" HuH HuH HuH"
Threw the smoke, you could hear the heavy breathing of Mina. Who had been fighting the Tolu for just 3 minutes. She lay on the disheveled concrete out of breath and losing blood. She was no match for the S.S. rank as it outmatched her in every category.
" Dam...I can still-fight."
She attempted to crawl to her feet before collapsing due to severe pain in her right leg. She turned her head to look at it only to be disgusted by the sight. Her leg was twisted in a way it should not have been. Her ankle was clearly broken and she could no longer put pressure on it.
" Dam it. Why!... I'm stronger than this, I can't be lying around here...I have to get back up!"
A bright red flash caught her attention from the direction of Liza and Cash...When she last saw them for that split moment. She knew Liza was most likely dead...The same with Xavier who had not been seen since the Tolu appeared.
" Dam them...If they were stronger than I..." She couldn't finish her sentence as she felt a tear crawl down her face. She didn't understand why as she made it seem, even to herself that she couldn't care less about them, but the truth was she did. She was harsh but not heartless.
She heard heavy footsteps approaching from the other side of a dust cloud caused by a toppled building during their fight. The Tolu was coming to end her. It had already landed multiple clean blows on her yet she refused to die...Now it would make sure she could not rise again.
[" Liza...you were stronger than me...Why couldn't you beat this thing...You're stronger so you should have been able to."]
In her head, she thought about how she was unable to kill this thing and the fact that Liza had failed to as well. Mina thought if she could kill it that would make her stronger than her, but she too failed. Mina tried so hard to improve enough to where she could be listed as an A rank, but then Liza came along who was already much stronger than her. Still, she tried hard but this battle settled it...Mina could never surpass her, even if she did reach A rank Liza would always be ahead of her.
Mina was prepared to die accepting this fact. She wasn't mad about it, but she was frustrated...She understood natural talent could be beaten with hard work, but when that talent works hard then it didn't matter how hard she worked in comparison. She had seen how hard she worked even without being in field combat but simply training.
[" Did you really train that hard simply to die protecting some tool."]
The Tolu emerged from the dust cloud pulsating that same disgusting purple as its massive figure loomed over Mina as she laid helplessly on the ground, her sword tip had been broken and Kala was missing, either out of range or worse since Mina had tried to summon a new weapon during the fight...If the latter was true, that would mean she is stuck with this as her weapon.
The Tolu looked down on her as its fingers turned to sharp claws in preparation to finish Mina off, the sound they made as they were revealed was like a cat scratching a chalkboard. Mina was out of energy to attempt any more moves or use her abilities...Wind didn't cost much stamina to use but she had exhausted it during this fight.
"...Huh!"
Mina had closed her eyes in preparation for death when the Tolu suddenly stopped and looked beyond her. Retracting its claws it brought both its hands up and in an X-like shape it covered its face.
A rush of red Rose petals slammed into its entire body, the same as Lizas.
" Liza!...Huh?"
Mina figured it was Liza somehow still alive. She looked back towards where she had last seen her, seeing a figure walking through the rain she felt relieved...
[" Something off"]
The figure of this person was not the same as Lizas, it was bulkier, more defined, and taller too. She could see its outline through the rain but due to the distance, she couldn't tell all its characteristics immediately.
She then looked closer at the Rose petals...They were different too, not exactly like Lizas. They seemed to have thorns in them. Looking at the Tolu, she could see that it was being cut by the onslot of rose petals. Pieces of skin were being chipped off.
The on-slot finally stopped as the Tolu dropped its arms and healed its chipped skin. It then stood upright and seemed to forget about Mina as it walked past her toward the outline in the rain.
Mina looked in the direction of the outline and was finally able to see it clearly enough to tell its features. Bright blond hair, tall with blue eyes, muscular build. She knew this person.
" It's you!?"
The tool Liza protected, the one Mina ridiculed contently...Was standing sword in hand preparing to face the Tolu...Mina noticed his outfit had changed...He now had a robe up top. at the bottom it was black but as it grew towards the top it slowly bled into a red as it split towards the neck revealing an orange undershirt. It was tied at the waist with a black cloth belt tied at the front. His arms were fully exposed as it was sleeveless.
The bottom was comprised of black jeans that had a sword sheath wrapped around it. The sheath itself sitting in the back empty as the sword was currently drawn.
Mina could feel the power leaking from him...Her eyes were wide as she tied to think how this could happen...A tool gaining Tolu hunter powers like this was unexplainable and never heard of.
" What are you?"
.................................................................................
I don't know what happened, I don't no why I'm hear heading to face this monster, but my body feels like new. All my wounds are gone and my bones are back in place. I don't remember leaving Lizas' body but I feel as if I heard her last words. " Be better than me."
I don't no how I could possibly achieve that...You were great, but right now I feel like I'm powerful enough to face this thing. I can't help but feel like that's due to you. This sword in my hand, has a red-tapped grip. a piece of the tap is unstuck and dangling from the handle.
This sword was created by you Liza...I shall use it to avenge you...It's aa straight sword, no curve to it...It feels right in my hands like it was made for me.
I looked ahead and saw the Tolu approaching. It's body changed from a purple to a red. It balled up its fist as it slowly grew closer...I've never fought with a sword or my bear hands, but I feel like I've been training for this my whole life...Years of combat knowledge are engraved in my mind.
" I'll kill you."
As those words left my mouth me and the Tolu both charged each other. We clashed together shaking the ground on impact. I had my sword pinned against its arm...I looked beyond it and found Mina lying on the ground watching with a terrified look in her eyes. I have to get this away from her.
The Tolu shoved my sword off, but unlike most, I held my ground. It then went for a punch with its opposite hand but I ducked and landed one of my own on its rib area.
" Crank!"
Hard. Its skin is hard like armor, that's why we had such a hard time cutting it with our blades. Still, with that punch, I felt it crack.
The Tolu with its other fist raised, then slammed it into the ground. I jumped back avoiding the attack. I decided to retreat to drag it away from Mina.
I dashed through multiple building windows and doorways as the Tolu followed quickly after me...This strength and speed are unlike anything I've ever felt, it's the only reason I can fight right now...Is it good enough though?
I landed in a flat area that resembled a park, although covered in dabre now. The Tolu landed in front of me and with out wasting any time advanced on me. My sword and it's fist clashed through multiple attack attempts by us both.
I dashed and jumped around avoiding its attack while attempting to land my own. The most I did was chip away at its armor but no serious damage. Luckily the same was me as I avoided all its attacks by blocking and dodging.
The ability Liza has seemed to give me is the same as hers. Allowing me to conjure and manipulate rose petals. The Tolu went for a powerful strike at my center chest. Before it landed I leaped over it while cutting its arm off.
It grew back in an instant but that didn't matter either way. While in mid-air I conjured rose petals to spin around it nonstop for at least 5 minutes...I had no idea why but I understood every detail on how to use this ability without any training.
The Tolu sat inside as the rose petals spun around it like a cyclone...Using what I saw Liza do with making an empty husk as a trick...I used more simply shaped husks and manipulated them to run around the rose petals.
From the inside, it would look like the shadow of a person running around the outside. I need the Tolu to take the bait and give me a clear opening.
The Tolu watched from inside as the three shadows darted around the outside, instead of waiting it decided the attack first at one of the shapes out of impatience. Believing there was nothing I could do capable of injuring it...Mostly true.
It swung through the cyclone of rose petals at an empty husk cutting it in half. The cyclone began to disperse, but it left enough cover for me to find its opening.
" Chose wrong dumbass!"
I charged my fist back as I felt a rush of power from somewhere deep within my body..I felt using my fist alone would do more damage to this monster.
The fist approached the Tolus's face, and with no way of defending it, it sat and waited for the impact...Right as my fist was about to land, a red glow emerged from the outside surrounding my fist.
" BAANG!!"
The sound was like a piece of cement being shattered with a massive hammer. I felt the Tolus' skin brake as it went flying away bouncing off the grounds and slamming into the wall of a building.
The Tolu reached its feet quickly after the strike but as I examined my point of impact. I noticed a gapping while where purple blood was pouring out, even with the Tolu regenerating it, it was clear what I had done was some serious damage
I'm able to fight!"