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Aki ran towards the group of people running and threw his chain sickle to a monster "Run everyone!" The chain sickle moved like a snake in the air, obliterating several creatures in one sweep.
Sotoki and Airi was with the running crowd "What is that thing he's using...?" wondered Sotoki as they continued running. "Look! He's coming with us!" Aki swung on posts and nearby buildings and kept charging that way. The monsters now had their eyes on Aki and the people being victims were lessened. "Come here!" Aki said to provoke the monsters. He would do anything to protect others, even if it means him dying. The chain sickle that he's using was just acquired by him earlier, but he managed to know the principles behind it and how to manipulate its power.
The monsters' amount increased and increased, trying to overpower the sickle-user. But he managed to hold himself even with the increasing horde of enemies. "He just moved differently." Sotoki proclaimed as he saw a difference on Aki's movements "What do you mean? I think nothing's changed." Airi couldn't see what Sotoki is referring to. It's quite surreal as well since the fight's going on a bit far from them. It's also hard to see such things when there's a crowd around you and the one you're observing is being surrounded. 'Something's different about Sotoki.' is what she thought. No normal human couldn't see such a thing, unless he was just bluffing.
"I'm not lying. He's become slower as well. The continuous swinging of the chain has strained his arms and he's losing his focus." Sotoki continued to share his observations that not one people around him can even relate to.
All of a sudden, Aki started falling. His sickle didn't reach the post that he wanted it to stick to "Agh! I can't... bring them to the people...!" He did his best to grapple himself to a building, but even if he managed to save the people, he didn't manage to protect himself. The monsters were following Aki like homing missiles, and as soon he changed course, they finally reached him. He didn't notice that he sent his sickle to a part where he'd go nearer the monsters. "GAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!" he screamed, but the crowd of people had not cared much as they wanted to live and kept on running. The walls of the building were filled with holes produced by the monsters. Aki was continuously barraged by them. He was possessed and now was eaten, killed mentally and physically.
"No..!" Airi gasped after witnessing the death of their current hero "You were right...!" she looked at Sotoki "Let's keep running... We can mourn for his death later." He sounded a bit cruel, but there was nothing that he could do. If they stopped running, the monsters would keep up with them. The tragic hero had brought many of those spirits near them and upon his death, they might return to their original preys.
Airi, on the other hand, was thinking about something else other than the death of Aki. How did Sotoki manage to notice such small things? Thinking about it, why did he tell her that they're go to Edogawa? What's in Edogawa? So many questions, but he doesn't want to be rude and ask him about things when she's the one who brought him with her here.
"Earlier, you saw me right? On the floor." spoke Sotoki all of a sudden "I was looking at a man in a kimono and stayed looking at the direction of that person. He told me that I should go to a shrine." then his face turned grave "That person died before he even managed to finish whatever he was going to tell me, but I managed to know what shrine he's referring to. I saw the crest of the Aoihoshi Shrine on a necklace he's wearing. That's how I knew." then Airi shared the grave expression that Sotoki had. He just learned that another one member of their shrine had died. "They've done so much..." she cried, but she kept trying to hold it as she did so.
The inevitable happened, the people around Sotoki and Airi were getting killed faster than earlier after the monsters completely devoured Aki. "Let's take another path!" he commanded Airi "O-Okay!" They ran into a different direction. Sotoki suggested that idea because there was a reason, a quite cruel one. The crowd can buy time for them to run. He didn't tell Airi about that as he was sure she will find it cruel and will be against it.
They ran for quite a bit, but as expected "Kazumi-san! Duck!" they both fell on the ground and a massive spirit moved above them. Airi looked in front of her and saw that there are more of them "T-There's more to come...!" She was starting to get scared herself. Sotoki stood up and pulled Airi along "L-Let's go!" it was noticeable in his voice that he felt frightened as well.
Ran and ran, so they did as Sotoki looked for a way to lose their chasers. For some reason, he had been feeling something odd, but that feeling helps him. He managed to avoid places where the monsters are "Hah.. Hah..." he was starting to get tired though. But then, he felt that he lost grip of something. Stopping on his tracks, he looked behind him and saw Airi on the ground "Kazumi-san!!" he ran to her, but there were monsters getting near her already "No!" he refused to let the person that he had trusted, he trusted someone else for the first time. All of a sudden, he felt something on his hands "What?" there were two daggers that had unique designs and symbols on them "Isn't this...?" but he had no time to think. "Die!" he shouted to the monsters as he leaped to them. In a blink of an eye, they vanished.
A long stick suddenly pierced the monster in front of him "W-What?" he was startled, but he came on to his senses when Yoshimi asked if he was alright "I am fine." Looking behind him, she was there, holding the spear that defeated the unknown being "I would like to inquire as to why you have that and why you know how to use it, but there's no time." then she prompted him to follow her. Does she have an idea as to where to go?
He stood up and followed behind Yoshimi, it looks like she was headed towards a witness who seemed to be surprised about her defeating the monster in one hit, it was amazing after all. "They just appeared all of a sudden... What are they?" he added after Yoshimi answered the boy's question about what the creatures are. Then he suggested to get out of the place first, Nikko nodded. Yoshimi and him followed the boy. Nikko occasionally checked behind him to see if there are monsters tailing them. He had brought his umbrella as well since its good enough for protection than having nothing at all.
As they neared the place that the boy was leading them too, several monsters had appeared and Nikko had tried to guard himself with the umbrella, though that umbrella broke after a few more uses and he had to throw it away. Yoshimi was doing fine with her spear though, he'll have to ask her about it later.
They reached a house afterwards and the boy said it was his home "Hah... Hah... Alright..." Nikko was catching his breath. He wasn't used to running and doing a long run all of a sudden has put quite a strain on him. Before he entered though, he saw a metal pipe lying around. He decided to pick it up before entering.
The house had no signs of being attacked or anything "This looks like the safest place for now." Then the introductions started, Yoshimi introduced Nikko to him "Nice to meet you, Yamamoto-san." then he thanked him as well for helping them. They were told to keep quiet, it'll be troublesome if the monsters found them out.
After thinking for a few minutes, Nikko spoke "I think those were wraiths." he said, referring to the monster with the huge mouth "I'm not entirely sure but... it fits the description that my parents told me." he is also part of a shrine family after all. Legends such as that have been told to him by his parents, though they were supposed to be myths only. "Just thought that I should share what I know." he said then someone started knocking.
Nikko quickly stood up and held his iron bar "Be careful." he told Hideki, who was getting near the door "Who is it?!" shouted Hideki. "Help me please!" the voice from outside said. Hideki checked who it was and after confirming that it was a normal person, he let him in. Another one has joined their group "Please rest for now." the guy who introduced himself as Harashi Hanazawa was gasping for breath. They shared greetings afterwards.
Suddenly, Nikko felt something 'What..?' he felt something coming from the outside. Grass, sounds of the grass swaying abnormally. "Something's amiss." he said out of nowhere. He stood up and slowly walked towards the shrine doors. The iron bar was already raised, a bad feeling's surging through him. Then he was startled. BANG. "W-What?!" the door was shaking. BANG BANG. "Have they found us?!"
Kuruoshi had sent wraiths and shades all around Tokyo "Hehehehe!! Die imbeciles." he planned on destroying Tokyo first. There's already two shrines in Tokyo, he doesn't feel the need to destroy them but... the more destructions, the weaker the seal. "Let's see those shrines get destroyed." his sadistic laugh continued.
The Wraiths had found one of the shrines that protects the seal. Now they're about to get in.
The doors cracked "This is bad..." he putted his guard up once more. He felt the weird sensation again, but this time was more specific. "Five wraiths..." he said. For some reason, he sensed movements on the other side. BANG BANG BANG. "It's breaking!" then the door fell down and revealed behind it were wraiths, five in total. One already started to charge "Stop!" he sent his pipe down and all of a sudden he felt a more strong feeling. Then behind the wraiths appeared a tree, no, that wasn't it. Creaking noise, the tree was moving "A-An ent?" the tree creature sent its huge arm to a wraith and continued to attack it until it was defeated "Is it helping us?" First wraiths, now an ent, the day is becoming more and more unrealistic.