Nishihara ran through the base, now a brutal inferno. He couldn't find any of his officers or the Chimera; the last he saw of Raiden was the lieutenant falling from the watchtower, he knew he'd be fun but still tried to look for him or anyone else that could help out. Takao followed behind him until the officer quickly came to a stop.
Bodies were scattered across the floor, each one was missing a head. The brutal mess couldn't have been done by any rebels, Nishihara knew this. Takao examined the bodies. 'They were torn off, not even cut...' Nodding, Nishihara looked around, he felt the presence of another nearby.
The other quickly flew through the fire and swung a blade at the officer. Nishihara parried heavily and faced the masked figure face-to-face. The two broke off and stood opposite each other. Glancing at the gloves of the man, Nishihara saw blood all over. Still facing the figure, Nishihara spoke to Takao behind him, 'Takao, go find the others. Sakaguchi's team shouldn't be far down the lane. I'll handle this guy...' Nodding, Takao ran off, leaving the two to pace around.
Nishihara drew a deep breath, his knees bending slightly, the Odachi held steady and poised, ready to strike. His eyes never left the figure before him, watching every subtle movement, every flicker of intent. The figure paced silently, so still, so quiet that not even the faintest breath could be heard - like the very air held its breath.
In its hand, the blade glinted coldly, scavenged from one of the fallen corpses scattered around them, its edges stained with the remnants of death.
'You work with the rebels?'
No reply.
Nishihara's eyes narrowed as the figure closed the distance, moving with a flash of speed. In an instant, it lunged, its blade aiming straight for his neck.
Instinctively, Nishihara blocked, his focus snapping to the mask of the figure before he was forced to push back and swing twice, his Odachi cutting arcs through the air. The first swing missed, and the figure leaped over the second, landing on one foot with deadly precision. Without hesitation, it launched a brutal kick toward Nishihara's head.
The officer pivoted just in time, but the kick slammed into his shoulder with bone-shaking force. He gritted his teeth, the pain searing through his body. Despite the YNS' protection, the impact still rattled him, sending shockwaves of agony down his spine.
In the blink of an eye, the figure spun, ducked low, and thrust its blade backward. The sword whipped upward in a vicious arc, cutting through the air toward Nishihara's chest. He was too slow - his body frozen in the moment, unable to react in time.
Shit! I can't read his moves!
Slowly, Nishihara pushed himself to his feet, his grip tight on the hilt of his sword. Across from him, the figure stood calmly, tapping their chin, eyes locked on him with eerie focus. Nishihara wiped the blood from his face, a grim smile tugging at his lips as he muttered a quiet remark about the opponent's speed and precision.
The two squared off once more, their knees bending in preparation. In a flash, they launched at each other, tearing through the fiery landscape. Sparks flew with every clash of their blades, the deafening sound ringing through the air, yet somehow maintaining an elegant rhythm. They skidded and flipped around one another, a blur of motion, each attempt to strike countered by a deflection. The ground beneath them shook as they passed by fighting rebel and garrison soldiers, winds whirling in their wake.
It was clear - each combatant was in a league of their own.
Nishihara's eyes darted ahead to the wall of fire rising before them. He glanced sideways at the figure, who stared back, unfazed, not even a hint of concern for the flames. With a scoff, Nishihara surged forward, propelling himself onto a flipped truck, using it as a springboard to launch himself over the fire. As he sailed through the air, he glanced back, expecting the figure to follow through the only possible escape route.
But then, through the flames, the figure emerged - like a creature born of fire. They spun, creating a vortex of heat and flame around their body, then twisted upward, swinging their blade at Nishihara with deadly precision.
Instinctively, Nishihara swung down, but the strike was weak, lacking his usual force. The blow sent him flying backward, crashing into a burning tank. His back cracked against the metal with a sickening thud, his Odachi flying from his grasp.
The figure, unharmed by the fire, landed gracefully on their feet, their movements fluid and unbothered. They swung their blade, sending drops of Nishihara's blood splattering across the cracked floor. Step by step, they walked toward him with slow, deliberate pace.
Coughing up blood, Nishihara collapsed forward onto the ground, his vision swimming. He looked up weakly, trying to force himself to stand. With a grunt, he cracked his back back into place, pain shooting through his spine, but his resolve remained unbroken.
'Damn it... Who are you!?'
Still no reply.
The figure was closing in on Nishihara, the lethal intent clear in their every movement, ready to end him. But then, through the wall of flames, a spear shot through the air, slicing the smoke. It narrowly missed the figure's head, who, with uncanny reflexes, tilted just enough to avoid it, the blade grazing the air where their skull had been a heartbeat ago.
The spear landed with a thud in the ground before Nishihara, its point embedded deeply into the dirt. As the figure looked toward the horizon, the thrower appeared - blazing through the air like a comet. They struck the earth with the force of a meteor, lightning arcing across their body in a brilliant crackle as they stood tall, head raised to face the conflict.
Nishihara's lips curled into a faint, weary smile, the relief fleeting but real, even as his body screamed in exhaustion.
'Step away from the officer.'
The figure didn't look back, but leaned back to listen as they gripped their blade. Nishihara called out, his voice a little hoarse.
'Hey, Raiden... I don't know if this guy's working with the rebels, but he's dangerous.'
Raiden gave a sharp nod, his fists clenched tight as he moved toward the figure. Nishihara's hand hovered near his Odachi, waiting for the lieutenant's signal. The figure finally turned, eyes narrowing before shaking their head slightly, a silent challenge, before jabbing forward with quick precision.
Raiden reacted almost instinctively, tilting his head just in time to avoid the strike, his body flowing like water around the attack. The figure's expression shifted to confusion, and in a flash, they threw a left hook - fast and brutal. Raiden sidestepped effortlessly, the strike whistling past him.
Without hesitation, Raiden moved in - his knee slamming into the figure's gut, the force knocking the wind out of them. As they staggered, Raiden followed up with a brutal punch aimed straight down. The figure blocked with their blade, sparks flying from the clash, but they recovered quickly, leaping up with surprising agility.
They came at Raiden with a flurry of kicks - one to his leg, another to his waist, and a third crashing into his shoulder. Before he could react, the figure spun midair, launching a back heel kick straight for Raiden's neck. But the final, most deadly strike was dodged with ease.
Raiden's sharp eyes noticed the figure's balance was off. This was the moment. He shouted to Nishihara, 'Now!'
From the figure's blind spot, Nishihara exploded forward, his Odachi raised high. With all the force he could muster, he swung down, aiming to slice through the mask and, hopefully, the face beneath it. The blade connected, grinding along the mask's surface, the sheer power of the strike sending the figure tumbling backward. They hit the ground hard, flipping onto their back with a heavy thud.
The figure recovered swiftly, getting back to their feet with unnatural speed, the mask still intact. Nishihara's breath caught in his throat - there wasn't a scratch on it.
Raiden moved toward his spear, now crackling with lightning as he retrieved it from the ground. His eyes flicked between the two combatants, measuring, waiting. In that moment, the figure darted back through the fire, a blur of motion disappearing into the flames.
Nishihara's instinct was to chase, but Raiden's arm shot out, stopping him cold. 'Not yet,' he growled, his eyes locked on the flames.
'Raiden, why?'
'We must find the others first, you barely survived without me, you're lucky.'
Nodding reluctantly, Nishihara followed Raiden as the two continued their search for the others.
Above the battlefield, the frigate lowered slightly as a single drop pod was primed to launch into the hellscape. Sitting back against the wall casually, the Chimera sighed in relief. 'Alright, let's see how these other gen seven's do, shall we...' He grinned to himself as the pod was fired off down into the base.
Chapter 17- End