I Survived

Shinku closed his eyes and stepped out into the open. A purple skinned monster was standing surrounded by the blank eyed stares of the dead. Of its victims. It was just one of seven beasts ravaging the world. It was called Pride. "A human? Alive?" It spoke slowly. "I'm going to keep killing until there are none of you left anywhere you know that don't you?" It smiled. "And nothing will ever kill me." There was no response from Shinku, no words, not even an expression. "Die!" The purple skinned demon rasped as it appeared behind Shinku. There was only enough time for the shock to cross his features before the wave of energy crashed into him and sent him skipping across the concrete like a stone. A half mile later he skidded to a halt staring at the trench that had just been cut with his back. He's fast. Too fast. Shinku got to his feet just in time to avoid another energy blast, several more following the first and sending him running for cover finally diving behind truck.

Shinku closed his eyes drawing gathering and focusing his energy as quickly as he could manage. "Don't try to hide! It won't work!" The demon shouted and to prove its point a red orb shot through the car missing Shinku's skull by mere inches. "I'll destroy this entire city if I have to!" The fiend fired again this time at small car on the opposite side of the street sending completely decimating the vehicle sending twisted metal into the air.

It started off as a tiny ball of energy in the space between his stomach and his chest. A warm feeling twisting inside him and growing slightly with every breath. A second started in his chest just slightly left of center and like the first it started to grow, this one growing faster, each pulse of his heart added a bit to the power growing in his chest. "I'll kill you!" The demon roared sending volleys of energy blasts out pulverizing several cars and tearing chunks of asphalt and concrete up with each orb.

Not a moment too soon Shinku felt the ball of energy in his stomach explode filling his body with a wave of white hot energy that stood his hair on end. He always thought it felt weird when he loosed that part of his energy, his arm hairs stretching to their full length. His veins bulged beneath the skin particularly visible on his arms and around his eyes tracing paths for the energy in him to follow. The second, the one over his heart, blew a second later the only visible change was in his eyes suddenly brighter and more vibrant flickering quickly from one point to the next. Then the last gate relinquished its power and Shinku's aura, an almost purple black flame became visible surrounding his body.

"There you are." The demon snarled as it settled down on the roof of the truck. Three toed feet dug into the roof bending the metal as they did. "You know it's rude to play hide and seek in the middle of a fight to the death." The demon smiled slightly. "But I'll forgive you if make your death spectacular." Shinku calmly turned his gaze up to the being who'd been tormenting him for the last hour brushing aside his blade adorned braids to get a better look. The demon was small, no more than five feet tall and slender almost feminine despite the lack of hair or sexual organs. "The silent type eh? Well that's just one less reason for me to let you live. You're no fun if I can't have a witty banter with you." One finger was pointed at Shinku, just one but that would be more than enough to finish a human.

Shinku didn't move. Not one muscle twitched as the beam of light fired from that finger directly into his chest. It should have pierced his heart and killed him in an instant. Instead it careened off his flesh drilling through the pavement. The demon's eyes widened and mouth tightened in shock then reversed in fear as the human blurred out of sight. "Wha-" The rest of that thought was terminated by a fist to the jaw that sent the demon flying into a nearby vehicle the metal crumpling around his form upon impact. The echoes of the impact were still reverberating through the concrete jungle when the demon spotted Shinku in the air plummeting towards him knees angled downward.

The car formerly a Ford of some make was just a metal littered crater after Shinku's impact. He's still too fast! His mind screamed as looked around for his suddenly absent opponent. "You wouldn't be looking for me would you?" The demon taunted. The sound came from directly behind Shinku. A slight shift of his weight and he felt the demon's shoulder blades pressed against his back. "I'm impressed. Why don't you join me? It's been a long time since I've had a human apprentice." Shinku remained silent refusing to speak or move. "Still silent?" Shinku felt the demon shrug. "Fighting you has put me in a very good mood so here's the deal. If you're still alive at the end of this fight I'll train you. I'll teach you everything and when you know it all and I still kill you, you will know that I cannot be killed. Not by any man, beast, demon or angel. I am forever."

Warriors speak with more than words. Shinku answered the demon's offer by sliding forward and executing a perfect back heel kick to the base of the demon's skull with a thunder like crack. The demon stumbled forward a few steps then turn bringing both hands together fanning its fingers wide. A red orb with a white core flared into existence. In only a few seconds it had grown from the size of a golf ball to a basketball and a second later it was a crackling beach ball. "Catch." The demon hissed casually then launched the orb at Shinku.

His mind had betrayed him. Shock and awe had paralyzed Shinku in place keeping him from either fleeing before the orb was complete or attacking the demon to interrupt the energy. Fortunately it was reflex that took over when the attack started. Twenty years of muscle memory shifted his feet the proper distance apart. The same instincts brought his hands up defensively. He stepped into the energy blast slamming his palm into its center. His free hand came up bracing his arm. Shinku leaned into the energy straining every fiber in his being to push it up away from himself and the ground. The demon was taunting him but the only sound that carried over the rush of blood in Shinku's ears was laughter.

Shinku grit his teeth as his shoulder finally gave way popping out of its socket. The orb slammed into Shinku's chest knocking him flat and flying over his prone body. Pure instinct got him back on his feet in time to block the demon's next attack with his good arm. He could hardly see through the pain clouding his mind but somehow he was able to block the majority of blows raining down on him.

The demon advanced and kicked for Shinku's middle then feinted dropping to the floor and shooting his heel directly into Shinku's knee. Shinku's scream wasn't loud enough to drown out the snap of his bone that drove him back to the floor. "There doesn't screaming make you feel better?" The demon asked preparing to crush Shinku's skull beneath his heel.

The desire to survive forced Shinku to roll out of the way. He kipped back onto his good foot easily balancing like that. One arm hung limp at his side, the leg with the shattered knee was held in front of him just barely off the ground. The demon chuckled and walked forward.

One way or another this was going to be the last blow Shinku through. He focused every bit of his remaining energy into a single kick. He felt the ki race from his chest down his hip and burst out of his foot. The demon brought his hand across and snatched Shinku's foot. He whipped Shinku face first into the concrete knocking a few teeth loose then onto his back cracking several ribs. Shinku was little more than a ragdoll being flung back and forth. When the demon finally dropped him his other arm was broken probably twice and the leg he'd used as a handle had been wrenched from its socket. Both eyes were swollen shut and his nose was shattered pouring blood onto his split lips.

He was alive. The bubbles he was blowing in his own blood was proof of it. He couldn't move his body but he could breathe. Casually the demon walked over and crouched down. "Did you survive our battle?" The demon asked lifting Shinku's chin just enough that his blood pooled in his mouth instead of flowing down his cheek and onto the cracked asphalt.

Shinku was going to drown in his own blood. He didn't have the strength left to spit enough out to breath. He was bleeding so fast that he could only steal gulps of air after swallowing a mouthful of his own blood and even then he was choking. Through the gargled blood the demon eventually managed to discern a pair of words.

"I survived."