"What the hell are you doing?!" yelled one of the rebels at the rear of the group. "Attack them all together… do you want to die?!"
His words echoed like a bomb blast, snapping everyone back to reality. Why should they fight fair? They were in the middle of a war, damn it!
[Suiton: Water Dragon!]
"Guys, go! I'll cover you!" another shouted, launching an attack at Takeshi.
"So you finally decide to take action… what a shame," Takeshi murmured, his smile widening.
[Multi Shadow Clone!]
Two clones of Takeshi materialized. "Let the party begin!" they shouted in unison as they charged the rebel group without hesitation. It was exhilarating this feeling of putting himself in danger, knowing he could die at any moment. That was his fuel.
One of the clones raised his crackling blade, standing firm before the water dragons now charging straight toward Ayano at the rear.
Fshhhhhh
On contact, thick steam billowed out, stopping the attack and giving the group a way to conceal themselves. "You'll thank me later," the clone said, turning his head toward Ayano at the back and winking at her before exploding.
"Who's thanking who?" Ayano muttered, her gaze hardening before she suddenly vanished into the shadows.
"Hey guys, don't disappoint me!" chuckled the remaining Takeshi clone as it brought down a vertical strike on one of the men at the side, who hurriedly parried with his katana.
Cling!
Sparks flew. The man grimaced slightly, then prepared to counterattack but suddenly he felt a presence, or rather, caught sight of a silhouette in his blind spot.
"Give it everything you've got, you bastard." The real Takeshi appeared out of nowhere, his blade drawing dangerously close as he smiled, his eyes filled with frenzy.
"Shit… I'm done for!" the man went pale, twisting his body to try to dodge the attack. But the clone on the other side hadn't stayed idle it was already charging back in.
[Suiton: Water Bullet!]
Just as all hope seemed lost, three water bullets shot toward Takeshi, forcing him to change trajectory and allowing the man to block the clone's second strike.
"Focus on that one I'll handle the other…" a deep voice rumbled behind the man, whose forehead was already drenched in sweat after narrowly escaping death.
"Thanks…" he replied, his voice slightly trembling, as he turned to face Takeshi's clone standing farther away, relaxed, as if it had deliberately allowed him a brief respite.
Meanwhile, the real Takeshi was fully immersed in close combat with the other opponent. The shrill clang of their katanas colliding at a dizzying speed echoed through the air.
"Not bad…" Takeshi smiled, tilting his head just in time to avoid a strike as a thin crimson line appeared on his cheek.
"I'll return the compliment," the man replied, ducking at the last second to let Takeshi's blade pass, his voice carrying the same frenzy as his opponent's. It was clear both were thoroughly enjoying the moment.
[Raiton: Full Body Coating!]
Yoshiro, for his part, hadn't stayed idle. Seeing that Ayano had gone on the offensive, he charged in as well. His plan was simple: draw all attention to himself so the girl could finish the job cleanly and so far, everything was going perfectly.
Cloaked in lightning from head to toe, he moved with remarkable ease, overwhelming his three opponents.
"Damn it, this bastard's too fast," one of them spat, realizing his attack had only hit air.
"You're just too slow, man…" Yoshiro laughed, striking toward the man's shoulder. "…hahahahaha… try blocking this."
[Doton: Earth Wall!]
Before his blade could reach its target, a wall of earth suddenly rose up, blocking Yoshiro's strike. He quickly turned his head toward the caster.
"You… you're dead…" he growled, vanishing from his spot and reappearing in front of the colossus, weapon raised.
"Where do you think you're going so casually?" the other sneered, charging at full speed toward Yoshiro's exposed back. "…you can't escape me now."
But contrary to expectations, Yoshiro didn't seem concerned at all. On the contrary, his smile widened. "You really think so… pfft… you're an idiot."
"Shit… watch out!" the third man suddenly shouted.
But the warning came too late. "Huh " Eyes wide, the man felt cold metal pierce the back of his skull and burst out through his forehead. Yet his enemy had clearly been facing away from him just moments ago. What happened? Where had he messed up?
Questions flooded his mind, but in the end, he never understood how he died. His body froze for a few seconds before collapsing heavily to the ground, the light fading from his eyes beneath his mask. "…Damn."
"You bitch… I swear I'll kill you!" roared the one who had shouted earlier, watching Ayano roughly yank her kunai from the back of the man's head. Blood sprayed as the woman, still expressionless, vanished once more like a ghost.
[Suiton: Water Dragon!]
It was already too late. As the man launched his attack, Ayano had already disappeared, leaving the raging dragon to charge straight toward Yoshiro and the other man locked in a fierce battle.
But at the very last moment, Yoshiro vanished as well, letting the attack rush toward the man, who cursed inwardly.
[Doton: Iron Body!]
He quickly infused chakra throughout his body, his skin darkening a change visible through the torn corners of his cloak.
Boom.
The impact was violent, but the man remained standing amid the chaos, panting heavily as his skin gradually returned to its normal tone.
As Yoshiro charged back in to finish the job, he suddenly felt an abnormal rise in the surrounding temperature.
[Yoton: Molten Rock!]
Three enormous spheres came hurtling toward him at high speed. He stopped short and changed direction instantly. "Damn it, can't you watch where you're aiming, asshole?!" Yoshiro cursed, glaring at Takeshi, who was grinning at him.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The impact was even more devastating than the water dragon, annihilating everything in its path and leaving behind a massive crater.
Even Ayano, who was pulling her kunai from the last survivor's neck, raised an eyebrow.
Before anyone could say a word, Takeshi stepped forward and sheathed his weapon.
"We're getting out of here!"