In panic, Itoshi clutched the side of his hair.
"A HUNDRED AND FIFTY?!"
Ayro(deadpan): Good luck.
As the man and Ryujin watched the colorful lights scattered across the dark field, Ryujin drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Ayro... Itoshi... I know you guys are there."
The grass behind them rustled near the hill. The man stiffened, turning sharply, but Ryujin didn't flinch.
A pause — then Itoshi's head popped up from the grass. He grinned slyly, hands raised in mock surrender.
Ryujin turned calmly to the stranger.
"They're my men."
The stranger glanced at him, then shift"ed his focus back to the beast.
"...Can he actually do it?
Itoshi cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath.
"Guess it's time I learn what this power can really do."
He stepped down the hill—only to slip and fall flat on his back.
Ayro, Ryujin, and the man all averted their eyes.
Ayro: Ryujin... are you sure this is the right guy?
Ryujin: No regrets.
Itoshi pushed himself up and inhaled sharply. Flames suddenly burst from his hands—vivid blue—incinerating the nearest seeles on impact. The man's expression shifted; his eyes widened slightly. Flame users were rare... but flames that big, that bright? Even rarer.
Without hesitation, Itoshi charged into the swarm, his fire cutting a blazing path through the horde.
"Like a white blood cell tearing through an infection..."
The man muttered.
Ryujin: Weird analogy. But not wrong.
He'd already wiped out about a third of them.
Ryujin: Ayro, how many left?
"A hundred and twelve.. And dropping."
Ryujin smirked.
"He's lasting longer than I expected."
Ayro: Maybe you did choose the right guy.
Itoshi paused for a second, catching his breath as the seeles began to circle him again.
"Are you guys seriously just gonna stand there?!"
From the hilltop, the man called back, his tone teasing as he answered Itoshi with a shout.
"We can't do anything right now."
Ryujin followed.
"You're doing great, Itoshi."
Then Ayro.
"Just a few more to go."
Itoshi clicked his tongue and he muttered to himself, facing the seele's once more.
"These guys..."
The stranger shouted once more, his voice breaking the wind.
"What do you expect us to do?"
"Whatever! I'll handle it!"
Ayro: Heads up. More seeles incoming.
Itoshi turned his head once more.
"More?!"
Ayro: Coming from the same direction. Can you see their color?
Itoshi continued to fight, but at the time he tried to take a look at their element.
"Hang on—I'm kinda busy!"
He paused and he squinted his eyes.
"...Brown!"
The man smirked at the word.
"Ciao, ciao, kids."
Ryujin: Tsk.
The man rushed toward the incoming brown-colored seeles—earth types.
Ayro: How's recruitment going?
Ryujin: He'll join.
Ayro: You sure?
Ryujin: Just a hunch.
Ayro: He mentioned your dream?
Ryujin: I told him.
Ayro: You? A dreamer? Didn't expect that.
Ryujin: I'm still human, Ayro. I've got my own selfish reasons too.
A loud crash rang out from below.
Itoshi: Hey! You're in my way! Go fight your own seeles!
The Man: Shut up! You're in my way!
Smack. Itoshi hit him on the head.
"You son of a—!"
Ayro (dryly): "Prove it," you said...
Ryujin sighed and he facepalms
They grappled right in the middle of the swarm.
The man got Itoshi into a headlock—grinning—until Itoshi bit his hand.
"AHHH!"
Itoshi grinned back, then unleashed a focused burst of flame at the man's torso—not enough to burn, but enough to push him back. Both staggered, catching their breath.
"Why the hell are you out here all by yourself?!"
As the man was pushed backed, he replied.
"What?!"
Itoshi took back his balance as before he continued.
"This isn't a place for someone like you!"
The Man: I do what I want! Why do you even care?!
Itoshi: Because you're strong!
The Man: I know! Now shut up and fight!
They jumped back into the fray together.
Itoshi: You've been out here for nine years, right? Alone?
The Man: Yeah. That was my choice.
Itoshi: But is it really what you want?
Ayro: Ryujin, more coming. They can't keep this up much longer.
Ryujin chuckled, mesmerized by the way the talked to each other.
"Look at them. You don't see it?"
Ayro: What? Now's not the time for this.
Ryujin: Just let their effort mean something.
Ayro: Fine. What's the signal?
Ryujin: When I raise my right hand—pull them with your shadows.
Ayro: Got it.
Itoshi suddenly noticed more seele's moving.
"Ayro! A little heads-up would've been nice!"
Ayro: Oops. Forgot.
The Man: I didn't need a warning!
Itoshi: You so do!
The Man: I don't!
Itoshi: Do too!
The Man: Ugh, can you leave me alone?!
Itoshi: Nope. Being alone sucks!
The Man: I like it that way!
Itoshi: Lame!
Suddenly, a seele lunged at the man.
"Look out!"
"Damn it!"
The man threw up an air barrier just in time, blocking the impact. But Itoshi rushed in anyway—bare hands ready.
"Wait, you idiot—!!"
Itoshi punched the seele square in the head—but his hand got stuck. The seele began to pull him in.
The Man: Are you serious?!
Itoshi grunted as he struggled to get his hand out.
"I am!"
The Man: That's a flame-type seele! You should be dead!
"I've got someone I can lean on!"
The man froze for a moment, head low memories flickering behind his eyes, gritting his teeth.
"...You're not the only one."
Itoshi: Huh?!
The hooded man raised his head, emerald eyes locked onto Itoshi.
"I said—you're not the only one!"
He kicked both supported by his wind, Itoshi and the seele into the air, then wiped out the rest of the earth-types around them.
Itoshi flailed mid air, along with the seele.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA! ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
Ayro: Ryujin... that's a flame type.
Ryujin: I know. They haven't asked for help, though.
Ayro frowned, looking at his leader in disapprovement.
"Ryujin..."
Ryujin (grinning): Kidding.
With perfect aim, Ryujin fired a thin jet of water from his fingertip—piercing the exact spot where Itoshi's hand was stuck. The seele exploded into vapor, and Itoshi landed safely.
"Thanks, Ryujin!"
Ryujin (smirking): Don't mention it.
Itoshi then stood up as he muttered to himself.
"Alright... back to work!"
He let loose a sweeping arc of flame, torching the wind-type seeles. The man got caught in the edge of the blast.
"Tsk. I'm still here, you know!"
Itoshi: Sorry!!
From the shadows of the forest, something massive stirred. Under the full moon, its outline came into view.
Ayro: Uh-oh. We've got a big one.
Ryujin: Oh?
Ayro: Water type.
Ryujin: Perfect... Itoshi! Time to start hauling sand!
Itoshi: What?!
Ryujin: Big water-type seele. We're out of options.
The Man & Itoshi (together): Great.
Itoshi: What do we do? We're not just letting it roam free, right?
Ryujin: Nope. Ayro, pull them out.
Ayro's shadow tendrils yanked both men back up the hill.
The Man: Who told you to pull me out?!
Ayro (ignoring him): What were you planning to do with the hand thing?
Ryujin: I was gonna flush the seeles out. They were my distraction.
Ayro: So I pull them before the flood hits.
The Man: That's insane.
Itoshi: We don't have any better ideas. Fighting these things alone is suicide.
Ryujin raised his hand, and from beneath the battlefield, a wave of seawater surged upward. He'd been guiding it underground the entire time. The salty tide swept the horde all the way back to the forest's edge—400 meters away.
Ryujin: That should buy us some time. Let's regroup.
The Man: Just so we're clear... I'm not joining you.
Itoshi: Then why are you still here?
Ayro: Right?
The Man (grumbling): Tsk. ...Fine.
Ryujin: Alright. Here's the plan—
He began to explain the strategy to deal with the seeles and the looming Größer als Männer-class monster.
[4:40am]
Ryujin: Got it?
Everyone else: Got it.
Itoshi (stretching with a grin): This should be easy.
The Man: Anyone could've thought of that plan.
Ayro: Then why didn't you?
The Man: Shut up.
The four—Ryujin, Ayro, Itoshi, and The Man—marched forward, side by side, toward the swarming horde of seeles waiting ahead.
Kara (offscreen): That's just lazy writing.
Non-Related Voice: The author probably just wanted to play MiSide.
To be Continued