Polly

I immediately lunge for Taiga's mask, taking it and slamming it onto his face.

Shocked, Taiga rears back, however quickly springs off the ground. Despite his many flaws he was always very quick on the uptake.

"What's going..." Shaz and Avery both slump to the ground before finishing the sentence, unconscious.

"GET SHAZ!" I scream at Taiga as I scoop Avery up right before I'm hit with a wave of drowsiness.

"What the..." Taiga falls down to the ground, no more resistant to the spell than the rest of them.

Shit Shit SHIT! Come on! I gotta figure out what this drug is! I must have breathed it in somehow. I quickly switch off of Anku into Sananku as it shoots through my brain, stimulating my cells to produce adrenaline, counteracting the effects of drowsiness.

Why... I mumble as I stumble and fall face flat into the ground once more too tired to think. Why is my adrenaline not...? Does... this drug...? I am rendered unable to think as my consciousness slips into the abyss.

"Who are you?"

Trial #1

Sleepiness, I knew how to induce it via Sananku but I needed to figure out a way to stop it, reverse the hormone production. Or counteract its effects.

I open my eyes once more. Immediately, I shoot my brain up with adrenaline. My muscles begin to jitter as they hyper-stimulate far beyond their natural limits. However, I don't let it show on my face. Okay good, it looks like the drug hasn't entered my system yet if adrenaline production hasn't been inhibited. Now I just need to give it too...

Instantly, the claw of death grips me by my throat, eating me up from my insides. I die before I'm given a chance to formulate my next thought.

Trial #2

Apoptosis, a process in which cells release a chemical that facilitates their own destruction, essentially killing itself. Or in my case, rendering myself braindead.

How did? Did the drug change? Why did that just happen? I shake my head and refocus. Okay, okay, how was I supposed to counteract this?

I let out a small breath. So it looks like if I release adrenaline to prevent sleepiness the drug somehow changes target. So now I need to figure out... Apoptosis... Apoptosis... Thousands of memories flood my mind all at once, lessons of Sananku from both Torika and Actla alike. Where did I learn this...

Got it. I think I needed this inhibitor chemical to prevent my nerves from exploding. I juice my brain up once again, this time with both adrenaline and the inhibitor.

Then in the same instant I place one hand on Taiga's wrist, grab his mask with the other and fill his brain with chemicals as well.

"Grab Shaz, run as fast as you can."

I then grab Avery's arm right before she starts slumping over, my eyes flick back and forth quickly, then I sling her over my back and start running.

Trial #3

Hemotoxins, destroys the capability of blood to carry oxygen throughout the body, thus starving the organs and body of much needed oxygen in order to function.

...

...

How am I supposed to win here? And how did it kill me instantly again? It should take at least half a minute before my blood circulates around my entire...

No wait, I had to counteract the sleepiness by raising my heart rate, so that means I have to find some alternative to...

Trial #5

Took me while to realize but this isn't a drug is it? Someone is actively reacting to what I do and creating a deadly poison in reaction directly inside my body. That's why nothing I do seems to work.

I chuckle to myself before screaming in pain, flailing around in agony as my senses overload to dangerous limits, as I meet my swift demise.

Trial #10

...

Trial #20

Trial #40 Trial #70Trial #106Trial#...?

I dig into my pocket; it was one of my better concealed pockets, underneath my sleeve where nobody would ever think a pocket would be.

In my hand was an opaque red tablet, a capsule filled with Torika's blood. It contained a temporary portal to Torika's personal Anku where she is allowed full control over the internal body for a couple of seconds. In those couple of seconds she's able to identify and target diseases or conditions, ridding the body of any harmful substances, or maybe treat physical injuries.

Or she can temporarily lend her Anku, giving the user an absolute massive boost in power.

I always thought I would never need to use this, considering how I can't die, but I guess this was why I was transported to this moment of time instead of further back in time.

I am always reverted back to the most immediate moment before I either die or am fated to die, giving me a chance to cheat the death, every time without fail.

Outside the rain begins to fall, coming down in sheets until all I could hear was the sound of rain.

"I lost the bet huh, I said half but guess I'll make the iron free." Gen says with a heavy tone.

I take a deep breath and pop the pill into my mouth, letting saliva coat the capsule but not swallowing nor breaking it. "I hope she isn't asleep right now." I murmur to myself... "Nah she won't asleep if this is how it's going to go down."

"Talking to yourself over there?" Taiga teases in an ironically relaxed way.

"Shoo, go to sleep." I wave him off then watch calmly as everybody around me slumps down to the ground, asleep once again. The fact that I'm the only one killed every single time, while they aren't harmed means that I'm being seen as an outsider or unimportant.

I take a swig of the tea and look at the door, waiting for it to open.

"Sorry, I had to do—" Gen starts his long tirade once again.

"Yes, yes, apology accepted, now scoot aside and let me focus." The door slowly creaks open as the man walks out.

"Who are you?" Yeluh asks, the same one phrase is repeated for what felt like... or actually was over a hundred times already.

"Now wouldn't you like to know?" I respond to him for the first time ever, beaming him a big smile before crushing the capsule underneath my teeth, staining my mouth red. Thirty seconds, countdown starts now.

I pull out my blades and glide forward, holding my seks in an X shape. At the same time, my nerves get immediately hit with poison, losing all sensation in my body. I close my eyes and pray.

...

Within half a second the poison clears from my body.

"Thanks friend." I murmur before lashing out with a vicious upperslash towards his chin.

"What?!" Yeluh stumbles back, my blades nicking the flesh off his chin.

Yeluh backs up into the house, smashing through the wooden door on the way in. I take a note of his bloodied handprints on the door frame as I chase after him. Can't let myself make direct contact with his blood, don't think Torika will be able to handle so many conditions at once if I even touch so much as a drop.

I lose my sight for a quarter of a second, my optical nerves frying. In that same moment Yeluh splashes the blood of his hands, sending droplets speeding forward.

But I've already predicted this move, many hours ago, I rip off the wooden planks of the door frame and catch the splash all onto the surface area of the wood. I toss the wood forward and in the same motion whip my sling forward so that I could use the plank as a distraction for the lead ball.

The projectile smashes right through the flimsy wood and hits Yeluh square in the chest, causing him to stumble back even further.

"Shit, lost a lot of a power with that wood, should probably be using spiky balls instead." I talk to myself, trying to keep calm.

"Is that?! How are you still alive Torika?!?" Yeluh grabs a metal staff from off his back and points it towards me.

"My name is Polly." I raise my sling and feint a throw, only to charge forward unexpectedly.

Yeluh reads the maneuver and guards appropriately, sparks flying as multiple metals clash together viciously. From there, we engage in a dance of weapons. Thrust, lunge, duck, slash, parry, kick, riposte, counter-parry, jump.

A portrait of Gen and his wife shatters into glass and splinters of wood as Yeluh dodges another one of my slings.

I then run forward and rend the wall he was just standing at into ribbons.

Another dodge.

I click my tongue; he's figuring it out.

"The counter antidotes are taking longer, is your connection to Torika fading perhaps?" Yeluh speaks in a nasty voice. "If so, all I need to do is buy time."

I squeeze my fists tightly in frustration, it's over.

"What's your connection to Torika anyways?" I pull out a half broken chair and sit down, better I learn something before giving it another shot.

"She must have told you? Surely? If she's trying to use you to get back at me?" Yeluh says incredulously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, all I'm trying to do right now is to help out a couple of acquaintances." I say.

"Well then, it's none of your business is it? Ask a girl named Gleek when you meet her in the afterlife and she'll tell ya."

The connection finally breaks, and my body is turned into a pile of flesh once more.

This is good, I'm getting somewhere, if I learn his moves and habits I can overpower him before the thirty seconds run up. I watch the door intently, blotting out all outside sounds and stimulus, blocking out the rain, blocking out the sound of people falling over, blocking out Gen's voice.

Yeluh walks out. "Who are-" NOW! I break the capsule and blitz forward not even bothering to draw my Seks. Without being able to react I'm on Yeluh in a flash. I tuck my shoulders in and tackle him by the waist, breaking through the door while grappling him to the ground.

I'm not the best at grappling but I have to take this battle quickly, I shift my weight around, trying to prevent him from slipping from my grasp. Grappling was a very simple art of trying to push your strongest muscle against your opponents weakest muscle. I find a strong leverage across his abdomen and rear back my fist, having grabbed my brass knuckles a couple seconds prior.

“STOP!” Yeluh grabs my arm as it descends down on his face, the spikes a couple of millimeters from caving his skull in.

“Stop what? How about I get a fucking turn bashing your brain in for once?” I snarl as we lock into a pure strength battle. I channel all my Anku straight into my chest and forearms, pushing down with enough force to crack the wooden floorboards.

I curl my toes and whip my foot to the right, flipping open a hidden blade attached to my sole, a small slicing sound could be heard at that moment, causing Yeluh to look down in fear.

“Wait, wait, are you sure you want to do this? If you kill me I’ll— AH!” Yeluh screams out in pain as I kick the knife into his thigh.

“NO!” Yeluh cowers and desperately tries to shield his face as I begin raining down iron and spike.

Fucking! I cave his arm in, breaking it in half. Piece of! I then pry his arm off from his face and bring my brass knuckle down once again. A meaty cracking sound resonates through the house. SHIT!

WAP WAP WAP WAP, I continue smashing despite his hand going limp a long time ago, smashing until I’m covered in a mess of blood and brains, with one hand on his chest and another sky high. I pant tiredly as the frenzy begins to leave my mind.

I roll off his body tiredly and breath out deeply.

Fuck.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuckfuckfuck.” I whisper to myself over and over. I knew exactly what he was about to say, but I… I think killed him too quickly for something to happen, I had to.

I… My emotions start to get the better of me as I begin to panic. I hurriedly stumble out of the house and back to the porch—no no no no no, I fucked up.

In front of me a girl was trembling over the bodies of two boys. “Why didn’t you do anything?!?” I whisper hysterically looking at the mask lying on the ground.

“Hey, Avery. Are you alright?” My voice quivers and wavers.

She turns around, at the same time a pit falls in my stomach and then drops off a bottomless cliff.

“I-I-I can’t see anything. What’s going on?” Her eyes had been glazed over with a white film like a dead fish. “I-I’m scared, please help.” She begins reaching out for something to grab. I grab her hand and instantly recoil in shock as ice crystals form around my hand, a blade of frost almost instantaneously cutting into the bone and killing my hand.

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t seem to control my Tetsu very well right now, am I? I-I think I’m dying.” Avery begins coughing after this, hacking out spots of blood.

“It’s alright, you’re alright.” I reach out and hold her by the hand fully clutching it from finger to palm. The frost quickly begins spreading across my arms, feeling as if millions of tiny needles began stabbing through my body.

“Focus on my hand, it’s warm right?” My voice stops shaking as I attempt to soothe Avery. The frost had made it to my lungs and heart at this point, giving my brain seconds before it shuts off as well.

“Close your eyes, it’ll all be back to normal before you know it.” God please give me one more try, please please please.

But of course, the rules were absolute. I would only be transported to the last moment I could avoid my death and there were no exceptions. As I had already avoided death by Yeluh, I would no longer be set to the same time anymore.

And thus, as I opened my eyes for the last time that day. In the end, nothing had changed.