Hetalia: Monsters and Demons - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: A Near-broken Heart

China very soon dropped out from the fight tired and let America take over in attacking the inugami. Next time, he should be careful to not underestimate dog gods, especially ones full of vengeance. He looked at his wok and it was battered. It looked like the moon with all the craters on it. Japan sure had a lot of crazy monsters... China stopped staring at his wok when a hand tapped his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Philippines with a courageous smile.
“Come on, China, you can admire your wok later,” she joked.
“Hey!” China was slightly offended. “But I think I’ve had enough rest time, aru.”
“Great, let’s go now!”

Philippines pulled China up and the two ran but stopped when the nue flew past in front of them. Russia charged from the right and followed the monster with a roar like an angry bull. He prepared his pipe like a baseball bat.
“... So that’s how Russia is like when he goes berserk, aru,” China muttered.
“China, before it was you asking me for help,” America said as he tried to shoot the inugami. “Now I’m asking for your help! Damn it, hurry up!”
“Right!” Philippines and China answered and sped to the fight.
Holding the wok to his side, China swung the wok as fast as he could at the inugami. With the help of America restraining it, China managed to whack the dog’s skull and heard cracks of the skull, along with blood spurting out of its mouth. America grabbed the inugami by the tail and began to swing it around like a lasso, eventually letting it go to fly at Philippines direction. Philippines smiled and clenched her fist, then punched the inugami in the stomach, letting it fly off. The three heard a roar-howl from the demon as they watched it tremble defeated.

America laughed and said, “Wow, China. If the dog was really that easy to kill, why did it take you so long?”
China was speechless. “It wasn’t this easy to fight before, aru!” The man was angry, he looked like an idiot.
While the two argued endlessly, Philippines stared at the inugami. China had a point. She saw how much he struggled fighting but when it was the three of them... Instant knock out. Three against the inugami still would’ve been a challenge... so why? It didn’t make any sense-
“Philippines, look out, aru!” China shouted.
“Wha-“
America tackled down Philippines as the inugami flew past like a rocket. The dog was now larger and more beastlike. It’s claws and teeth were much sharper, and blood was still dripping down from its mouth from earlier. But the dog’s skull looked like it was healed.

Philippines’ heart was beating. Well thank god that America was by her side now! “Salamat, America!”
“Haha... You should be more careful...” America laughed weakly. “You could get hurt...” The blonde’s irises travelled to the back of his head and he dropped to the ground.
The girl’s heart skipped a bit. What happened?! “America!” she and China cried out his name as they tried to figure out what was wrong with him. He wasn’t hit or anything, so why was there blood seeping out of his mouth?
“Crap, crap, crap!” Philippines started freaking out. Was he injured from the inside or poisoned?
“America, wake up!” she pleaded and shook him, even though she well knew that it wasn’t a very good idea. But any response would’ve been helpful! “America!!”
The poor blonde’s eyes opened again, but anyone could’ve seen the life slowly being drained out of them. “Hey... I’m still awake, you know... But it hurts so much...”
“Just don’t leave us, okay!” Philippines cried, trying her best to hold back tears.
“I won’t. The hero never dies in stories, remember?” He smiled back as if it were nothing then slowly closed his eyes. “... I’m not dead by the way, just tired...”
Philippines couldn’t help but smile a little bit. Even in near-death cases, America still manages to find a way to keep the mood light.

“China, do you have any idea what’s going on?”
The older man tried to remember anything that could help. Inugami... Japan told him about them. They were demon dogs that seek vengeance. They were known for murdering victims... Inugami were also experts in... black magic, was it? Maybe it was a curse! If they killed the inugami... would that help? Well, there weren’t any other options.

China told Philippines that they had to get rid of the inugami to save America but they knew it wasn’t going to be an easy job now that the demon was a larger beast on a rampage.
“I’ll go first, aru!” he said as he ran to the inugami at full speed, and rammed at it with the wok, quickly signalling Philippines to come right after.
Philippines nodded and threw a strong punch at the inugami. As she did, flashes of America’s smiles and friendliness appeared in her mind. She didn’t want that to leave the world. No, never...
“Damn it, America, if you don’t live through this after all the effort we’ve been through...!” Philippines aggressively threw more punches at the inugami, wishing that it would just go away and leave everyone alone.
“Philippines, stop, aru! The demon’s dead, aru. You don’t have to keep punching it, aru,” China said and shook the girl out of it. What was with her? He never remembered Philippines being an aggressive person.

“America... He’s still alive right?!” Philippines asked in a cracking voice. She ran back and kneeled beside him. After wiping the blood off her hands, she tapped America’s shoulder. “America? Are you still there? Please don’t tell me you’re gone...”
His response was a bloody cough and tired, half-open eyes. “I told you, the hero never dies...” he whispered. “But my body still feel likes it was thrown into hell.”
Philippines’ fists tightened automatically and tears began to drip down onto America’s shirt. “Just... don’t go, okay?
China smiled and said to Philippines, “Take care of him, but let him rest, aru. I’ll help the others, aru.”
The girl nodded and the older man left.

“Aren’t the stars lovely?” America asked as he stared to space.
Philippines lied down next to him and looked at the stars. “That is probably the worst conversation starter ever.” She took a glance at America but his smile seemed sad and fake. “... What’s the matter?”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone?” he asked.
‘Another overused sentence,’ Philippines thought. “Yeah, what is it?”
America didn’t say anything for a few seconds, as if he wasn’t sure whether to say it or not. “... I’m afraid to die.” He closed his eyes in embarrassment and his cheeks turned pink.
“... That’s nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people are scared to die. Besides, why are you feeling so un-ballsy today?” Philippines turned her head to America.
“FYI, I’m not always, what England calls me, ‘a loud and obnoxious idiot.’ But the reason I’m afraid to die is, what will happen when I’m gone? I mean, I’m like the world’s superpower. And how will the rest of the world react if I suddenly left?”
As Philippines stared blankly to nowhere she replied, “Everyone will miss you.”

‘And me too, because I love you,’ was what Philippines wanted to say as well. But after what happened just a while ago... What if America did leave? And she never got to tell him about it? God, that feeling made her stomach turn upside down with butterflies fluttering inside it. She had to sit up because of it.
“America...” She was going to do it. Definitely now.
The young man turned his head to face the girl towering over him at the moment. “Hm?”
“I... Uh... I sorta... How do I say it...? It’s hard to explain.”
“Then I’ll try my best to understand.”
Those words. They struck Philippines in the heart hard. What if he didn’t understand?
“Uhh... Mahal kita!” she mumbled quickly and shoved her face into her palms.
America stared confused back at her. “Dude... I don’t speak Filipino... or whatever you just said...”
“Look, I like you, okay?!” the words fell out of Philippines’ mouth and the rest, she mumbled, “Don’t make me repeat it...” Her skin was red and her heart beat so loudly America could probably hear it too.
“... You do...?”