Kenji moved steadily toward the chaos of the battlefield, his thoughts racing with the urgency of the situation. As he approached, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his senses alert. He called out, his voice calm but firm, "You should really stop using clones." Almost immediately, a staff was hurled at his feet, embedding itself in the ground with a sharp crack. Before he could react further, the same hunter who had attacked him earlier appeared right in front of him, as if teleporting.
The hunter grinned widely, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Long time no see, Mr. Kenji. Seems like tonight's turned into a free-for-all, so why not join in the fun?" His tone was playful, but there was an underlying edge that made it clear he was ready for a fight.
Kenji's expression remained stoic, but there was a flicker of frustration in his eyes. "No," he replied, his voice unwavering. "I'm not here to play games. I need to put an end to this madness. And the only way to do that is to get rid of the demon that's controlling this battle."
The hunter's smile faltered for a moment, but his stance remained relaxed, almost as if he were amused by Kenji's determination. "You really think you can take on all of us?" he asked, twirling his staff idly.
Meanwhile, Ichiro was picking himself up from the ground, shaking off the debris that clung to his clothes. His gaze locked onto the hunter who had sent him flying moments earlier. The hunter looked down at Ichiro, an unreadable expression on his face as he began, "You probably don't know me—"
But Ichiro cut him off, his voice brimming with resolve and defiance. "I don't care who you are," he snarled. "I'll stop all of you to save my wife, no matter what. Even if you're a head, I'll take you down!" Without wasting another second, Ichiro charged forward, swinging his fists with all the force he could muster. The hunter sidestepped effortlessly, dodging Ichiro's punches with an almost casual ease that only emphasized the difference in their skills. Realizing brute force alone wouldn't be enough, Ichiro swiftly conjured water, forming gauntlets around his fists that shimmered with chakra. He launched another attack, his strikes now bolstered by the weight and power of the water gauntlets, hoping to catch the hunter off guard.
As their fight intensified, chaos continued to erupt on the rest of the battlefield. The hunter who was still bound by Ichiro's spell found himself in a perilous situation. A swarm of demon insects had surrounded him, their wings buzzing like a death knell as they closed in, ready to devour him. Panic flickered in his eyes as he struggled against the watery chains that held him in place. "Hey, hey! Someone, come help me!" he shouted, his voice tinged with desperation as the swarm pressed closer.
Just as the first of the insects began to crawl onto him, the bind Ichiro had cast suddenly weakened, the fluctuation in chakra giving the hunter a brief window of opportunity. Seizing the moment, he mustered all the chakra he could and blasted out a wave of flames, scorching the demon insects in a fiery burst. The insects were incinerated in seconds, their charred remains scattering to the wind. The hunter stood there, panting heavily, his eyes wide with relief and a touch of disbelief at his narrow escape. He glanced around, momentarily disoriented by the sudden shift in his circumstances, as he tried to regain his composure amid the ongoing battle.
With the threat of the insects gone, the hunter's gaze turned back to the battlefield. As he watched Ichiro and the others continue their fierce clashes, a mix of anger and determination welled up within him.