"Get those bastards!"
After taking cover just in time, the seven rebels seeing that Takeshi and his men were escaping started chasing them.
"Why did you provoke them?" Yoshiro said while running, glancing back from time to time.
"Just focus on running for now…" Takeshi replied as he leapt onto the rampart. "We should take a few of them out, though."
"Ayano, I'll need your genjutsu…"
Ayano's eyes widened for a brief instant before returning to normal. He already noticed… she thought, but she still nodded.
"Good. I'll need you too, you bastard," Takeshi added, this time addressing Yoshiro.
Without even waiting for a response, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, facing the seven men already rushing toward him.
"Now, Ayano!" he said as he vanished from his position.
"Alright," she answered.
Takeshi reappeared in front of the rebel at the head of the group.
"Hi." He swiftly drew his katana. A diagonal slash the guy didn't even see it coming. Eyes wide, Takeshi's blade carved a deep gash across his chest. "Bye." Takeshi smiled as he vanished once more.
"Shit!" one of the rebels growled as he drew his weapon, swinging horizontally. Takeshi ducked just in time. Seeing his strike miss, the man prepared to attack again. He wasn't ready for Takeshi's speed.
"Stop stalling, asshole…" Takeshi murmured, now standing behind him. "…you're already dead."
A thin line of blood appeared on the man's neck. "Huh?!" As he tried to touch it, his head suddenly detached, rolling across the ground while his body collapsed with a dull thud.
"And that makes two…" Takeshi snickered as he watched the others come to an abrupt halt.
"And then what?!" one of them shouted from the back. "What the hell is this?! One guy's gonna kill us all?!"
No one dared step forward now not after seeing two of their men fall like rag dolls.
"So what, you've been barking all this time and now no one dares move?" Takeshi mocked, flicking his katana to shake the blood off the blade.
"Ah, fuck it," one of them cursed as he stepped forward. "Cover me."
[Doton: Granite Fist]
Suddenly, his arm was covered in rock. Without hesitation, he charged, closing the distance. A punch aimed at Takeshi's face Takeshi raised his katana to block it.
Boom.
Sparks flew on impact.
"Doton, huh…" Takeshi muttered, his hand trembling slightly. He managed to block the blow, but the impact was still brutal.
He barely had time to catch his breath before the man's fist came crashing down again.
"Give me a second to breathe, bastard!" Takeshi growled, ducking to let the blow pass. As he straightened up, he counterattacked with a horizontal slash but the colossus raised his hand, blocking the strike.
"Hehehe!"
Takeshi's brows furrowed as he glanced at his weapon, then at the man grinning smugly. The next instant, a fist slammed violently into his stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs.
Takeshi was sent flying back, landing at Ayano's feet. She lowered her gaze to look at him on the ground.
"That… I didn't expect," Takeshi chuckled, looking up at her. "…But at least I got to enjoy the view."
Ayano raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected that either. How could he joke at a time like this? Was it carelessness or confidence?
Whatever it was, Takeshi didn't stay to give an answer. He was already back on his feet, heading straight toward his enemy. He wasn't about to let that hit go unanswered. It had been a long time since anyone had treated him that roughly.
[Yōton: Molten Bullet]
Three shots streaked toward the man. Confident in his defensive ability, he raised his hand to block but this time, things didn't go as planned.
"Aghhh!" he screamed as the bullets pierced straight through his hand. They had lost some speed which was the only reason he didn't lose his sight but a searing pain shot through his arm, forcing him to drop his transformation.
"Hehehe," Takeshi snickered. "So you're not all-powerful after all, huh?"
His katana took on a dark hue, blackened with red veins crackling along the blade. Takeshi vanished again, reappearing beside the man who was still clutching his bleeding hand. "Die."
[Suiton: Deluge Cone]
[Suiton: Water Bullet]
Two men in the rear, seeing Takeshi advance dangerously toward their companion, tried to protect him.
"Damn it!" Takeshi muttered as he quickly changed direction to avoid the massive surge of water coming his way but there wasn't enough time to dodge the water bullets, which struck and wounded him.
"Hey, are you planning to let me die here?" Takeshi asked as he turned toward Yoshiro and Ayano, not even bothering to look at his bleeding arm.
"You were acting all tough, but look at you now," Yoshiro said with a smug grin. He wasn't going to miss such a rare chance to mock Takeshi.
"Shut up!" Takeshi snapped, tightening his grip on his katana.
He had already taken out two of them, but five were still standing and they weren't about to wait around for death. After a few seconds, his wounds closed, healthy skin appearing beneath the torn fabric.
"Well then… how about we go again…"