Page 105 of The Wishing Game

Oh, no, no, no. I'm not going to wait around for them to hit me again. Turning, I dash toward the apartment, running at full speed. Yet it's in vain as the man's tail extends and wraps itself around my ankle, pulling suddenly. I gasp aloud as I fall face down to the ground. Pain flares in my knees from the hard surface, and more red liquid trickles down my flesh.

I groan in pain as I raise myself on my arms. Footsteps resound behind me. Despite the biting pain, I push myself up, ready to make another go at an escape.

"Silly human," he mutters, his tone mocking. His tail moves, about to strike me again. Yet this time, the attack doesn't come.

I blink repeatedly, afraid I'm seeing things.

One flash of white and half of his tail drops to the ground, blood pouring from his open wound. He gives a harsh cry of pain as he drops to his knees.

"Why do you always attract danger?" Ze's voice echoes as he appears in front of me, blood trickling down his sword as droplets fall to the ground. The image is quite familiar as his broad back fills my entire field of vision. He's changed clothes, I notice. He's back in his black ensemble consisting of a loose tunic shirt and a pair of wide-legged linen pants. A belt holds the outfit together, which he uses to hang the scabbard of his sword.

Thea and Cer are here too, with Thea shooting murderous glances at the girl.

"I've got her," she motions to the girl, positioning herself in front of her just as her nails lengthen into claws.

"You..." the man sneers, his nostrils flaring as he stares at Ze. Releasing a sharp battle cry, he thrusts himself forward, ready to attack Ze.

My lips part in wonder just as my eyes widen in shock.

Ze doesn't move. He doesn't even dodge the incoming blow. He merely lifts his arm, his forefinger on the man's forehead as he keeps him at a distance. He stops the man's advancement with just one finger!

What the hell...

He flicks him across the forehead, and that small gesture sends the man flying in the air until he crashes into the fence surrounding the complex.

The girl cries out when her partner releases a groan of pain as he hits the fence. She turns feral as she faces Thea, her entire body changing right under my eyes. More of the same fur starts covering her limbs until she changes from a humanoid form to something resembling an oversized fox. She jumps toward Thea, but she easily evades the attack, raking her claws on the underside of the belly. The fox yelps in pain, but she doesn't give up. Still, it seems that Thea can more than handle herself.

Ze sheaths his sword as he turns toward me. His lips are flattened into a thin line as he surveys the state of my injuries. My lip is busted. My knees are bruised and bleeding. He's no doubt thinking what a weak human I am.

Taking a step forward, he extends his hand toward me.

I blink at the unexpected gesture, but I'm not in a position to refuse his help, so I grab onto his hand, letting him pull me up to my feet.

His gaze is on my bloodied lip as a scowl permeates his features.

"Who didthat?" His voice vibrates with tension.

"That guy." I point at the man with the red tail.

His cheek twitches dangerously. Pivoting on his heel, he pins the other two men with his icy glare.

"Cerenios, that one is mine," he says in a low, barely contained voice.

Cer smirks, shaking his head.

"As you wish." He inclines his head. "But remember our limitations," he mentions before he steps aside and focuses his attention on the other man.

Ze stares at the man and, raising his hand, he uses two fingers to beckon him. My lips tremble with mirth. Of course he would be awfully arrogant in combat, too.

The man bares his teeth at Ze, and with a loud howl, he shifts his form too. His fox is much bigger than the girl's, the color a deep auburn with streaks of black on the back. Its snout is protruding, its canines sharp. In this form, it's hard to believe that he was ever humanoid. There's nothing but the wildness of the beast inside of him as he charges toward Ze. Yet in contrast to the girl, whose only strategy seems to be close combat, the man can shoot power balls out of his mouth.

Wha—

"Get back, human," Ze commands. In one smooth movement, he removes the sword from his waist, deflecting the blast and sending it to the side. The fox continuously fires blasts at him, coming closer and closer.

Ze rotates his sword as he catches one blast. Tracing his fingers from the hilt of his sword to the tip, he absorbs most of the momentum of the blast before he returns it, using his sword to bounce the ball of energy back to the fox.

This catches Ze's opponent off guard and he barely has time to avoid the incoming blow. He veers to the side, but the blast is too powerful, catching him in his lower body and burning a good part of his fur. A strangled cry escapes him as he falls to the ground. There's a gaping wound in his right flank—so deep the bone is visible, the flesh around the wound raw and mangled. One would think that he'd give up at this point. But if anything, he's even more determined to strike at Ze as he gets up and inhales sharply, gathering all his energy for one last blast.

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