"Pant... pant... He shouldn't have followed me. Who was that kid? Every move he made countered me perfectly. Not with the organization? Yeah, right."
Meisai ran for twenty minutes before stopping to rest against a tree.
"Yo, Ojisan (Old Man). Going back to report?" A lazy female voice rang out from the canopy.
"I knew it. Unexpected things always happen around the 'Chosen by Fate.' Putting a mark on his body was the right call. Now I'm not short on 'High-Quality Materials' at all."
A young girl with crescent-moon earrings stood up on a branch, a pure, innocent smile on her face.
Who is she? Meisai wondered. I was on high alert, yet she approached silently. She's dangerous. He shifted his weight, preparing to flee. He couldn't afford to be delayed, or the giant might catch up.
He bolted, his remodeled legs eating up the forest floor.
"Running already? Smart. But I've never failed to get the 'Materials' I've set my eyes on."
Sonaya reached out, and a wickedly sharp kusarigama (chain-sickle) appeared in her hand. She spun the chain until it was a blur. "I've locked onto you." She hurled the blade, the chain extending infinitely into the woods.
"Meisai? Back so soon? Why the rush? Did the 'Flesh Doctor' meet his match?"
Meisai reached the extraction point ten minutes later, greeted by mockery.
"Shut up! You wouldn't have escaped either!" he snapped, leaning over to catch his breath.
"Oh? You actually met someone troublesome? No wonder Tatsuya isn't with you. Captured, I assume," a middle-aged man with a buzz cut said seriously.
"We need to leave. They've recruited some monster. A giant kid with impossible physical stats. He could crush Ken. I bet even with Ken's physical enhancement Weapon, he'd just be a punching bag for that kid." Meisai felt a shiver recalling Alistair's playful attitude.
"That strong? Ken is the tankiest among us. It would take an anti-materiel rifle to hurt him. Are you saying this kid is that tough naturally? Don't joke. And shouldn't a brawler be exactly your specialty?" A bald man asked skeptically.
"Look at my face. Notice anything missing?" Meisai glared.
"Uh... your glasses?"
"Exactly. He took them before I could blink. If you go back there, you won't return," Meisai sneered.
"Tell us more about this giant," the buzz-cut man said. "The Apostle said he had pieces on the board. Maybe this kid is one of them."
"He didn't have a crest. But his recovery... Hwa's custom handgun—the one that uses mana bullets—emptied a mag into him. The bullets didn't even penetrate. They were stuck in the skin and pushed out in seconds. Ken can't do that. And his speed... I couldn't even see him move." Meisai's face was dark. "And one more thing. He has the same ability as me."
"What?!" The bald man gasped.
"Are you sure? A giant with 'Flesh Remodeling' is a nightmare," the buzz-cut man added.
"Certain. I saw him fix his arm in seconds. He knows human anatomy perfectly." Meisai felt lucky he had run when he did.
Clank-clank-clank...
"What's that sound? Chains?" Meisai looked up.
"Sounds like a guest. Is it your giant?" Owen (the buzz-cut man) asked.
"No. He only uses his fists. He's too proud for chains," Meisai said confidently.
Swoosh! Guh!
In a flash, a chain-sickle flew out and hooked into Meisai's neck.
"What the—?!" The others stared at the crescent blade buried in Meisai's throat.
"Oho~ letting you run was the right choice. Weaklings always huddle together. One 'Material' was too little, but three? And 'High-Quality' ones I usually can't find? Perfect~"
At the other end of the chain stood a sixteen-year-old girl.
"Don't underestimate her! She's not as young as she looks. I didn't even sense her approach! And my strength... it's gone!" Meisai collapsed, being dragged toward her. His fingers clawed at the dirt, but he was as weak as a kitten.
"A power-dampening Weapon?" Owen stepped forward and grabbed the chain. "If that's the case, your weakness is obvious."
Boom! Thud!
The bald man lunged at Sonaya, only to be sent flying back with twice the force, crashing through several trees before slumping to the ground.
"Hahahaha! Hinaku, hinaku! (Weak!) Is this all you've got?" Sonaya pulled the chain, overpowering Owen with ease.
Dammit! Why isn't my 'Neutralization' working on this chain?! Owen gritted his teeth, but he was being dragged along too.
"Is that it? Zako (Bottom-feeder)~" Sonaya mocked them.
"Tsk... scary little girl," the bald man groaned, standing back up. "That almost killed me."
"Oh? You're still standing? I thought that would end you. Is it your 'Weapon' effect?" Sonaya looked at him with renewed interest.
" 'Your' Weapon? So you aren't human. No wonder you're so terrifying." The bald man drew a short sword.
"Humans are interesting. I was one once. But now... Hehe. I'm talking too much. No matter. I've been holding in these emotions for so long, I need to vent. None of you are leaving." Sonaya smiled a cold, psychotic smile.
"We'll see about that," the bald man growled, gripping his Weapon.