"Shikaku? Who is that?" Ino asked with a curious look on her face. "Oh, you will find out soon enough" Kyoto replied with an eager expression on his face.
The mini bus rattled as it rolled over the cracked and uneven ground of Yokohama. The dark mist seemed to thicken with each passing moment, coiling ominously around the cityscape. As the vehicle ventured deeper, the earth trembled, and with an unsettling groan, massive, more robust tendrils spiraled out of the ground, surging toward them like serpents eager to devour their prey.
Ino's eyes widened in sheer panic. "What the hell is that?!" she exclaimed, pointing at the tendrils. "Why aren't you speeding up? We're going to get—"
"We'll be fine," Lady Naga interrupted calmly, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. Her hands remained steady on the wheel, betraying not even a hint of concern.
Ino was stunned. "Fine?! Those things—"
Before she could finish, the tendrils surged closer, their grotesque forms writhing and snapping like living shadows. Just as they were about to engulf the mini bus, a sharp metallic sound cut through the air, followed by an explosive burst of energy.
A man appeared in the chaos, seemingly stepping out of nowhere. He was tall and striking, his presence exuding an air of dominance and authority. His attire was tattered and dirtied, suggesting he had seen many battles, but the regal way he held himself spoke volumes of a once-great lineage. His eyes burned with a fierce, otherworldly intensity, and in his hands, five sleek blades danced like extensions of his body.
The man moved with blinding speed and precision. The first tendril was cleaved into pieces before it could even react, its remains disintegrating into black mist. The second and third tendrils surged toward him, but he sidestepped effortlessly, his blades slicing through them in a single, fluid motion. Each strike was so precise, so calculated, that it was almost artistic.
"Who… is that?" Ino whispered, unable to tear her gaze away. Her bewilderment grew as the man decimated the tendrils, their grotesque forms falling apart in seconds. "How can he—?"
At this moment, Ashiro seems to have regain a bit of his strength as he also looked out the window and observed this man with pure awe. 'So cool....'
By the time the fifth blade spun into the air and landed in his grasp, the remaining tendrils hesitated as if sensing their doom. With a final, devastating sweep, the man obliterated the last of them. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the faint hum of the mini bus's engine.
Lady Naga brought the vehicle to a halt, her sharp eyes suddenly softening as she muttered. "Took you long enough Shikaku. You could have gotten us killed you know"
The man who is called Shikaku turned to face them, his expression unreadable. The blades in his hands disappeared in a flash of light, and he crossed his arms as he addressed the group.
"You're quite bold Lady Naga, driving straight into the heart of Yokohama without a care," he said, his voice deep and manly as he kept a smirk now on his face. "And who do you got here? A boy and a tanned beauty?"
"Well we stumbled upon the boy while we were saving Lady Naga. And since he doesn't have any family member or guardian to look after him, we decided he can tag along" Hanabi suddenly commented with a soothing smile on her face. "As for Ino" Lady Naga interjected as she suddenly turned her gaze towards Ino. "Well she saved us from an imminent death so we agreed she can come along till we get to Yokohama. Once we arrive, then she should leave."
"Well if so then what are you–" Shikaku then said as he turned to Ino before he suddenly got interrupted by Lady Naga. "But, I have decided that she can join our team". "Are you sure about that Lady Naga?" Shikaku asked with a slight frown on his face while he looked at Lady Naga.
"Yeah, am sure" She quickly replied with utmost certainty while she also stared at Shikaku. After a brief silence between both of them in the midst of the chaos in Yokohama, then said while shrugging his shoulders. "Well if you say so"
"Huhhh...." At this moment, Ino couldn't help but take a very deep breath of relief as if a huge burden just got off her shoulders. But the others didn't seem to say anything at this point as after glancing at Ino for just a brief moment, Shikaku then face forward while he said. "I will make a track for you towards the base. But please, no firepower, it will only cause more trouble for me"
"Copy that" Lady Naga and the rest replied in sync before Shikaku gave a slight nod of approval.
And so, the mini bus roared through the eerie streets of Yokohama, weaving around debris and the haunting stillness of a ruined city. Ino couldn't shake the unease in her gut as she watched Shikaku move ahead of them with terrifying precision. His five blades gleamed under the dim light filtering through the miasma-filled sky, slashing through the dark tendrils that dared to block their path. Each strike was swift, clean, and devastating.
"Follow my lead," Shikaku ordered over his shoulder, his voice carrying the authority of someone long accustomed to commanding. He darted forward, clearing the road as if the monstrous tendrils were mere cobwebs in his way.
Lady Naga gripped the wheel tightly, maneuvering the mini bus through the path Shikaku was carving. The rest of the group stayed silent, a mixture of awe and relief washing over them. It wasn't just Shikaku's skill that left them speechless; it was his calm demeanor amid the chaos.
"That guy's a one-man army," Kyoto muttered, peering out the window to watch Shikaku dismember another wave of tendrils.
"No kidding," Suguru added, gripping his crossbow tightly. "He's making it look way too easy."
Ino's bewilderment deepened. "You're all awfully calm for a situation like this," she remarked, her eyes darting between the shredded remnants of tendrils littering the road.
Lady Naga smirked faintly. "That's Shikaku for you. He's the best at what he does."
Finally, after minutes of following the trail Shikaku had carved, the mini bus slowed to a halt. Ahead of them, nestled against the side of a crumbling building, was a reinforced steel hatch. It looked unassuming, blending into the chaos of the cityscape, but it was unmistakably the entrance to their base.
Shikaku stood by the hatch, his blades retracting with a metallic hiss as he glanced at the group. "Your safe haven," he said curtly, stepping aside to allow them access.
As the group exited the mini bus, they couldn't help but glance back at the tendrils writhing in the distance, seemingly hesitating to approach the base. It was clear that this place wasn't just a sanctuary—it was fortified against the darkness that plagued the world.
"Welcome back," Shikaku said simply, his piercing gaze lingering on each of them, especially Ashiro. Then, without another word, he turned to face the ruins behind them, standing guard once more.