. I mean, they weren't even as strong as Van said they would be." She turned to Code, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "So much for demons possessed by Aidra."
With a casual air, she suggested, "Let's head back." Nara nodded in agreement, his face beaming with pride, as if he had single-handedly conquered the demon realm.
"Code... Whose attack was cooler; mine or Hina's?", he asked, as he walked towards Code. Code answered by grinning at him, he possibly couldn't decide, as both attacks were epic.
As they drew closer, Code noticed something. His smile faltered, his eyes widening in horror. Nara and Hina noticed his unease and paused. "Code... what's wrong?" Hina asked, her tone laced with concern.
Code's hand trembled as he pointed behind them. "What?" Nara asked, trying to glance over his shoulder. "I... It's behind you," Code muttered, his voice trembling with fear. "There's a demon behind you."
Nara's eyes snapped towards Code, his expression incredulous. "Uh?" he exclaimed. But before he could react, a massive punch hurtled towards him. He attempted to dodge, but it was too late. The impact connected with him, sending him flying through the air as the shockwave ripped through the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
"Nara!" Code screamed, his voice echoing through the forest, as he crashed into a clearing with a sickening thud.
***
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