Razor's mocking laugh echoed as he gripped his daggers tighter. "Big words, kid. Let's see if you can make me run."
Nishi smirked, his voice calm but brimming with dangerous energy. "You'll tell me… when you're lying on your back."
A wicked grin stretched across Razor's face as his body began to transform. Yellow fur with dark spots spread across his skin, and his legs shifted, reshaping into those of a cheetah. The squad froze, terror gripping their limbs as the sheer intensity of his transformation sent a chill through the air.
Nishi turned to Hataki, his voice laced with curiosity. "Hey, old geezer, why's he turning into a cat?"
Hataki's gaze remained steady, analyzing the situation with seasoned precision. "He's a Beastman. When he transforms, his strength doubles. It means he's taking us seriously."
Nishi's grin widened, a flicker of excitement dancing in his eyes. "Good. I don't like boring fights. Let's see if he can give me a real challenge."
Without warning, Razor lunged at Hataki, his speed blinding. Hataki barely managed to intercept the strike, blocking the devastating kick with precise timing. The impact sent tremors through his body, pushing him back, but Hataki dug his heels into the ground, tightening his stance to prevent himself from falling.
Nishi chuckled darkly, speaking to himself. "He's faster than before… This is going to be very interesting."
Then, addressing the others, he barked, "Oye! You four, stay away from him! I'll try to keep him off you!"
Hayato protested, "Yoto, we'll help too!"
Yushin nodded. "Yeah, Yoto, we can fight!"
Nishi clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch, I'm Nishi. Yoto's inside. And you're not strong enough to fight this cat. If you try, you'll just get in the way. Stay back and run as far as you can! We'll stop him."
Despite their disappointment, they knew he was right. Reluctantly, they turned and ran.
Nishi wasted no time. His sharp tentacles shot forward, slicing through the air toward Razor. But with incredible agility, Razor dodged every strike, his movements fluid and precise. He sprinted toward the buildings, leaping from one to another with frightening speed.
As he planted his foot against a wall to propel himself further, the sheer force of his movement shattered the structure beneath him, sending debris raining to the ground.
Glancing back mid-air, Razor assured himself that the tentacles had stopped chasing him—only to feel a presence behind him. His eyes widened as Nishi's tentacles reappeared, aiming for his back. Twisting his body at the last moment, Razor narrowly dodged the attack, his heart pounding as he continued his relentless escape.
"Oye, old man! Now's your time—make sure to hit him hard!" Nishi commanded.
Hataki cracked his knuckles, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Leave it to me."
Just as Hataki prepared to strike, a blur of motion interrupted them. A woman materialized before the squad, her blade inches away from slicing off Eiji's head.
Hataki's eyes widened in horror. "Kids, look out!"
A sharp gust of wind swept through as Ken appeared from thin air, catching the blade with his bare hand. The squad stood frozen, shock evident on their faces. Eiji trembled, sweat dripping down his temple as he stared at the sword that had nearly ended his life.
The woman giggled. "Oh my, Ken. You're as fast as ever. It's been a long time."
Ken's grip tightened around the blade. "Rena… How dare you try to kill the kid."
Rena chuckled, a playful glint in her eyes. "Oh my, you really did remember my name. Did you fall in love with me, Ken?"
Ken's expression darkened with anger. "Shut the hell up."
He swung a powerful punch, but before his fist could connect, Rena vanished, reappearing at a distance with a teasing laugh.
"You didn't get me, Ken."
Ken clenched his fists in irritation. "It's always a pain in the ass dealing with you."
Rena smirked. "If I hadn't moved, I'd be dead by now."
Ken's eyes narrowed. "That's what I wanted."
Rena laughed mockingly. "Now, that's a disappointment. I really thought you loved me when you remembered my name."
In a blink, she appeared right before Ken's eyes, her blade slashing toward him. But Ken dodged each strike with fluid ease.
Amidst the distraction, Hataki's focus wavered.
"Oye, old man! Keep your head in the fight!" Nishi yelled.
Before Hataki could react, Razor appeared before him, fists clenched. "You let your guard down, Hataki."
The punch landed square on Hataki's face, sending him hurtling through a building. Glass shattered like falling snow, the debris scattering in a chaotic storm.
"OLD MAN!" Nishi roared.
Hataki crashed through a second building before slumping into unconsciousness. Razor, stepping forward slowly, exuded an ominous aura.
Nishi stepped in front of Hataki, his body tensed like a coiled spring as he faced Razor.Razor clicked his tongue, his grip tightening on his daggers. "Are you going to use your tentacles again to chase me?"
Nishi exhaled, his grin sharp and unsettling. "Nah, I got bored chasing you."
"Then that's good to hear."
In the blink of an eye, Nishi vanished. Razor's instincts screamed at him, and he spun around just in time to see the nightmare before him. Nishi was suspended mid-air, his face twisted into a wicked, bloodthirsty grin. He looked like a demon, a predator looming over its prey.
Cold sweat trickled down Razor's spine. If he took that hit, he would be in serious trouble. At the last second, he twisted his body, narrowly evading the devastating punch that came crashing down like a meteor. The sheer force of it sent cracks rippling through the Ground where he had stood moments before.
Nishi landed, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I heard your strength doubles in your cat form. What happened? Are you scared now?"
Razor scoffed but couldn't contain the excitement that lit up his gaze. "Scared? No. I'm just getting started. I think it's time I go all out."
Nishi smirked. "Be my guest, cat."
Before he could react, Razor vanished. A gust of wind brushed past Nishi's face, and suddenly, Razor was right in front of him.
Damn it, he's even faster than before. I might not be able to block this—
A brutal punch slammed into Nishi's gut, launching him backward. His body collided with the concrete wall of a building, and the impact sent shockwaves through the structure, shattering the façade. Dust and rubble rained down as Nishi collapsed onto his knees, his breath ragged.
Razor didn't give him time to recover. Razor in beast form lunged, but Nishi pushed off the ground, twisting his body mid-air to counter with a kick aimed straight for Razor's face. But Razor was faster—he caught Nishi's leg with one hand and, with monstrous strength, swung him down like a hammer. The ground beneath them cracked and split as Nishi's body cratered into it.
Razor stepped back, his grin mocking. "What happened, kid? Not so cocky now, huh?"
Pain radiated through Nishi's body, but he forced a grin through gritted teeth. His mind raced. That punch to the face took too much out of me. If this keeps up, I'll lose control, and Yoto will come back. And if Yoto takes a hit like that, he won't survive. I have to finish this before that happens.
Razor crouched beside him. "Oi, kid, you still breathing? Sir Genta wants you alive."
Nishi's rage ignited. He lunged forward in a desperate attack—but he never even saw Razor move. A flash of steel, a burst of agony—
Blood sprayed across the ground.
Razor's claws gleamed crimson as Nishi's right arm dropped lifelessly to the floor. A searing, unbearable pain tore through Nishi's body, and a scream ripped from his throat.
No—this is bad. I'm feeling pain, which means Yoto is about to return. And I don't have the energy to regenerate my arm. If he wakes up now, he'll be defenseless. He'll suffer even more than me.
The markings on his face began to fade, his body trembling as he lost control. Yoto returned.
The moment Yoto saw his severed arm, sheer terror overtook him. He staggered backward, his wide, panicked eyes fixated on the bloody stump. His breathing grew ragged as horror and helplessness consumed him.
Razor loomed behind him and drove his foot into Yoto's back, slamming him into the rubble. Yoto gasped, his limbs shaking, his vision blurring from pain and blood loss. His body refused to move, his mind drowning in fear.
Razor crouched down, his tone mocking. "Big talk from a brat who just lost. Genta needs your blood, but maybe I'll just kill you and bring him your corpse instead."
His claws gleamed as he raised his hand for the final strike, aiming straight for Yoto's skull.
Then—
A hand caught Razor's wrist mid-strike.
Razor's eyes widened slightly as he turned his head. A masked figure stood before him, gripping his arm with bone-crushing strength.
"Kaito," Razor said, a smirk curling his lips. "You're here too? Heh. It's been a while. Nice to see my old squad again—the family I had, if only for a brief moment."
Kaito's grip tightened, his voice a low growl. "What do you think you're doing to him?"