"Damnit."
Isaac mumbled, watching the figure standing between him and the deeper forest.
It hasn't even been 5 minutes since he left the others and he was already confronted by another Priest.
This time, she was a petite female with short blonde hair, her cloak dragging on the ground.
"Why am I not surprised that mouth breather wasn't able to accomplish a simple mission?"
She spoke in a condescending tone, running her fingers through her hair.
"Don't think I'm as clumsy as Tato. I, Yalane March, declare that you shan't…"
"I don't care."
A slight hum could be heard as Isaac summoned a black ball into his hand, staring at Yalane with a straight face, his eyes cold as he turned his gaze to the sleek ball.
"What did you say?" A vein bulged on Yalane's forehead as she glared at Isaac.
However, seeing she was given no reply, she clicked her teeth.
"You'll regret that."
Extending an arm, Yalane 's palm faced downward, and a blue sphere could be seen appearing under her palm.
"Room."
"I choose you."
Isaac channelled a stream of Nen into the ball, activating it as it glowed a little.
In the next second, he tossed it.
"Don't let me down."
***
"Stay sharp!"
Cain yelled; he, Jett, Lucy and Amara all surrounded Tato.
"Aren't you going to help them?"
Ava, feeding Daniel a few potions, turned to Eli.
"My priority is to protect both of you," Eli answered, keeping his eye on Tato.
Despite him saying this, he spoke to himself inwardly.
'Damnit. I stayed back so I could have a chance to speak to him. But with her here, I couldn't make it obvious that I was affiliated with a potential terrorist. But he's gone.'
Eli thought, remembering Isaac's warning not to follow him as he glared at Ava from the corner of his eye.
Meanwhile…
'Annoying twerp. I didn't get a chance to ask that punk what the hell was going on because of him. I can't even sneak away because he's on my ass.'
Ava peeked at Eli from the corner of her eye.
However, as she thought this, she felt a pulsating sensation coming from her inside pocket.
Looking down and reaching in, she pulled out a black sphere and stared at it.
Eli noticed this, turning his head and staring at her, narrowing his eyes as he wore an expression of suspension.
Ava paid no attention to this, keeping her eyes on the ball.
It was as if the ball was…calling out to her.
"When the time comes, you'll know."
These were the words Isaac had told her.
And so, she looked around one last time, her gaze looming on Amara for a few seconds.
"Sorry, Amara."
She mumbled.
In the next second, she channelled her chakra inside the ball.
-SHING
Eli watched as Ava seemingly disappeared into thin air without leaving behind a trace.
'Where…'
He asked himself, falling into a slight panic and looking around.
Meanwhile…
-BANG
Cain tore through the ground as he smashed into a tree after blocking a punch.
His shirt and blazer had been torn, revealing his bare and toned torso as he quickly shot to his feet, wincing in pain and tossing a Senzu bean in his mouth.
As this happened, Amara and Jett confronted Tato.
Amara, her nails extended and sharp, swiped and stabbed relentlessly.
During all this, Jett backed her up, redirecting and countering any of Tato's attacks.
"Insolent pests."
Tato raised his hand, a yellow energy forming.
'Now!'
"Instant Movement!"
"Piercing Fang!"
Jett yelled inwardly, moving dangerously close and stabbing his forefingers into Tato's wrist, causing it to flick upward into the sky.
-BOOM
Tato's beam was sent shooting into the dark sky, lighting up the area as for a second, it almost looked as if it were daytime.
Tato clicked his teeth.
"Now!"
Amara and Jett held onto each of Tato's arms as Lucy revealed herself behind their opponent, Cain on the opposite side, both drawing in closer as they pulled back their sword and fists, respectively.
However, Amara's eyes caught something.
Seeing this, her heart felt as though it stopped as she lost focus, screaming the next second.
"Where's Ava?!"
She yelled while facing the still-confused Eli.
Tato grinned widely as he noticed this falter in focus.
Pulling the arm Amara held onto, he grabbed her and hurled her at Cain.
"Crap!"
Cain halted his attack, his arms instead cushioned to catch Amara, which he did.
As for Jett, with his free hand, Tato grabbed the boy's head.
The others didn't need verbal confirmation to know what was happening and what Tato was planning.
Jett widened his usual calm eyes as he could feel the laser forming right in his face.
Looking to the side, he could tell Lucy wouldn't make it in time, as she, too, had a difficult expression.
Therefore, he released the arm he held onto, forming a rectangle with his fingers as the flames on his body changed from soft flows to hard knocking.
"Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition!"
"Jett!"
Cain yelled, but it was too late.
-SHING
In the next second, both Jett and Tato had become completely entrapped in a tower of ice.
"Where is she?"
Despite this spectacle, Amara looked to the side, dashing toward Eli as she grabbed his collar.
"I don't know. She disappeared right before my eyes." Eli calmly told the truth.
"You expect me to believe that crap?!"
"It's the truth. Besides, it looks like your friend there needs you more than she does." Eli pointed toward Jett.
Amara didn't bat an eye as she retorted almost instantly.
"He can handle himself. Ava can't."
"He's telling the truth. I saw her."
Lucy interrupted them as Amara shot her head toward her.
"And you didn't say anything?!"
Amara yelled, releasing Eli and taking a step toward the calm Lucy who wore a straight face.
"I don't know where she went, but she'll be fine. Please, trust me…"
"Trust you?!"
"Amara, calm down."
Cain raised his hand as he spoke in a considerably more tamed tone than Amara.
"Calm down? How can I? Ava is out there somewhere in a forest full of terrorists and none of you care. Especially not her! You've never cared about anything or anyone but yourself!"
Amara pointed at Lucy, getting everything off her chest as she seemed as though she'd lunge at any moment like a rabid animal.
"Amara, stop it!"
For once, Cain raised his voice as Amara took note of this, pausing.
"Look." Cain pointed at the tower of Ice.
At first glance, it didn't seem as though it had changed.
But upon closer inspection, one could see small cracks forming from within it.
Cain turned back to Amara, continuing as if he could read her thoughts.
"We can't go after her yet. And you especially can't go by yourself. We need you here."
Amara felt these words sink in as her irritated expression faded.
It was true.
If Ava was in trouble, she wouldn't be able to help if the threats were as powerful as Tato.
"Let's get this over with," Amara mumbled, walking toward the ice pillar.
"We go all out and find Ava," Cain added, breathing rhythmically as he took a stance.
"Yes." Lucy simply nodded as she prepared her sword.
Eli stood before Daniel, behind the others as he seemed as though he was contemplating.
'Only if it's necessary. I'll only use it if we have no other choice.'
He thought.
Meanwhile, Amara placed her hand over her glasses.
"Everything that happens in this forest, stays in this forest, got it?"
Amara spoke in a threatening tone, pulling off her glasses and tossing them to the side as she revealed her eyes to have a vertical slit and white-coloured pupils.
"Amara…"
Cain watched in awe as he witnessed the white tail peek from under her skirt and her feline-like eyes.
'I'm starting to remember why I hate this so much.'
Amara let everything…release as for once in weeks, she was resisting her natural body.
The stares she got from everyone. The feeling of being something else, different from everyone else.
She hated it.
She'd rather endure the constant uncomfortable feeling that came with suppressing everything rather than having someone give her…that look.
As she thought this, she felt a touch on her tail.
Looking back, she witnessed Cain's brown tail coil around hers, prompting her to stop and stare for a second.
"It's nice not to be alone, isn't it?" Cain smiled, giving a thumbs up as Amara couldn't help but raise her eyebrows and stare.
In the next second, she let out a genuine smile as she nodded.
And for once, for a single second, she had a thought she never thought she would have.
'Maybe…just maybe, it isn't that bad.'
Amara turned back to the ice tower with a smile, releasing everything.
[Name: Amara Khan]
[Inherited Character: Neferpitou]
[Verse: Hunter X Hunter]
She released everything.
[Nen Proficiency: 4 -> 6]
[First Scenario Completion Rank: S-Rank]
[Reward: Nen Ability of the Chimera Ant King, Meruem]
[Nen Ability: Aura Synthesis]
[Requirements: Specialisation]
[Description: Strength through consumption. Your aura grows every time you devour a user of Nen, with their aura synthesizing to your own.]
[Current Abilities Consumed:
User: Youpi
Ability: Metamorphosis]
-SHATTER
With this, the ice tower finally shattered.
***
"You wanted to fight, right?"
Isaac stood over the downed Ava as she looked around, trying to catch her bearings.
It wasn't long until she slowly started to piece together the puzzles.
"It was a teleportation device, huh?" Ava spoke with a dark face, rising to her feet.
Looking around and noticing they were alone.
"You slimy bastard."
Ava…no, the Demon's Blessing grinned like a madman, glaring at the female opposite them.
Throwing off her blazer, unbuttoning a few buttons on her shirt and tearing the side of her skirt for better mobility, Ava stepped forward.
"I expect you to explain the situation you've put us in when this is all over," Ava spoke to Isaac who stood beside her.
"When it's all over." He nodded and prepared to leave.
"Where do you think you're going…"
-BANG
Before Yalane could finish, Ava lunged at her, grinning widely as she drew closer.
"Your opponent is right here."
'I get to fight and I'm helping to get rid of the terrorists. It's a win-win.'
Ava thought inwardly.
"Shambles."
But before she knew it, both she and Yalane switched places, causing her to stumble before catching her bearing.
"Tempest Kick."
-SLICE
Ava lunged backwards as she caught herself a few metres away.
As she rose to her feet, glaring at her opponent and seeing Yalane with one leg raised as her shin protected her chest, her back arched.
'That form.'
Ava, her grin never faltering, spoke upon seeing this.
"I know what you are."
Those who had enough knowledge of a verse held endless potential.
Generally, it was impossible to know what verse or character would be assigned to you, meaning you could never reap the maximum benefits of a first scenario, the most important.
But there were those that, despite all this, held immense knowledge of their verse, even at the first scenario.
These individuals usually had a head start, hoarding every powerful ability and technique for themselves.
These individuals had a name.
"You're a Hoarder."
***
"Is something wrong, Logan?"
Aizen turned his head, his usual sly smile plastered on his face as he spoke.
They were now accompanied by only two cloaked figures and had travelled deep into the forest.
Logan, looked back at the others after his gaze hung on the city they'd just left, his expression never changing from his cold and distant usual self.
"No problem at all…"
"Hey!"
Before he could finish, he was cut off by a loud voice that came…from above them.
Looking up, Logan widened his eyes as said eyes met with a familiar figure.
Isaac, appearing from thin air, loomed under the moon as he pulled back his arm.
"We made an Oath…"
Aizen watched this all, his usual smile never leaving his face as Logan froze.
It was as if time itself had stopped; the two boys stared at each other from different angles, and only one was shooting down from the sky at rapid speeds.
"...so wake the hell up, Asshole!"
Isaac yelled, smashing his fist across Logan's face with a BANG!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Next chapter title: I'll kill you all!
NNext chapter title: Reap what you Sew
NNNext chapter title: What it means to be a Saiyan!
In the coming chapters, everyone's rewards from their scenerio will be revealed and Isaac...snap.
If you can't wait till then, just check out the Patreon!
patreon.com/JustMYSTERY
And as usual, give up the powerstones...*BREATHES INTENSELY*... I need it.
POWERSTONESSSSSSSSSSS!!!