The Dream Shifter

Chapter 146

As the smoke slowly began to clear Haruo stood up slowly. 'Friends support, huh? Protect… I don't…' He emerged from the blast straightening himself out. All of the g**g members stared on at him looking ready to strike once more. However, Haruo turned his head up towards them locking eyes with them. The stare he returned made them all step back uneasy having never seen such a fierce look of determination and strength from him before. "I don't have to be alone anymore… I don't have to stand by myself…" He threw out his hands tossing dirt into the air that suddenly burst with light. A moment later six massive tigers appeared in a circle around him shining with a divine light brighter than ever had been seen before.

Haruo took a brief second to think about Yuki and the sacrifice that he had made for him. The cloud surrounding where Yuki had been was being more persistent in staying around. "I'm sorry I was so stubborn. It took your death to open my eyes…" He looked forward at the g**g members that were still left. A step from Haruo pressed him closer and making the tigers encircling him let out low roars eager for action.

"I'm not dead yet…" a weak voice from the cloud spoke. The dust around Yuki finally dispersed enough to reveal a burned and badly bleeding, yet still alive Yuki. Calling him worse for wear would have been understating how bad he looked. It was apparent that while still able to talk that taking the fireball full on caused significant damage to him. He let out a shallow cough that he tried to disguise as more casual like it meant nothing to him. "Though the way I'm feeling I think I wish I could be…" he mused, mostly to himself.

'Still being so casual after everything that's happened…' There was no change in the situation though and Haruo knew that. The sight of Yuki's condition was not going to do anything further for them. "Well just stay where you are and let me deal with this."

Yuki became a little annoyed by Haruo bluntness that seemed like he had not changed at all. "So you're just going to be a hypocrite after what you just said and try to do everything by yourself still?!"

"Hardly…if you could move I'd accept your help, but you're in no condition to fight them. So just leave it to me." Haruo marched out to meet Katsu and his g**g determined to keep Yuki safe from anything that they might be planning on doing.

A stream of wind blew out from Yuki's arm putting up a gale between the two sides, primarily aimed at getting Haruo's attention. "My mind is the source of my power. I'm not as helpless as you believe." Yuki gave him a serious stare when he finally looked back at him. Another confident grin appeared on Yuki's face like he was ready to take on anything. In the next second his expression darkened and changed as a small fountain of sprayed out of his wounded shoulder.

No longer convinced by Yuki's act, Haruo turned to plain disbelief as he faced back at his problem. "You're not going to be of any help to me," he declared flatly.

"I'm not useless!" Yuki retorted despite another fountain of blood spurting out from a wound. "Ack!" He fumbled around trying to patch it up with his energy field and making use of his hands even though it was unnecessary.

"They're coming… Just protect yourself…" Haruo launched his tigers into action seeing the g**g starting to come back together from their disjointed formation.

Chapter 85 – A Tiger's Pride

There was a moment of hesitation from the teens seeing the massive tigers charging towards them. The animals were nearly as tall as Haruo when on all fours and the closer that they came to the boys the clearer it became how large the beasts truly were. When the animals approached nearer they released a bone rattling roar sending chills down their spines. If their legs had been working they would have all fled, but just stood sweating in fear.

Two of the punks were taken down by a tiger each in a swift motion. It had left the others too stunned to react. The tigers quickly mauled the boys and leapt away. They were left within a thread of death and bleeding out into the earth. The numerous claw marks left in them set the mood for the g**g members still standing. The normal non-special powers members fled the scene immediately recognizing their mortality in front of the overwhelming strength. They were chased down by a single tiger while the others turned towards the remaining three.

Katsu stumbled to get back to his feet still suffering deeply from the effects of what Yuki had done to him. He twitched his eye seeing how everyone had been broken. Looking over at Haruo, he was able to detect a hint of confidence in what he was doing. It was an expression that he did not want to see. "Damnit…" He panted heavily trying to keep his body under control. One of the tigers charged for him having finally begun targeting the last of them. He fought to bend the winds to his will and launch a green crescent at the beast. A lack of control and size compared to the animal left his aim to only take off its legs dropping it to the ground sharply. "Don't think you're my better, kid!"

Takaoka summoned up his fire again presuming that it would be as affect against the spirits as it had been the last time. The tiger barreling after him was his first target. The wounds that he had taken made it difficult for him to move or even stand completely. All he could rely on was his powers to keep him out of danger. However, the fireball only managed to partially engulf the creature as it continued its charge for him. He was barely able to fall over to avoid getting burned by his own flame. "What's it made of?!"

Akihiro was as much of a target as before and the healthiest of anyone remaining. He had two tigers hunting him coming together at him. "Ya won't beat mah!" He began running away from the animals and summoning up as many blades as he could manage. His own fear had poured power into his ability creating far more swords than he had ever done before. A literal jungle of assorted makes of blades stuck out from the ground skewering the two tigers in their place. He stopped to see his success and grinned. Akihiro began to laugh at his victory until he realized that the two animals were still alive and ripping themselves free from their prison. "What's with these things?!"

The tiger that Katsu had cut down was growing its legs back and stepped back up. It was joined by another tiger becoming a pair of hunters with eyes for Katsu. "You think two will make a difference?!" Katsu formed more wind blades to throw at the tigers. They were able to dodge most of the attacks while closing the distance. There had been a few that sliced into them, but any injury that they took was restored quickly. They were determined to take him down.

Burning slightly from Takaoka's flame, the tiger turned about to come to face him once more. All the fire seemed to be doing was creating a more menacing appearance for the animal. Takaoka swallowed painfully knowing how little chance he stood against the threat. The fall that he had taken had left him in even worse shape with his leg not willing to respond for him. There was not going to be another chance to dodge. He narrowed his eyes and pulled down his eyebrows in anger trying to steel himself. "Ya want mah!? I won't go down easy!" The next fireball that he created grew larger and larger as though it was feeding off his own life force to become stronger. It became so powerful that he could feel it burning him a little radiating its bright red light.

The beast snorted and accepted his challenge. It charged for him blowing out the remaining embers from its neck ready to take the punk down. Takaoka screamed as he released the fireball pitting his will against the spirit. The sphere of flame collided with the tiger only a few meters away. It disappeared in the blast as the ball erupted into a massive pyre. Takaoka stared on watching to see what happened becoming more encouraged as the seconds passed. However, the tiger suddenly burst from the flames completely dowsed in fire charging for him. He tried to turn away for any sort of cover, but the tiger was upon him. The animal slammed into Takaoka blasting him with the flames that buried the tiger. Takaoka was caught in the fires screaming from the burning skin as the tiger fell over on the ground slowly being consumed by the flames.

A flicker of fear seeped deeper into Akihiro seeing Takaoka taken down by the tiger. He slipped up his concentration on his two foes allowing them to break through his array of weapons. One tiger broke out ahead of the other taking a shallow bite at Akihiro's hand as he tried to pull away. There was only a little blood dripping from a small set of tears and punctures left on his hand. The other tiger was too late and missed him completely. Their wounds that they had taken from Akihiro's blades healed quickly and they prepared for another attempt on him.

Akihiro wiped the blood away from his hand and tightened his fists trying to hold himself together. He had never been forced to use his power so much at once. The toll that it was taking on his body had finally started to overcome his adrenaline. His breathing became ragged and heavy as it became more difficult to hold his shoulders up straight. The tigers growled lowly at him sensing the weakness. Akihiro straightened himself up quickly showing his defiance. "Ya won't beat mah!" More blades shot up from the ground making the tigers leap into action. When it did not work he charged forward for the two beasts.

"I'll show ya I've got mo' tricks!" There was a brief flash from Akihiro's arms as he passed between the two animals and ended his run a meter away from them. He tilted his head over his shoulder to see the two tigers. A moment later they split in two shattering into dust. "Told ya!" He smirked to himself and began walking away from the scene. The fifth step he took a massive shadow was cast over him before he was able to react and pinned to the dirt an instant later. The tiger that had been chasing after the runaways had returned and roared into his face with its heavy paw planted on his chest.

The tiger did not hesitate in biting down on his shoulders splattering blood through the earth. Akihiro ground his teeth together screaming in pain trying to move his arms. He was pinned down, but was able to free up his right arm in time to thrust a blade from his palm into the heart of the tiger. It slowly fell to pieces on top of him leaving him heavily fatigued and unable to move. Akihiro passed out within the next second.

Further away, nearby Katsu there was another shattering as a tiger spirit faded away. Only one tiger was left remaining to face off with Katsu. He had been barely holding himself together and keeping the animal at bay with his wind. His body was beyond fatigue or pain at the moment. All he was feeling was the urge to win and end it all. He had no care for anything else. "Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you're any better!" he taunted the other tiger as it stalked him. The entire time he had been holding his position. He sent out numerous mini-crescents that he had been using more frequently lately rather than his normal sized ones. The tiger was able to dodge most of them seeming to have begun to learn and adapt to his fighting tactics. Those few that did manage to break through were only leaving small slices in its outer layers of white fur. It managed to close in enough on Katsu that he tried to fire a wide spread arc that only cleaved a paw before it dug partly into his shoulder and arm. Blood trailed through the air as it leapt onward getting clear as Katsu unleashed a fierce round of wind attacks.