The bastard's blade

The maniac's laughter echoed through the broken forest, blood still dripping from his chin. Gore clung to his lips, flesh tucked between his teeth.

"Amazing."

He said, licking the blood from his palm.

"Beautiful."

He twirled in place, spreading his arms wide as if basking in sunlight.

"Stupendous! Splendid!"

Ran trembled, every inch of his body quaking from blood loss and raw terror. He couldn't even scream anymore. His voice had long died in his throat.

Yet inside him, something still clung to life. A will. A cursed, stubborn will to live.

"You want to survive, don't you?"

The man tilted his head, his grotesque smile stretching far too wide.

"Let's test that beautiful little resolve of yours."

He snapped his fingers.

Ran felt his body loosen—no longer paralyzed. He gasped for breath, shaking, his muscles responding once more. But it wasn't a gift.

His hands. They didn't move.

He looked down in horror. His arms were stiff, frozen from the elbow downward. Like weights of stone hanging from his shoulders.

"I'll give you one minute."

The demon said, holding up a single crooked finger.

"One minute to free yourself. You can move your body now… but not those pitiful arms."

Ran's eyes widened.

"You want me to—?"

"Break them."

The man said, voice soft and joyful, as if speaking of some cherished memory.

"Rip them off if you have to. The countdown starts now."

"1... 2... 3..."

Ran's heart nearly stopped. Pain surged through his body before he even moved. His nerves were already raw from the earlier slaughter. His arms hung useless, and the rest of him was trembling in cold sweat. He dropped to his knees. His mind screamed.

'Move move MOVE!'

"6... 7... 8..."

He pushed against the ground, trying to twist, yank, tear—anything to separate himself from those frozen limbs. He rolled, convulsed, slammed his shoulder into a rock to numb it, to kill the pain—but pain was all that came.

"14... 15... 16..."

Tears ran down his cheeks. Not from fear. Not anymore. From rage. From the overwhelming, humiliating, crushing knowledge that this thing was playing with him like a god. And he couldn't do anything about it.

'No. I will not die here. I won't be trash forever. I won't..

"22... 23... 24..."

Ran bit down on his lower lip so hard it bled. His shoulder popped—he could hear it. One arm dangled at a sickening angle. Still no movement.

He threw himself sideways, rolled on a jagged stump, letting it stab deep into his upper bicep.

"27... 28... 29..."

His scream cracked through the trees. Blood spurted across his face. He was halfway there. His shoulder was broken.

"33... 34... 35..."

"FUCK!"

He screamed, voice raw.

"COME ON!"

He crawled now, dragging his body like a worm through leaves and bone and guts. His mouth was foaming from the pain. But he wouldn't stop.

"41... 42... 43..."

His vision blurred. The world spun. But he felt it—tissue tearing. Ligaments snapping. The end was close.

"50..."

The demon leaned forward with a glimmer in his eyes, delighted.

"56... 57... 58..."

Ran screamed. A final desperate roar.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"59... 60."

Snap.

Both arms tore away, flesh ripped, bones dislocated, sockets empty. Ran collapsed, blood gushing from his shoulders like twin fountains.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

The man clapped like a child seeing a magic trick.

"You actually did it!"

Ran writhed in agony, breath shallow. His body trembled with the last remnants of life. But his eyes—his eyes still burned.

"Free me..."

He gasped.

"You said... I could go..."

The man crouched beside him, smiling gently.

"I did."

He leaned in close.

"But you misunderstood."

He grabbed one of Ran's arms—and bit into it.

"AGHHHHH!"

Ran cried out, watching in horror as the demon chewed on his own flesh.

The man was moaning with pleasure. He sucked the meat off the bone like it was some delicacy. Blood smeared across his cheeks.

"It's so good."

He said, shuddering.

"So potent. I felt it when you screamed. The hatred. The will. Your soul is boiling."

Ran could only pant, dizzy. His vision was fading.

"Initially I just wanted to kill you for fun."

The man said, still chewing.

"But now? Oh no. Now I want more."

He threw the chewed bone aside and leaned in, face inches away.

"I want your soul."

Ran stared, barely conscious.

"Wh... what?"

"A contract."

The demon whispered.

"A blood contract. The highest form of oath in my realm. You'll give me your soul. Not now—oh no, I'm patient. But one day, it'll be mine. In return?"

He smiled.

"I'll give you power."

Ran couldn't move. He could barely think. But those words—those words echoed in his shattered mind.

"Power…?"

"Say yes, Ran. Make the contract. Accept me."

The demon extended his hand, black and clawed, dripping with blood that was not his own.

"You'll never be weak again. Never be laughed at. Never be discarded."

Ran looked up. His mind screamed at him. He didn't know what would happen if he said yes.

But he did know what would happen if he didn't.

He'd die. Here. Alone. Useless.

And the Bloodrunes would never pay.

"...Yes."

Ran said, through clenched teeth.

"I accept."

The demon's grin grew inhumanly wide.

"A wise choice."