Moonlight Demon

Hinata

Fighting here, in this decrepit, ruined city, was entirely different from fighting in the camp. Whereas in the hills, even as the demons poured in from the trees, Hinata had never felt so closed in. Here, she felt downright trapped though. Everywhere she looked, there was either a human or a demon dying. She couldn't take a single step without nearly tripping over a corpse or something that was in the process of becoming a corpse. 

Throughout it all, though, she tried her hardest to keep her silver eyes fixed on her siya. As a healer, it was her duty to take care of anyone she could, but, of course, she couldn't help but prioritize the woman whose skill was so evident. 

Her focus was only torn away from Keiko in a few specific moments. One of these occurred when a Gluttony demon wrapped its tongue around Hiro, her friend, and Hinata jumped into action. She pulled out her shortsword from her back and cut the tongue in half, allowing Hiro to fall to the ground, unharmed. 

"Thanks," Hiro told her. 

Hinata didn't respond. Instead, her eyes roamed her surroundings, looking for anything that needed her attention. 

I am a healer,  but…  Hinata thought.  Most of these people will be dead before I can even get to them. Not just that, but those who are still alive might be cursed, making my healing magic meaningless. What use am I here? 

As she thought about that, a demon went to bite her and Hinata only reacted in time thanks to the Spirit Eye that she'd activated a while back. She dodged out of the way, spun around the creature, and stabbed it in the back with that same shortsword.

Immediately, up ahead, she noticed Kan, her other friend, holding two demons back with his greatsword. Off instinct alone, Hinata ran over and kicked one of them in the back of its right knee, bringing it down. Kan instantly pulled his greatsword up and with one wide cleave that made Hinata take a step back, he chopped both their heads off. 

"Good job," Hinata let him know, and he nodded wordlessly. 

And already, they went right back to fighting. In between short skirmishes, Hinata tried to help some of the soldiers around her, but everyone she found died before she could use her magic on them. 

On top of all that, though, there was also the issue that she wasn't an experienced fighter. Even though she, and every Zayama, worked out often, here she was, feeling her legs tiring. Her body, as a whole, felt like it was getting heavier, and her breathing was slowly becoming more labored. Every slash of her shortsword added onto that feeling, to the point where she soon felt like she was going to pass out. 

I can't stop yet,  Hinata thought as she found a wounded man beside her, who'd been clawed in the gut, and she healed him up.  I still… 

As her eyes scanned the battlefield, though, she paused. 

… Siya?  Hinata thought as she saw Keiko, along with those other high-level warriors, moving toward some very scary-looking demons.  I…  Hinata gulped.  I don't have a good feeling about that. 

So, she took her bow out and hopped between several different groups, making her way over to them. Whatever they were doing, she wasn't going to join the fight, but if her siya got in trouble, she wanted to be there to help. 

—

Keiko

As their targets had been called out earlier, Keiko, Yumi, Ash, and Sinneah aligned themselves with their targets. On the left side, Keiko held her curved sword out and Yumi brandished her naginata, both aimed at the dual-wielding demon whose blades resembled Keiko's own. 

Ash was at the middle, staring down the supposed level 92 demon, and to the right, Sinneah was walking up to the strangely bulky Gluttony demon. 

For a moment, both parties looked at each other, with neither making the first move. 

As they stood there, Keiko deactivated her Spirit Eye. 

If this demon can cheat it, there's no point,  she thought, taking a shuddering breath. Without it, she felt naked. Vulnerable. Not having her Spirit Eye almost felt like walking into a fight with only the hilt of her sword and no edge to cut with. 

Still, she tried to calm her nerves, as she remembered that Yumi was standing beside her. Even if Keiko's own skills were lacking, she could trust Yumi's. Or, at least, she hoped she could. 

After all, Yumi had also been defeated by this thing. 

No,  she thought.  Don't focus on that. Just focus on the here, and now. You're standing across from this opponent, she told herself, lifting her sword.  You have to perform. 

Yumi, however, seemed to be far less contemplative than Keiko. 

She was the first to move, as the demons approached them. Dashing forward, Yumi blazed a path through the street that left a trail of footsteps in the rubble on the ground. 

Go!  Keiko thought, running after her, and their battle began with the clash of Yumi's naginata against both of the Nightmare's swords as it raised its own up to defend itself. Before Keiko arrived, Yumi deflected a pair of attacks that seemed so fast, Keiko barely saw them. However, as she arrived, the Nightmare kicked Yumi back, giving the other Zayama some space to attack. 

Instead, though, she found herself on the defensive just two slashes after she arrived. Her attacks were blocked and the Nightmare retaliated so quickly that Keiko stumbled back. 

"Huh!?" She nearly fell as the Nightmare then struck her hands with the hilt of one of its swords, pushing them up, and then it spun slashing Keiko across her stomach. 

She managed to step back at the last second, but the sword still managed to nick her abdomen, and as Yumi re-engaged the Nightmare, Keiko put her hand down where she'd been struck, feeling an intense sting. 

It's…  Keiko took deep breaths.  It's so much faster than me. 

She'd known this already, but she hoped that having some idea of what she was getting herself into would even the odds a little. Knowing the challenge ahead had little effect, though. Now, Keiko's right hand, covered in blood, was trembling as she put it back on her hilt. 

Looking up to the front, she saw Yumi and the Nightmare fighting at a pace that she couldn't hope to match. However, if she could squeeze in a single good hit, Yumi could finish the Nightmare off easily, and thus, that was all she felt she had to do. 

Running up again, she could hear Ash and Sinneah fighting their own enemies, but she tried to force them out of her mind right now. In Ash's case, specifically, as much as she loved her and wanted to protect her, there was a very real chance she wouldn't be able to protect herself in this fight. She had to focus. 

Meeting the Nightmare again, just as it and Yumi were crossing blades, Keiko swung her blade from afar, in a vertical arc, aimed at the demon. 

"Zansae!"  She called out and using her Rose Blossom technique in this way, she aimed it so that the resulting arch of roses wouldn't strike Yumi. The Nightmare turned its eyes toward her, one violet and one silver, both wide as it saw the technique being realized and it put its swords in front of its body to shield itself. 

Yumi saw this as an opening and the woman went in with fury on her face, and Keiko moved back a bit, waiting for another opening. That one didn't pan out, but as long as I'm persistent, it'll probably fail to dodge or block one of these attacks soon. Just need to find the right opening.

Yumi moved her naginata like an expert, and as Keiko watched a short distance away, she understood what Yumi had been saying before. The source of her frustration. 

As fast as the Nightmare was, Yumi was faster. And, as skilled as the Nightmare was, Yumi's prowess with her naginata appeared unmatched. 

But, this raised an obvious question. 

How did the Nightmare beat her? Keiko asked herself.  Was it just that the Nightmare caught her by surprise? 

Whatever the answer was, it didn't seem like Yumi intended to allow it to happen again. 

"Inzo, Anzo, Kenzo!" Yumi shouted then, and she leaped back before planting her naginata into the ground. 

Lightning then appeared from above, crashing down on the Nightmare who failed to dodge in time, and saw itself hit by a bolt that created a gaping hole in its left shoulder.

She landed a hit! Keiko acknowledged though she noticed something else, as well.

As soon as the Nightmare was hit, both of its eyes changed colors. Instead of the heterochromatic violet and silver, now, both were a stunning blue.

Yumi wasn't done here, though. 

"Yorino!" She yelled out and suddenly, she disappeared, reappearing behind the Nightmare as Keiko watched with awe. She slashed with her naginata twice, but the Nightmare, even now, wounded as it was, managed to block both attacks. 

"Shironiza!" Yumi yelled, and a black dragon appeared, wrapping itself around the blade of her naginata. Her movements suddenly became even faster than they were already. 

The Nightmare made an effort to block these strikes that Keiko could only describe as valiant, ironically enough, before Yumi slammed the back of her weapon into its gut. 

It bent over and Yumi twirled her naginata in her hands, bringing it down before speaking one last incantation. 

"Sumi!" 

And her naginata sent out a wave that cut a deep gash into the Nightmare's chest, and the creature fell back, onto the dirty street. 

Is… Is it dead?  Keiko wondered as she saw the Nightmare stop moving. Did she do it!? 

Yumi stared at it, breathing heavily. She didn't move a muscle, and from over here, Keiko could tell that burst had exhausted her. 

She ran over, as Yumi lifted her naginata up, with the intent of making sure that the Nightmare was dead. 

And, then, it happened. It occurred before Keiko could reach them. 

The Nightmare's eyes turned back to their regular colors, and at the same time, every wound in its body regenerated. It was as though Yumi had never hit the creature. 

"What?" Yumi asked, her hands frozen as the Nightmare then jumped up from its prone position and lunged toward her. 

If this had been Keiko, she surely would have been cut in half. Yumi, however, reacted in time and managed to block one of the blades, but not the other. It slashed through her waist and Yumi hopped away a couple of steps, before holding the spot the Nightmare had cut. 

"Agh!" She let out in a hiss as Keiko ran over and stood between her and the Nightmare. 

"YumI! Are you okay?" Keiko asked, as the Nightmare nonchalantly took up its regular position, holding its swords by its sides. "Yumi?" 

"I'm fine," Yumi told her. "What did it just do? All of my hits just… disappeared from its body." 

"I don't know," Keiko replied, "but, there's probably a healer nearby. We…" 

"No need," Yumi replied. "Let's just focus on the fight." 

"Uh… Okay," Keiko replied. "Well…. Now what?"