****(POV)

There was no way we would survive a rank 3 monster.

The fated day came quickly.

Amidst the cheer of the audience, we entered the arena.

Stands all full of spectators.

So many evil fuckers all around.

All there to enjoy our suffering.

Awaiting us to despair and die.

Trying to fill their empty lives with excitement.

Ready to inflict any kind of pain unto others.

Truly and simply evil.

Then it was released.

A mad and powerful-looking monster.

Bulging muscles.

Bone spikes protruding from its skin.

A bone face.

Some kind of mutated gorilla.

Radiating savagery and anger.

Even as it made its way toward us it kept punching.

Punching the walls.

Punching the ground.

Even punching the air.

Full of hate toward the world.

Every hit causing destruction.

Deep sounds of impact and even slight cracks.

I already knew then what would happen should I get hit.

My body would break down whole.

It would get crushed instantly.

Perhaps even burst like a balloon.

Exploding in a mist of blood and flesh.

We both knew.

That this fight would be impossible to win.

Still, we did not give up.

Not I.

Not my dog.

We would fight.

No matter what.

We just needed to evade all the attacks.

Not to get hit a single time.

We had the advantage in number.

We were linked via our soul.

We just had to toy with the creature until an opportunity arose.

Of course, doing that was madness.

Thus it charged at us.

Madly.

Not a trace of reason visible.

Just an angry berserker going crazy.

Between biting and punching none of us could inflict damage.

All we could do was bid our time.

As we always did.

We kept circling around it.

Driving it mad.

Or not, it already was.

Attacking then retreating.

Dodging the mad punches by a hair's breadth.

The flow of the air itself enough to slowly hurt us.

It kept attacking.

Relentlessly.

Without showing any sign of fatigue.

Over and over and over.

It was at this point that we realized the flaw of our plan.

Yes, we would toy with it for a while.

Use a hit and run tactic to slowly whittle it down.

Yes, we could do that.

We failed to consider one vital piece of information.

Yes, we were making it spend more energy than us.

But it was a rank 3 monster.

Its vitality boundless.

Its strength uncontestable.

No matter how much we tried.

No matter how much we struggled.

No matter how much we schemed.

In the end, we would be the ones to fall first.

Simply because of a total difference in raw power.

Our basic physical specs were that far apart.

We both understood that at that moment.

We both knew that we wouldn't succeed.

We both knew that this was truly the end.

For real this time.

Surprisingly I was able to think calmly even then.

I was in a peculiar mental state.

Where everything seemed to happen in slow-motion.

As if seen by a detached observer.

I could calmly analyze my own emotions.

I could feel my dog's state too.

At that point, I was feeling grateful.

Extremely grateful.

I realized that these days I spent with my companion…

Even with how bad our situation was …

Even with all the despair and the gloominess around us ….

Actually gave me some of the best memories in this life of mine.

It gave me something extremely precious.

Not a pet, but a family member.

Then there was also the man I called my brother.

I was still very lucky to have met both of them.

My life would end in the shitiest of ways.

But at least I would have had the chance to meet these guys.

The chance to have a tiny bit of happiness for myself.

Funny how it's only here that I found loving people.

Amidst all the cruelty and the barbary.

Amidst all of the bloodshed.

Amidst all of this horror.

Those were my thoughts as I slowly felt myself growing weaker.

Getting tired from the intense dodging and attacking.

I sent all of that gratitude I felt to my partner.

Between us no word necessary.

Just a direct sharing of the soul.

A pure feeling, unadulterated.

It felt the same.

How it used to be in a world of darkness.

Hungry, tired, angry scared.

Then I came along.

I was a kindred soul.

One it could find comfort with.

The fact that I was human didn't matter.

We were akin.

We were the same.

We became family.

An experience similar to my own.

I could feel it being grateful for having met me too.

All these strong emotions quickly made me emotional.

As the fight kept progressing I could tell.

We both had huge grins on our faces.

Smiling as we would keep fighting.

Until the very end.

One that was oh so close.

Remembering the time we spent together.

Dying is scary.

Still, we would die as partners.

Which one would go out first?

I was hoping it would be the dog.

Not because I wanted to cling to life.

No, quite the opposite.

I didn't want him to feel sad.

Didn't want him to feel the emptiness.

Sharing love with someone is the best.

Especially when you are soul-linked.

But losing that would be the worst feeling in the world.

For sure.

I wanted to be the one to share that burden.

Alone.

I wanted him to have the most peaceful ending possible.

Our physical body would end up shattered beyond recognition for sure.

I wanted his soul to be at peace at least.

I decided I would go out with a bang.

But no matter what I had to outlive him.

For him not to cry my passing.

At that point, my body on the verge of failing stayed standing.

My will strong enough to keep it going.

A miracle for sure.

A pointless one.

That's when I felt something from my friend.

He had formulated a plan.

A truly crazy one.

The worst possible.

One that I didn't even think possible.

I wanted to object.

I wanted to scream and stop him.

I wanted to…

But I felt his conviction.

He had made his choice.

One I would get to regret forever.

He would sacrifice himself for me.

To make sure I could live.

Give up on both his body and soul.

Just so that I could remain living.

That's when I saw him charge at the creature.

A star shining brightly in the darkness.