"What do we do?" Ace asked. Tenn glanced over at Azrael.
"I guess you can just get practice now. Turn into a sword Azrael." Tenn said. A piece Azrael popped out as his body went and hid away. It turned into a sword as Ace grabbed it.
"Why does he leave every time there's a fight?" Ace asked.
"I don't know. It's just practice for me I guess." Tenn replied. There were three Hunters approaching. Ace glanced over at her bag.
"I should grab my—" She was thinking before her train of thought was lost by a screech of pain from one of the Hunters.
"Are you gonna help or what?" Tenn asked, standing over a dead Hunter. The other two quickly approached as the Hound went and jumped to them. Tenn and Ace both dove out of the way as the Hound landed. As it did, it broke some of the ground and fell down a level. Ace went and grabbed her bag quickly.
"Let's get out of here!" Ace shouted.
"We can't. If they get away, more will come." Tenn explained. The two Hunters rushed at Ace. Ace gulped as she held the sword in a fighting position.
"I've seen enough movies. Hopefully." She thought to herself. One of the Hunters tried to get a scratch at her before she blocked with the sword. The other Hunter went to attack her when Tenn tackled it.
"Just deal with that one for now—" Tenn was saying before the ground broke some more due to the Hound. He and his Hunter fell down a level as the Hound tried to crush Tenn. Tenn held up it's foot then rolled out of the way. The Hunter charged him again as the Hound tried to slam its body into him. Meanwhile, Ace wasn't doing too good.
"This— isn't fair!" She shouted, deflecting scratches from the Hunters. She Back peddled as the Hunter tried to get a scratch. It tripped over into her.
"Dammit! Get off!" She shouted, thrusting the blade into it's back. It went right through, however the Hunter was still alive. It pushed Ace to the edge of the building, trying to take her with it. Ace pulled back the blade but it was too late. She lost her footing and the two fell off the side of the building.
"I'm gonna... d-die!" Ace exclaimed, losing her composure. However, like someone grabbed her, she stopped falling. The Hunter plummeted to the ground as Ace was holding on to something.
"Thank me later." Azrael said. The sword she had had wrapped around her hand and grabbed onto the ledge. She got back up.
"You can't die just yet. I still need you." Azrael explained. Ace stared at him for a second. She was confused.
"Huh?" She asked. Suddenly, the ground below them collapsed. Tenn was fighting the Hound as it backed up on its hind legs. He jumped at it and pushed it all the way down to its back, she finished it off at the neck. Tenn was taking heavy breaths. Ace watched him stand there with blood all over his left arm. She got that uncomfortable feeling again. She didn't like it at all.
"There's more coming." Azrael said. Ace and Tenn turned to him.
"What?" Tenn asked.
"There's more. Let's get going." Azrael said.
"How? Nobody would have told them we're... here..." Tenn was saying. As he did, he turned to look off the building. He scanned the area.
"Is someone... watching us?" He asked.
"Who cares? We have to go. We'll lose them on the way." Azrael said. Tenn glanced back out. Why would Hunters know where they are. He shook his head.
"Whatever, we've gotta get some sort of cover." Tenn said. He walked over and grabbed Ace's shirt.
"Hey, what are you doing?" She asked.
"We've gotta go, and you can't keep up with us. Not yet at least." Tenn explained.
"Huh?" Ace asked. Tenn then jumped off the building with Azrael following from a distance. He was pulling Ace along with him.
"Give me a warning next time!" She shouted. She didn't like his left arm. It was scary to her. She was afraid of it. The two ran as a few more Hunters began to catch up. Four of them to be exact.
"We're gonna fight. I can't go as fast with you." Tenn said, slowing down. They were on an empty street. A piece of Azrael popped up from somewhere and turned into a sword, which Tenn grabbed. He looked over at Ace.
"You couldn't give her one too?" He asked. A sigh came from the sword. Another piece of Azrael quickly came in and it expanded to a sword. Tenn and Ace turned to the four Hunter approaching. Suddenly, a Hound appeared as well.
"This won't be fun." Tenn said.
"Hm..." A male voice said. He was a watching Tenn.
"If he survives this... I'll be impressed..." The voice said again. It seemed it was taking observations on Tenn. Seeing what he could do...
"Watch it!" Tenn shouted, seeing the Hound pounce towards them. Ace dodged out of the way as Tenn put up his left hand. The Hounds crashed into it as Tenn was pushed back.
"Not the effect it was looking for." He said to himself. He jumped back as two of the Hunters charged him. Meanwhile, Ace was dealing with the other two Hunters.
"This human. How does she fair in a fight?" The voice said again.
Ace backed up as the two Hunters charged her. She deflected an attack and barely dodged another one.
"Swing your sword!" Azrael shouted from the sword.
"They'll just deflect it!" Ace shouted.
"Just swing!" Azrael shouted back. Ace dodged an attack then swung her sword. As the Hunter she swung at tried to block it, the sword in her hand slipped out due to Azrael's doing. He quickly transformed into a small sickle, which quickly stabbed into the Hunter's head. It collapsed as the other Hunter just watched, confused on what happened.
Ace stared at the dead Hunter. She grit her teeth and quickly grabbed the sickle from the Hunter's body. The other Hunter put it's arms up to block as she went to stab it. Azrael turned into a sword and completely caught the Hunter by surprise. He got through the block and stabbed it in the chest. Ace then grabbed the handle and pushed the sword up. It exited the shoulder blade as his body also fell. Ace was taking deep breaths.
"Go help Tenn now." Azrael said. Ace stared at the ground.
"I... I never wanted this... this is all because of that man!" She thought to herself. She never imagined she'd be fighting for her life. The realization came to her after killing two Hunters with her own hands.
"ACE! Help Tenn!" Azrael shouted.
"SHUT UP!" She shouted. After a second, she realized what she said. She looked at Azrael, or, the sword.
"You're just like him... just like him. Like—" Ace was saying before Azrael cut her off.
"Look, I don't know who you're comparing me to, but how's not the time to talk. You want Tenn to die? Me neither." He said. Ace just stared at the sword.
"That man from the house... he's too similar to him." She thought to herself. She went and grabbed the sword.
"Hm... that sword. Is that Azrael?" The voice asked itself. There was a small laugh.
"I'm surprised. What is he planning?" The voice asked.
"Shi—" Tenn exclaimed, backing up. The two Hunters and the Hound all attack in coordination. One after another. One of the Hunters lunged at him as Tenn sidestepped. He then threw the sword as it went and stabbed the Hunter in the back. He then turned to the other Hunter, but was greeted with the Hound. It rammed him and sent him flying quite a bit back. The Hound kept running forward, crushing the Hunter he had already stabbed.
"God, these things don't know coordination at all... sorry about that Azrael.." Tenn said to himself, getting up and referring to the sword it crushed. The Hound sped up towards him as Tenn jumped out of the way. He rolled as the Hound slowed down to turn around. Tenn took this chance to finish the last Hunter. He rushed at it as the Hunter rushed at him. It swung at him as Tenn slid and swept it's feet from under it. He quickly got up and stuck his hand into it and took out it's heart.
"Great. Now there's just you." Tenn said to himself, clasping his hands together. The Hound charged at him again.
"Go Tenn. Go for the eye." Azrael said from Ace's sword. She came up behind him.
"What are you gonna—" Ace was asking before Tenn dashed forward at it.
"Azrael I swear to god you better do something!" Tenn thought to himself. The Hound kept running and Tenn kept running. Suddenly, the Hound whimpered in pain as it also slowed down. Its back leg was injured and being held down by the Azrael sword he crushed with the Hunter earlier.
"Thank god." Tenn thought to himself, glad he didn't basically just get himself killed. He jumped up and stabbed the Hound in the eye. He went back to the ground then barely dodged getting stomped on. He then stabbed it in the neck, finished it off. The black goo from its foot quickly moved away from everyone to Azrael's main body.
"Let's go. There doesn't seem to be any more." Azrael said. Everyone else nodded as the three ran away from the scene.
"They're clearly capable. I wonder if they're the reason our Hunters and Hounds have been going down for the past four years. I'll deal with them myself." The voice said, clearly leaving the scene as well. Everyone departed, but the voice knew. They would meet face to face. He knew what to do. He was always thinking. That's who he was...
Later...
"I think we're good here." Tenn said, stopping in an enclosed building. He and Ace were taking a few deep breaths.
"Whoever was watching us is no longer watching us. Told you we'd lose them." Azrael said. Everyone rested for a bit.
"I'm gonna head to sleep now. I feel exhausted. Tenn said.
"Alright. You do you. I'll be on the lookout from a top for a bit." Azrael replied. He quickly went out of sight, going towards the top of the building. Ace made sure he was gone.
"Tenn..." She began. Tenn tilted his head in confusion.
"Yeah?" He asked. Ace took a deep breath.
"I wouldn't trust him." She said. Tenn sighed.
"Who? Azrael. You don't have to be so cryptic." Tenn said.
"Azrael... he's just like that man from the house." She said. Tenn was a little alerted by that.
"A man... from the house? You mean the one you were at before..." He was asking. Ace nodded. Tenn tightened his fist up.
"Why didn't you mention him before?" He asked.
"What? I thought it would have nothing to do with you." She said.
"It doesn't matter! That would have been important to know!" He shouted. This "man" Ace brought up triggered him. His dreams, that figure he saw. It must be him.
"I... What was this man doing?" Tenn asked.
"He was kinda old, worked at an orphanage, or said he did. He was messed up. Crazy and sketchy. I went to him for money so I could see him." Ace was explaining. Tenn stared at the ground.
"Why? Why why why!?" He shouted. Ace was confused on her part.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" He asked. Ace was at a loss for words.
"I-I don't know. This man, he's dangerous. Azrael is like him!" Ace exclaimed.
"How do you know!? You're not gonna come down here and tell me that! You couldn't even tell me this!" Tenn shouted. Ace couldn't get anything out.
"I trust Azrael with my life. He practically saved my life several times. What have you done? Nothing but be human!" Tenn shouted more. He was getting defensive. He didn't like the fact she was insulting Azrael.
"Please. Listen to me. He's not good..." She said.
"Who cares if he's not good. He'll help me leave here. He saved me, so I'm grateful. He's the only person I've known for several years. I trust him more than you!" Tenn explained, his arm beginning to turn into a monster's. He was heated and losing composure.
"But—" Ace was trying to say but Tenn stopped her.
"Don't! Just don't! I don't care if we're both human, you're not gonna tell me what is what! Now shut up. I'm going to sleep." Tenn said, walking away. He was going to a separate part of the building. As he did, his arm calmed down. Meanwhile, Ace just watched as he left.
"I... I want to leave... I want to go back... I just want to see him..." She said to herself. Behind a wall, Azrael stood.
"Well, never liked her to begin with. Whatever... but this man... who is he?" He asked himself. He was curious. How was he similar to this man? He didn't know. He went back to scouting, making sure no more enemies approached...