The opposing team then turned to the sound of a crackling flame behind them, startled by the sudden appearance of Takeshi. There Takeshi stood in place, lifting his right arm towards the enemy team, the flame in hand now swirling in a fierce blaze. The air itself seeming to vibrate under the pressure of the intense heat that was being produced.
"Ryokukami: Infernal Bl-", Takeshi said in a commanding voice before being cut off, his eyes narrowed on his targets.
Just as Takeshi was about to unleash his attack, Izumi stepped out from behind the trees.
"Stop!", Izumi stated to Takeshi, her eyes filled with concern, "If you use that, you'll burn down the entire forest".
Takeshi's concentration wavered for a moment as he glanced at Izumi, the fire in his hand now flickering inconsistently. The enemy team took advantage of this opportunity presented by Takeshi's momentary distraction, running away with a sudden burst of speed. Their retreat was a chaotic scramble, driven by the fear of being within the radius when Takeshi unleashed his attack. Izumi took a deep breath as she watched the other team escape into the forest's depths.
"We've already talked about this.", Izumi said in a calm voice despite the urgency, "We don't need to rely on our abilities to win this. Let's just take them down without causing any unnecessary destruction".
"Yeah...my bad.", Takeshi apologized under his breath, ignoring Izumi's eye contact.
Jin then came out from hiding, the other two members following behind him.
"It's fine Takeshi...", Jin stated in a casual tone, "We've seen where they went, so it won't be hard to track them down".
As the enemy team continued to flee in fear of being caught, one of their members glanced nervously to his side. His breath caught in his throat when he saw a figure dashing alongside them. Jin's figure flickered in and out of view, concealing himself only to reveal himself at the most unnerving times. The panicking boy from the enemy team began to stumble over the roots and fallen branches of the forest floor when he spotted Takeshi's figure also running along the other side of him. He barely had time to react before he slammed into the back of one of his teammates, the impact leading him to fall down to the ground. As he stood up in a daze, his eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him.
Standing directly in their path was Izumi, her posture relaxed yet commanding. From her right arm, ethereal green particles began to swirl, wrapping around her arm in a glowing green energy. Before the enemy team could react, Izumi lifted her hand with a graceful motion.
"Ryokukami: Vipers Mist...", Izumi stated in a soft tone.
The green particles flared to life, expanding outward from her arm in a burst of radiant light. The energy swept over the group like a whispering breeze, carrying with it an overwhelming sense of calmness. Their panic drained away, replaced by an irresistible wave of drowsiness that washed over them.
One by one, the enemy team members faltered, their movements slowing as the green particles enveloped them. Their eyes grew heavy, and their legs buckled beneath them as sleep took hold. The forest around them grew quiet, the sounds of their frantic escape fading into the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind.
With no resisting left, the enemy members slumped to the ground, succumbing to the tranquil sleep Izumi had cast upon them. The green particles then evaporated into the air as the rest of the team walked up to her.
"Well done Izumi, that was amazing!", the other girl stated in admiration.
Izumi gave into a slight smile as she heard the compliment.
"So much for not using our powers.", Takeshi stated under his breath, his voice filled with sarcasm.
"Is the forest burnt to the ground?", Izumi questioned to Takeshi, "That's what I thought".
"What about them?", the other boy on their team stated, looking down at the collapsed enemy team beside them.
"They're fine...I held back, so they should only be out for a few hours.", Izumi said in an informative tone.
"A few hours!", the boy responded in shock.
Out of nowhere, a snap of someone stepping on fallen branch caught the teams attention.
"It looks like y'all beat us to it.", an enemy with grey hair and black eyes stated, walking towards them with his hands in his pockets.
"Who are you?", the boy on Jin's team asked the oncoming enemy.
"Souta...Souta Minima.", Souta stated in a calm tone as he continued to walk towards them, the scar along his left cheek becoming more clear the closer he got.
The team's gaze was collected on Souta, awaiting any type of attack.
"I gotta' admit, I've been waiting this whole time to take y'all on.", Souta said to the team, his voice filled with relief, "The others just don't put up any type of fight...You know what I mean"?
"So you want to take us on by yourself?", the girl on Jin's team asked, "Aren't you getting in a little over your own head"?
Souta gives the girl a side-eye, as if her words had meant nothing to him.
"He's not alone...", Jin responded to his teammate in a serious tone.
"Huh, but he-", the girl stated in confusion before being cut off.
"Of course a party trick like this wouldn't work on you.", Souta said to Jin in an unsatisfied tone, "Well whatever, it was worth a try at least...There's no point in trying to hide it anymore".
"Just shut up Souta. You talk too much...", Takeshi added in, his tone slightly annoyed.
"Yeah... I guess you're right.", Souta responded with a slight smile, finding a bit of humor in Takeshi's statement.
Souta lifted his right hand up, a declaration that the talking was now over.
"Dismiss...", Souta stated in a whisper as he snapped his fingers.
A cloak of smoke then began to unveil around Jin and his team, revealing Souta's teammates who were hidden behind his power. It was then that they had been surrounded by the enemy.