[ 2 minutes remaining]
Drip...
Tenzo's vision was clogged with dark blemishes and crimson liquid. The stinging in his ears muffled the voices of his captors, the azure systems' constant notification of time ticking down made the agony even worse through the passing seconds.
"You're one tough bastard, Tenzo~" Hanma whistles his praises.
Ran soothes his knuckles, "He got 2/5 guesses right.
Rindo reaches into his pockets, and the bulge of a weapon presses against the fabric.
Sheath
A pocket knife hisses to light, a four-inch body of steel made to gut men.
"Let's make it interesting, one of us will stab you and you guess." Rindo cackles like a hyena.
"Get ready~" Ran moves closer.
"Hey! This wasn't part of the deal–"
"Shut up!" Hanma snaps at Peh Yan.
The 20 goons on standby, circle them.
"Be good boys and continue playing with Osani." Ran flicks the knife at them with a menacing smirk.
"Fuck..." Pah-chin groans at the severity of their betrayal.
"Let's add these two to the game, huh?" Hanma suggested.
"That's not–"
Bang!
Thud
"Hey–!"
Crack
"Ughhh..."
Thud
Valhalla's fun was busted by the sounds of a bat being hammered against Valhalla's goons.
"M-mahito..." Tenzo gasps out, his shaky vision makes out the hooded figure of his Brahman brother.
"Kami–you guys look awful..."
Draken smirks with a bloody lip, "I think we look fantastic. " He responds sarcastically.
Mahito shakes his head before returning to practicing his baseball swings on the petrified Valhalla teens.
"No-please!"
Bang
A swing to the jaw, leaves one member pupilless.
The others tried to back away to avoid hits but Mahito's speed was surprisingly advanced.
Crack
The blunt top of the bat connects with a hooded teen's abdomen, forcing air out of his lungs and leaving him immobile.
"You guys like Matsui?"
Bang
Mahito slugs the bat to a goon's left thigh, the vibration of metal to flesh left his hands stinging.
"Heh–I prefer Kiyohara." Draken spat out blood in his mouth.
"Lions or Giants?"
Bang
"Huckk –"
Thud
"Giants. " Draken groans, trying to loosen his bindings.
"Can you two idiots stop talking about baseball? Mahito, free us from them!" Tenzo barks out in frustration and pain.
[30 seconds...]
The Haitani brothers and Shuji Hanma scowl at the sudden appearance.
"You're the shadows?" Hanma grits his teeth.
"The shadows?" Mahito ponders the name.
"...not bad." He tightened his grip on the metal bat.
Ran and Rindo nod at each other before rushing to Mahito's flanks with the coordination of twin missiles.
"Shxt!" Mahito swings his bat at Rindo.
The younger Haitani brother crouches to avoid the hit and grabs onto Mahito's left leg.
"Too easy~"
"Huh?" Mahito gasps as Rindo grabs his legs and lifts him to the level of his waist, ruining his balance.
Rindo didn't stop at just that; with his left leg, he swept Mahito's right leg to send him tumbling backwards while still holding the extended left limb.
"What the!?"
Bang
"Aaaahhhh!" Mahito gasps out.
Ran came from his right and stomped on his chest, heavy boots to ribs.
Mahito's eyes roll to the back of his head, and his body slumps dead.
"MAHITO!" Tenzo screeches to the heavens.
—————————————————–——
[Mission Completed]
+ 10 000 SP
+ 5 Endurance
+ Hanagaki's tolerance
New Balance:12 000 SP
———————————————————
The notification hits Tenzo's vision like adrenaline, the agonising pain is numbing down with every breath.
'What's happening?' Tenzo asks his system.
'Hanagaki's ability has already assimilated into the Host's bloodstream. '
———————————————————
[Congratulations on unlocking 3 abilities!]
° Assimilation can only be done on abilities.
Rules:
1. The host cannot use more than two abilities at a time.
2. Abilities cannot be transferred to others unless paid for.
———————————————————
'Of course...how much is it to transfer abilities?'
[ Transfers: 100 000 SP per ability]
'Assimilate Taekwondo prodigy.'
[Assimilation completed!]
———————————————————
Tenzo's body surges violently, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he strains against his bindings.
Rip...
"Tenzo?" Draken felt a sudden need to straighten up at Tenzo's change as if a new presence came in.
Rip!
"Hahaha –huh?" Rindo stops his twisting of Mahito's ankle to address Tenzo's movements.
Hanma was mid-chuckles when Tenzo broke out of his ropes.
The Coco-skinned male charges at Hanma, hands resting by his waist and eyes steely.
The movements of his legs resemble the pace of a winger–the gallops of a bok and the blur of a ninja.
Whoosh
Tenzo leaps up with his left foot, twirling his body with the grace of a ballerina to land a spinning kick to Hanma's head with the brutality of a master martial artist.
CRACK!
Hanma's head whipped so hard to the side that it greeted his right shoulder.
Thud
Before his mind could give up, his body went down to the soft ground, slouching headfirst, ass up(Pause)
"Ran!" Rindo urges his brother as he runs at Tenzo with his knife kissing the air.
Swing
Rindo lashes out at the Dark-skinned teens left shoulder.
Whoosh
Tenzo tilts his body back to avoid the blade, lifting his leg, and he kicks at Rindo's wrist, popping the knife out of his grasp.
"Fuck–"
CRACK
Tenzo followed up with an inside crescent kick to Rindo's face, and an intense hit to Haitani's face.
The younger Haitani brothers' noses squirt out a current of blood as he stumbles back.
Ran launches a left hook to Tenzo's jaw.
Bang
The hit hammers against him, pushing him back.
Whoosh
Crack
Ran whips a side kick to Tenzo's right shoulder, a rattling of bones follows.
Tenzo grits his teeth, twisting his body to expose his back.
"Idiot!" Ran chuckles, corking back his fist to pummel Tenzo's spine.
Ran steps to within a few inches of Tenzo's proximity.
The Brahman Vice-President fully twists his ankles to a 360-degree turn and rockets the sole of his boot to Ran's vulnerable chin.
CRACK
Thud
A sharp bite to his jaw with a splatter of blood and the older Haitani meets the grass.
"RAN!" Rindo launches himself at Tenzo, moving to grapple his legs with the intention to break his limbs.
Tenzo leaps back at Rindo's move, Tenzo lifts his legs and descends a hammer kick to the top of the Haitani brothers' heads.
CRACK
The second his chin hits the ground, his eyes go white and he's down for the count.
A deafening silence follows his triumph, Tenzo stands over the three fallen Valhalla hounds, a barely conscious man stands tall amongst devils.
"Tenzo..." Draken stutters, his eyes hold disbelief at what he has just witnessed.
Mahito is on one knee, clutching his chest and staring at Tenzo.
"Unbelievable," Mahito mutters.
"Mahito. Can you free Draken?" Tenzo spoke clearly, the question not even straining his voice.
"I mean–"
Thud
Tenzo's body went harsh to the ground, all the mental and physical fatigue finally taking a toll on him.
"TENZO!" Mahito yells out, rushing over to him.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop...
The sounds of fireworks burst into the night sky, decorating the night in a beautiful dance of vibrant explosives.
Mahito crouches over Tenzo, turning his body to hold his back.
Tenzo's right eye is still open, gazing into the night sky.
"Fireworks. "