AN: Hello, Just a heads up that tomorrow's chapter may be a bit late as I have some stuff to do tomorrow. Enjoy the chapter
- - - - - End of Authors Note - - - - -
Thinking about it, I realized I could switch to my evolved Hatsu whenever I heard the music begin to play and switch out when it ends. I would probably only need some help or cover when transitioning. " I will just need you to spot for me when dissipating my armor as I can't move my body, if he is in a blind spot when I remove my defenses I'm toast."
"Perfect." disappearing from my sight in an instant, I followed Killua's example and made my way out of my hiding spot as I ran back into the street. Though it ended up being more of a charge as I continuously propelled myself forward with each step taken I released just a sliver of the stored energy I had managed to keep a tight hold on.
*bwoom* *bwoom* *bwoom* *bwoom*
Rocketing across the slick asphalt I was practically sliding toward my opponent, closing the distance in a fraction of the time had I just run like normal. As I neared my target I cocked my arm back as I flooded the aura coating my fist with a large portion of my potential energy as it ballooned into a large yet dense cannonball like construct that was on its way to connect squarely with Franklin's ribs.
*zwip* *CRASH* Then in an instant I was flung off course and into the ground. Tumbling across the ground until I rolled to a stop, now realizing that I had been bound up in an unfortunately familiar-looking string of aura.
*groan* 'Of course they wouldn't just sit inside while we jumped one of their members, though I hoped we were far enough away that there wouldn't be any issues.' Feeling the wire-like threads that tried to constrict and cut into my body I quickly hardened the soft joints between the armor "plates" of my Hatsu as I tried to get a better hold of my bearings.
*Bang* Releasing a sharp spike of aura as I had previously, I ripped through the strings freeing myself before getting back up and on my feet. Wearily looking around, I searched for wherever she might be hidden currently. And if she was anything like her clone it would be somewhere up high as opposed to on the ground.
"...there you are." locking my gaze onto the series of threads snaking their way toward me from the balcony of an abandoned building I preemptively dodged by strafing toward the side. Flicking my vision toward the threads I began to be pushed backward as I continued to dodge the lifelike threads that tried to wrap around me.
*thwip* "... ah shit!" one of the threads managed to wrap around my ankle and yanked out from under me. Then within an instant, numerous threads began to weave through one another as I was suspended in mid-air whilst my body began to get pelted with numerous attacks searching for any sort of weakness in my defenses.
From up where I was in this spider-like web, I actually gained quite a vantage point to look at what was happening with Melody and Killua. Regretfully, it was a similar situation, with another newcomer on the enemy side removing our small advantage of numbers.
*BOOM* with a further heightened sense of urgency I blasted out from my suspended containment and sailed toward where I had seen the source of threads earlier while taking the additional precaution of filling my eyes with Gyo. Rounding the corner of the building and landing into the balcony I quickly jumped away seeing that the threads were just wrapped around the railings like a pulley and came from elsewhere.
*boom* *boom* *boom* shooting around various buildings and moving at a fairly fast pace I hunted down the origin of these threads. A long-range supporting attacker would be devastating to our group and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. As for the threat of the new opponent, I wasn't quite sure of what to do, it was that weird mummy guy whose name I didn't quite remember, Regardless, I trusted Killua to be able to at the very least keep himself alive for the moment or escape. When it came to Melody, I didn't know her enough to give my all to keep her alive. I wouldn't be sticking out my kneck out too far for only a friend's work partner.
*crash* smashing through the glass window of a brick building I finally caught sight of Machi, who had been sitting inside a highrise overlooking the fight the entire time. Not giving her any chance to react, I immediately rocketed toward her with one of my legs stretched outward as I barreled into her. Meanwhile, I was readying an attack with my hands in some sort of knock-off thunder cross-split attack.
*Thud* connecting the kick, I was about to spring my hands outward to fire off a blast of energy when Machi arched her back to the point she was parallel to the ground while her hands had a vice-like grip around my leg before slamming me into the ground as she sprung back up. In turn, I released the attack I readied in my hands, but instead of the focused stab it was originally it came out in the form of an explosive blast. Stunning her, as the strong crack of energy being released most likely deafened her. Despite that, she managed to keep her grip on my leg as one of her hands went up to her head toward her ear as her face scrunched up in pain.
Taking advantage of her stunned state I molded my Hatsu into the knife like points I used during my fight with Phanks as I awkwardly pulled up my upper body and attempted to attack her. Driving my hand forward I felt an odd sense of deja vu as my hand shot forward.
*clench* opening her eyes wide, she looked down at me with a dangerous look in her eyes as she let go of my foot before using both of her free hands to release a series of threads. Looking down at the spot my hand met her stomach I then realized my attack hadn't met its mark. There was a robust coating of aura alongside the oddly contorted abdominal muscles that locked my hand in place.
'So that's why this felt familiar…'