The Dream Shifter

Chapter 44

"Saki?!" Yuki shouted as he rushed to Saki's side, but was stopped in his tracks by Saki's arm thrust outward.

Saki looked behind her while she faced forward so that Yuki could see her face.

"Yuki… I made you a promise. I'm not about to break it now!"

Saki narrowed her face staring down at the man in vines ready to challenge him. She was not going to let him hurt Yuki anymore. The pain in her arms was slowly getting to her, but she had someone to protect.

'Hitomi…Yuki… I'm sorry, Hiroshi.'

Saki felt her leg muscles tighten and flex on her preparing for her to spring forward, already warmed up from the sprinting that she had to get back to the warehouse. A burst from her feet sprung her into the combat that Ayumi was already engaged with the man of vines.

"Ugh… I can't believe that Saki."

Hiroshi shook his head trying to throw off the fuzzy feeling that was hanging around him. He laid on the couch taking in his surroundings as he could still vividly remember the last seconds before he was unconscious.

Saki seemed to have accepted her position listening to Hiroshi, but it was only feint by her to get him within reach and off guard. When Hiroshi went for the bag of supplies to grab something out for Saki she had her fist already prepared. Her punch was faster than Hiroshi remembered planted deep inside his stomach before he could even get a word out. The impact forced all of the air out of him instantly and drew his eyes wide as they became pale. He collapsed over her shoulder his slightly drooling mouth stuck against the back of the couch.

"Sorry, but this is something I must do."

She stood up placing Hiroshi on the couch in her stead. A look down in silence was all she had to spare knowing that her time was short. The room was empty, but at the stairs was Jun staring in mute knowing simply that there was nothing stopping her.

Saki ran pass him catching the glimpse from his eye as though he was telling her to protect Yuki. She gave him a gentle smile as she did not miss a step and flung the door open disappearing into the street just as fast.

Hiroshi looked around already knowing that Saki had to be gone but needing to know for himself.

"Always running on impulse. Got to be the one putting your life in danger."

He let out a heavy sigh as he saw Jun walk around the couch in front of him staring at him blankly. There was little being said between the two, but they both seemed to sit in the same pool of emotions.

"Why don't you sit down here and we wait for them."

Jun gave a content nod to Hiroshi and sat a comfortable distance apart from him.

'Man… I thought it was the women that were supposed to be sitting at home for the men to return. This is so screwed up. Just come back safely Saki.'

Hiroshi rubbed his stomach still feeling sore from the hit and then it hit him.

"Argh! She's been holding back this entire time!"

"Saki!"

Yuki tried to move his body, but it would not budge for him as though it seemed to know something that he did not. He could not stand seeing Saki out there getting hurt because of him. Yet there was nothing that he had been able to do to change it. It was like this for him all the time.

'Why can't I move? She can't fight this sort of person. He's not normal. Move legs! Saki's going to get killed out there!'

Ayumi pulled her focus back on the assassin after the sudden arrival of Saki to protect Yuki. She cut away the vines that were getting in her way with an annoyed expression on her face like this was not worth her time and was causing her too much trouble. The sword tightened in her hands glowing off the light behind her as she readied her assault.

Saki did not wait for any word from Ayumi as she charged straight for the man without any consideration for her safety. She put up her arms to take a couple of vines that were coming at her spraying blood into the air as she pushed on to her target.

Nothing was stopping her as vines attempted to take hold of her, but missed getting a hold. The speed of a sprinter has given her an advantage that the assassin was not expecting from Saki. Closer to the man more vines came up to stop her slicing at her clothes trying to put up a wall to stop her.

Ayumi extended her snow up freezing the vines in place giving Saki a hurdle to jump over as she landed on her hands using her built up momentum and strength in her arms to throw her herself into the air feet first towards the man. All the vines grasped at the air as she sailed through landing her feet directly in the chest of the man forcing him to cough pushing all of the air out of him.

Stunned for the moment, Ayumi took her opening and followed up as Saki was coming to a rough landing in the snow. The sword in Ayumi's hands hung down against the snow as she charged forward drawing it up in an arc. A flash of the blade against the assassin ripped through knocking the man backward.

Saki returned to her feet, ignoring the tears to her school uniform, staring down the assassin not certain if it was over or not. Ayumi leaped back after finishing her attack seeing that the vines had broken free from her ice and threatened to attack if she pressed a kill.

'Not dead yet… And his vines seem to have a mind of their own. Explains a few things.'

The moment to breathe was coldly welcomed by Ayumi as she turned to Saki next to her.

"What do you think you're doing and attacking so recklessly too?"

Heavy breathing from Saki had held back her words as she caught herself and brought her body's rhythm back under control.

"Can we debate this after we defeat him?"

Saki pulled her hands up sliding herself into an offensive stance ready to strike at the slightest movement. All of her training at the dojo she attended was going to be put to the test for her against this enemy.

"What do you mean 'we'? This one's mine. You don't stand a chance against someone like this. You'll only get in my way."

Ayumi caught the change in demeanor from Saki seeing the serious look in her eyes.

'There's no convincing her.'

A sigh came out of Ayumi's mouth as she looked down at the ground that was covered in snow with the remains of plants still held in the man's mind. She lowered her off hand to her side as the snow pushed aside revealing a narrow length of the ice.

The ice rose until it came into contact with her hand. Her hand grasped the end of the ice-breaking it free from the ground and whipped in sharply through the air causing the blank pole of ice to morph into a simple sword.

"Well if you're going to be here take this. It's lighter than a metal one but about as strong and sharp. It shouldn't slow down your movements."

Ayumi tossed the ice sword over to Saki being caught quickly.

"Just don't leave the snow or it'll disappear."

Saki gave Ayumi a short smile and nod in understanding. She looked down at the sword seeing partly through the semi-opaque blade. It was cool, but not freezing to her hand nor did it even melt. She had never felt ice like this before, but quickly remembered how easy it was for Ayumi to defy the natural laws of the world within her space.

They were both drawn towards the shade where the man began to move again with the vines surrounding around him putting up a net-like barrier. Out of the darkness came a smooth nearly sweet and kind voice that seemed amused.

"Well, you've come back for your revenge? This should be interesting."

The man stepped forward bringing the plants with him reaching the edge of the light. A green light suddenly burst from him altering all of the ground around him into a green field of grass and vines with flowers interspersed throughout. The field collided with Ayumi's snow melting and shifting fighting over dominance.

The barrier around him dropped away with the vines returning into the ground whispering in wait. The man revealed himself to be surprisingly handsome behind the vines taking the two back a step. He had a fair face and soft light blue eyes that matched with his voice that made him appear younger than he truly was. Medium brown hair finished off his young appearance kept short and close to his face accenting his shape. His white uniform was gone replaced by loose green pants that were wrapped at the ankles with red tape. A matching green short trench coat cut off just a little after the thighs before the knees split the cloth into four lengths covering around him except for the middle section in front of him. The coat was buttoned halfway up with a long strip of material wrapping around from the right side of the coat over and behind snapping into place at his back. Underneath his coat was a red tank top kept neatly in place. A red sash tied in around his coat at the waist keeping all of the excesses from being free. Along his right sleeve, there were several red strips wrapped matching in color for the bordering that went around the coat.

"Getting serious now?"

Ayumi said narrowing her eyes not certain how much of a change this would be now that he had pulled out his full power.

"Yes. It seems that I must, now that it is two on one," he said with a pleasant smile on his face.

He grabbed a vine that was slithering along his shoulder and ripped in two taking the length of it. The two girls moved slightly adjusting their stances defensively uncertain by the act.

"So cautious."

In his hand, the vine appeared to wither and die turning brown thinning out. It slowly turned leathery in texture until it became a whip that he coiled up in his hand.

"Shall we?"

He turned himself a little adjusting his stance with the whip staying further away.

'He's enjoying this…'

Saki thought to herself as she resumed her previous stance. Out of the corner of her eye, she monitored Ayumi's movements planning to time her actions in step. She knew that Ayumi was right when it came to this fight is out of her reach, but this was important. There was no turning back for her.

The man's vines lunged forward out of the ground at the both of them with his hands giving orders to increase their reaction time. Ayumi and Saki leaped out of the way to evade only to be immediately countered with more plants changing direction almost instantly.

A flash of light and the two landings on the ground little off signaling the drop of the pieces of plants in the snow. Saki used her legs strength to get into the striking distance while Ayumi worked to slow the progress of the plants with her ice.

The man brought up the whip in his hand that suddenly was gleaming like a razor slashing at the ice sword in Saki's hand. The blade was snapped off without challenge as the whip followed through sliding through the cloth on her shoulder and skin as well as throwing blood up.