Riv balled his fist checking on his animals. Payak's legs were cut off by the pinhead and clown who had finally stopped running around. Aariv had weakened too much to control the animals. Riv growled fiercely, wanting to dive down and kill every last one of them but he couldn't. Not until he had full power over their group as they still had an unknown advantage. And they were good at picking at him from every angle. Ever since they stepped into the damn jungle.
He gripped Lilith's leathered fins and leaned toward the side with the chopped forest. His eyes scanned the large webs the men had caused Payak to make. Crisscrossing over the entire field.
Fools. That would just be easy to use against them. Now, why would they make that in the first place? Is someone immune to them? Are they going to launch something off of there?
His mind buzzed to piece together those actions. But a sudden aroma pricked his nose. Riv sniffed the air looking around. Purple mist hovered below, Lilith squirming within the vines. He needed to go down and cut her out.
It should be easy to waste time. Kurapika wouldn't come back up, not when my power passes him without the chains. Scarlet eyes or not, the Dark Continent is too much for mere humans with Nen. Less than thirty minutes left, and Raine is still crippled--
Riv gasped as his eyes fixated towards the roof of the Chief's Tower, cursing in his head. Raine was already there with Lua's body encased beside her. Aariv was unable to get to her, Payak unable to get there, Lilith stuck.
"Lilith give me a minute." He leaped to the edge of the fish, channeling all his focus on Lua. He balled his fist, his eyes simmering red. His aura was ready to burst.
The moment she frees Lua, I have everyone in my hands. They'll all be knocked out, and become food. If Lilith eats one more corpse, she'll create a barrier around her, with Raine and I in it. Our ticket out of here.
Raine lifted Bisky, bringing her to her chest. Riv remained cautious, his whole body on lockdown to attack.
Any moment...
Raine placed Bisky back down, and scooted Lua closer, the black vines surrounding her silver feathers. Raine then took out the leaf with his blood, holding the bird's head with one hand.
Riv narrowed his eyes.
Raine's aura hummed brilliantly...engulfing his bird.
Lua...are you awake?
No response. Raine pried the black vines apart, leaving an opening for Lua's head to peek through.
Lua? Are you there?
Nothing.
Riv raised an eyebrow as Raine put down the small leaf. She started cradling Lua's head. Inside her mouth was a lengthened spear, a hardened vine that Riv had forgotten about. How the blonde girl stabbed her throat before falling asleep.
Riv froze. The thought just appeared in his head. His gaze fell to the floor remembering a scene before his eyes slowly climbed back up to Raine in realization. He couldn't access Lua at all. His heart pounded pathetically recalling how he lost contact with the wolf in the first place. Raine's aura had blocked his out.
Riv took a quick step forward before his body denied him, resisting to interfere. Instead, his heart silenced to take in this new view, his eyes falling curious to Raine's intricate movements.
She pulled the vine from Lua's mouth, then unwrapped the rest of her body, freeing her limbs and wings. Raine's eyes continued to glow as she rested beside Lua's body once more. Raine laid her head over the bird's chest, her arms around her as if she was going to sleep right then and there.
Riv found himself more at ease to see Lua being taken care of, but he stepped to the very edge of Lilith to determine what was happening. Then he caught sight of Raine's lips moving. Talking to Lua. Raine finally rose her head to face Bisky, pulling her closer as well.
What?
Riv was baffled, as Raine stroked both of them in a caring gesture. How a mother would calm a child. Something Riv was robbed of.
Unconditional love.
Lua, that had knocked out Bisky. Bisky, who had stabbed Lua in the throat. And yet...Raine neither sought violence to punish nor scold them.
Riv tore his eyes away, remembering the matter at hand. His hands ran through his hair, his gaze facing the ground. Something in his heart churned. Something that didn't seem possible. His vision, his keen future based on evidence of the cruel, cruel world. But...maybe it wasn't cruel after all.
Riv buried his face in his hands.
Why wasn't she there when...why am I being shown this now. It's too late.
Riv's thoughts snapped as he was met with a forceful kick to the stomach. He staggered back, shaking his head.
Kurapika!?
Riv straightened himself out, ridding the previous scene, releasing his BloodLust. "You've come back for more?"
Kurapika resumed his fighting stance and kept his attacks consistent. Riv blocked with his arms, but the repeated blows didn't give Riv a chance to counter. Each punch was followed by another menacing rush of power.
What the- did he not give me his full strength before?
Riv's forearm cracked, his tape coming undone. He gritted his teeth as his wound exposed. His arm pulsed a deep purple color, blood spurting from a cut that seeped down to his bone. Kurapika latched onto his head, bringing his knee up for three quick blows before Riv caught on and swept Kurapika's leg out from under him, allowing an opening for Riv to slam Kurapika's body on the back of Lilith's bones. Followed by a solid punch to the gut.
Kurapika coughed up blood from his mouth as Riv hovered over him. "You bastard," Kurapika mustered out.
"Ridiculous," Riv mumbled. "Open your mouth." Riv crushed Kurapika's face with his bloody forearm, but Kurapika caught it in time with his hand. A smile formed across the chain user's face. They wrestled intensely for a moment, Riv surprised Kurapika could withstand his full strength with the gem and aura.
His attacks were too quick.
Riv pressed harder, both their arms shaking. But Riv smirked as the blood leaked off his forearm, dripping dangerously close to Kurapika's lips whose eyes dilated in disgust. But Kurapika was neither struggling nor winning.
Riv raised an eyebrow in realization. Throwing himself off of Kurapika.
Stalling? Another distracti--
Riv gripped his own throat choking. Swallowing something hard and circular as it plummeted down his body.
"What was that?!" He spun around but found nothing. Kurapika was gone. Then Lilith jerked right, a sudden movement sending Riv into the fin. He yelled viciously at the sudden chaos. The impact sending Lilith just over the field of webs.
Riv caught himself by leaping into the air, looking for the mishap. No one near him. But what caused Lilith to move? As Riv whisked in the air, a sudden grumbling vibrated his skin, shivers causing his heart to drop. Instincts forced him to face the sky.
His eyes widened, a large woman rocketed down on him. Her figure surged a stronger Nen as she crushed him and Lilith. Too fast to blink.
Both of them slammed painfully into the webs below. Stuck once more. Riv sure his body had crushed to dust. The lights thought to go out, but he sat up immediately. Short of breath. His eyes were bloodshot grasping the matter at hand. He stood up darting his eyes around.
They paralyzed Lilith with the Webs! To move her, to hit her, was only possible from that master.
Riv jumped off Lilith's unmoving body that settled in the middle of the field. Dust clouds covered the entirety of his vision until a figure loomed before him. A giant blonde figure with murderous intent.
"I'd love to see the look on your face before you die," she cracked her knuckles then cocked her head. Her pearl dress hung loosely against her bulked body.
Riv's eyes pinned her fiercely. His hair spiked out in rage. Riv popped his knuckles as well and initiated a brawl with Bisky. "Then let's not hold back."
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