The Dream Shifter

Chapter 141

"Ya see I can make a'ythin' I want intah a razor sharp blade!"

'So he can make grass sharp enough to cut. That makes sense, but with so many things for him to turn into blades I won't be able to move…'

"And I dun have tah touch 'hem either."

'Activated by sight…that's even worse… I won't know when he changes it.'

"An' 'cause tha 'hole city fill'd with grass! There's nowhere ya can run!"

Haruo stared grimly at his surroundings. 'Hate to admit it, but he's right…' He had no certainty where there could be blades in the grass. The only fortunate part was that they had not been enough to seriously injury him. He knew that he could get past the pain with some effort.

Akihiro stalked forward with a hungry look in his eye that seemed eager for the next round of blood. They had been savage before with wounded pride, but it was different from before. The man wanted only blood anymore. It was the thirsty eyes of death. "So whacha gonna do?"

There was no way out for him that he could see. All he had left was just to defend himself and try to get out of his ability's range. However, he had no clue to the range. He was going to have to endure until he figured it out. Haruo took a staggered step with his good leg before placing his full weight on his injured one.

In the break in the action, it had given the rest of the teens that had been beating up him the time to regroup around Haruo. There was little room left for him to go anywhere. 'If they're all around here though it'll limit how he can use his powers… I just have to keep wearing them down…'

"Looks like he's thinkin' sumthin'," joked one of the other boys to Akihiro.

"Nah! That's just fear yer seein'," another teen spouted ignoring Haruo.

"Whacha thinkin' Akihiro?" questioned the third.

"I'm thinkin' more blood less talkin'!"

"I like that, Akihiro!"

"Let's have sum fun!"

Haruo tilted his head around trying to take in all of his sides. There was a punk just out of his sight to the left looking more than eager to take the first step. Reinvigorated the kid was by Akihiro using his power. When Haruo had turned back to focus on the other three and Akihiro the punk took the chance to charge. Taken out of his blind side Haruo did not have much time to react having only just heard the noise made by him running through the glass. Haruo was forced to take the fist to the cheek, but as the teen followed through with his arm he over extended the reach. The motion was easily flowed through by Haruo to send him off balance into the front line of the g**g members.

The ranks were broken a little, but they simply pushed the stumbled kid aside to go after Haruo. He tried to back up to give him the room he needed to take them. However, when he shifted his leg back the razor sharp edge of the grass cut into his pants. 'He's made the grass behind me blades so I can't move…' Haruo changed into a hardened defensive position planning to take everything. The wave of attacks from them broke upon Haruo hard, but the most that they got from him was blood from his previous cuts. They could only manage dull thuds against Haruo unable to budge him. The boys figured out quickly that Haruo was not going to move and took the advantage of it to unleash everything that he to try to break through his defense.

Eventually, the pressure became too much for Haruo to with stand against his footing. He managed to push back a raised kick in his final efforts before completely losing his balance. His legs were the first to fall against the blades raking shallow cuts along his skin as the grass folded and brushed against him. He collapsed on his bleeding back seeing the teenagers coming after him to kick him while he was down. There was a moment of clarity for Haruo through all of the delayed pain. 'He'll have to turn it off with them coming after me… I can use that…'

"Dun think fallin' and getting' cut up'll be enough for us!"

'Have to move…' Haruo waited until they were close enough that Akihiro would not have the time to react. He took the first kick to the ribs and used some of the momentum to get him rolling out of the way until he could stand on his feet once more. 'I'll have a few seconds…' Haruo sprinted through the grass soon feeling the blades cut into him again, but he was already at his target. The property wall near them in the fight would give him safety. He mounted the wall quickly with his hands before getting his feet up out of the grass.

There was a moment that he could take to breathe and look at the situation. 'I've got to do something about Yuki… This is my problem and I need to handle it alone. He's involved because of me and I can't let that continue.'

While Haruo was in thought he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his leg. "What?" He looked down to see a serrated silver blade protruding from cement shelf on top of the wall. Haruo jumped back to get the blade out of his leg only to see another appearing where he was landing. Several more blades of various design, size and shape burst from the surface at him forcing him to fall back into the property of the house. 'I thought he could only make edges sharp.'

Akihiro stepped into the grounds of the house breaking the gate down with a sturdy kick. "Guess I forgot tah mention I can make blades fer a'ythin' even if it's just makin' my own!" He had let out a low snicker as he took another step forward casting a shadow over Haruo. The other boys soon joined looking down from the top of the wall Haruo had just been on. They all looked like starved vultures just waiting for their meal to die.

'…how do I survive against this…powers and abilities that aren't human…' The pain he had experienced in his leg from the real blade digging deep into his muscle was wholly different from everything else. He had been bruised and pummeled before even cut and bled. However, they had always only been physical with him never bringing a weapon into the attacks. He figured he was fortunate that they never did. The feeling of the metal plunged so deep into his leg was only momentarily painful compared to the excruciating throbbing he was taking now. The fall he had taken only made the pain he was feeling even worse and distributed all over his body. 'I have to do…something…'

Akihiro's face darkened a little more as he grew more sinister. "I guess since tha cat's outta bag I'll have my fun!" He raised his right hand pointing it at Haruo like he was reaching or directing something. A moment later a large blade the size of a bastard sword erupted from the ground piercing Haruo's leg. Blood sprayed up on the faces of the g**g members making their hungry grins look even more wicked.

Haruo coughed and released a dull restricted scream as though his throat had never known a raised voice. The blade was soon gone from his leg the tearing from it being forcefully removed hurting even more. He was grinding his fingers against the sidewalk tearing the nails and flesh apart from trying to endure the pain. '…but what can I do…I'm powerless against this…savagery… It's like they aren't human anymore… Like they've been possessed by…the call of the blood…' Haruo took another blade this time thin and narrow through his shoulder along with several short stabs in his back purposely missing vitals.

His breathing began to become ragged and drawn out nearly exhausted from the unfamiliar pain he was forced upon. 'I need…to do something…but how… I can't move and the pain's too… much to bear anymore…' Haruo blinked his eyes seeing things looking blurry. He was not sure how much longer he could stay awake. 'I'm going to pass out? Am I dying?'

Suddenly Yuki's voice echoed in his mind from earlier. 'You don't have to keep taking it from them! You've got the strength to protect yourself use it! If you don't they'll just keep walking over you again and again! You said before that you were determined to leave that life behind you right? Well your past is staring you down right now. You going to let your past control you or are you going to control your past!'

'I don't want to…take it, but I…' Haruo could not keep his body up any longer and fell flat against the ground. 'I can't fight back… It won't solve anything…' Yuki's voice pounded in his head firmly again. 'I…I…' The blades penetrating his body were almost a distant feeling to him. Everything seemed to be dulled out to Haruo. He could only see the last images of Akihiro crazed face burned into his eyes. '…maybe… but I don't have anything… I need… something… anything…' Haruo struggled with his body to keep control as he fought with his resolve. 'I…I don't want to be beaten down anymore…'

Haruo clutched on to a broken piece of a pot that had shattered from his fall. His hand tightened around it as he became desperate for anything. He wanted to put a stop to what was happening. It was his fight to deal with his way.

Akihiro paused in his poking with his swords seeing Haruo beginning to look more lifeless. As he stepped forward to examine Haruo he felt a sudden invisible surge that pushed him back a little. He barely had a moment to look back at Haruo afterward when a light of pure white exploded from Haruo's hand. The entire area was bathed in the light blinding everyone. "What's goin' on?!"

"I can't see anythin'?!"

"Haruo?" Yuki said slowly confused through all of the pain he was forcing down.

Akihiro stepped back by reflex in the light trying to put some distance between him and it. Near him he heard a blood curdling scream followed by a very sloppy splash. "What's happenin'?!" There was another scream leaving him panicked and confused. Akihiro frantically looked about in the blindness trying to focus on the screaming. "Guys?! What is it?!"

When the light finally came to an end and Akihiro could see finally the horror that he saw made his eyes widened almost letting his eyes fall out. Two of the teens that had been on the wall were missing and a blood spray was left on the wall. The next moment a low growl permeated the air setting everyone's hair on end. It was a primal growl that only knew the law of nature. A large transparent white tiger leapt over the wall and stood over Haruo in protection bearing its fangs at the boys.