~~~Episode TwentyFour~~~
Yuri dashed through the forest, her feet barely touching the ground as she ran. She quickly pulled to the left as a tree blocked her path, and she found herself on a faint path. She felt strange, running by herself…with no one around. She was so used to Haku and Zeph being with her, that she now felt vulnerable to the darkness that was coming down onto the forest.
‘Why the heck did I just take off?! Maybe I was still angry at Haku…’
she thought quietly as she slowed her pace. She came to a stop, glancing around in the hopes of seeing either Yoshi or Yumi. But all she saw was the darkened forest, and the shadowed figures of the heartless as they caught up with her. She narrowed her eyes, then started running again.
Hiroko came to a quick stop, tensing as she pulled out her katana. The others stopped as well, coming up beside her. NightScreamers blocked the entire path, some crawling on the ground and others hanging in the trees. One shrieked at them threateningly, its yellow eyes flashing in the night. Haku glared,
“They aren’t attacking…that must mean they’re being ordered to not hurt us.” He said to Hiroko. She nodded,
“Which means their boss is close by.”
Zeph stepped up beside Kiyoshi and Hiroko, his whip already in hand.
“How do we get him to come out though? Ask him nicely?”
“I say we just pound these heartless until he shows.” Sakura said, cracking her knuckles faintly as needles flashed to life between her fingers. The NightScreamers were moving, eager to attack the five. Haku smiled, a flash of metal shining through the dark as he unsheathed his katana.
“I think Sakuras right. These heartless are obviously trying to prevent us from continuing on…so lets go right through.”
Akina stood, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. She turned to Jiro as he rested his scythe on his shoulder.
“Hm. Those strange creatures were much easier to kill than vampires. I think I could get used to fighting them if the vampires insist on using them.”
Jiro said to Akina. Akina shook her head,
“These things don’t belong here Jiro. We must stop Kimmoto from using them, or else I fear there will be dramatic consequences.”
Jiro stiffened, realizing Akina was right.
“Lets hurry after the students. If Kimmoto is behind this, he wont hesitate to ki-“
“We will find them. Lets go.” Akina said, cutting Jiro off before he could finish.
Akina reloaded her guns, then she and Jiro ran off into the direction Hiroko and the others had gone.
Yoshi shouted angrily, kicking a shadow back as it crawled towards her. Yumi closed her eyes, thrusting her hands out and creating a gust of wind that sent the heartless blasting back. Both girls were exhausted and hurt, and the heartless were continuously attacking them. Yoshi ran to her friend, grabbing Yumi’s hand.
“We have to keep moving! If we stop, those bat things will catch up!”
As if on cue, several shrill shrieks filled the air. Yoshi and Yumi looked up quickly, their eyes widening as the saw the NightScreamers. Yoshi glared, putting her hands up and clenching them into fists.
“Damn! They’ve found us!” she said. Yumi and Yoshi readied for battle as the NightScreamers came swooping down, claws extending towards them.
“Thundaga Blitz!”
Right before their eyes, lightning came crashing down onto the NightScreamers, pounding through them and causing their wings to fail. They fell to the ground, sparking with electricity as they dissolved.
“Firaga! Blizzaga!”
Fire and ice blasted across the ground, destroying the remaining shadows that lingered after the lightning attack. Yuri stepped forward, breathing heavily from her run. She was weakened slightly by using her magic, but she ran up to the two girls anyway. Yumi smiled,
“Yuri! Thank goodness, I was hoping you and the others were alright!”
“Where are the others?” Yoshi asked, glancing around as if expecting them to leap out at any moment.
“Hang on, I’ll give the signal. Just stand back.”
Yuri said as she lifted her arms upward.
Kiyoshi shouted as she was knocked down by a NightScreamer, its jaws clamping shut only inches from her face. Needles came swishing in, piercing the heartless dozens of times and ripping through its wings. It cried out in agony, leaping back away from Kiyoshi as Sakura ran to her side. Zeph cracked his whip violently, sending ice shards splintering through the air and stabbing into the winged heartless that had tried to surround him. Haku and Hiroko were by themselves, slashing through NightScreamers left and right. Haku leapt up on top of one, pulling its wing back as he cut through it, sending a strange black substance splattering onto the ground as he grounded it permanently. He jumped off before it hit the ground, landing near Hiroko.
Suddenly, a light lit the area. Haku and Hiroko whipped around to see a ball of fire streaming up into the air farther into the forest.
“That’s Yuri’s signal!” Zeph said as he watched the fire disappear, leaving a thin trail of smoke. Without question, Hiroko ran towards the signal, Haku, Yoshi, Yumi, and Zeph tailing her. The NightScreamers yowled angrily, those who were able flying after them.
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