CHAPTER 5: THE HUNTER AND THE HUNT
A storm raged within Kai as he left the last huts of the town behind and plunged into the dark embrace of the forest. Guilt gnawed at his chest for leaving Morde, but his instincts screamed at him to survive. There was nothing I could do, he thought bitterly. He made his choice. Now I must make mine.
He pushed through the dense undergrowth, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His simple pirate clothes were soaked with sweat. Leaning against the rough bark of a tree trunk, he tried to steady his breathing and listened intently. The distant sounds of combat had ceased completely. Morde... did he make it?
Just as he was about to push on, a rustling sound from above made him freeze. He looked up.
Perched gracefully on a high branch sat a blonde-haired woman, watching him. Sunlight danced in her golden hair, but her expression was a mix of calm menace. The fitted leather armor she wore and the intricate whip coiled at her hip marked her as a professional. A hunter.
"Hey! Who are you?" Kai shouted, his voice trembling with exhaustion and tension.
The woman dropped from the branch, landing silently on the mossy ground. "I've been waiting for you, pirate," she said, her voice as cold and sharp as honed steel.
The realization hit Kai like a physical blow. The Hunter's Union. Morde was right. They're here for me.
He forced his tired body into a fighting stance, fists clenching, legs bending. The woman—the hunter—gave a slight, predatory grin.
"Do you really think you can defeat me? Don't be a fool. Come on. I know you have that power. I will hunt you down in the name of the Hunter's Union."
A determined fire flickered back to life in Kai's eyes. "You've come to hunt me? Then try!"
A flash of irritation crossed the hunter's face. "Pray you don't die fighting me, you idiot!"
"Who are you to talk to me like that?" Kai shot back.
"Know your place, you arrogant brat!" she shouted. "You stand before one of the Hunter Union's finest. Do you have any idea how many pirates like you I've broken?"
"I don't care," Kai said, trying to project a confidence he didn't feel. "I'm different from them."
She took a step closer, her eyes burning with a dangerous light. "Yes. You possess that immense power. That makes you far more valuable prey."
"Enough!" Kai roared. "It's time to fight. If you want to catch me, then come and try!"
"My name is Robin," the hunter snarled. "Remember it. I'll make sure it's the last thing you forget."
"You're spouting nonsense," Kai retorted, the fear fueling his bravado.
Robin's patience finally snapped. She launched her first attack. "Sharp Edge!" Her whip cracked through the air, lashing toward Kai with lightning speed.
Kai was utterly unprepared. The tip of the whip bit deep into his arm, tearing skin and drawing blood. He cried out in pain, clutching the fresh wound.
Robin laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "Is this the extent of your power? You don't deserve it!"
Fury surged through Kai, a hot wave that momentarily eclipsed the pain. As his anger peaked, he noticed his fists were glowing with a faint, white energy. What is this?... The Spirit's power. It manifests in danger.
Robin didn't give him time to think. "Hook Strike!" This time, her whip snaked toward his legs, deliberately slower, taunting him.
"You think you can catch me with that?" Kai yelled, leaping into the air. He threw the ball of spirit energy that had gathered in his palm directly at her.
"You dare mock me?" Robin shouted contemptuously. "Spin Spin!" Her whip became a blur, spinning rapidly in front of her to form a defensive circle that dissipated the energy attack with a sizzle.
Kai stared, stunned, but his will hardened. I've started this. I can't stop now. If I stop, I'm finished. It's now or never! He charged forward, throwing another wild punch, but he couldn't break through her defenses. The force of the deflected energy sent him flying backward. His back slammed against a tree with a sickening thud before he crumpled to the ground.
Robin glared down at him from her vantage point. "Now do you understand the difference between us, you fool?"
Every part of his body screamed in protest, but Kai pushed himself to his feet, his eyes still holding a defiant glint. "You think this is all I have?"
Infuriated by his resilience, Robin let out a cry of rage. They lunged at each other simultaneously. A flurry of punches, kicks, and whip strikes echoed through the silent forest. But it was a futile struggle; Robin was toying with him. She easily found an opening, her boot connecting with his chest and sending him crashing to the ground once more.
Robin looked down at Kai, lying battered on the forest floor. "I've never seen a more stubborn pirate. I cannot fathom why the divine power chose you. Be grateful my orders are to take you alive, or you would have been dead long ago."
At that moment, a voice, ancient and compelling, echoed in the depths of Kai's mind: "Use your true power... Unleash it..."
He didn't understand, but the command resonated with something deep inside him. He stood up, his body trembling but his spirit burning.
"Hey... I'm not done yet. Don't think I'll go down that easily."
Robin laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Hahaha! Don't make me laugh! What can you possibly do now? All you're fit for is to kneel and beg!"
In that split second, assured of her victory, Robin let her guard down.
And there it was.
A surge of energy, wild and uncontrollable, erupted from Kai's core. He moved involuntarily, a blur of motion that carried him right in front of Robin before either of them could process it. The power... it has a will of its own!
"Spirit Fist!" he cried out, the words torn from him. His hand, now blazing with intense white spirit energy, swung forward in a devastating arc.
Robin's eyes widened in shock. The punch connected squarely with her chest, unleashing a concussive blast that lifted her off her feet and sent her flying back two meters. She crashed to the earth, a spray of blood misting from her lips.
"What... what is this?!" she gasped, struggling for breath.
Kai stood his ground, shaking the dust from his clothes. A new, unshakable confidence filled his voice. "This... is my true power."