Chapter 5: Takehiko Ryouichi
Kurou stood atop a sturdy tree branch beside the others, his eyes focused as he concentrated, channeling particles around his body. In an instant, multiple clones of him materialized, standing ready for action.
"Kaito, can you shoot the beam on the ground?" Kurou asked, his voice steady and commanding.
Kaito nodded without hesitation. A concentrated beam of light shot from his hands, striking the earth below. Instantly, a pack of wolves, drawn by the light, gathered around the beam, their eyes glowing with hunger.
"Maria," Kurou said, his voice low, "Can you freeze time around the wolves?"
Maria, trust clear in her eyes, nodded and raised her hand, suspending the wolves in a frozen moment.
For several tense seconds, they observed the pack. Their faces were grim, scanning every movement, every breath of the creatures. Suddenly, Lisa's voice cut through the silence.
"That wolf in the middle... It's different," she said, squinting. "It's larger, and the aura around it is unusual."
Kurou's eyes narrowed. "That might be the alpha. "
With a silent gesture, Kurou instructed Maria to release her time freeze. As the world resumed its natural flow, he spoke again, his tone sharp.
"Hold on a little longer, Kaito. Don't falter."
Kaito, drenched in sweat, continued to direct the beam at the ground, his muscles straining.
The alpha wolf's eyes shot up to the trees, locking onto Kurou's position. It was the first to notice them.
Kurou sent one of his clones down to test the alpha's reaction. The clone barely made it to the ground before the alpha leaped forward, tearing it apart with a swift swipe of its claws.
"That's the alpha," Kurou said, a determined edge in his voice. "Alright, Kaito, power down. We are finishing it now."
Kaito deactivated his beam, collapsing onto his knees, exhausted. Sato, who had been waiting eagerly, gave him a pat on the back. "Great job, Kaito! "He turns to kurou ,"What's the next move, boss?"
Lisa, meanwhile, was working intently with her bow, fine-tuning her control over the particles around the arrows, preparing for the next phase.
"I'm ready!" Lisa added, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Kurou created a few more clones, signaling Sato to brace himself. Lisa drew her bow, the arrow taut and deadly, as Kurou shouted, "Maria!"
In an instant, time stopped again, and Lisa released a flurry of arrows. The arrows hung in mid-air, frozen within Maria's field of power, inching toward the alpha.
"Sato! Get ready!" Kurou called.
Sato's eyes sharpened, his body gearing up for the final strike. "Now, Maria!"
Maria, drained from the effort, fell on the branch as she deactivated her power. The moment time resumed, the arrows shot forward with deadly precision, striking the alpha in its vital points. It let out a howl of pain before collapsing to the ground.
Without missing a beat, Sato, with his incredible speed, closed the distance and delivered a crushing blow with his right leg to the alpha's head.
The mighty beast crumpled to the ground, defeated.
The pack of wolves, however, wasn't ready to back down. Fueled by their bloodlust, they surged toward Sato, who was closest to them.
"The alpha is down, why are they still coming?" Kurou shouted, disbelief in his voice as the wolves continued their assault.
Maria was out of the fight. Kaito, exhausted, couldn't redirect the wolves, and the rest of them were running low on resources. The situation was dire.
"Clones!" he shouted, and his duplicates immediately surged toward the pack of wolves, distracting them and redirecting their attention. With the wolves momentarily diverted, Sato took the chance to quickly get back on his feet, his speed propelling him upwards with speed.
Kurou's clones bought him the precious moments needed. Sato, now upright and ready, rushed back toward the group, narrowly avoiding his demise.
"We can't take them all on like this!" Maria's voice was hesitant, her concern obvious. "We're out of options!"
Kurou's mind raced, searching for a solution, but nothing seemed to work. Then, out of nowhere, an unfamiliar voice rang out.
"Don't move!"
A figure ran towards the tree seemed to be falling, but sideways, feet barely touching the ground, landing in the middle of the battle. As he landed on the tree, he touched every wolf in his path, his power seemingly pulling the creatures toward the earth beneath them.
Within seconds, the wolves were dead, crushed under an unseen force. The man stood in the midst of the carnage, untouched and calm.
"It's safe now," he called out to the group. "You can come down now."
Slowly, the team made their way down from the trees, their guard still up, though they were grateful for the intervention. Kurou's clones gently helped Maria and Sato down, and Kaito, still weak, was carefully lowered to the ground.
As they regained consciousness, they found themselves face to face with the man who had saved them—a well-built figure dressed in a white martial arts uniform and a black belt, his posture straight, his gaze sharp.
"Who are you?" Kurou asked, suspicion still lingering in his voice despite the man's clear display of power.
The man bowed respectfully, his demeanor calm and collected. "Apologies for the sudden entrance. My name is Ryouichi Takehiko. I'm a former martial artist."
Kurou raised an eyebrow. "Why did you help us?"
Takehiko straightened, a faint smile on his lips. "I just couldn't stand by after seeing such a spectacle. I wanted to help."
Sato, still excited from the battle, stumbled forward, eager to learn more. "How did you do that? That was amazing!"
Takehiko chuckled softly as Sato tripped and fell. "You're probably exhausted. Your legs are giving out on you."
Sato tried to get up but struggled. "I can't move…"
"Rest for now. You've used too much energy," Takehiko advised kindly.
"Seriously, though," Takehiko continued, his eyes scanning the group. "A man who can create clones, a super-fast guy who took down the alpha, a perfect archer, and someone who can freeze time... you all have amazing abilities."
Lisa, still wary, stepped forward. "You watched us fight?"
Takehiko nodded. "I couldn't resist. Watching the teamwork, the precision... It was impressive."
Kurou's expression remained cautious. "So, what do you want from us now that you know we don't have any strength left?"
Takehiko met his gaze, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You don't trust me yet, huh? Fair enough. Tell me, what should I do to earn your trust?"
Kurou crossed his arms, still skeptical. "What's your motive?"
Takehiko's face grew serious. "I'm looking for my grandfather. He's the one who trained me in martial arts. After the catastrophe, I'm not sure if he's still alive, but I need to find him. I need to know if he's okay."
Maria's expression softened, her suspicion fading as she listened. "Kurou... I think we can trust him."
Kurou nodded slowly, the weight of the situation settling in. "Sorry for doubting you. Is there anything we can do for you? After all, you did save our lives."
Takehiko scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Well... I've been hungry for a while. Can I take one of those wolves with me? I haven't eaten in a long time."
Kurou chuckled, surprised by the simplicity of the request. "That's all you want?"
Takehiko nodded, his stomach growling. "It's been a long journey. I could use a meal."
Lisa spoke up. "Where are you headed? You're looking for your grandfather, but do you know where to go?"
Takehiko scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't even know where he might be."
Kurou's face softened. "Why don't you travel with us? We're headed west. There might be a river over there."
Takehiko's eyes lit up with surprise. "Really? I'd be happy to!"
Sato grinned. "Looks like we've got a new member, huh?"
Kaito nodded, still catching his breath. "Welcome to the team."
Kurou looked up at the darkening sky, the first light of dawn just beginning to break through. "Let's rest for the night and head west in the morning."
As the group settled down to eat and plan their next move, the weight of their journey ahead settled on their shoulders.