Kai's feet slid against the snow, turning it into the water as he unsheathed his fangs.
He spun around and saw a boy around his age with long, ruffled hair, with a flaming scar at the top-left of his head, hissing out a misty breath. His eyes were two red torches fueled by anger, and there was a Katana in his hands.
Kai's needle-like eyes saw the boy taking in a deep breath of air, and suddenly, the danger he was feeling shot through the roof.
Total Concentration Water Breathing - Fourth Form…
Kai could see it. Water, in a lethal zig-zag motion, coming at him in a flowing fashion, aimed at his neck.
… Striking Tide!
This bastard! Kai's breath seeped out with his demonic anger. With Murasame in his right hand and Afro's Tachi in his left, he took the stance and lunged.
Twin-Saber Style - Dance of the Giant Serpent!
Blades flashed, steel kissed steel, and when the clash ended, blood spurted out, painting the snow red.
Impossible! The word echoed in Kai's mind.
A giant scar was running down his neck, snapping his collarbone. If it wasn't for him redirecting the quick successive blows using his sabers, then it would have landed on his neck.
"Ahhh!" the boy shouted, spun, and hacked at Kai once again.
No, this is getting out of hand, Kai reflected, dodging the attacks, slithering over the snow, and trying to nick the attacker with Murasame. If I am not wrong, then reinforcements will come soon for this guy, and then I will be surrounded.
He must run. Now.
"I said…" the boy hissed again, jumping towards Kai, "… let… Nazuko… go…"
Water Breathing - Second Form…
The boy vertically spun forward in the air, releasing a flowing razor-sharp water attack in a circular motion.
… Water Wheel!
Kai hissed back. He jumped forward, too, outstretching his hands to his left, and his body whirling like a tornado.
Twin-Saber Style - Kiss of the Giant Serpent!
A resounding boom blasted the snow between the two, and both Kai and the boy got thrown off in the opposite direction. But it wasn't something in Kai's favor, either.
Kai slid on the snow and realized he was getting up and up towards the peak, and not down.
Damn! He cursed, sheathing his swords. This pesky bug is trying to hold me back, even in anger. What a strategic play!
The boy was already running up towards him again.
Kai didn't unsheathe his sword, instead, he threw his hands back, and with strained muscles, pushed forward. The red jewel on his forehead gave out an ethereal bloody glow.
All the snow surrounding Kai slid down as though an avalanche had come, and swept the boy away, burying his shrill, angry cries.
Kai had already shown his Advance Telekinesis Ability, and though others must have taken it as a Skill, he cared little about it.
Seeing the opportunity lying in front of him with bare breasts, Kai grabbed at it.
He again kicked the snow, gaining speed as he went down, and keeping himself in the thick of trees.
The sky had already gained a darker shade, the clouds making it look darker than it already was.
After running for half an hour continuously at his full speed, Kai climbed up a tree and sat down, puffing loudly for air.
The snow had already made it worse for him to run.
With his webbed feet stuck inside the socks, Kai was getting annoyed as well. The wound around his neck had already healed, but he could still feel the uncanny edge of the blade.
There was something odd about that Katana, Kai recalled, but couldn't put his finger on it.
The wooden box shuddered again.
Kai looked at it and wondered why the creature inside hadn't come out, breaking the door.
Maybe it can't somehow, he guessed, breathing through his mouth. What did the boy call it? Nezuko…
After a few minutes, Kai dropped noiselessly over the snowy grounds and stealthily slithered down towards the yellow candle-like lights in the distance. Finally, he could see a village.
Kai had just gone down some hundred feet when he stopped.
It wasn't him alone who seemed to have become a statue.
Everything had gone quiet around him, Kai observed, sweating in the cold weather.
The wind had abandoned him, the rustle of leaves had vanished, and something more than a dangerous feeling had come to rest in his heart.
Inside him, Selene shuddered, her Perception being higher than Kai's.
It was then Kai felt it, too.
It was then he saw him.
A tall young man, wearing a mask of serious and emotionless expressions, was running towards him like a shadow.
Fast!
Faster than Kai could even think. One moment he was still coming at him, and in the other, he had already arrived.
Anchored in the river of time, Kai felt like a boat that was fated to drown.
Water Breathing - First Form…
He saw the man taking a stance midair, breathing, hissing, and suddenly, he wasn't a man, but death.
… Water Surface Slash!
Something exploded in Kai's mind. Something more than anger. Was he rooted to the ground with fear? No. He was just slow.
With one thought, his socks and sandals burst apart, and with another, the 3 Unassigned points entered his Agility and 2 in his Stamina.
And the boat wasn't anchored anymore, but sailing, the wind high and mighty. There was no time to unsheathe the sabers, but this blue figure wasn't Kai, but Golduck-Kai.
Golduck-Kai's tail burst with a bluish-white steely glow.
Iron Tail!
…
[
Skill: Iron Tail
Grade: D+
Specification: Give the tail a steel-like magical property
Requirement: HP>0, MP>0
Attributes:
1. Consume HP and MP to give the tail a magical steel-like property
2. For every point of MP, two points of HP will be consumed
Effect:
1. Base Damage: 50 HP, 30 MP
2. For every 10 MP consumption, Base Damage +10 (HP) +5 (MP)
Warning: Base Damage limit - 200 HP
]
…
He spun, and the empowered tail slammed the incoming sword with audible tink.
Run!
Kai didn't wait for the result. With the sudden, heavy boost in his Agility and Stamina, he flew like a bullet, his webbed feet gripping the slippery snow methodically.
By the time Kai stopped, he had already crossed dozens of miles, leaving the village behind and entering the wilderness.
Kai breathed in and out, calming his blood. The adrenaline rush left him, then.
And the pain found the path to his brain.
Kai looked back over his shoulder, and what he saw made him shake his head in dismay. It seemed he had underestimated the terror of facing the D+ Mission with his 4th-floor Stats.
Half of his tail was gone, warm blood dripping over snow and mud like the pitter-patter of rain.
A Random World to counter his Glitch…
Kai was only now feeling the true meaning of these words; barely.
************
Nezuko - Main Character's sister
The boy - Tanjiro
The young man - Water Hashira Giyu
***************
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