Four Hundred And Fifty-Three / Side One Hundred And Sixty – Shiratori Hiko, Shirohi
It was a relief to hear that everything had worked out. I had been confident that similar preparations to when we fought the Myconids would suffice, though thinking back on it, considering the imnse risks involved, we had been rather foolhardy then. Of course, we had made improvents since, no longer having to go things alone, but with a while bunch of Mortal Engineers and even Japanese scientific advisors to draw expertise from. Plus of course, we’re stronger now. A lot stronger.
Arisu-san too, she was one of our major trump cards. Being able to bring her Room to the Material now offered a number of opportunities, even if the range was limited, but that could be solved with Shiro’s buffs, and what better place to secure potentially dangerous and brainwashed hostages and opponents than a separate, inescapable space that Shiro said even I would be helpless against Arisu-san in. The damage to the integrity of the Boundary isn’t too bad either, since again it’s not interfering with the higher Astral, unlike Saionji-san’s Gaze of Avalokiteshvara.
My sister apologised for losing her statues, but that was nothing. It was what they were there for, replaceable at shields to keep her and everyone else safe. “I can handle the girl’s dormitory myself.” I muttered, and Lee Jong-su gave a quizzical look. Barking a tired laugh, I massaged my Eye, wishing it would work properly so I could easily find the rest of the hostages within the massive Academy campus. No such luck. Though likely when I take down that bastard hand…
“Take back Jin-Ae. You have to look after your own.” I said, and though he didn’t understand he got the gist as he heard her na.
“Yes, we go. Safe. Then co help?” Hee-Young tilted her head, still supporting the wounded girl on her back. Waving them off, I raced towards the female dormitories, trying to establish connection with Choi Ji-ho and his Guild, but the line of communication was still down. It’s a good job we brought our own gear on a different frequency, it seems. The weakening Chosen, and the one who uses what seems to be mind control water is still at large though. Hopefully they are in the dorms, not the Academy buildings. I’d feel better about facing them myself…
While racing towards the dorms in the Material, in the Boundary I was in quite the different situation. The severed hand surged towards , using the thumb as a sort of leg, and four fingers clawed at , as if I was fighting four separate swordsn. Storming Twilight t several of the yellowing, ivory talons, lightning crackling, and I wreathed it in wind energy, forming a savage, vibrating chainsaw of clashing air around the blade. I dodged the third strike, while the fourth ca at from a blind angle, but my footwork, beaten into by Ulfuric, and honed by further training in Tsumura Arts, allowed to sway out of the way. With my free hand I lashed out with beams of light, which made the hand flinch, burned spots appearing on the pale skin.
“Worthless, hopeless, useless. You would dare to oppose ? Your end shall be an object lesson to all on this blighted world! Unless you cease resistance and submit, in which case you shall be spared, and know bliss!” The blue eye was staring at , giving a vile headache, my Eye blurry with tears even when not in use, but as the talons swept in on I once more repelled them, this ti the grinding edge of my wind-imbued weapon, slightly strengthened by the extra Rank of Dvergr Techniques I had gained recently, striking sparks and leaving slight grazes on the diamond-hard nails.
Hmm, it’s as I suspected. This thing is strong. However… “Submit? To soone spreading chaos like you? Never!” I declared boldly, and it seed to infuriate it, the eye blinking, black, oily tears seeping from it, forming a rising mist around . Ignoring that, I thrust, while simultaneously summoning jagged spears of rock from the ground, using the strength the Bezoar gave . The hand rose into the air, jabbed by the rocks, only to sweep through them, cutting them apart. As it fell I took my chance though, and a cage of vibrating wind threads imprisoned it, and the skin split slightly, flesh tearing, revealing obsidian-black bone beneath, more dark, smoky blood gushing. Light shone, and only a rapid closing of its eyelid prevented the blue, staring eye from being pierced. Even so it bellowed, the sound making my nose, ears and even eyes bleed.
“To injure , one who is the truth none wish to see… your arrogance and stupidity appal . I can see I have been far too lenient, used to the worthless fools who have co here previously…” The hand accelerated, moving like a spider, trying to seize , only for a black sphere to strike one finger, montarily diverting it, though it caused no damage. Taking the opportunity, I channelled aether and spatial elent, and soon Storming Twilight, magnified to many dozens of tis its weight, appeared, spearing the hand, blood scattering.
Damn, the distortion of information around the creature makes calculating the trajectories and coordinates for Void Motion near impossible to do accurately… My sword, which had ant to pierce the staring eye, instead tore through one finger, embedded in bone. The hand squealed, screaming in what sounded like dozens of languages at once, so of them barely understandable, others sounding unlike any logically constructed form of communication. I felt montary dizziness, but fortunately with my separate Material body, I was able to weather it, though I slowed for a mont, and now I wasn’t carrying my sword, the remaining three fingers darted forwards.
“Too bad.” The cage of vibrating wind threads that had been harassing the hand tightened, forming a net, snaring the stabbing fingers. “I’m hardly helpless without my sword.” Tsumura Arts uses many weapons and the body, and Ulfuric is a master of all weapons…
Slamming a kick reinforced by Body Enhancent into one finger, I felt pain in my foot, but the hand also cried out, as I had wrapped my foot in wind as well, and inky blood scattered, evaporating into mist. Another black cannonball of energy ca soaring, this one much weaker, and one finger slashed it in half, detonating it in a spray of aether.
“Insolent wretch! The one who dares to injure before my triumphant return to my greater whole I can tolerate, but such a weakling as you… die!” The hand was incensed by taking attacks from Kang Da, who was sniping from outside the Territory, having finished off the last few Defensive Emplacents within range of our battle. The eyelid opened wide, and I took that opportunity to attack it, Foehn, whipped up by my wind elent into a savage frenzy, pouring into the eye, even as a brilliant blue beam, shimring with darkness elent, surged outwards. The beam pierced the cascade of Foehn, though it lost a significant amount of power, just enough for Kang Da to dodge as it ripped a giant furrow in the ground , lting all of the Boundary in its path, but the shockwave from the explosion was enough to send him flying, blood scattering. I breathed a sigh of relief when he started crawling away after landing heavily, clearly still alive, if battered and bruised by the aftermath of the blast.
“Should have saved that for .” I ignored the baleful screams of the hand as the eye burned, cooking like an over-fried egg, the sll, even muted by the Boundary, utterly revolting. Fingers flailed at , catching fire too, and I dodged the falling droplets and sparks, grabbing Storming Twilight and wrenching it free in a welter of dark gore. Suddenly, despite the squeals and roars of pain, a second voice, a laughing one, could be heard, even as I severed the half-cut finger that I had wounded earlier, the severed digit landing in Foehn and twisting and writhing like a dying snake.
“You think very highly of yourself, foolish one. The truth you imagine in your mind is rely a falsehood, an illusion.” The nails slashed at , but concentrating the wind and using my sword I severed a second, and could easily fight off the remaining two with my greater speed. Even as I duelled the creature though, the Foehn consuming it, the skin was cracking and splitting, strange, translucent sli seeping out along with the dark mist. My instincts prickled at , and I jumped back cautiously, even as it oozed out, forming a rough blob larger than the hand was originally, which then split down the middle, revealing a massive blue pupil bigger than .
“The mont you battled within my range, it was already over for you. The Curse of Disobedience and Thinking is already within you. You have been breathing the mist of Chaos, of falsehood, and are now rely…”
“Sure, whatever.” My blade stabbed deep, lightning flashing, and that vile cooked sll rose again, as the new voice scread, overlapping with the old. “But I’m not one to let my guard down. No boss monster has only one phase nowadays…”
********
“Out of the way!” Shiro cried as the horribly grotesque at-and-blood version of the boy before them attacked. The scorpion-people commanded by Violet were trying to the get subdued hostages clear, but with a sudden movent, the speed nearly a match for Aki, one fist slamd down, and the head of one exploded, the suddenly headless corpse also beginning to swell and distort, though then Violet dismissed it, the corpse flaring to aether. Flas gushed out, and one of the fallen hostages was consud, burning to ash.
“Fuck, number Three… ugh, now I’ll have to get a new Three. That makes sad…” Violet cursed, raising her tattooed hand and making a whipping gesture, vaguely reminiscent of a stinging tail. A vivid surge of aether flashed into existence, and the burning, grotesque opponent was smothered with an acrid, poisonous fog. “…but nobody survives the sting of a Violet Scorpion!”
It is useless… Tan thought, just as Shiro was thinking the sa. An arm ca out of the fog, and Violet only barely avoided it. Blood splattered, and the water barrier conjured by the old man corroded with a series of popping sounds, and several droplets fell on his face. The old man roared, eyes widening, mouth gaping in a drooling snarl, eyes turning crimson as the blood vessels within burst. This is the power created by burning his own life, affected by his own misused Favour. It will burn brightly, but fade swiftly, no matter his intentions.
“Shit.” Shiro unleashed her flas, trying to overpower the fire around what was Jun-Seo, as well as the sudden tide of water droplets that were surging around them all. One scorpion-man fell, leg pierced by multiple sharp droplets, only for him too to start raging, as the water was all tainted with blood, which was scattering everywhere. Shivering, Shiro pulled at her golden mantle, the feeling reassuring, even as she grabbed Violet and dragged her back out of the lee, even as another of the hostages was stomped to a bloody paste.
“The situation’s bad. Shit. We only have…” Shiro’s hair flared red and a massive, blazing wheel blocked the corridor, only leaving the enraged, berserk old man Si-woo on their side. “…two choices. Aki, Aki, you there? It’s gone to shit! We’re going to lose all the victims we saved unless we kill the … no, he’s already dead, these are just his death throes.” She finished, speaking rapidly.
“I get it.” Violet declared, her expression full of cold regret. “You said Akio-oppa can heal nearly anything, right? So… sorry old uncle… stay down!”
Violet lurched forwards, once more thrusting her arm, the scorpion tattoo now seemingly slightly cool to Shiro. Water droplets ford a barrier, spinning and glittering like an array of tiny knives, and blood splattered, the water turning pink. Violet grimaced, the pain unbearable, and her own eyes started to turn red, even as the old man fell, her hand piercing his shoulder, corrosive mist rising. As old man Si-woo hit the ground, foaming at the mouth with bloody froth, his body twisting and snapping as he contorted, body fighting against the paralysing venom, she opened her mouth to speak.
“Don’t hold back on , Shiro-unni. I’m not going to be myself, but… I took… this mission on, nobody… forced …” Soon speaking was impossible for her, and she surged forwards, only for Tan to call a fla elental behind her, arms reaching out to grab Violet, scorching her flesh as she struggled.
“Fuck! Aki, can you hear ?” Shiro cursed again, and finally his voice ca back, giving her montary relief.
“Yes, sorry, I hear you. Damn, just keep yourself safe, no matter what. I want to save who we can, but if that cos at the cost of you, Shiro, it’s not a price worth paying. I… give just a minute and I think I can help you turn the situation around. Do your best!”
“Shit. Fine, I will.” Shiro flushed, her face set resolutely. “Tan, it’s your ti to shine. Aki asked for a minute, so…” The glow of aether around her was montarily blinding, before her hair and eyes were a flaming crimson, and her skin had darkened from its pale white to a rich, alluring brown, her figure sohow becoming riper and more perfect. Behind her, the flaming wheel shattered, the hulking berserk brute crashing through, followed by the scorpion-n who had also succumbed to the madness.
Spoiler
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“Is… is it over? It can’t be. I’m still… I have the urge to fight, to serve…” She bit her own tongue, the bite savage, pain clearing her head for a mont. “My poor… guys. Lucky one of them wasn’t here… huh. I have to start… again.” As tears trailed down her bloody face, Shiro softly reached down and wiped her eyes.
“Yeah, there’s probably the sister of our giant atball left. The true ruler of this Academy. But… Aki will handle it. As for … damn, I think I’m done. But I can still help save who can be saved.” Bending down, she hefted Violet onto her back. The woman groaned, trying to attack her, but her arms were unable to produce any power.
“Don’t worry, Aki will fix that right up. Scars and all.” Shiro felt a bit guilty at the horrible burns that had crippled and disfigured Violet. Turning to the other Hunter, who was in an even worse state, she sighed. “Ladies first, just take a break and we’ll be right back…”
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