"♫Your love is like a melody, playing softly in my mind♫"
Danny smiled, losing himself in the music. The memorization song seemed to wash away the tension, replacing it with a sense of peace.
His voice blended with the singer's, the words pouring out of him like a confession. He doesn't care about anything anymore—not a single worry, just the melody and the lyrics.
Along with his own body moving body fluidly to the rhythm, his hips swaying and his arms waving in the air as if he were dancing with the wind itself.
Meanwhile, Daimon watched his prey with a mixture of fascination and annoyance. He doesn't like the sight of this, forcing him to continue staring at him with intrigue despite expressing visible irritation on his own face.
"That won't save you when there is someone trying to kill you," he mused aloud, shaking his head in disbelief before smirking devilishly, "although I wonder what happens when you are in this mood of yours."
Without wasting anymore time, he took another step closer before lunging towards him with the readiness to harm his target once and for all.
However, before he could even reach him, a sudden gush of wind seemingly appeared out of nowhere, violently pushing Daimon back as if he were hit by a truck, throwing him backwards around ten feet in distance from him.
Danny, on the other hand, remained completely unharmed by the incident, still dancing to the tune of the song that is playing on his phone, unaware of the commotion he just caused while jamming to the song, away from the troubles of this dark world that surrounds him.
Flipping in the air, Daimon safely landed on the ground once more, his face growing more annoyed but nonetheless still curious to learn what about his prey is capable of doing.
"Interesting powers you have," complimenting with a hint of sarcasm, "but those won't help you when I decide to take your life," he stated clearly, "the strongest of your kind can fall to a skilled hunter like myself," trying to instill fear into the young man's heart just to be ignored again, causing him to sigh from this lack of response, "you and your song, this is why ordinary people hate you, Espers, you're too full of yourselves."
"What an—" As he glanced down where his arm once held his beloved weapon, he noticed the dislocated hand with fingers twisted sideways in a very painful angle. Cursing loudly, he fell onto his knees, clutching his injured hand with a grimace on his face.
"Hmph."
Being a masochist, pain is nothing but an enjoyable sensation he experiences on a daily basis, but in times like this when he needs to focus on hunting his prey, the discomfort he feels from this injury is highly inconvenient for him.
Seeing his weapon gone, the sight of it hurts more than anything physical that was done to him. "My Wakizashi," he lamented, sadness in his voice. Glancing around for any sign of his lost sword, Daimon's gaze fell upon Danny, who was still blissfully unaware of the danger he was in.
"You didn't even notice it's gone, did you?" he taunted, "so focused on your little song, you barely know I'm here," grinning dangerously at the young man's arrogance. "Pain won't stop me, little man; I'm going to enjoy every moment of our little game."
While his fingers dangled as if they were some sort of broken claw, he nonetheless continued on with this cat and mouse, "Since my sword is gone..." Using his other working hand, he placed it around his broken wrist before immediately twisting to the point that he was able to remove the entire dislocated hand from the rest of the arm, leaving exposed bone to the open.
"I'll just have to use my body to kill you," he declared, tossing his severed hand to the side. "Aren't you lucky?" Raising his hand, he then brought it down to the bone, splitting it in half.
Resulting sharp pointy bone now serves as a makeshift weapon, Daimon still managed to keep a smirk on his face. "This will do just fine," he proclaimed, holding up his gruesome new weapon with blood, flesh, and sinew dangling from it.
"Now, let's see what you're made of, little Esper," he sneered, charging towards Danny with the intent to strike him down with his improvised blade. "Your precious song isn't going to save you from this!" He was laughing insanely, excitement and adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Baring his teeth cruelly, a wicked wide grin spread throughout the assassin's lips. "You should have stayed silent," the tone of voice dripped with malice from his mere statement. "You're going to hear the sweetest serenade of your death, and there's nothing you can do to stop it," he hissed, his eyes flashing with a malevolent light.
"Enjoy the music, because it's the last thing you'll ever hear!" Jumping twenty meters in the air, the beautiful moonlight casts long shadows behind his silhouette as he descends upon his prey with the speed of a falling star, the assassin's laughter echoing through the night.
But Danny still didn't bother with the fact that his life was in grave danger. Completely oblivious to the imminent threat standing before him, the young man continued to sing along with the song, moving his body in perfect harmony with the melody.
"♫The way you move, it's poetry, a work of art divine♫"
Clear and strong, he filled the forest with a sweet, innocent sound that clashed with the impending violence as his voice rose and fell with the rhythm, enjoying every little bit of the lyrics.
Just as expected for the assassin, something attacked him before he could even get close and strike the young man down. Feeling the weight of the piano falling from the sky on his back, Daimon was then forced to fall down along with it, unable to dodge the attack in time.
The very impact itself was immense, resulting in a loud thud as the heavy instrument crushed him beneath its bulk, pinning him to the ground, expressing further annoyance but satisfaction in the new level of pain he was experiencing.
Grinding his teeth, the very impact itself was immense, resulting in a loud thud as the heavy instrument crushed him beneath its bulk, pinning him to the ground.
Blood then spew from the corner of his mouth, causing him to groaned loudly as the fallen piano obscuring his view, making it difficult for him to see his target. "Unbelievable," he muttered, struggling to free himself from the confines of the piano.
"You're still no match for me," Daimon declared proudly, easily ignoring the inflicted injuries he has received as he slowly stood up in all fours, forcing the said piano to comply with his enhanced strength. When he does so, the piano's weight suddenly increases tenfold, surprising him at the turn of events.
"What?!"
He became shocked by the sudden change in weight, his eyes widening in surprise as he tried to push it off him but failed miserably.
"How is this possible?" For once in his life, Daimon is becoming embarrassed by the situation he found himself in. A skilled assassin, known for his agility and strength, is now being held back by a simple object. "You're really something else, aren't you?" he mused, "but don't think this means you've won; we're far from over!"
Having hunted so many Espers in his life, the purple-haired man has always assumed to be an unbeatable assassin who will always finish the job no matter how difficult or easy it is, yet here he is, struggling to free himself from a simple piano.
"I'll admit, this is a first," he chuckled darkly. "but I'm not about to give up and accept defeat," Daimon's resolve hardened, determination burning in his eyes. "You may have the upper hand for now, I assure you, I'll find a way to end this once I get out of here."
Every moment he tried to struggle, the weight of the piano increased drastically, almost as if Danny's power was reacting to Daimon's attempts to break free.
Showing just how much power the young man truly possesses, the assassin is left with no choice but to stay put, his face contorted in frustration and pain, "insufferable," growling angrily.
He doesn't understand why he became mad in the first place. He should have expected this the moment he understood the mere workings of the Esper's main ability.
Regardless, it is his very ego being hurt by this; the thought of his own weakness against someone he considered to be inferior is a complete strike to his self-esteem, displaying just how much of a narcissist he is.
"I'll get you for this, Esper," he vowed, "and when I do, I'll make sure you suffer ten times more than I am right now," his eyes gleaming with fierce determination as he got his revenge. With a final, frustrated roar, Daimon ceased his struggles, accepting whatever will come next.
The piano then \fell through the ground itself with him after ceasing his struggles, creating a deep hole that stretches eternally downwards into darkness while Daimon could only watch in pure humiliation, screaming madly by the time he hit the bottom, his body battered and bruised but still very much alive.
Now trapped beneath the earth, he's forced to endure the darkness and solitude, leaving his exhausted mind to slumber for hours until he's ready to gain consciousness again, his fading thoughts consumed by a burning desire to escape and exact vengeance on the young man who bested him.
Hearing a piercing, loud crash, Danny swiftly opened his eyes before removing the earphones from his ears, returning to reality from his musical escapade.
"Huh?
Confusion sprang across his face, trying to comprehend the situation he just witnessed, his gaze scanning the area around him for any sign of the assassin.
"Where did he go?" Having entirely forgotten the whole ordeal, he doesn't realize the true extent of the damage he caused to the person who tried to physically assault him. "I guess he ran away," he shrugged, putting his phone and earphones back into his pockets.
Scratching the back of his head, he wondered what happened to the assassin. "He must have gotten bored and left," Danny concluded."Anyway, I should probably get back to the hospital." Looking above the sky, he sees the faint glow of the rising sun on the horizon.
"It's early in the morning already," he remarked. "Time flies when you're having fun." Smiling to himself, the young man turned around and began his journey back, leaving the strange forest behind him, unaware of what had transpired, and the man who still lay buried beneath its roots, his fate uncertain and his thirst for revenge unquenched.
"♫I'm caught up in your rhythm, in the way you make me feel♫"
While the assassin was gone, Danny still continued singing the lyrics he knew best, humming softly to himself as he walked back.
The forest seemed to fade into the background, replaced by the memories of the song playing in his mind, the words still resonating within him, melting away all the problems until there was nothing left but the sweet memories of the melody and the young man's joyful heart, beating in time with the music, forever lost in his own little world of bliss.
What's more, seeing the threat gone eased the tension that Danny felt earlier, allowing him to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the forest.He can now happily cope with whatever his powers have done; they protected him throughout the confrontation, and it is through that discovery that he has grown to accept that he never has to worry about anything else.
Knowing it will solve everything for him once he sets his mind to something, giving him a shield of safety wherever he goes. It's comfortable knowing that he's safe and that his life is a gift wrapped in the colors of his power.
More than ever, he feels grateful for his abilities, knowing they saved him from harm. The experience with Daimon only strengthened his belief in his powers, and he looked forward to exploring their full potential.
He now understands there is nothing to worry about, not even being cautious to the point of being overly cautious. Indeed, Danny can now be fully confident in his own abilities, knowing he can handle any situation that comes his way.
In the end, it is not about the fight itself but the lessons learned from it, the realization of his own strength, and the knowledge that he is capable of protecting himself.
Danny's newfound confidence will serve him well in the days to come, and he walks away from the forest with a lighter step and a brighter smile, ready to face whatever challenges life may bring.
And by this lesson alone, he let out a joyous laughter that reverberated through the place, eyes closed in pure happiness, letting the song continue to play in his head while he moved towards the brighter road ahead of him.
