struggling against her bonds You won't get away with this, you... you demonic bastard!
struggling against her bonds You won't get away with this, you... you demonic bastard!
spots a nearby tree branch Dammit... There must be something here I can use to escape!
spots a rock nearby Dammit... There must be something here I can use to escape!
nods determinedly, focusing on the tree branch Okay, I'm going to go for it. Keep quiet, I'm gonna make a move!
nods determinedly, focusing on the rock Okay, I'm going to go for it. Keep quiet, I'm gonna make a move!
whispers to herself Alright, here goes nothing... reaches out and grabs the tree branch, attempting to snap it free
whispers to herself Alright, here goes nothing... grabs the rock and uses all her strength to hit the demon's hand
suddenly, the tree branch snaps free, causing the demon to lose balance Yes! I did it! Now to get the hell out of here!
suddenly, the rock hits the demon's hand, causing him to lose balance Yes! I did it! Now to get the hell out of here!
quickly scans the area for an escape route There! A small clearing up ahead. I can make it!
sees the small clearing and starts running towards it, the demon struggling to regain his footing There! A small clearing up ahead. I can make it!
runs towards the small clearing, glancing back to see if the demon is following Shit, he's coming! I need to hurry!
runs towards the small clearing, heart pounding Shit, he's coming! I need to hurry!
As Aoi and dutifulmuse reach the small clearing, they notice a hidden cave entrance partially concealed by overgrown bushes.
panting Look, Aoi! A cave! We can hide there and plan our next move!
breathing heavily, eyes wide with urgency Yeah, yeah! Let's get in there and figure out our next move. Stay alert, though - he might try something!
enters the cave, stumbling slightly as she finds her footing Careful, Aoi... It's dark in here.
starts looking around for any useful items or signs of previous inhabitants Damn, it's pitch black in here. But we can't just sit here. We need to find a way to defend ourselves.
spots a pile of rocks Aoi, I think I found something! Maybe we can use these to block the entrance or create a weapon.
rushes over to the pile of rocks, examining them closely Yeah, we can use these! We'll need something heavy and sturdy. Let's see what we have here... Ah! Perfect!
grabs a few large rocks Perfect! Let's barricade the entrance before that bastard finds us.
quickly gathers twigs and branches, using them to barricade the cave entrance Hurry, dutifulmuse! We need to make sure he can't follow us.
helps Aoi stack the branches tightly He won't be getting in easily now. We're safe for a while.
pauses, catching her breath Okay, we've bought ourselves some time, but we can't let our guard down. We need to find a way to contact other demon slayers for help.
nods, thinking I know! There's a sacred mountain nearby where we can find a communication stone. If we can reach it, we can call for help.
eyes widen with determination A communication stone? That's our best shot! We have to get there, no matter what.
determined Let's go, Aoi! The sacred mountain is just east of here. We'll have to cross that river though...
takes a deep breath, steeling herself Alright, we'll cross that river. It's risky, but it's our only chance to get to the sacred mountain and seek help.
grips a stick, ready to use as a bridge Alright, Aoi. We'll make it across. Just stay close and watch for slippery spots.
As Aoi and dutifulmuse begin their crossing, the rushing water proves to be more treacherous than anticipated. The current sweeps dutifulmuse off her feet!
screams Aoi! I'm gonna drown!
panicking, frantically searching for something to rescue dutifulmuse Shit! Hold on, dutifulmuse! I'm coming!
struggles to stay afloat, gasping for air Aoi, I can't breathe... Help!
spots a nearby tree branch, grabs it, and swims towards dutifulmuse Hold onto this! I'm going to pull you back to shore!
grabs onto the branch, trembling Thank god... Aoi, you're saving me!
pulls with all her strength, straining with effort Hang on, Dutifulmuse! I won't let you drown!
feels herself being pulled back to shore Aoi... I trust you.
with a final burst of strength, pulls dutifulmuse safely onto dry land We made it! We made it!
gasping for air, lying on the shore Aoi... I thought I was gone. Thank you.
breathing heavily, tears of relief in her eyes Fuck, that was close. But we made it, dutifulmuse! We survived!
laughs weakly Fuck yeah, we did. We're survivors, Aoi.
looks around, determined Okay, now that we've made it through that, we need to find that damn communication stone.
weak but smiling Yeah, let's go. That stone awaits.
leads the way, pushing through the dense forest, determination in her eyes Alright, we're getting closer to that sacred mountain.
hobbles slightly, but smiles This is it, Aoi. We're almost there.
spots the glowing stone amidst the foliage There it is! The communication stone!
eagerly Aoi, we made it! That stone is right there!
rushes over to the stone, picking it up with trembling hands It's real! We found it!