AN: Sorry for being an hour late... I started writing two hours later than usual. Though looking at yesterday's release I released an hour earlier so I guess the time it takes me has been whittled down by an hour huh? I am seeing returns on my self-imposed writing practice! Anyways enjoy the chapter and I guess enjoy your Monday? I don't see anyone reading this tonight... eh whatever.
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"I haven't taken it yet as I am not a Doctor! Just an aspiring one…" Quickly looking at what I assumed was a victim of being trampled by the escaping mob of civilians I left Leorio behind with well wishes as I chased towards the chaos head first.
I wasn't really sure what I was looking for or even doing at this point. I suppose the idea was to help out where possible yet, the blooming chaos that was filling the streets left me at an impasse.
"Well let's get to work…" sending a concentrated flow of my aura into the previously hardened aura produced by my Hatsu, bypassing its activation condition I started covering myself in an amorphous blob of aura alongside thickening my Ten before opting to chase after the sound of gunfire.
Along the way I made notice of the varied ways the corpses were injured, most of them were ripped apart by gunfire but I would occasionally spot a distinctly different set of injuries. There were some with twisted limbs and others were diced into chunks with sheer clean cuts. However, these types of corpses were few and far between and not really repeated so I could not deduce if there was a specific spider nearby.
Continuing to follow the sounds of the nearest Gunfire and the line of fresh corpses leading me closer I neared the mouth of an underpass that looked to lead to a more open asphalt flat. A thing to note was that these corpses were all diced up like a few I spotted before and were scattered about around the entrance leading to the opening. Yet, at that point, while the gunfire was as loud as always the frequency and number of voices I heard dwindled as I quickly made my through the underpass. Slowing down a bit so as not to lose my footing on the ground that was slick with blood.
"..." and when I passed through the dark and shadowy roadway I was met with the visceral sight of the last mafia man's body sliding apart and hitting the ground with a wet meaty slap. Though that wasn't all I saw under the spotty lamplight when the unnamed man was eviscerated. Lowering my center of balance closer to the ground as I reached for the sheath I opted to grab my knife as opposed to my gun. Focusing on my surroundings and muffling my breathing I started forward into space, standing still in expectation as the sounds of the city burning in the background rang through my ears.
"!!!" suddenly I felt a disturbance in the thick gelatinous coating of Hatsu near my neck as an almost imperceptible attack made its way for my head. Using the deformation of my own aura as a poor man's En, I quickly hardened the aura surrounding my neck in a manner to a choker as I exerted a lot of force to jump upwards and make myself air bound as the substantial force behind the attack was split between pushing me and trying to take my head off.
After a short period of being airborne, I landed on my feet as I staggered backward into the nearby brick wall before softening the aura around my neck allowing me to breathe freely. With my back against the wall, I looked around for any signs of my opponent whose Identity I was almost sure of by now.
*crack* *fizzle* *zzztt* Yet instead of my opponent appearing before me, The lightbulb in the street lamp lighting the area was smashed and the sudden shift from the illuminated area to darkness effectively blinded me until my eyes could adjust.
*ting* Thankfully, since I knew what to expect I could use Gyo lighting up the aura threads in a luminescent manner. Using my newfound vision I Countered the web of threads coming towards me with a Knife covered in Shu. Though as not to drain myself of aura too quickly I lessened the amount I was putting in my Ten and dissipated the aura around the knife after I successfully knocked the threads away from myself.
"Woah there… I haven't even gotten an attack in yet! I'm not one for having my opponent steer the fight, so I would appreciate if you didn't just string me along the whole time heh."
"..." Though after I finished speaking I was met with silence as another series of razor wire attacks were launched from across the dark clearing.
*clang* Once again intercepted by my knife the threads were held at bay this time around instead of deflected. Soon a slight shift in the threads sent them spiraling down the blade and aiming for my unprotected arm in hopes of turning it to shreds.
*Chink* *Boom* Instead of passing through flesh and bone as if they weren't there the threads found difficulty cutting into the hardened membrane of aura surrounding my arm. Though soon after they were wrapped around my arm I destroyed them using the detonation of the stored energy from the previous attacks.
*tap* *tap* softening the aura around my arm I began to slowly trace the source of the various threads while constantly shifting, hardening, or softening my Hatsu as the speed, angle, and the number of threads attacking me began to ramp up. While my opponent was nimble and most likely distancing themselves as I continued to chase after them I was still storing up on the energy embedded in my "armor" made of aura.
I had no need to close the distance in a traditional manner, only to give the illusion that I needed to as I slowly walked in the general direction of my assailant. Slowly weathering the various attacks I received as I grit my teeth harder with every attack I took. While I did not get cut to bits by the attacks, a bit of the residual energy still got to me in the form of small tiny cuts not too dissimilar from that of a whip. Yet I continued my now silent approach as I waded through the blows unfaltering as I hopped to corner my foe before I exhausted myself.
'I just need to tank a few more hits… then with one sudden release of all the energy I have been storing I am sure that I could close the distance and get into range for glorious melee combat…'