Now, the Kaimi Daja faced their opponent: Joshua Egoshin, one of the country's four Level 1+ Hunters. Joshua glanced to his left, noticing that the massive dog head that had appeared and engulfed the restaurant hadn't bled when he cut it; instead, it had started to fade.
Joshua: (to himself) An illusion? But it looked so real. It must belong to one of them. I suspect it lets him create illusions? That's a powerful ability. If he has a perfect manifestation for that, I could be in trouble.
He let his gaze drift around, taking in the other Kaimi Daja members gathered around him.
Joshua: They all have high energy levels. They're dangerous. (looks at Zero) But how did he manage to assemble both Clarions and Shadows?
Zero: Hey now, this isn't the time to zone out. You might get yourself killed.
Joshua: You think so? (to himself) Fighting here in the city could endanger innocent bystanders. I need to move this battle. The lake should be close by…
Channeling all his light energy into his legs, Joshua exploded into motion, bolting toward the lake where he'd fought the Shadow monsters earlier, blitzing straight past Zero and Desmond before either of them could even react.
Gaki: He's running!?
Zero: (smirks) He's trying to avoid civilian casualties. Let's follow him!
Joshua reached the lake in moments, relieved to find the area completely empty. Here, he could fight without holding back.
The air shifted as the Kaimi Daja arrived soon after, their presence spreading across the shoreline like a closing net. Joshua drew his katana, the blade ringing softly as it slid free.
He took his stance and they did the same.
Both sides knew what this was.
The Kaimi Daja were about to face a Level 1+ Hunter and Joshua was ready to take them all on. Then Zero began to control the water around him which left Joshua more confused than ever.
Joshua: (to himself) He has a water technique too? Ghost Transformation and Water Manipulation? And he did it without any chants?
Zero immediately noticed Joshua's confusion.
Zero: Looks like I surprised you. Let me let you in on my little secret.
Joshua finally sensed a type of energy from Zero, but it wasn't shadow or light energy, it was something entirely different.
Joshua: What is this?
Zero: This is the fusion of shadow and light energy. NEXUS ENERGY.
Joshua: Nexus energy?! But that's impossible. Shadows and Clarions can't have children, so someone with full control of Nexus energy shouldn't even exist.
Zero: Yeah that's true, but that only applies to a shadow and Clarion. But what about the conduits?
Joshua: What do you mean?
Zero: If a shadow and a Clarion try to have a child, the shadow energy overpowers the light energy, killing the child before it can be conceived. But conduits are different. Since their energy is weaker, it blends instead of overpowering. So, if a Shadow conduit and a Clarion conduit have a child, they will give birth to a child capable of harnessing Nexus energy. That's what I am.
Joshua: (to himself) This makes sense since Shadow and Light energy came from the Nexus. But we never imagined such a being could be born from conduits. (adjusts his glasses) I still can't believe it.
Zero: I only have a fraction of the Nexus power, but it grows as I acquire more techniques. I could also use Harmonic Restoration from the moment I was born. Right now, I'd say I'm at about 17%. But I'll need the fragments if I want to have full access to my power.
Joshua: (to himself) He was born with the ability to use harmonic restoration without proper training? And what's this about taking techniques?
Zero: I have a technique I call Consumption Mimicry. After consuming a small amount of someone's blood, I can replicate their technique. Every technique I take automatically becomes harmonic, so I don't need to chant since I have a permanent connection to the Nexus.
Joshua: (to himself) All this sounds unbelievable. So unlike me, he has a permanent connection to the Nexus energy. And he can replicate another person's technique by taking their blood and because of his energy they become harmonic techniques so they won't need chants. This is turning into something else. And considering he has Sanito's lighter technique that means he....
Zero: I got this water technique from a guy I beat up when I was ten and I got the ghost technique from a hunter who was spying on us. I assume you knew him right?
Joshua didn't respond.
Zero: Well, it doesn't matter. You'll be seeing him soon enough.
Zero shaped his hand into a gun and unleashed a barrage of water bullets at Joshua. Each shot whistled through the air, but Joshua moved with precise timing, evading every round.
The pistol technique fired six rounds at a time, relentless and fast. When Zero finally emptied his ammo, Joshua allowed himself a moment, pausing his dodges and prepared to move.
But before he could, the rest of the Kaimi Daja struck, converging on him from all sides.
Desmond: [WHITE: FALSE REALITY, ELECTRIC EELS]
Desmond Gravy's Clarion Technique, "False Reality," allowed him to bring lies to life, but only lies that exaggerated living beings or objects, never entire events or scenarios. For example if he said there's a giant snake in the room, his technique would create one. If he tried to exaggerate an event, nothing would change.
In this battle, Desmond conjured two medium-sized electric eels, claiming they floated around him. The creatures lunged at Joshua instantly, coiling around him to prevent him from using his sword. Sparks leapt from their bodies, jolting Joshua with electricity that briefly numbed his muscles. The effect only lasted a few seconds, but long enough for the next phase of the assault. Everyone nearby pressed their hands over their ears, bracing for the chaos.
As Joshua struggled against the eels, Gaki snapped the fingers of his left hand. A piercing note cut through the air, disorienting Joshua. His vision blurred, his hearing rang painfully, and tiny trails of blood ran from his eyes and ears.
His concentration faltered.
Seizing the opening, Zero fired another water bullet straight at Joshua's heart.