The Nightmare, with its blindfold lifted, watched both Kaori and Mizaki from a short distance away. Kaori kept her swordstaff outstretched, as her nerves made it hard to keep her hands steady.
Originally, Kaori's concerns had been limited to preserving the lives of the soldiers around her. Now, however, that she'd encountered an enemy who could actually cut her, even if the wounds weren't that deep, she felt quite a bit less confident.
Still, trying was all that Mizaki and her could do. So, they both readied their weapons and moved forward.
The Zayama Nightmare twisted and spun, dodging out of the way of Mizaki's wild hammer swing. Kaori followed up with an attempt to impale the creature from behind, but her swordstaff was parried away. Before she could even react, the demon's blades were at her abdomen, trying to pierce through her gut.
