Things stayed relatively normal, as normal as things could get in an outbreak of infected cannibalistic civilians, as they continued their trek through the city and came to where they had turned. Haruto took in her scent again and saw that they had gone all the way down to the center and stopped. He looked up to the sky for a second. The rest of the walk is about forty minutes… and we only have ten until sundown. I think we should speed up a bit...
Haruto started to pick up his pace as he began to jog. He heard the others behind him do the same and he saw up ahead that the creatures were beginning to converge at each intersection of the streets. Haruto pulled forth his blade and looked back to Saeko. He was having a hard time believing that she was actually his descendent but the explanation from Alter was the only thing he had to go on. "Saeko-chan! A clean path! Don't veer off!"
She nodded and pulled out the blade he gave her. Haruto looked forward as he brought down his blade on the first unsuspecting creature. He then utilized a technique that he had seen another Kenjutsuist use. He began to wave his sword in a large, sweeping, zigzag motion in front of him, slicing down anything that stood before him. He could feel as his bloodlust began to rise up from the influence of Alter, but he held it back through sheer willpower.
As they went deeper and deeper into the horde, Saeko, Rei and Kohta were holding off any that would try and grab at them from the sides. Haruto broke through to the slightly clear center of one of the intersections and took another sniff as he fought off the creatures that came for them at all sides. The walk shouldn't be that long now. Cutting through all of them instead of going around really took off a chunk of time. But we still have a ways to go… shit...
Frustrated, Haruto reached down to his waist for the same scroll he used at the school with one hand as he cut through another one to his right with his sword hand. Saya watched once more as he unfurled it with one glorious wave of his hand. He waved his hand over the same seal and out came the same three-pronged knife that she had seen pierce the side of the bus. It went into the air, giving Haruto enough time to close it with a spin and put it back to his waist, while coming around and snatching it out of the air with his left hand.
She couldn't quite figure it out… but why was her face heating up at the sight of the wind picking up around him? Why was she intrigued by the way that his coat flared out as sparks of energy danced across his arm and into the knife? Why… was it so arousing that he stared back into her eyes… making her breath catch itself in her throat? Why...
She couldn't answer the questions that roared through her mind a mile a minute. She didn't have time as her mind tried to comprehend what she was currently seeing. It looked like something out of a movie. Blood danced across her vision from the movements of the others as Haruto stood in the middle, the grand hero, crouched in a position that showed readiness to strike. But striking was not his plan...
Her eyes were glued to him as he spun, his coat whipping furiously against the wind that encompassed him. She saw the wind begin to become visible as it danced around the small blade. What on Earth… Her thoughts could not finish as she watched him release the blade in the direction that Shizuka and Takashi had gone. As soon as it left his hand, time seemed to slow… she watched as the air immediately broke around it and sent out a massive sonic boom that sent everyone to their knees in pain as they clasped their hands over their ears.
Through watery eyes, she saw that the blast did not affect Haruto as he stood… looking like the Shinigami himself. The wind played with his coat, blowing it out to his side as he held his sword out calmly to the same side. He looked back to her, his icy blue eyes giving her a hard but caring look. She saw the wind from the blast playing across his hair like it was grass in the springtime. As much as she was focused on him, though, she could also see the knife tearing through the massive horde in a straight line, sending them into the air or just slicing them clean in half as it passed through them like paper.
She watched as he walked over to her and held out his hand for her to take. She did so and he pulled her up to her feet as he did the same with everyone else. He then pulled them over to where she stood and had them grab each other's hands. Kohta jumped and quickly grabbed her hand. Saya sighed and took Haruto's outstretched hand. Saeko took Rei's hand and then took Haruto's other hand.
Haruto was deep in thought as he looked around. Shit… I don't have enough chakra to take us all. Alter! The dark voice of his other half groaned into his mind.
"What the hell do you want now?"
I need some chakra so that I can get us out of this. Care to lend me a hand without trying to take over?
"What's in it for me?" Haruto tried to keep his growl concealed. Fuck… what do you want…
The chuckle that came from him only made Haruto groan even in his mind. "I want you to change this prissy ass mindscape! The trees and the fucking river are making me gag!" This time the groan could not be held back as he started to growl, getting the attention of the creatures around them. It took me forever to make that you asshole!
"Like I give a shit!" Haruto opened his eyes as his frustration began to get to him. He then saw that they were quickly being surrounded. He then closed his eyes as he answered back frantically. Fine! I'll do it later! Just give me enough chakra so that I can do this and stay awake this time!
"Good boy! Here you go..."
Haruto felt the power begin to surge through him as he started to channel more and more of Alter's chakra. He could feel the bloodthirsty influence but did everything in his power to resist it. When he had the urge to fight off, he began to gather his chakra again in the same way at the school. Everyone felt as they began to shift a little. Thinking nothing of it, they did not expect to be jerked so hard as they disappeared and reappeared, not a second later, in front of a large metal gate.
They stumbled as Haruto let them go. Kohta was dry heaving as he bent over into some flora. Saeko was generally okay, having done it before, and Saya and Rei were shivering on the ground. Haruto chuckled at the sight. Hmhm...thank you, Alter.
"Yeah… sure… whatever fuck bag. If you die then that means I die too. I can't have that happen." Haruto snickered at his reasoning and walked over to the gate. "Takashi-san! We're here! Open the gate please!"
Haruto heard shuffling on the other side of the gate and watched as one of the doors opened to reveal Takashi and a smiling Shizuka. Haruto smiled back at her. "I'm glad that you are still in a good mood, Shizuka-chan!" She nodded her head as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "I am! I'm just so happy that you all got here so quickly and okay!" Haruto nodded as he walked in the gate with the others following closely behind him to get away from the horde.
When everyone was in, Komuro closed the gate and quickly locked it. Haruto, on the other hand, was far too preoccupied with making sure that Shizuka was actually okay. She insisted that she was fine and not scared and he took the answer. She led the group up the stairs and into the apartment. Everyone was surprised at the sheer size of it as they began to wander around.
Haruto was completely dumbstruck at the size and presentation of the apartment. His own was a dump while this one was stunning in every way. He sighed. This is one way to make me miss home… damn it… he walked up the spiral staircase to find a small landing and he walked past it to see a bedroom with a huge, black, rectangular thing just… hanging there. "Humph… what a waste of space. That could easily be used to hang a nice portrait or even weapons..."
His thoughts were torn up as he saw Takashi shoot right past him. "Holy shit! That TV is huge!" Haruto raised an eye at his comment. "What the fuck is a TV?" Takashi stopped dead as he looked over his shoulder to Haruto like he had grown two heads, an extra arm and a tail. "You… you don't know what a TV is?" Haruto shook his head, his eyebrow still raised. Takashi palmed his forehead, but then remembered something. He looked up to Haruto with seriousness in his eyes. "We are safe now and time will permit. I think it's time we got our answers, Haruto-san."
Haruto sighed. "You really aren't going to let that go are you?" Takashi shook his head fervently as he kept his eyes on Haruto. Haruto sighed once more; it was beginning to become a common occurrence here. Was this world just that ignorant? "Fine. You get everyone in a room and I'll answer all of your questions."
Takashi nodded as he walked off. Haruto walked over to the bed and groaned as he sat down and flopped back, splaying his arms out. He closed his eyes slowly as he waited for the students to come up and question him.
"This is gonna take a while..."