Predator If It Bleeds 55

Nobuo signaled for them to stop. "Hunter, come look at had followed the blood to a narrow path with stagnant pond He left Zensuke and Motokane and crept forward. Nobuo water to both sides. Trudging through that mud would make for slow going. It was a splendid place for an ambush. When he reached him, Nobuo was pointing at something ahead.
There was quite a bit of glowing firefly splatter on the land bridge, as if the demon had stopped for a bit.

Even as keen as Hiroto's vision was it took him a moment to spot the danger.There was a tiny reflection of blood light against something metallic hidden among the roots. It had to be some manner of trap. "Good eye." But then Hiroto noticed something the less experienced warrior had not. After setting the trap, the blood continued
across the land, and then turned sharply to the side as the demon had doubled back through the pond, where its dripping blood would be swallowed from this view.

It was circling behind them. When the trap was sprung-probably a snare or a spring noose against the lead man, the sound would draw their attention forward, and then it would assault the rear. There were only four of them left. It could take half of them in one move. Hiroto grabbed Nobuo by one of the horns on his helmet, dragged him close, and whispered, "Count to thirty. Then set off the trap." He picked up a rock and shoved itbtoward him. "Throw this at it."Then he began creeping back toward Zensuke and Motokane. With luck, he would be in position to put an arrow into the demon as soon as it moved. As soon as he down, wiped the sweat from his eyes, he hunkered and waited for Nobuo to finish his count.

There was a thunk as the rock was tossed... The whole forest erupted with yellow light. That was most unexpected. The demon hadn't set a normal trap. He had summoned the fires of Jigoku. Nobuo had been hurled through the air. Sparks were falling from the sky like rain. It was like being beneath an erupting volcano. Rocks big enough to split a skull crashed through the branches. Hiroto covered his head as fiery debris fell all around him. Rather than fear, he felt a pang of jealousy. If I had weapons such as this, there is nothing I could not hunt!

Hiroto could barely see, but the three red dots climbing up his arm were clear as day, but he lost them as they crawled onto his chest. Instinctively, he flung his body to the side. The tree he'd been leaning against came apart. Splinters pierced his skin. He was the one who had hurt the oni so now he was its greatest threat. Somehow it had picked him out... The oni could see in the dark! Hiroto rolled to his feet and ran, trying to put more trees between his body and the oni's fury. Lightning struck. Branches came crashing down. Rocks shattered into a million stinging pieces. Bushes burst into flame. Hiroto dove behind a boulder. When the boulder wasn't immediately cleaved in
two, Hiroto risked a peek over the top. The oni's trap had set some of the tree tops ablaze.-pg.307 chpt.11