-Nightmare(1)-

“What do you think, Elder Paul?” a man in his thirties asked another with blond hair and blue eyes. This man was in his later thirties, with a huge frame and a body like a weight-lifter, he looked very intimidating to everyone. A cross-shaped scar could be seen on his left cheek, increasing his ferocious aura even more.

The man who asked was a black-haired individual with a lean frame. His body was unblemished all over, leave for the deformed left hand. He was holding a long sword of mysterious origin in his right hand, using it as his walking cane. He was wearing baggy karate-gi, with the sleeves covering half of his deformed left-hand. This man had his eyes permanently closed, seemingly blind, not unlike a blind person. Sitting on a high-end room, they both sipping on some expensive red wine.

They were the recent recruits of Elders’ Council, Paul Blender, a high-class hunter from London. His power was largely unknown to everyone, save for a selected few. The other person was named ‘Clint, the blind swordsman’ a name given to him by his country people, which he held with pride. He was from the same country as Paul, but a different town. Having two people to join the council at the same time, increased the prestige of England by a huge margin, and even recognized by the Elders’ Council.

Currently, they were discussing the strange things happening in Japan. Their faces were constricted as they thought of the events. Hunters from different regions may compete with each other. They never took pleasure in other's misery. In this regard, they were pretty united, that’s because they never knew when it will be their turn to get into trouble. If they laugh at others for their misery, when it will be their turn, others will laugh at them. of course, that didn’t mean plotting behind the back wasn’t permitted, every country plots behind each other back. As long they didn’t get caught, everything was fine.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this. You know how sharp my instincts are…I feel restless these days. Its as if we are in calm water, before a storm arrives, sweeping everything away…its that kind of feeling.” The brawny man sighed as he took a seep from his wine, looking at the glass with a complicated look. Even though he enjoyed good wine like an aristocrat, the current situation didn’t permit him to relax at all.

“I see…this is indeed troubling. For dungeons to vanish out in thin air, creatures that powerful appearing…all this was an indication of something bad…stormy. Sigh…if only we knew what exactly we are dealing with.” Clint sighed, taking a sip from his glass, “About the distress signal…did anyone dispatched by the council?”

“I heard Elder Eien is already at the site, even so, lady Shizu has dispatched Elder Denbe immediately after she received the signal. He might have already arrived at the location. I guess the fight might have already ended.” Paul said, then he looked out of the window in worry, “Say, Clint, do you think all this is a prelude to something serious? My instincts honed from a thousand battles didn’t calm down at all these days. Its as if I am inside a dungeon where the monster could pop out from anywhere.”

“It might be. I am not that much well informed than you. But you know, after joining this council for a few years, I have started to notice something subtle.” As he said these, Clint leaned forward, a signal for Paul to follow, “The Elders’ Council might not be what we think it to be, there are some dirty secrets involved. Secrets, if exposed, might throw the whole council into disarray.” Clint whispered in his ear. He looked very serious and even a little afraid when he revealed this.

“What do you mean?” Paul didn’t understand Clint’s hint and asked with his brows furrowed. Clint shook his head and didn’t explain further. Although this Paul wasn’t a foolish person, he was just too slow to recognize plots and underhand methods. Then Clint stood up and started to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” Paul asked.

“I am have something to take care of, you might not see me for a few months, see ya later, Paul.” Waving his left hand, Clint left the room, going to somewhere. Paul looked at his retreating back as his face distorted into a frown. For some reason, he felt this will be the last time he would see this Clint, with whom he was a friend for many years. Suddenly the expensive wine in his hand started to look like a bland drink to him. He lost interest in it and also left the room.

Just as he was about to leave the place, a woman in office dress appeared before him and saluted him respectfully. “Elder Paul, Mr. Williams, is looking for you. He is currently waiting for you in the waiting area of the premise.”

“Williams? Who is he? Okay, let’s meet him.” Paul never met a man named Williams, but he followed the woman nonetheless. After going down, he saw a balding man sitting on a sofa while browsing something on his phone. The lady went to the man and said something to him before the man looked happy as he stood up and turned around. Extending his hand towards Paul, he introduced himself, “Hello, I am Williams, an agent works for Elder Murphy’s company. Under his instruction, I have come here to look for you.”

“Elder Murphy? What did he want from me?” Paul furrowed his brows as he began thinking.

XXX

Back, in Yonezawa, Aoi and her team were in their last legs. They had thrown everything in their arsenal at the tiger, but they couldn't bypass that hard-as-steel defense of its. The tiger was also not giving them time to rest. But one thing they realized, and that was, this tiger seems to avoid a certain place, no matter how hard the fight becomes.

The whole team had noticed this already. Its as if it had something to protect there. To figure out more, one of the hunters, the one in leather outfit tried to sneak out, but was caught immediately by the monster and chased to death. Its thanks to old man Tanaka and Aoi, that he survived barely with his body parts attached.

This particular discovery made them all restless. They don’t know that this monster was protecting, but from their instincts, they were sure it wouldn’t be something good.

“Mr. Tanaka, when will the envoy arrive? At this rate, we all be flattened by this overgrown tiger!!” the bob-cut girl shouted, dodging a black claw print to her body. After fighting for so long, they figured out that the tiger not only had a powerful physical body but also can use Magic attacks. These magic attacks blend with the dusty atmosphere, making it hard for them to recognize and avoid. They had already eaten a few losses by it.

“I have given them a call already. Who will come or when they will come; I do have the time to enquire all this. Just fight and shut your mouth.” Old man Tanaka was already tired of this bob-cut girl's repeated ramblings.

“Calm down, Mr. Tanaka. Please, everyone, hang on for another 5 minutes, our help will arrive soon.” Finally, Aoi made her statement. She looked both serious and a little relieved when she said these. Of course, it was because of her power that can predict possible future, taking their past into account.

“Really! Sigh! Everyone, let’s do our best and survive for another five minutes…” with the shout of bob-cut girl, the other four started to fight with renewed vigor. With their heart relived due to the possible appearance of backup, their fighting prowess also increased a little.

XXX

“Damn!! Kenshin, I can’t do it anymore.” Joy sat down as he started to heave like a pig. His body was filled with sweat, even his bald head started to shine like a mirror from him perspiring so much.

“Hang in a little more, dude!” Kenshin was also in a similar condition. The strain of using so many skills at a time started to show its side effects on him. To their side, a bunch of small crystal empty bottles laying around. It was all MP potion that Kenshin and Joy had consumed to keep on the attacking array they had created. But, although they can restore their MP, the mental energy consumed couldn’t be restored by simply drinking potions. The mental fatigue was making them unable to continue anymore.

Despite that, they grit their teeth and hang on for a miracle to occur.

On the other hand, the kid from Sylph race didn’t have that much of injury on his body, he had been bombarded with some of the powerful skills in Kenshin’s possession for more than twenty minutes, despite that, he didn’t look that much wounded. His vitality made Kenshin and Joy to give up on more than one occasion.

“Hahaa!! What, you silly animals are getting tired?” the kid laughed after listening to their conversation. He was still standing in the same place, allowing all the attacks to fall on him. It's not like he didn’t want to move, he simply can’t move. The way Kenshin arranged his [Opposite] skill, the moment he even tries to move, he would be forced to return to the same place. This had become a headache for the kid from the Sylph race. It's thanks to the fact that these humans weren't strong enough to damage to his many-times awakened body, or else, he would have long since died by their hands.

Boom!!

“Shit!!” in a moment of carelessness, the kid attacked Joy with a WIL attack. With his mental energy in an all-time low, Joy was simply unable to do anything. Like being hit by a truck, Joy was thrown off and heavily collided with the wall opposite to him. At the same time, the array also successfully destroyed, which was made from delicate mental control of Kenshin.

Boom!!

In the next instant, a heavy punch landed on Kenshin’s face, throwing him off a few meters. A few chains made of glowing purple energy emerged from the ground and bound around his left leg. The chain was yanked, pulling Kenshin back to the ground, heavily smashing him against the tiled floor.

The ground cracked, but Kenshin didn’t feel any physical pain. At the same time, he saw a huge glowing sword hanging atop his head, like the ‘Sword of Damocles.’ Kenshin rolled away, saving himself from impaled to death. Conjuring a few stars, he threw it at the kid. But the later simply side-stepped and avoided being affected by it. He had already deduced the weakness of the skill, which can only move in a straight line.

“You animal, you will die the most horrible death I can think of. For making me endure me all this…” as the kid said so, many purple chains came out of the ground, binding Kenshin as hard as possible. Not allowing him to even move a single muscle.

“Ugh!!” Kenshin tried to move his hands, but couldn’t do so…not only his body parts, he also discovered he couldn’t activate any skills. The very magic in his body had stopped moving. Seeing him struggle, the kid from Sylph race smiled mockingly, “These chains aren’t just for show. They didn’t bind physical matter, rather they are for binding everything that is a form of energy. In other words, your very soul is bound, that’s why you can’t move.”

The kid then brought his hands towards Kenshin’s head and touched it lightly with his fingers, giving an evil laugh he said: “Now die reliving your worst nightmare…again and again…” as he said so, his finger glowed purple, at the same time, Kenshin’s pupils dilated and looked distant.