Free Demon Deathchase by Hideyuki Kikuchi Page B

passing of the vehicle caused cracks to form here and there in the depressed
     earth, and, when something watery but not quite the shade of blood squirted up from
     below, the tiny insects that flew slowly through this world were seized by spasms
     and dropped to the ground.
    A number of times the bus plowed over bleached bones—mountains of them, contributed
     by everything from huge fang-baring beasts down to the smallest of vermin. The atmosphere
     was permeated not only by sulfur, but by strong toxins as well.
    Before long, the road narrowed and the rocky surface to either side grew higher, giving
     the dramatic effect of an avalanche about to sweep over the bus. Neither Kyle nor
     Borgoff could conceal their concern.
    They continued down the menacing road through the valley for about twenty minutes.
     Then, without warning, Kyle slowed down. “There it is!” he shouted.
    Ahead of them, the blurred form of the carriage was visible in the depths of the swirling
     white smoke.
    “What should we do, bro? Just keep going and ram ’em?” The bus had plates of armored
     steel bolted to the front, after all.
    “Nope,” the older brother replied. “Gotta keep in mind the girl might still be alive.
     Anyway you slice it, the Noble can’t move by daylight. We’ll get out and take care
     of ’em. Put on a gas mask.”
    When the two brothers had turned themselves around, the door to the bedroom opened
     and Leila looked out. Not surprisingly, her complexion was still pale, but her eyes
     blazed with the will to fight. “Picked a hell of a place to stop,” she said. “Did
     you find them?”
    “You get some rest now. And look after Grove,” Borgoff said as he slipped on his gas
     mask.
    “No way! Let me go with you!” Leila caught the oldest of the clan by the arm. The
     muscles felt like stone. “This is a Noble we’re dealing with. Even if he can’t move
     during the day, that still doesn’t mean he’ll be defenseless. You can use all the
     backup you can get.”
    “A gimp would just get in the way,” Borgoff replied.
    “But—”
    “Leila, why don’t you give it a rest?” Kyle interjected, a javelin tight in his grip.
     On his right hip, there hung another gas mask he intended to use for the abducted
     girl. “Look, you heard what Borgoff said. He told you to just leave this to the two
     of us. I mean, look how high the sun still is. There ain’t nothing to worry about.”
    His voice was coaxing, but had a touch of carnal desire in it, and Leila turned away.
     She nodded, apparently giving in.
    “Now don’t you go out there!”
    With that final admonishment, Borgoff and Kyle stood on the steps by the door. When
     Kyle pressed the switch by his side, a semitransparent veil descended from overhead,
     sealing the two of them off from the rest of the vehicle. This wasn’t the first time
     they had to stalk their quarry in a poison-shrouded environ.
    Opening the door manually, the two stepped down to the ground. They wore no other
     protection besides the gas masks. Artificial antibodies in their blood could handle
     the rest of the poisonous vapors and radiation.
    Their feet didn’t make the slightest sound as they hustled over the ground.
    The Noble’s carriage was motionless, just branding the earth with its faint and lonely
     shadow. Even the six black steeds hung their heads, appearing either to sleep or to
     be absorbed in contemplation.
    Contrary to what one might expect, this picture of defenselessness sowed seeds of
     tension and anxiety in the hearts of the pair. Kyle adjusted his grip on the javelin.
    Ten feet to the carriage. White smoke robbed the pair of their vision, then cleared.
    Without a sound, the pair leapt to either side. Between them and the carriage there
     suddenly stood a black silhouette. The elongated figure garbed in a black hooded robe
     seemed to be an illusion, something conjured up by the poisonous vapors.
    “Who the hell are you?” Kyle asked in a low voice. The