Kaiser opened his eyes slowly. His vision was blurry, as if obscured by a thick fog. The hard, cold surface he was lying on exerted uneven pressure against his back. As he moved his hand slightly, he felt pebbles and rocky unevenness.
*Cough*
*Cough*
"Fuck *Cough*, it smells like shit."
The air he breathed was dry,stinging the walls of his lungs. These sensations confirmed he was lying at the bottom of a ravine. When his vision cleared enough, he made out the steep walls rising on both sides, tall and gray, devoid of any vegetation.
When he tried to sit up, a sharp pain in his left arm made him fall back immediately. He looked down to examine his limb. The skin was mottled with blue and covered with a thin film of frost that persisted unnaturally.
"That bitch!"
It was the aftermath of Katrina’s ice arrow.He lightly touched the injured area with his fingertips, and a searing pain, comparable to an intense burn, shot up his arm.
He took a deep breath and, using only his good arm, managed to sit up. His breath formed clouds of condensation in the cold air.
A profound silence reigned in the ravine,a silence so absolute it felt as if he were the last living being on earth. This calm was suddenly broken by a hoarse growl, quickly followed by several others.
Kaiser carefully turned his head. Dark, stocky figures moved among the rocks. Their eyes glowed red in the gloom. He identified them immediately: Hell Wolves, common mid-tier creatures.
There were five of them. Their gaunt but wiry bodies were covered in a matte black fur that seemed to absorb light. Their long, yellowish fangs protruded from their slightly open maws. They advanced in a semicircular formation, clearly aware of his presence and vulnerability.
A knot of apprehension formed in Kaiser’s stomach. His left arm was practically useless, a throbbing pain persisted in his forehead, and his whole body was bruised from the fall. Staying passive was tantamount to suicide.
He brought his right hand to the hilt of his sword. The contact with the familiar metal gave him a semblance of comfort. After a deep breath, he pushed off with his right leg to stand up. His body swayed for a moment under the strain. He had no alternative.
"You picked the wrong target," he murmured, more to himself than to the beasts.
The wolves responded with more threatening growls.
The first wolf lunged. Kaiser stepped sideways, raised his sword, and executed a Slashing Cut. The blade cleanly severed a front leg of the animal, which collapsed howling, its black blood spurting onto the rocky ground. Without wasting time, Kaiser pivoted to face the next two that attacked simultaneously from each side.
He tried to use Dash, but his bruised body responded belatedly. His balance was compromised and he nearly fell. The sharp claws of one wolf tore into his side, opening a painful gash.
"Arhhh! FUCK! "
He clenched his jaw,pushing back the agony. He didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it.
<Aura Recovery>
He activated Aura Recovery,immediately feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him. His sword began to vibrate weakly, enveloped in a barely visible blue energetic glow. He struck another wolf squarely in the skull.
The impact was so violent that the bone gave way,but the energetic backlash almost made his knees buckle.
He stepped back to regain space, but the uneven terrain played a trick on him. His foot hit an unstable stone. A wolf took advantage to leap at his throat. Kaiser instinctively raised his left arm to block, but the paralyzing pain betrayed him. His fingers refused to close.
In a survival move,he thrust his leg forward and kicked the animal in the stomach. The wolf was thrown to the ground. Kaiser threw himself on it before it could get up and plunged his blade into its neck. Warm blood flooded his hand.
He got back up hastily, but his vision blurred again. Aura Recovery was drawing too deeply from his reserves. He deactivated the technique. His muscles were heavy, and on top of his wounds his breathing was ragged.
"Shit...I don’t want to die here."
Two wolves remained.
They advanced slowly, baring their fangs. Kaiser knew he wouldn’t have the strength to withstand another coordinated attack.
"Come on, get closer," he challenged them in a hoarse voice.
They lunged. Kaiser gripped his sword with both hands, despite the uncontrollable trembling of his left arm. The blade met the gaping maw of the first wolf. The shock reverberated painfully in his shoulder. The animal collapsed, lifeless.
The last wolf attempted an attack from behind. Kaiser used the rock wall beside him as a pivot point to spin around. The beast passed through the empty space where his neck had been a second earlier. Using its momentum, he drove his sword into its back. A final gurgle escaped the wolf’s throat before it went completely still.
Kaiser remained in place for a long moment, his body tense, his chest rising in rapid bursts. He was covered in blood, dust, and sweat. The wound in his side burned, his left arm was a numb mass, and his breath was short and labored. But he was still breathing.
"I will not die in this place," he articulated with determination.
He looked up towards the top of the ravine wall. It rose so high he couldn’t make out the summit. The wind rushed through the cracks in the rock, producing a continuous, low moan. He brought his good hand close to the wall and tried to find a grip. His fingers immediately slid off the smooth surface.
He renewed his attempts, scratching the rock with his nails, desperately searching for a handhold. His legs, still unsteady, refused to support him. He fell several times, each fall a little harsher than the last. Finally, exhausted, he had to stop. The cliff was simply impassable.
"It’s way too high,and even if I manage to climb it, I doubt I would survive a fall from that height. I’m already lucky to be alive, I’m not going to tempt the devil."
The reality of his situation became clear: he was trapped.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. He closed his eyes, and Katrina’s image immediately imposed itself on his mind: her impassive gaze, her mocking smile. Then the memory of Ruby with the hole in her skull, who had ultimately saved him by pushing him into the portal.
A cold, resolute anger rose within him, overwhelming the pain and exhaustion.
"I will find you, Katrina. And you will pay for this."