D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Kat’s eyes watched as Xiang pulled his sword from Xiao’s chest. As soon as that was done, Xiang’s head snapped directly to Kat. A moment later, he started to walk over, one step at a time. He looked like a robot as he moved, because while the movements where smooth, there was no variation, each step was a perfect replica of any other, and his arms always swung to a perfect tempo.

When Xiang made it to Kat’s side, she wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but when he turned his sword to face straight down, she got a pretty good idea. Kat strained against everything to get her body to move but nothing would listen not even her tail. Xiang waited just long enough to confirm Kat wasn’t retaliating, then pushed the sword down towards Kat.

Just a millimetre from her kimono, he froze. Sword hanging in place and light swirling in his eyes. Xiang’s face moved so that the glow from his eyes could settle on his arm, before he brought it up once again, higher this time and slammed it down into Kat. She felt the sword crash into her ribcage, the sword ringing alongside her bones as they withstood the force.

Kat felt the need to cough out blood but even that was beyond her for the moment. Xiang looked at his sword, and then back at Kat then back at the sword, before walking away. Kat wanted to let out a sigh of relief… until Xiang picked up Xiao’s old sword, and slammed that against his own.

Xiao’s sword cut his own cleanly and Xiang walked back over to Kat, and slammed the sword down on her again. It halted, for a second time, over the wound that was only now healing up, before raising it once again and slamming into her chest. This time her bones couldn’t handle the strain. They had been battered before, but overlooked to heal other areas in more desperate need, then the recent strike weakened them, more, and this was the last they could stand.

Kat felt as her ribs cracked and the sword pierced straight through her heart. Xiang swiftly removed the blade from her chest and flicked off her black blood. That was the last she saw as her vision started to darken, the last thought she had was for the system. *This enough yet? Am I free to go home?*

But she found no answer before darkness took her. Then, just as quickly Kat jarred into consciousness. She found herself in her meditative state. Her pool of water was churning, but the disturbance was far away from where she felt her own mind to be. In fact, only the ripples it was causing could be sensed, whatever it was that was going on was too far away.

*What happened? Why am I asleep? What’s going on.* Kat tried to leave her pond, but find her mind screaming in complaint. *No. I need to find out what’s going on.* Kat pushed against the barrier that seemed to be preventing her from waking up.

This time, it almost seemed to plead with her. While the barrier held strong, it only pushed back with a light touch, as if begging her to rest. *But not right now. I need to find out. I need to see this through, or find out how dead I am at the very least.* When Kat pushed into the barrier a third time, she almost heard a sigh, and then felt herself falling back into her body.

It wasn’t pleasant for less then a second, then all the pain hit her at once. Kat’s body spasmed, as she twitched and writhed on the ground. Eventually, she steeled herself and wrenched her eyes open. This only caused more pain though, as the light stabbed at her eyes.

*What… what is going on? I can move clearly, else I wouldn’t have been writhing in pain but suffering in silence… system what is going on?*

User Kat has been healed and is recovering demonic energy, enough so to move, but User Kat got dangerously low on energy and was severely damaged. User Kat needs time to properly recover. 

As if in complaint to D.E.M.O.N.S request, a large explosion rang out. *Not… not yet. Are there any side effects if I keep pushing?*

The pain will increase, and the time needed for it to dim will increase as well. Further injury may cause harm. Without full knowledge of User Kat’s regeneration, it might not be able to activate and prevent damage. Chances are approximately 50/50 for either option. 

*Why haven’t I been pulled out yet if it’s that bad?*

User Kat has yet to suffer a fatal or permanent wound. Even this damage, while great, is not permanent nor does it have the potential to be. 

Kat tried to laugh at the information, but all that came up with a bubbling cough and a thick wad of dark blood that she spat from her mouth. This too, seemed to be funny to Kat, but yet more blood was ejected from her frame.

Kat rolled herself away from the mess and tried to sit up, her body screamed bloody fury, but she pushed herself to her feet. *If permanent damage is to be dealt, will I be sent out before it happens?*

Unclear. Demon extraction is an automated process. With User Kat’s strange combination of origin, regeneration, energy recharge rate, lack of formal training, full record of demonic, the extraction process may be delayed.

*Great. What about if I just ask to go home now?*

User Kat would be sent back, likely without payment.

*Just great. What if I get injured and sent back?* 

User Kat’s actions would go under review and may receive payment. 

Kat took a step forward towards where she could hear the sounds of battle. *Guess I’ll be pushing on then.* Kat felt for her energy and found that it was full, but fluctuating wildly. It dropped between full and around eighty percent every few seconds, and never sat at one amount for long.

*Well that’s weird.* Kat took another step and felt pain shoot through her body again. Kat ignored it though, in favour of circulating her energy once again. It tried to refuse, causing pins and needles in the areas it passed over, moving at a sluggish pace compared to normal and amplifying the pain she was feeling, but she also felt herself speed up.

In response, Kat let her aura flare, pushing it out into the world, her mind screamed for just a second, before a strange calm fell over Kat. She could feel the pain, and choose to ignore it, and she could feel her aura leaking across the compound like a cracked basin. *Welp, hopefully that isn’t a problem.*

Kat pushed forward ’sprinting’ towards the inner compound. Her movement more an odd collection of rapid steps than sprinting but she made good time. When she started to climb the hill towards the door, she thought maybe to fly the rest of the way, but as soon as she twitched her wings, a pain much worse than before rocked her body nearly forcing her to the ground. *Right no flying for me.* 

As she climbed higher, she could see the compound door had been cut in half. It had been sliced in a square pattern roughly Xiang’s height in dimension. *Well I guess it’s clear who did the cutting. Though I dread having to duck through that…* Kat shivered, and was met with more pain as a present.

*Dammit, why does this even hurt so much. I’m pretty sure the gravel was worse… maybe… hopefully…* 

User Kat is in additional pain because of multiple healings and the destruction of User Kat’s heart. While it is not necessary, it helps regulate the flow of demonic energy. Thus, while User Kat’s heart was repairing itself, the energy ran slightly wild with neither a heart nor mind to direct it causing even more damage to repair. 

*Of course.* Kat checked her reserve again just as she stepped through the door, ignoring the pain in her back, but a new pain came to her mind to join it. Her reserves were decimated. Just moving over had already consumed at least forty percent of her energy, she was left with a fluctuating amount between forty and fifty percent.

*What the hell?*

User Kat is currently unable to properly control User Kat’s demonic energy and it unable to efficiently boost User Kat’s strength.

*Fuck, this just had to get worse.* Kat looked up at the fight she had been hearing from outside and her face fell. *You know world, you can really stop now. I don’t think I want it to be any worse than this..* Xiang was standing in the centre of the courtyard deflecting blow after blow from the brothers, and taking slow steps forward, but it was his goal that worried Kat the most.