Kurai and Matsumi arrived on the next floor. They found themselves in a small ware house, the night sky beamed down, signifying the amount of time they've been inside of the tower. Kurai sighed and looked around, there was a deafening silence, the only thing heard was an owl in the distance, making its calls through the night.
"Something is off…Be careful Matsumi."
"Off how?"
He crouched down a little to readjust his shoes after walking this whole time without finding a place to rest.
"L-Look!"
Kurai ran across the warehouse, while standing in place it felt normal however running forward it felt endless.
Kurai instinctually followed a trail of blood before stopping in front of a small body. It was Kibō, who had seemingly been beaten to a pulp, the bruises on her body showed that this had been going on for quite some time.
"K-Kibō!"
"Hey!"
He ran over, crouching down to be closer to her body.
"Kibō! What happened to her?!"
"T-The...Boss…."
Kibō coughed. Her wounds were slowly boiling, her skin healing very slowly due to her nature as a witch.
"Hmph. Looks like we're going to have to deal with someone again Matsumi….I hope you're ready."
"The Boss? Where is he?"
A small bird was seen in front of the two, the only creature around besides the three of them. She looked on, aiming her hand at it as the dark mana rippled off of her skin.
"Matsumi. I'm going to have to attack."
"What, that bird? Who cares about that?"
Suddenly, a burst of mana slammed into both Matsumi and Kurai. The bird started to transform in front of their eyes, A blue sea of energy pouring out and pushing them back. Kurai held her arms up, protecting herself from the creatures Mana from consuming her own.
It morphed, its muscle and bone contorting and twisting as it grew in size. twice, three times, four times, five times, six times larger than Matsumi and Kurai, its toned limbs growing huge as the bird screached in front of them.
The wave of energy pushed Matsumi back several feet, but not before he got a hold of Kibō, turning his body so his back would face the shockwave to shield Kibō from it. He turned his head to the monster, frustration struck across his face.
"Ah. So I see you've got yourself in trouble with one of them."
Eraba landed in front of Matsumi and Kurai, a large barrier of Mana started to block and push back the Ahiru's energy.
"Seems like you'll need a bit of my help here…Besides…this is the perfect time to show you what the Chōetsu can do."
"Eraba..!"
He placed Kibō down slowly behind them before full turning his body to face the bird.
"What is that ugly thing? Actually, I don't really care. I just wanna beat it up!"
"It's the Zen'nō no ahiru. An ancient kind of duck before they became as small as the normal ones were familiar with. I suggest you be careful..They aren't just some normal enemy.They know techniques unlike a normal beast."
"That doesn't make a difference! If this is the Boss, then it's gonna have a lot of other things to worry about!"
The Ahiru immediately threw a karate chop with great speed toward the three. Eraba and Kurai ran towards each other diagonally, dodging the blast ass its hand dragged across the ground, ripping up its foundation and breaking into the earth beneath them.
Matsumi jumped to the side with barely enough time. But without wanting to waste any more time, he disregarded the warnings. Matsumi threw a flash punch at the Ahiru.
The Ahiru, despite it's size was extremely agile. It immediately blocked his punch, pushing his arm toward the ground as Matsumi's fist bounced off of the concrete. The Ahiru looked at Matsumi, it's aura flared as it looked down on him, before doing something extremely odd.
It spoke.
"Young boy...You are capable of such an ancient technique as the Flash Punch? Perhaps you're more of a worthy opponent than the mongrels that aim to climb this tower.."
Matsumi held his fist after it was redirected, looking in confusion to the Ahiru.
"You can speak?"
"Why of course! Many creatures of the past were capable of speech..I suppose a little boy like you wouldn't know a thing about that:"
"Then tell me, why did you hurt Kibō?!"
He recentered himself for another quick attack.
"Simply because I felt like it. A weak witch like that does not deserve to climb the tower. Only the finest of warriors shall step to me. This new generation of creatures, it's pathetic. I crush all of them under the hand of the Baishodou. You and your little brigade are simply leaves in the fall…waiting to be crushed under my foot."
"You felt like it?! You stupid duck!"
Matsumi attacked three times in quick succession with the Flash Step. He had already gotten more than used to it. The Ahiru defended once more, blocking all three before chopping across Matsumi's chest, ripping the backpack's armor and his skin as he laid into him, the other two charging in from behind.
Matsumi stumbled back, he held his hand close to his wound. The backpack had done a lot of work to keep Matsumi out of critical danger.
"Ow!"
He growled in pain, even if it wasn't much.
"Young boy..it'll take much more than a simple flurry of flash punches to end me. I am no weakling."
The Ahiru blocked attacks from Kurai as it slammed its fist into her chest, sending her back towards a wall as she crashed.
"Seriously? This is the best humanity had to offer? Toyoko would be dissspointed."
"Oh yeah? Then Toyoko can get bent!"
Matsumi rushed over once more, several more flash attacks, albeit simple ones. After all, he was still only a baby chick when it comes to fighting.
The Ahiru grabbed him by his legs and held him up, squeezing his body. He looked on at Kurai, who was powering up in the corner as he kept his grip on Matsumi.
"This is where you die. You will not climb this tower any further."
Matsumi, taken by surprise, squirmed in his grip. No one had stopped the flash step before, why now? He wasn't really sure. Were its eyes really that fast?!
"Let me…go…!"
Flailing his feet as they dangled above the ground.
"M-Matsumi!"
Kurai sent a dark magic attack towards the Ahiru. The attack pierced its shoulder as it let Matsumi go, before it charged towards Kurai, it making a large screech that was not something a duck would make in the slightest.
He fell down to one knee, having to take a few heavy breaths. Matsumi's right arm was injured from the pressure of the Ahiru's hold on him. He turned his head back to Kurai, placing his left hand on the floor to push himself up for a dash right behind the Ahiru. In a sudden attempt, he'd grab the ball from the backpack right out of his pocket, sending straight to the back of the Ahiru.