"Come!" a shirtless Hijiri yelled as he adjusted his grip on his crimson katana noting the six rocky humanoids charging at him, sliding his right foot back, he gracefully weaved through, cutting down each one he came across.
"Not enough" he muttered as he rose his bandaged right hand and a large crack formed on the ground before him, a horde of the rocky humanoid creatures crawling out, standing out from the group was a black horned creature with cracks that spread about it's body glowing a deep red. They glanced around growling before spotting him. Smirking, Hijiri held up his blade horizontally by the right side of his face and leaned foward a bit. Leaping foward, he swung his blade in a wide arc, beheading three of the creatures. Instinctively lifting his blade to his left, he was knocked back by a blocked attack from the horned beast.
This fast, that's quite surprising. I thought it was a low level demon at best. Hijiri thought as he dashed foward, leaping over the charging beast, with a spin he swung his blade at the creature's shoulder.
Noting the horned creature's counter, he tilted his blade towards it's fist, cleaving off it's hands "Bastard! You're far smarter than I gave you credit for" Hijiri said with a wolfish grin, holding his katana at arms length and rushing foward, the horned creature noted this and twisted it's smaller claws into longer blade-like ones.
It learns?! Hijiri's mind raced as he met it head on, the echo of metal clashing.
Footsteps from a distance attracted the two as Akame and Leone came into view, growling, the creature dashed at them turning away from Hijiri.
"Leone!" Akame called out as they entered a battle stance.
"OI!!" His words sent a chill down the spines of the three freezing them in place and before the demon could turn back, Hijiri grabbed it's face, slowly closing his open palm into a fist. "YOU MUST BE REAL BRAVE TURNING YOUR BACK TO ME LIKE THAT" he said in unision with his danger beast as he crushed it's head, spilling molten rock on his bandaged fist and onto the ground burning up the grass it landed on.
Rushing towards him, Akame grabbed his right hand checking for injuries. "It's cold, and the bandages aren't burnt...how?" she asked looking at him with concern.
"You don't expect my own element to damage me right?" Hijiri said with a chuckle opening and closing his fist.
"Would you look at that only a month here and you've got Akame this concerned about you." Leone said with a smile as she walked towards the two.
"Of course she'll be concerned about her big brother, right Akame chan?" Hijiri asked noting her expression switching from a slightly flustered look to a deadpan. "I'm offering y'all my protection aren't I? So I'm basically your proclaimed big brother, ain't that right?" Hijiri stated with a smirk as he beat his chest smugly.
"Self-proclaimed then" Akame said bluntly earning a fit of laughter from Leone and comical depression from Hijiri.
"But Hijiri-san."
"Huh?"
"Are you a...swordsman?" Akame asked.
Glancing at the crimson katana in his hand which disintegrated afterwards, Hijiri replied. "Well no, I'm not really restricted to a type of weapon. So I'm more of a versatile warrior I would say."
"Is that so." Akame mumbled as her mind drifted away.
"Hijiri, the boss actually called a meeting." Leone stated, drying his face with a towel Hijiri paused in realisation.
"Dropping the honorifics like that huh?" He muttered with a small smile, watching Leone's smirk as she walked away.
"So favourite boss of ours, what's our mission?" Hijiri said leaning back in the couch as Najenda took a seat upon noting the presence of the entire Night raid.
"We've put off Bolic's assasination for some time and a new window just opened, but our intel stated that the Rakshasa demons have now moved in to guard Bolic creating the possiblity of the Yeagers being present." Najenda stated, crossing her legs as she sat back. "Therefore" -she continued- "I would like to ask Hijiri to proceed on a surveilance mission since he's been identified as K.I.A, so should a scenario where he's exposed occur, it'll have no ties to us."
"Got it, but I'll ask the help of tiny here so I can complete my job earlier." Hijiri explained to Najenda gaining a satisfied nod.
"Ok Tatsumi, get ready to move out with Hijiri." Tatsumi yelled in shock realising just how easily Najenda went along with the nickname Hijiri gave as Lubbock and Leone chuckled from behind him.
"I meant her." Hijiri patted a snickering Mine on the head leaving everyone speechless.
"Yes, yes with Mine's skill as a sniper taking out any patrolling guards will be easy and she can help make landmarks as well." Najenda snickered at Mine's frozen expression.
"Yes I believe Najenda-san is right." Lubbock tried and failed to muffle his laughter as he fell back to a flustered Tatsumi.
"Just hold on a sec!!" Mine yelled angrily turning to Hijiri "Who are you calling tiny?!" Smirking, he gave Mine another quick headpat. "Who else if not you?"
Turning to Najenda and ignoring the flustered tantrum Mine was throwing, he stated expressionlessly. "We're off."
"She better come back safe" Najenda ordered gravely earning a simper from Hijiri. "Like I got a choice."
...
"I can't believe you called me tiny." Mine stated with folded arms and a reddened face.
"You're cute as well so don't sweat it." Hijiri stated with a wink and smirk causing Mine to redden furiously and stutter. "I..I'm not interested in you, you know." He chukled earning a punch to his right arm.
"For now." With a satisfied smile, Hijiri's gaze swept across the rocky area, eyes set out for any patrol guards.
"The enemy huh? It seems it's time to deliver justice, you ready Koro!" Seryuu stated, a sadistic smile plastered on her face as she spotted Mine and a silver-haired swordsman with her binoculars. "Koro! Number 6!" her imperial arms-a dog-like creature- leaped foward and bit down on her mechanical right arm; drawing back leaving slobber and a large missile in it's place. "Die once and for all evil" She chortled as she fired the missile.
"So have you found the certain person, whose heart you wanna steal?" Mine asked slightly embarassed, "You'..." Hijiri's smile and statement were immediately cut short as he dashed foward-a large orange fireball in his bandaged right palm- he stared down the nearing missile and lifted his right hand launching the now massive bluish fireball. A large explosion echoed across the cavern as Hijiri landed effortlessly -Mine in his arms in a bridal manner- having leapt away from the explosion. "You good?" he asked the coughing Mine who simply nodded as she was set down. "Oh you aren't dead yet? That's good, Koro let's deliver justice like we did to her friend" Seryuu who the dust revealed, let out a fit of hysterical laughter that caused Mine's face to squeeze up in fury "She's mine" She muttered to Hijiri who simply nodded and patted her shoulder "I'll take care of the other one so you'd better not die here" with a final nod, Hijiri dashed away from the enraged and resolved Mine. Approaching a set of ruins, a large boulder fell towards Hijiri, who with a small grunt spun and punched, obliterating the boulder. Skidding to a stop, he noticed a tall slim woman with a scar across her nose who had her black spiky hair tied up in what was supposed to be a ponytail. "So Night raid I'm guessing?" the woman asked studying the silver haired man who wore a leather armour, his hood dropped on his shoulders, her chuckle was cut short as a sudden blow knocked her into the ruins, crashing through it's walls "On one side, I really hope you didn't kick the bucket with that one, on the other hand..." an irritated Hijiri cracked his knuckles glancing towards the explosions caused by Mine's battle "Exciting! Amazing, come at me and don't hold back a bit!!" the woman yelled as she walked out of the ruins, a tone of satisfaction evident "Welp, I gotta help tiny and I can't mess up my first real job either so congrats you get your last wish" Hijiri unsheathed his claymore from it's casing at his back and stabbed into the ground, clenching both fists as he took a boxing stance. "Huh? I just said don't hold back and you agreed right? So why aren't you using your sword? If you think I'm easy because I don't use imperial arms, I'll just have to show you what the Rakshasa demons really are" the woman said, her emotions changing from some sort of disgust to anger. "Well you are trash after all so you don't deserve to fall by this blade" he sneered at her. Dashing foward, Hijiri jabbed with his right arm, dodging and spinning to his left, she noted his left arm swinging back -it's aim, her head- and ducking almost immediately she struck at his shoulder causing it to hang lifelessly by his side. "That was quite disappointing for the glorified Night raid" the woman said casually staring down Hijiri, turning to his blade that stood behind her, she reached for it "Is that all?" Hijiri said casually rolling his supposedly paralysed shoulder, "Your biggest mistake was meeting me" he said adjusting his stance once more "Ooooooh I hope you won't disappoint this time" she said with a twisted grin. Ducking under she narrowly avoided a lightning fast jab to her head Same borin.. a second blow to her face snapped her out of thoughts as she slammed back into a pillar, blood and spittle escaping her mouth. Rushing afterwards and clamping down on her throat with his right arm, he slowly crushed it. Contrasting the moment, her face eased up in pure ecstasy "..m...mo..mor..e" she muttered between coughs and gasps for air, I'LL TAKE OVER FROM HERE Hijiri's wolfish grin twisted into something more sickening, he pushed his right arm foward swiftly, her headless body crumpling to the ground the blood from her neck spraying on his boots. "Now then" Hijiri muttered as he reclaimed his blade turning to another part of the cavern where an explosion occured.
"Sweep!" Mine yelled, stumbling back swinging Pumpkin lower than intended, cutting away a larger portion of Seryuu's lower half, Koro as well. Falling on her backside, Mine let out a soft chuckle "I got her Sheele" before gasping for air. "It's not over yet!!" Seryuu yelled, a twisted look in her eyes as her imperial arms slowly crawled closer to her. "The last number for the sake of justice, my ultimate weapon from which there's no escape! I had Dr. Stylish install this in my brain as a last resort!" Mine's eyes widened in surprise "A suicide bomb?!!" She tried standing frantically but fell down and used Pumpkin -her rifle like imperial arms- as support No that final move drained too much energy, I can't die here. I promised Hijiri I would survive so I have to escape She limped as fast as she could from the suicidal maniac who kept laughing at what seemed like a vain attempt to survive. Taking another step, Mine stumbled but was swept of her feet "Yo, you stayed alive. That's good" Hijiri said cooly with a small smile, tears slowly flowed down the flustered Mine's cheeks as she repeatedly swatted at the snickering Hijiri's chest. "Let's get out of here, ok?" "Hm" Mine gave a small nod and shrank into Hijiri's hold.
I feel so small in his arms. Her thoughts wandered as Hijiri sprinted foward at an inhuman speed as a bright white explosion lit up the cavern behind them "Arata you bastard" he mumbled.
Seryuu slowly opened her eyes Am I dead? pain racked through her body but a cool breeze dried lingering tears on her cheeks.
"Wh...wh..ere a.m I?" She quietly muttered.
"Oh you are awake now" Arata softly spoke as he touched down on a cliff adjusting his hold on her frail wounded body "Wait...where we just flying?!" Seryuu's shocked expression morphed into that of pain at her sudden jerk "You are miraculously alive after your extremely stupid and risky method of taking down the enemy and here you are more concerned if were flying or not. Good grief" Arata irritatedly mentioned "I'm sorry, I just have so many questions" Seryuu said melancholic, with a sigh Arata lifted off the ground and resumed flight. "I was able to short circuit your bomb before it could detonate and I am currently using summoned air to prevent you from bleeding to death, I believe we have to get the bomb removed first" "How did you know where I was? or about the bomb and where's Koro?" Seryuu frantically searched around for her imperial arms, relief setting in after spotting him asleep on Arata's head "I read your data files and found about your whereabouts from your comrades. Now you should be quiet, it is quite a surprise that the shock from the pain has not taken your life already. To think you would still take this much damage even though I tripped the girl to redirect her line of fire. Troublesome" Arata redirected his gaze back to the rocky terrain that streched out in front of him. With tears in her eyes, Seryuu sniffed "So not only did I fail my mission but I aslo failed to deliver justice on those terrorists for the death of my comrades, How can I look the others in the eye now"
THIS HUMAN IS QUITE ANNOYING "Shut up" Seryuu froze at the coldness of Arata's tone "Over and over again, you kept sticking to enforcing that delusional form of justice, it is bloody annoying. And who said anything about returning to the Yeagers, you are no good to them as you are now either way"
"Then tell me!!" she yelled tears falling from both her emotional and physical pain "Tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do?!" she ended wailing in Arata's arms changing his annoyed expression into one of discomfort
"I know a doctor, he is truly the best in the realm, he will save you and I will do whatever it takes to help" Arata's statement left Seryuu seechless, her tears continuing to spill over "Why...why are you doing all this for me?!" YES HUMAN, WHY DO YOU DO THIS? Arata frowned and gazed ahead "What's the point of having so much power if you are not willing to save others with it" wailing loudly, Seryuu shifted closer to Arata who tightened his hold on her "I will save you I promise" I WISH TO SEE IF YOU CAN HUMAN.