Ax slowly got on his feet, making sure not to make an ounce of sound. He slowly walked around the Oni, inspecting every inch of it visually, it was a vibrant blue, as he seen from every other angle.
It was standing there, confused. Maybe it was all just it's imagination. It turned around and crouched over, going back to eating whatever it was munching on.
Ax looked down to see a pool of blood, and by that pool of blood he saw a lifeless head moving about due to the body having bits being chewed off.
This ghastly sight made Ax gasp.
This made the Oni's head snap up, it's milky eyes staring at him intently and furrowed.
Ax jumped back and the Oni knew, it was sure now that something or someone was here with it, disturbing it's feast.
Oni tried to hit him with it's club but Ax dodged out of the way. Ax ran back and aimed his gun at the Oni's chest and shot.
*SHATTER*
It hit the Oni, causing it to lose it's balance due to the impact but it didn't leave a mark on it's body. Ax was screwed and he knew it.
Because the sound came of the shatter came from some where the club can't reach, the Oni grasped at the air once more.
The Oni grasped at the sparks crackling around it's palm and grabbed a bolt of lightning and threw it at Ax.
Ax was not able to dodge the bolt, it came at him fast and he was struck.
The impact threw Ax backwards onto the ground, with the god knows how many volts running through his body, it felt as if he was paralyzed and was left gasping for air.
The Oni hearing the crash started to walk towards Ax.
Ax was left hopeless, he was ready to die and try again and keep trying, but he remembered something.
He had one of the apples. He slowly moved his hand into his pocket and took the apple.
As the Oni's stomps were closer and closer. Ax took a bite of the apple.
Ax's eyes widened and pupils dilated, he was full of energy again. His minor injuries healed at a moment's notice.
Ax put the apple back into his pocket and the Oni was right on top of him. As the Oni reared it's club one last time, Ax waited. He aimed his gun at it's head and right before it dropped it's club on Ax and shot.
*SHATTER*
This caused the Oni to lose balance and fall over backwards.
Ax had caught onto to a small detail right before he shot it.
"You were... bleeding...", Ax muttered under his breath.
The part of the chest Ax shot at, the Oni was bleeding around it, at the parts the glass shards were stuck in. This would mean that the bullet either shattered before it pierced it's skin, or that the bullet itself wasn't as strong as regular lead bullets. Most likely both.
But one thing Ax knew was that, the gun shots were strong enough to make the Oni lost it's balance.
Two small details failed to escape Ax... But Ax needed to test these first.
Ax ran far away from the Oni as it started to get up. When it got up it once again raised it's palm into the air and grasped at the sparks.
At this moment Ax ran towards the Oni as fast as he could as loud as he could. Hearing the footsteps getting closer and closer, the Oni stopped grasping at the air and raised it's club over it's head one more time.
Ax held his dagger right before getting close to the Oni with his other arm and as the Oni was preparing to hit him.
Ax slid. Ax slid in between it's legs, nicking the calf of the Oni in this swift action.
The Oni roared in pain and dropped it's club, grasping at it's calf.
Ax was correct. The Oni's skin is penetrable by sharp objects, it's as if the skin it self was made of rubber. Ax was correct with another detail as well, the Oni only threw lightning at it's victims if they were far away from it and used it's club for close combat.
...
This meant only one thing: if Ax wanted to kill this goliath, he would have to get up close and personal. If it were any other person, they couldn't afford to fight this recklessly.
But Ax... couldn't die.
"You... have to kill me over and over again until I give up," he said to the Oni as it looked at him and started to reach for the club.
"But I only have to kill you once," he continued as the Oni stood back up with its club back in hand.
The Oni stomped on the ground and charged at him with its club.
Ax ran towards it head-on, and as the Oni tried to hit him.
*SHATTER*
Ax shot the forearm of the hand the club was held to make the Oni drop it and get thrown back due to the pure kinetic impact.
The Oni tried to punch Ax with its other arm, but Ax moved to the side and ran past him, using its dagger to slash across its other forearm, and he ran by, causing blood to spray everywhere on the ground.
As Ax was behind the Oni, he shot at its back two more times, causing the Oni to fall forward. He then shot the club's handle twice to get it away from the Oni's reach.
Click, click
His revolver was out of ammo.
"I'm not used to this...", Ax said to himself, unfamiliar with having to reload his gun.
He flicked his wrist to the side, causing the cylinder of the revolver to be exposed, white steam got released from it's bullet chambers and he quickly whipped the cylinder back in.
The Oni was starting to get back up again.
Ax show to Oni two more times and walked up on it's back.
Ax put away his dagger and pulled out his sword. As ax put away his gun, he grabbed his sword with his right hand and with a swift movement slashed the back of it's neck.
Dweller Slain
On top of the Oni's back, dropped two gold coins. Ax picked them up and put them in his pocket.
Ax got off the Oni and looked around once more. He saw the body the Oni was feasting on. As Ax walked up to the body, he almost gagged at the sight, there was almost nothing left, not even bones, just a head and two arms.
"I think I'm gonna be sick...", Ax said to himself in disgust.
Ax then noticed the body's arms, the sleeves were burnt off, and the part of the ground the palm was on... it was charred but the actual skin was... untouched?
This person didn't have any weapon on them but they were able to clear these rooms and continue to fight... and the ears were a normal pair of round human ears.
Ax then looked at the red door that was on the other side of the room, he stared at it with intent.
So many questions ran through his head, about what these doors meant, the other world, the human body on the ground, the charred bits of clothing... He considered the possibility of...
"Did they control fire? Like some sort super power like in the comics? No, that shouldn't be possible... but then again... I can come back from the dead...". Ax talked to himself.
So many questions and the only solution to getting these answered was to...
"I have to keep progressing... don't I?", He asked himself.
Ax walked up to the door and opened it.
As Ax walked in and closed the door shut, he noticed a suit of armour sat kneeling on the ground, the room itself looked like a Japanese Edo Period household. Tatami mats on the ground, paper doors and the armour... it was a set of samurai armour.
The armour itself was black with red highlights, it was wearing a red Oni mask under it's helm. Two swords were on the ground next to it. A katana and a much smaller 'wakizashi'. It was a smaller version of a katana.
Ax looked at the armour close and didn't notice anything under it, so he let his guard down. He then reached for the katana on the ground and as he was about to touch it.
The hand of the armour grabbed his arm, Ax looked back at the mask and the red Oni mask's eyes glowed red and stared into Ax's eyes.
The armour then with it's other hand grabbed the wakizashi and chopped off Ax's hand.
"AHH", Ax screamed in pain, trying to free himself from the armour, but the Oni swiftly in a single motion, slashed his neck and killed him.
Ax woke up in front of the Oni, gasping for air. The Oni then grabbed it's katana and put away the wakizashi back in it's sheath.
It held a fierce stance, intending to fight Ax.
Ax grabbed his falchion and held his own makeshift stance, staring down the demon with his own eyes.