Sword Art Online-Encroaching Shadows

Chapter 46

"You love the sound of your voice don't you?" Jemza spat back circling the man slowly. His mouth split into a grin and he shrugged nonchalantly.

"I suppose I do." The moment his sentence ended he exploded forward, his sword cutting through the air faster than Jemza could see. The only course she had was to dive aside. If she couldn't see his attack then she couldn't parry properly and as an agility based character she worked better dodging rather than parrying.

"Ah!" Halfway through her dive, a hand wrapped around her arm and threw her to the ground with a crash. Kurt had moved far faster than she originally thought and caught her midair. As her back hit the wood she threw her arm forward with the dagger defensively, but Kurt was already atop her grabbing her wrist and pinning it to the ground.

"Now what'll you do?" Kurt laughed again and dropped his sword so that he could use his main hand to grasp around her neck. She thrashed her legs and tried to buck him off, but his grip tightened and he pulled her head up and slammed it down hard causing black spots to appear in her vision.

"No!" Terror now began to fill Jemza's mind as Kurt slowly crushed her throat. She felt her body being pushed along the ground and only now realized he was sliding her towards a large swath of fire. Her eyes widened and she kicked again trying to free herself.

"Shhhh...it's alright. It'll be over soon. You like fire don't you? Of course you do, everyone likes fire. Man's greatest invention." Kurt inched her closer, bashing her head once more as she struggled. Most of the strength had gone out of her body from her head being hit. The fire was dangerously close now and the heat was almost unbearable.

"Stop..." Her fists bounced off his arms weakly and he lifted her a third time before shoving her down into the ground. Her arms went slack, the dagger falling from her grasp.

"If you had just been obedient this wouldn't have happened. Now you'll pay the price for what you've done." Kurt laughed and Jemza's whole body shook with fear. She had heard those words before. In her eyes, Kurt was no longer atop her, but Shinji Hasegawa. She was back in her bed pinned down by the boys while he tortured her. That night was replaying over again almost exactly as it had before. She was too weak to fight against Shinji and so he stabbed her, punched her, and ultimately left her for dead. This was no different as Kurt grabbed her by the front of her armor and lifted her onto her knees.

She couldn't see the burning tavern anymore. All she saw was the church that she grew up in doused in flames. The screams of children nearby who would die in those flames because of what Shinji did. She was too weak to save herself, so what chance did they have? It didn't matter that her health bar had dipped into the red. Shinji was going to kill her this time. There wouldn't be a miraculous escape like before. At least Argo and Jayce got Rose out.

"I would give anything for my husband. Even my life if it brought him back." After Jayce, Argo, and Jemza explained everything to Rose, she had remained in the office with the redhead to talk more.

"I can't imagine that pain." Jemza leaned on Rose's desk lowering her head.

"I pray you never have to. Jayce is very much like my husband. He may not look it, but there is a strong will inside him. A determination that seems to have a limitless supply of fuel. My husband was the same and only after he was gone did I understand what that fuel was." Rose came around the desk and sat on the edge near Jemza.

"What was it?" Rose smiled and ran a hand through Jemza's hair.

"Me. Everything my husband did, he did for me. I never truly understood how he could be so determined to succeed. What could drive a man to such lengths regardless of the risk involved? The answer, was me."