-(It's not enough… WE NEED MORE.)-
As Aiko runs towards Skarp, she throws her axe at its head, but Skarp quickly swats it away.
Skarp lets out a loud screech and slams the ground, causing it to tremble and the officers to lose their footing.
"Shit, fall back… fall back now!" One of the officers yelled out.
Aiko tries to grab her axe; however, Attaki slams into her after getting smacked away by Skarp.
"Nngh… Ouch… Are you okay, Officer Attaki?" Aiko said while trying to get up.
She suddenly noticed that Attaki had a mild gash on her side.
"You're injured; we need to get you back to the E.S.C. right away…" Aiko said with a grunt while trying to carry Attaki.
When she picks her up, Attaki lets out a yelp of pain and slight surprise.
"You're unusually strong… Thanks for carrying me, Officer Nakamura…" Attaki said weakly.
Aiko carries her to the emergency vehicles, and they quickly rush to get her out of there.
"T-Thank you… Officer Nakamura." Attaki said weakly.
Skarp lets out another loud roar in the distance, and Aiko makes her way back into the fight.
"Aoto-kun, do you remember what we practiced a few weeks ago?" Aiko yelled over her shoulder while grabbing her axe.
Aoto immediately knew what Aiko was planning, and he got ready for the plan.
"I'm ready, throw it!" Aoto affirmed.
Aiko nods and throws her war axe in Aoto's direction with tremendous force.
Skarp tries to slash at Aoto, but he dodges it. And just as the axe was about to strike him, he swung his large blade.
CLAAANG…
KABOOOM!!!
The kinetic force of the holy energy stored up within Aiko's axe and Aoto's sword burst out ferociously when Aoto struck it.
Skarp was hit by the kinetic blast, and the holy energy began burning it.
However, since Skarp is a large and powerful Summon, the blast did little to no damage to it.
"Damn it, it was unaffected by the attack… What do we do now?" Aoto muttered.
Before anyone could think of any plans, Skarp straightened its posture and expelled its hallucinogens into the air, covering the area in a miasmic fog.
"Shit, everyone… FALL–" Before Ogawa could get a word out, everyone stood completely still.
It appeared that the hallucinogens were already kicking in fast.
Aiko's eyes widened as she trembled at what appeared to be the same gluttonous curse that bit off Aoto's entire arm a few months back… the same curse that gave her the same night terrors.
What makes it even worse is that… Aoto's arm is hanging out of its mouth with the blade still in a clutched hand.
"N-No… Not you again…" Aiko slowly backed away.
The curse lets out a low rumble as it slowly makes its way towards her.
Aiko lifts her axe in a defensive stance.
"Stay back! I'm warning you! I'm no longer afraid of you… And I will get you back for what you did to my brother!!!" Aiko declared with tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, the curse bounces towards her and attempts to bite her, and she swings her axe, followed by a loud cry.
WOOOSHH!!!
…
…
…
ZZZAAAAAAPPPPPPP!!!!
The curse gets completely eradicated with electricity.
Just then, the miasma fades away, and Aiko slowly looks up.
She sees a figure in all white, standing in front of her, his hand raised with lightning crackling around it.
She couldn't entirely make up his appearance, but it was most likely her interpretation of Rin.
"W-Who are you…?" Aiko asked softly, still clutching her axe in a more protective manner.
The figure doesn't look back; instead, he zips around the area where everyone else is and quickly comes back.
"Okay… Everything seems to be clear. That Summon shouldn't be nearby trying to attack anyone right now…" The figure muttered.
Aiko slowly stands, her demeanor changing from fear to anger.
"I'm going to ask you one more time… who are you…?" She said while holding her axe out towards the figure.
Finally, the figure slightly turns his head, his glasses showing slightly more cracks.
"Let's just say… I'm your guy's savior." He said with a slight smirk.
Just then, he disappears within the miasmic fog.
Not too long after disappearing out of sight, Aiko's sight starts coming back slowly.
The hallucinogens began wearing off, and when she looked around, she saw her disoriented teammates and the other division all shaking off what had occurred just then.
"Mmph… My head… I just had a crazy vision of multiple curses flooding me, and all of a sudden, some guy in an all-white outfit electrocuted them all." Aoto groaned while rubbing his head.
"Yeah, I had a similar vision. I was getting chased by an anomaly, and a guy in white zapped it away with ease." Fumiko said while getting up from the ground.
Aiko was surprised by their visions. Not only did the figure appear in her vision, but also in Aoto and Fumiko's, as if they were all connected to the same person.
2nd Division, 1st Division, or anyone from the E.C.E.T. (Elite Curse Exorcism Team), do you copy?" Aiko spoke to her communicator.
"This is Officer Aoki from the 2nd Division. We have just arrived at the location. Where is the Summon?"
Aiko looked around and noticed that the large Summon who just did a large-scale attack not too long ago is now nowhere to be seen.
"We were under attack by the hallucinogenic gas… And now we've lost visual of Skarp." Officer Iyasa said over the communicator.
"Hey, this might be a bit of a weird question, but did anyone else see a man wearing all white using electricity?" Aiko softly spoke over the communicator.
"Man in white? Yeah, I saw him in my hallucination. He took out the curses I was fighting. He made it look so effortless, as if he's on the same level as 'The Holy Headsman' or something…" Aiwa pointed out.
Aiko felt a deep shiver go down her spine at Aiwa's words. And finally, it hit her.
"First… That recruit from the 1st division said he saw Kazu-san fighting someone with electric abilities. Then, in the miasmic fog, everyone saw the same exact person taking out their hallucinations."
Aiko paused before continuing, "That same person is the same one Kazu-san was talking to two days ago at the E.S.C., and all of a sudden, Kazu-san is gone."
Aoto and Fumiko both looked at Aiko as she put her clues together.
"Aiko-senpai, what's going on? What are you mumbling about?" Fumiko said while tugging Aiko's sleeve.
"This might sound crazy… But I think–"
Before Aiko could finish her sentence, a deep voice appeared behind her.
"My, my. You catch on so quickly~."