A Worthy Opponent (HunterxHunter)

Chapter 28: The Silent Hunter

He launched himself at a frightening speed but he's immediately hit mid-air too. A deep reddened gash peeled over his leg. Red-eyes appeared beside him. He punched towards the eyes, but it faded and reappeared behind him, a bite mark tearing his shoulder. He grimaced in pain. "H-he's right. It's not about reaction time, you only know it will happen until it scratches you. I can't sense it at all." Kurapika knelt to the floor, his arm hanging limp from his torn shoulder.

Everything in my mind blanked. My heart aching to leap out of my chest. It didn't matter what I was about to do, but it needed to get done. My flight or fight response blasted on autopilot.

"AARRRRRRRRGGGGGG," I growled fiercely, my throat tearing. My body exploding. I swung my legs up and sucked in my breath, slipping through Hisoka's arms then I attached my legs onto his shoulders and twisted him back, slamming him down to the ground. He landed with a grunt.

"Raine stop!" Ahmad called out.

I launched myself off and sprinted to Bisky, my vision spiking. I didn't know where it would swing from, I only knew where the cut would appear on her body. I body-slammed her to the right. Nothing happened.

Good.

"You're not buying time. You're not staying. I will." I grabbed her hand and ran her back to the others. Red-eyes appeared behind me and I boosted her away, my feet digging holes into the ground with each step.

Ahmad huffed, his arm over this chest as I met up with him. "Raine you don't know what you're doing. I've seen this creature appear multiple times. Someone always-

"I'm sorry Ahmad," I apologized in advance. My mind was on lockdown. "But not this time." I bore my soul into him, my eyes pierced with the coldest stare to amount to my sincerity. He closed his mouth, his lips thinning. His eyes softening.

I saw a cut form on my back so I twisted out the way and left my arm stretched out.

It slashed my arm instead.

There. I do see when it happens and where it will be.

"Listen! I can hold it back. I think I'm the only one who can evade it. Now go!" The red-eyes disappeared again, reappearing elsewhere.

"We're not leaving. We'll keep thinking of a way," Bisky argued, creating distance with Ahmad.

"Then stay out of range for now," I scowled at the open air and clenched my fist, crescent marks forming in my palm. Every fiber of my muscle was fired up. Hisoka didn't move. He crossed his arms staring at me intently. His eyes never tore away from me since we got here. I met his gaze for only a moment because we both knew he couldn't stop me now. He finally retreated with the others and I'm left alone.

I stood in the middle. The others leaped into a tree, watching and studying within the shadows. It suddenly went silent. My foresight was the only factor that mattered right now. My senses, as strong as they were, couldn't even detect this animal's aura floating around, as if it didn't exist.

But my father's words reminded me... 'you're stronger than you think you are.'

Okay, let's assume that I am.

The red eyes appeared to my left...

A scratch on my cheek, I leaped out of the way, looking around cautiously.

A scratch on my calf, I shifted to the side.

It pounces on my back, I rolled out.

I kept turning my body, expanding my senses...