The atmosphere changed, and the temperature lowered instantly. Multiple glowing lines drew from side to side on the enemy.
"SSHHEENGG!"
Everything fell apart - body parts dropped onto the dirt. Souma stilled. Blood dripped from his blades to earth.
Kenji's mouth hung open. He glanced at the separated body in crimson and shifted to the bloody blades. One slash?! A gulp ran from his throat to chest. He was holding back on me.
"Tch," Souma left to support the other warriors.
Kenji sat there. The clashes between metals brought him back to reality. He shook his head and grabbed his katana on the ground.
Ishida Kuro clenched his massive shield, "We need to move, Commander Ren!"
Fujiwara Ren gritted his teeth as he scanned the entire area. The Shroud could be enough to take all the Vanguard warriors down, even without the help of the Requiem. Too much for a recruit mission. His arm straight up in the air, "Vanguard - 219. Retreat to the east!"
Kenji followed the commander but a shiver on his spine stopped him. He whipped around. That massive Requiem floated in the air again.
"KRRAAAAAMM!"
The surface cracked open. Vanguard warriors were thrown and crashed into the trees and dirt. Kenji hit the ground but didn't stop - left a trail of sunken dirt.
The ring in his ears hissed loud enough to hear nothing other than that. His muscles tensed up. A scream echoed and followed up with a slashing sound. Kenji lifted his bruised face and focused on the sound. A breath caught at his throat.
His teammates. Blood pooled and soaked the dirt. One of them crawled to escape with their legs snapped sideways.
"FFSSSHHHFAAAB" A spear pierced the neck. Teary eyes rolled to white.
Veins grew on Kenji's fists, no matter how his body was shaking. The katana waited in his grip. He stared at those pupils - pitch black and cold-blooded. Each thrust, stab and slash dug in his teammates. A warmth spread at his chest. It felt like that day when the bodies lay in crimson. Those who he wished to trade his entire life for a minute more.
His feet moved.
Homura caught a glimpse of Kenji on his left, rushing into the slaughtered area. He flinched hard as he noticed the large number of Shrouds. Too dangerous. He lifted himself and lunged at Kenji, "KENJI. DON'T G-"
A sharp blade swiveled straight to him.
"CLEEENGGK!" Perfectly parried. He instantly drove his massive blade at it.
"FSH-SHEEENG!"
Blood burst into the wood chunk. Homura stilled with his bloody greatsword. Blade rested on the ground.
He quickly turned to Kenji. No one.
"Damn it...Don't die!" He frowned and grunted. Rushed forwards but the enemies had already closed in between him and Kenji.
His jaw clenched. Homura forced himself to dig through but his body refused. Not a wise choice. He glanced at the direction where Kenji fled for half a second before falling back to the squad.
On the other side, Kenji hid behind a bush. He looked up just as that massive thing leaped again. The vanguards' screams echoed across the forest.
"RUN!"
"AH!"
"KRAAAMMK!" The Requiem landed again. Three massive holes bit off one fourth of the entire jungle.
Kenji sat alone behind a bush. He observed - pupils shrank as he caught a faint movement. He ducked immediately.
Down the area, boots to dirt and rustled the leaves. A Shroud assassin. Two razor-sharp blades in its grips with blood droplets lingering. It scanned around for prey but there was nothing to find. It turned away.
Kenji caught a faint whimper nearby - quiet, but enough to call upon death.
The Shroud assassin snapped toward the injured warrior.
Kenji raised his head toward the groan, finding the assassin had already closed in on the wounded Vanguard warrior. Kenji shot his eyelids up.
The assassin approached closer and closer. The injured warrior cried desperately and glanced around for anything or anyone who could help. Nothing.
He turned to the assassin and crawled away from it. A sharp gasp filled his lungs before tightening all muscles he had - none of his body parts listened. His breath hitched hard. He looked down and his jaw dropped instantly. Legs already folded.
"GRRR-"
The assassin grinned and swung the blood out of his blades, "GRAA!"
Closer. And closer.
"Kraack!" A tree branch fractured.
It paused and turned its head to the sound.
A blurred silhouette lunged from behind the assassin, "DIE!" Kenji thrust his katana and pierced its chest.
It roared out of its lungs and quickly shifted forwards. Wrenched free from Kenji's blade. It stared at him with two sharp blades trembling in its grips. The pain triggered something. "HRAa-"
A cold ran down Kenji's spine.
The assassin lunged at Kenji with both blades curled on the sides, "GRAAAAAH!"
Kenji's body bolted on instinct yet not fast enough. His eyes reflected the ashen blades closing to him. Kenji locked his jaw and inhaled hard.
"SHHHKUNKK!"
Two lines. Crossing. Fire spread across his chest.
Blood leaked through his pierced armor and rolled down his thighs. Kenji groaned. He frowned and pressed his left hand to the opened wound. He lifted his head to it - no one.
The injured warrior shouted at the top of his lungs, "ON YOUR LEF-" Blood cascaded out of his mouth.
Kenji's eyebrows shot straight up. A cold sensation kicked in as he caught something in the corner of his left eye. That Shroud assassin was already next to him. Arms were fully curled.
"Shi-"
Its blades shot straight and split apart in a flash.
Kenji slowly dragged his eyelids up. A shiver struck his spine as he realized he was already ducking beneath the slash. What the... Never did he think he could dodge it. Akuma's low kick flashed in his memory.
The assassin's eyes widened - the slash met nothing but air. It looked down. Kenji already curled his legs and angled his hip.
"BAM!" Both of its legs flew into the sky. Air exploded in its lungs and burst out of its mouth.
Before it could react, Kenji's katana already closed in, five centimeters away.
"SHEENG!" A glowing white line drew on its neck for half a second. The head rolled out of the torso. Blood streamed out and darkened the ground.
Sharp air blew out of Kenji's mouth. That line. What was it? The question barely formed before reality pulled him back. Cold spread across his back. He understood this and threw himself to the right.
"FHHSSS-PHHAP" An ashen, smoking arrow dug into the tree.
He whipped around. A troop of The Shroud rushed over. Too much. Kenji quickly lunged at the injured warrior and pressed his back against the warrior's chest. Arms wrapped around both thighs before Kenji fled into the forest.
The cold found him again. Yet his entire body trembled so hard this time.
He whirled his head behind and found one of them floating in the sky. Different from the others. Dark fitted armor encased its torso with a black demonic bow in its grips.
The bowstring was already stretched at its peak.
Without a sound, the ground next to him exploded and flicked Kenji with his teammate. Dirt and rocks surged into the air as a massive tree snapped at the root. Stunning. Kenji wrenched himself on his feet and carried the injured Vanguard on his back.
He forced himself to keep running. Behind him, a crowded troop of The Shroud. Beside him, dirt heaved and trees snapped. He rushed from tree to tree, cutting off their line of sight.
Something drove into his left side and threw him into a deep hole.
Kenji glanced up as the cave swallowed them. Souma - his leg shot straight and recovered. No word left his mouth. Souma jumped in the small cave and blocked the entrance with rocks.
"AAAHH" A vanguard jolted as they crashed in, "Wait…KENJI!?"
Air exploded as Kenji hit himself on the ground with a thud. He groaned, "S-Sora?"
Souma said nothing but glanced at Kenji and the vanguard. Souma walked deeper into the cave.
The injured Vanguard pulled Kenji's sleeve. Blood gushed out of his mouth as his grip tightened. He drew what air he had left, "Thank you-"
"Tell Kimura…Don't join the Vang…", He paused and lifted his hand to cover his mouth. Not enough. He slightly turned his head sideways and vomited loads of blood. Grip loosened from Kenji's sleeve.
Eyes went glossy and grey.
Kenji quivered hard. He grasped his shoulders, "Hey…" His heart pounded hard against the ribcage. Lungs forgot what to do.
A tear rolled on Kenji's cheek. Another one followed and escaped to the armor of the deceased warrior, "Please. Please…"
"Kenji…" Sora gently placed his palm on Kenji's shoulder
Kenji couldn't break a sound. He sat beside him. Eyes wet but nothing fell.
Down the cave, feet to rock. Souma emerged out of the dark and glared at Kenji. He shifted to the dead body before turning to Kenji again.
He broke the dead silence, "This cave. It has another way out."
"No threat nearby. Good to go now."
Kenji faced Souma - crimson vessels grew in the corner of his pupils. He mumbled, "Let's go..."
Souma walked back into the cave. After stepping inside, he noticed Kenji didn't follow. His brows furrowed as he glanced through his shoulder.
"Wha-?" His jaw dropped instantly - Kenji was carrying the dead body.
"Drop him down."
Kenji glanced up, "Why?"
"I said drop him there. What is he going to do with us?" Souma pointed to dirt.
"He has a family," Kenji paused, "And he deserves to be buried."
Souma's fists tightened as he approached Kenji, "Then go carry all of the corpses out there!"
Kenji's legs stumbled without his decision. Couldn't say anything.
"If you die, who's going to carry you back? Huh?!" He drove his palm into Kenji's chest as the dead body rolled on the ground. Kenji dug his fingers into the surface. His entire body trembled.
Souma didn't leave a care and turned away.
Kenji's face lifted up. He gritted his teeth and the veins grew around his fists. Kenji got on his knees. He wiped down the half opened eyelids of his dead teammate before lifting him once again.
Veins bulged around Souma's face as he found Kenji dragging that dead body again. Fingers curled into his palms. Words left Kenji's mouth - just slightly above whispering,"If you ever died..."
He paused and stared at Souma, "I would still drag you back."
Souma froze. His mouth hung open but nothing came out. His heart paused one beat. Fists clenched before his mind caught up.
Kenji stood there - somehow felt like him. He lunged at Kenji as his right arm curled, "They all said the same!"
His fist met Kenji's cheek as Souma's scream echoed the entire cave, "And I AM ALWAYS THE ONE TO CARRY THEM BACK!"
Kenji fell onto the ground again, dropping the body. He glanced at the body, stopped for a second before turning to Souma. He drove forward, thrust his shoulder straight and tackled him into the dark cave, "Damn you!"
Sora stood there and trembled, "H-Hey! Stop fighting…"
He gathered whatever bravery he had left and walked deep into the dark cave. Too cold. He jumped out at the blocked entrance. A glimpse of light was enough for him. He snapped wide. Sora pressed his back hard into the rocks, legs braced, "Where is the...body?!"
Something caught his attention. His breath caught at the throat as he looked at it. Two tiny glowing balls floated in the air.
Eyes...? It-It's staring at me?!