"Being a Beast Art User is freaking awesome!" The man grinned, a monstrous expression that was both horrifying and gleeful.
His body was already poised for attack, and Danto was in full alert mode, his mind a mix of tactical focus and raw terror.
The man let out a low, guttural chuckle and shot forward, a blur of motion. He was suddenly right in front of Danto, clenching his fist and delivering a brutal punch to the boy's gut.
Loyal Swarm absorbed most of the blow, a thin, almost invisible barrier holding strong. The full force of the strike was mitigated, but Danto still felt a sharp, gut-wrenching pain.
He was flung back, his body slamming into the crusty bodega wall.
The man slowly brought his hand closer to his face and stared at it with a predatory grin, as if admiring a masterpiece.
[NOW EAT HIM! EAT HIM! EAT HIM! EAT HIM!]
The voice in the man's head grew louder, a chorus of hungry screams.
*Cough* *Cough*
Danto gasped for air as he pushed himself to his feet.
He was lucky he'd activated Loyal Swarm in advance. He hadn't even seen the man move; his mind simply couldn't comprehend such a fast strike.
He just didn't expect it.
Without even enough time to catch his breath, Danto dodged a wild swipe from the man's sharpened claws.
The man paused, then continued his assault, a blur of motion with a faint red aura. Danto tried his best to evade, landing a few glancing hits, but was still touched and bruised here and there.
The man grabbed Danto by the collar of his inner shirt and flung him over the counter. Danto's body hit the crusty wall on the other side and broke through it, crashing into the next room.
A few rats came out of their hiding spots and scurried away from the commotion.
I don't even have enough time to breathe.
Danto frantically thought.
C'mon! Move!
He tried to reach for his tachi, but it had been flung further back into the darkness.
Danto was now defenseless, and the man vaulted over the counter, leaping into the room after him.
Shit!
The man ran toward Danto, brandishing both hands in the air, his claws ready to dig in.
…Bushi Arts… Number two…
Just in time, Danto brought his hands together, creating a quick, loud clap.
"Elliptic Barrier!" A flat, almost glass-like circle appeared in the air, hovering between Danto and the man.
The man crashed into it, like a bird smacking itself against a freshly cleaned window.
Using this short reprieve, Danto rolled deeper into the darkness. As expected, it was pitch black. He couldn't even see his own hand if he held it up to his face.
More importantly, he couldn't see if the man would attack.
I need to find my sword fast… but I also need to see.
Hmm.
Danto's mind raced through possible solutions. He needed a source of light.
An idea came to him. He got to his feet, dusting himself off, and held one hand in the air.
Bushi Arts, number seven (7).
Variation two.
Sparks began to form over his palm, gathering together to create a luminous orb.
Orb of Light.
He let out a slight chuckle as the light illuminated the small storeroom. After a few quick steps, he saw his tachi.
But then…
"Was already smelling your scent."
The man's voice rasped from right behind him.
"But thanks for just making it easier to find you!"
The claws flashed with a faint red aura as he swiped directly at Danto's head.
The claws struck, but Loyal Swarm held. Danto's head just jerked back from the recoil, tiny red sparks flaring in the air.
Tch!
I may be alright for now.
But It still hurts like hell!
Danto gritted his teeth, bearing the pain.
He knew he couldn't keep Loyal Swarm active for long. He stood back up, clenching his free hand into a fist.
Veins popped on the man's forehead as he stared at Danto, ready to strike again. But his eyes just widened in surprise.
Bushi Arts Number 14.
BAM!
"Fist of the North!"
A fist with a white, bursting aura collided directly with the man's face, sending him flying backward, slamming into the wall he'd just broken through, and landing on the ground on the other side.
"Finally, I got a hit!" Danto said with a surge of energy, bringing his fist closer. A faint white aura moved haphazardly around it.
On the other side of the wall, the man panted, blood trickling from his nose. A tooth had been knocked out, and he could feel the space immediately being filled by a new one.
He sat up, his face bruised, and stared at the hole he'd just made.
That hurt…
It felt as if his punch was laced with sand paper all around it.
Then why am I not running?
He thought.
I should get the hell out of here…
I should survive.
But why?
[EAT HIM!]
Just damn why?!
[EAT HIM!]
Why am I feeling so alive?
I didn't want to do any of this a few moments ago…
Just… Why do I feel like I want to beat this kid and devour every single thing about him?
[POWER.]
Yes… it must be about that.
That's why I decided to take the damn blood oath in the first place.
He coughed, pushing himself fully to his feet.
Flashes erupted in his mind. He saw a man in a suit kneeling before a bigger person, who then kicked him. It then transitioned to a little girl waving goodbye, holding a woman's hand.
He couldn't quite see their faces, only the girl's face and the woman's hand.
Oh, that's right… she's got her performance at her school today…
A sudden, sharp pain grazed his cheek.
He looked down and saw a thin line of blood before it instantly healed. He looked up, and all he saw was white.
He didn't even hear it coming.
?!
Every hair on the man's body stood on edge.
He felt an overwhelming urge to stare at the dark room he had just flown out of.
And from the darkness… a flurry of white slashes came.
They flew in different directions. The man dodged and weaved, but one still clipped his hand. Blood sprayed everywhere, and his hand was severed.
But as the blood flew, it solidified midair, pulling his hand back to his wrist where it rearticulated with a wet, squelching sound.
More white slashes came. Those that hit him proved to be useless. He would just instantly heal or regenerate.
Then, from the darkness, Danto dashed.
The man didn't expect it. He didn't even see the attack until it was too late. Danto had gotten his tachi back and cut off the man's head for a second time. His whole body now hitting the shutters of a window, denting it.
"You're not the only one who can attack unexpectedly." Danto chuckled, massaging his joints.
But truly… how do I defeat a Beast Art User?
Ahh… remember!
Remember!
He tried to force any important memory from his training.
"..."
"Guess Old Man Zan was right…"
"I don't listen to shit." Danto muttered to himself, standing up from the dented shutter, his tachi still in hand.
"Cabonari…" The man groaned, his head already reattached.
"Why don't you just let me go?" He asked, his tone surprisingly calm.
"And why would I ever do that?" Danto answered, raising his sword horizontally in front of his torso.
"You just killed five people and still trying to kill me." He groaned.
"...But I really didn't have a choice," The man answered back, sounding genuinely sad.
"It's like I have this insatiable hunger within me." He looked at his hands and tried to grasp the air.
"And I don't know whether it's for power or just actual hunger And I'm not going to lie…"
"People are actually delicious." A monstrous grin spread across his face.
At that statement, Danto felt a wave of hatred swell up from within. He clenched his grip on the sword hilt.
"Weren't they all your fellow humans before the blood oath?!" Danto asked, trying to suppress his rage and stay focused.
The man suddenly felt as if his legs were jelly and his stomach was churning. He felt a deep, profound sorrow that made him unable to meet Danto's gaze.
He just lowered his head, a pathetic, defeated gesture.
Heck, even after all… you still look pretty human to me.
"Typical Beast Art User… disgusting." Danto scoffed.
"Yeah… I agree with you." The man spoke.
"It's really disgusting at its core. Maybe I wouldn't have gone through with the oath if I knew it would lead to this." He paused, then his posture straightened.
Danto stared, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his muscles aching.
"No. I did know… I mean it's becoming a beast art user…"
"But the thing is…I've gotten used to it," The man said, slowly walking toward Danto.
"I've gotten used to…" He paused, his grin widening.
"...this power." Red energy formations emanated from the man's hands, forming giant energy claws as tall as his elbows. Danto was not remotely prepared to face them.
—The End of Chapter 4—