Ryori Chapter 4: Stand up!

Read chapter 4 of Ryori by Ginra on NovelPedia.

“Yu! Let us split up!” Knowing what Kedo wanted, Yu gave him a silent nod, until both were interrupted by a high tone filling the air. The Snow Ghost had an instrument between its white-blue lips. It was a flute. Pressing their hands against their ears to endure the pain that would’ve come from the instrument, Kedo realized that Yu disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving a bloodstain on the ground and leaving Kedo all alone with the ghost. ‘Yu…?’ Kedo was bewildered and filled with dread. He recalled what had happened to the boss, which also might have happened to Yu. He was worried and felt a shocking feeling deep down his spine. “Really astonishing, young boy.” It praised Kedo while rubbing its chin, slowly becoming interested in him. “The wolves pulled your friend back, returning into the fog, and you stand here without a single scratch.” Kedo wasn’t sure what it wanted to tell him, but he had to agree with what the ghost had said. It was surprising that he had been left behind by those wolves. Was fortune on his side? In the corner of his eye, he noticed the knife right next to his feet—the knife he had brought with him that he dropped when the flute almost destroyed their ears. Kedo didn’t hesitate and leaped right toward the knife, grabbing it in a brief moment as the Snow Ghost started to approach him. "Hey, hey! Lay that toy down! Children shouldn't play with these!” The ghost deadpanned, pointing its finger toward him. Nonetheless, Kedo simply ignored the mockery from this creature. The only thought that went through him was the will to survive and escape. Filled with determination, he quickly tried to run around the ghost, along the walls of the building. But as expected, it wouldn’t tolerate such a thing. With its flute, it played an ear-penetrating sound once again, followed by a strong, freezing wind that appeared, piercing through Kedo’s skin and flesh. Exhausted and in pain, he fell onto the ground like a sandbag, unable to move a single one of his limbs. The exit was so close, and yet so far. Only a few steps. Just a few… But even if he was able to move a leg, this ghost was way too powerful for him to beat all by himself. With its flute, it was able to control the cold wind and manifest it into something hard and dense. ‘What would Dad do in this situation?’ Kedo asked himself, unable to move through the sheer pain. ‘He was always great at finding solutions in hopeless situations.’ His dad had even held onto Kedo's mom when she was sick and supported her no matter the time. Once, his dad searched for a healing plant that was rarer than a lightning strike hitting you. It always inspired Kedo to become a person like his old man. He had always told him: “No matter how close or far you are from reaching your goal, there will always be obstacles awaiting you. So just keep going.” “Haha… My dad was right…” Kedo murmured to himself, with hope starting to rise within his blue eyes, which started to take on a slight touch of white. “I just can’t give up yet!” With his last strength and willpower, Kedo pushed himself off the ground. It felt like his body was ripping apart with every little inch he moved. His body was covered in small, bloody scratches, but even the cold atmosphere couldn’t harm him as he managed to stand on his two legs again, although he staggered around quite a bit. “You aren’t an ordinary boy, are you? With wounds like these, there is no chance for any mortal to survive,” the Snow Ghost commented, astonished by the will that lay deep inside Kedo. Kedo gazed right into the ghost's soul with a scowl, pointing the knife directly in its direction. White dust, thin enough to look right through, emitted from the weapon. His body started to feel light, his breath stopped freezing, and the hair on the peak of Kedo’s head turned to a snow-white color. After a short hesitation, the ghost played on its flute right away. The air around Kedo became heavier, making it harder to breathe. Surprisingly, it had no