Possible translations for 殺気


I'm trying to translate the 殺気 in the second sentence below to a English
equivalent that denotes a emotionless attacker attacking from behind the
narrator, but the only words that I am finding online are "bloodlust" (can't
use as it denotes emotion);

"thirst for blood" (again, can't use as it denotes a _active desire_ to kill),

and "deadly intent", which my peers have marked confusion with upon reviewing
my English only translation.

> 僕は飛び起き、女の子に背を向けて逃げ道を探す。  
>  I leap away, my back facing the girl as I search for a way out.
>
> ろくに辺りを見回す暇(ひま)もなく、背後から **殺気** が押し寄せてくる。  
>  Without time to look around, from behind a **lethal intent** descends upon
> me.

What would be a better way to word the second sentence so that my translation
conveys the meaning behind the original sentence(thereby staying faithful to
the source material), and what English phrases/words would work for 殺気?




Assuming it is the girl who is harboring the lethal intent ( _or is there
someone else in the room?_ ), why not attribute it to her (or whoever)
directly, as would be more natural in English? The disembodied 殺気 might make
sense in Japanese but it sounds a little odd in English. If I were translating
this, I would take a little more license and phrase it something like:

> I had no time to turn and look, but I could sense her murderous intent as
> she approached me from behind.

or

> I dared not waste time by turning to look, but I could feel her murderous
> intent as she drew closer from behind.

If it is someone else in the room, you could use creative ways to name them
like "the silent figure" or "a shadowy form", etc. Personally, I tend to stray
a quite far from the source text sometimes, but I think you get my point :)




Assuming it is the girl who is harboring the lethal intent ( _or is there
someone else in the room?_ ), why not attribute it to her (or whoever)
directly, as would be more natural in English? The disembodied 殺気 might make
sense in Japanese but it sounds a little odd in English. If I were translating
this, I would take a little more license and phrase it something like:

> I had no time to turn and look, but I could sense her murderous intent as
> she approached me from behind.

or

> I dared not waste time by turning to look, but I could feel her murderous
> intent as she drew closer from behind.

If it is someone else in the room, you could use creative ways to name them
like "the silent figure" or "a shadowy form", etc. Personally, I tend to stray
a quite far from the source text sometimes, but I think you get my point :)

