171. Figuring the Aced Plan!

[The Chronicles of friendship: Arc 8]

Ginkens are one of the most well-known weapons in the world, and both humans and demons use them as righteous warriors.

Of course, Ginken is a weapon that is an extension of human strength and is also renowned for its special abilities; each Ginken contains a different ability, and now, more than 75% of the population possesses such weapons, which is otherwise very dangerous for residents of various cities and villages.

The first Ginken was created by a little goddess named 'Zero,' who also created and gave birth to another world where only warriors with a special quality of mental strength are born, and these warriors are guaranteed to acquire Ginken, which is why people created thirteen clans in which one captain of achievable power survives, and these people who are chosen into those clans are known as 'Spiritual Duelists.'

According to legend, the goddess 'Zero' gave birth to a daughter who received a rare 'curse' that wiped her strange memories; her identity was unknown until now, but in a short time, everything has changed; now all the Captains recognize this girl and strive to hide her perseverance, even against important people like our hero 'Shinkaku Tim.'

Of course, our hero is unaware that this girl...

- Another two hours later -

[Planet Earth - Umi Island - Umi Forest (Right Path) - Friday, 6:20 p.m.]

Ayuka has still not yet reached the exit of the long Forest Path and neither has she lost her hunter. "You know, this is beginning to get boring and annoying! If you plan to constantly run, you may as well prepare for trouble!" Spoke Natsuko who stretched both arms to the side, Ayuka gave a glimpse to her back but continued moving forward. By getting her patience lowered, Natusko summoned her Ginken, by calling out her both katanas, she swiped them behind her back and aimed their tips backward, she made a step once accelerating ahead. Ayuka hurried to reach with her right arm to the side, once twisting her feet to turn to Natsuko, she immediately raised the blade before her body to block the upcoming cut.

Ayuka and Natusko were sliding on the floor from their forces once Natsuko slashed toward Ayuka with a well-aimed cut, Ayuka made a step and raised for her guard to be strong enough, once she noticed the second katana sweeping toward her legs. Ayuka hurried by jumping and preparing a kick into Natusko's jaw, however, Natusko slipped to the side when making a step forward to prepare the next swing. In the middle of the flip, Ayuka threw her blade over her back while faced upside down and caught the blade in her left arm, striking ahead and blocking the next strike, by being very flexible, Ayuka landed on her right arm and noticed the second swing, ready to cut her chest, however, once she noticed such movement, she immediately used her force to bounce back, leaning her legs back to bounce into the opposite direction of Natsuko.

"So, you do know how to fight flexibly! You know, this might be more fun than I have imagined!" Giggled Natsuko once making a wider step forward, closing in on Ayuka. ("That's not the problem here at all, the problem here is that I must keep my hood on at all cost!") By thinking, Ayuka began sliding forward when she threw her sword beneath her waist to her right arm and turning her body sideways. Once she did that, she immediately began rubbing the blade on the ground when creating ice.

"So! Cryo type! This will be kind of cool if I say it myself!" Natsuko immediately spun her left katana when seeing the ice growing toward her, she turned her body aside when slicing forward with her left blade through the hard ice, breaking it while it shattered on her left side, she then noticed another row of ice growing towards her, so she forced her left arm forward when spinning with her body and this time slicing with her right blade, once she cut through the ice, she twisted her handles and accelerated forward, Ayuka meanwhile noticed how Natsuko closed in on her, for her to be safe, she stopped when backing forward, Natusko sliced forward with her left katana once Ayuka prepared the swing toward her back, from there, Natusko quickly turned around and blocked the attack with her right blade, they clashed with their blades once backing away and continuing running forward.

"Gosh, you must be trained pretty well!" Giggled Natsuko while facing Ayuka's hooded face. "But do be sure that I'll get that hood off your head, just to clearly see who you really are! At least now I can be sure that you might be the correct female we're looking for, that's thanks to close fighting, body shape, simple to noticed from close!" Smiled Ayuka's enemy. ("That's one defense gone.... guess I should focus on hiding my identity next, she may realize that I am a girl, but she cannot be sure that I am the one who they are looking for.") As Ayuka thought, she accelerated forward once more. "Oh! Back to running are we! Well then, let's see if a cat is faster or a mouse!" Natsuko then also accelerated.

[Planet Earth - Umi Island - Umi Forest (Middle Path) - Friday, 6:28 p.m.]

Naoki and Tsukiya however were still on the close trail behind Kanji. "This person is getting on my nerves! When I catch you, I promise, you'll be slaughtered!" Angry called Tsukiya who jumped forward, high in the air, ready to attack, he spun the right-handed dagger, when releasing dark purple energy. ("Umbra Type..... those I see rarely, and he seems to be using them perfectly fine!") Once Kanji began thinking, he turned around with his face and noticed the dagger, flying toward him. By quickly crossing his body aside he avoided the thrown dagger who on touch exploded. "Stop avoiding already!" Tsukiya annoyingly called as he landed on the floor and leaned forward, grabbing his dropped dagger while running at the same time. From there he accelerated into a dash, once disappearing in shadow.

Kanji's eyes trembled once he sensed something below him, so he slid and forced his body to jump back when Tsukiya came jumping from the shadow of his, Kanji noticed a dagger being cut toward him, yet he was lucky to protect himself a little and disappear in electrical current and appeared ahead once more, Tsukiya however faced into Kanji's direction in rage. "This Electro Type is making me so annoyed right now!" Shouted Tsukiya once landing on the floor, he quickly turned around and spun his daggers unleashing purple trail from them and beginning to close in on Kanji.

("Didn't even have enough time to use my Kodachi, nor have I needed to use it, but it was very close.... to my body getting cut.") "Come on! Stop being so aggressive, we'll never catch him that way!" Shouted Naoki. "You say that, but we both know that chasing them won't do us any good, just stand back and let me deal with this runner!" Tsukiya made a step when sweeping with his right arm forward obliquely and throwing the first dagger, from there he continued his attack by spinning his body and throw the second dagger, which both went blasting at high speed, followed by shadow trail.

When the daggers were spinning through and between the trees, Kanji faced back and quickly unleashed a black of raging lightning which, allowed him to skim into the air when spinning from the jump back into the correct position, while falling, Kanji sensed something else. ("Third?!") Kanji moved his face backward, when the third dagger went cutting into his cheek and then stabbed into the trunk of the tree. Kanji hurried to land on the floor and continued running. ("That completely messed me up with my movement, how many daggers does he actually have, three, or more?") Kanji believed in his own confusion.

[Planet Earth - Umi Island - Umi Forest (Left Path) - Friday, 6:38 p.m.]

("A pair running ahead, not taking us on, there are two mistakes that we had probably made, either they are trying to lead us somewhere, or we have been following the wrong pair and these were just the puppets, even if that was the case, the other third option might also be added, it could be that their setup was completely misread by us.... one set on the middle, two seats on the left and singular person set up all the way on the right, could it be that they've known that I cannot sense thus far across, but yet, how would that be the case... unless.... yeah... that's it..... they must of have figured out my meter mark from earlier senses, however, was it that obvious that my maximum limit of senses is 800 meters? So, this gives me many other thoughts... Middle and the right, if these two are just the two to keep us away, which of those two is the correct person..."

"... if they've figured out that I can sense at that range, the most efficient plan for them would be to put our target on the opposite side of me.... three paths... Left path, Middle path and Right path, we're on the left path which makes me unable to sense the person on the opposite side, which is right.... The middle is still in my reach, but they could be fooling me, to think that our target is on Natusko's side, or they could have another backup plan, to where, they believe that the one being followed by Tsukiya and Naoki is actually the correct target, but that wouldn't make sense... to think further, that would be too of a clear conclusion, then again, these two have not yet attacked, nor have they wanted us to lose my sight of them, it's the possibility that there are two females and one of them is just the incorrect target and is the one who keeps my eye on her, but she has another person, to which I believe he is an 'acting' guardian of her...."

".....hm, this is really smart from them, they are making me go in a cycle of thoughts to hopefully not decide which is the correct target, and yet, if the girl is trying to keep away from us, if she were in the middle, that would be too obvious and very dangerous for them, but the one on the right, keeping me as far away as possible, but what I do not understand, how could they tell, to which side I would go.... oh right..... they made me believe that one of these two is the correct target, but no, this girl and boy have too, been hiding their Spiritual Symbolism, the middle was not, this is it... I understand them now, their goal was to keep me as far away as possible to sense that girl's Spiritual Symbolism so that she could finish off Natsuko, this being said....") "Hey, Toshiro." Called Octavius.

("If this is correct, acting like, I know where our target is, they'll jump after us immediately, but if this girl next to him is the correct target, then she'll continue moving....") "....the girl is on the right side, hurry up!" When Octavius said, Toshiro listened and both of them jumped to the right. Sakami's and Codey's eyes trembled. "Keep them away from her, now!" Shouted Sakami, which Codey agreed to. They immediately switched their movement to the right. "I thought so!" Smiled Octavius once began moving over tree branches with Toshiro.

From there, Codey became confused. "What the hell do you mean by that?!" Questioned Codey. "You do realize that this was just a test, I had no idea if you were the right person or the one on the right path, but you've given me the answer, the plan to understand your setup was simple, if you'd rush after me, you'd only be willing to do so to protect our target, but if you've kept running, then this girl would be our target!"

Explained Octavius, once saying so, both of them became annoyed. "He completely read us!!" Codey shouted in shock. "Don't bother, hold them as long as possible, before they reach Ayuka!" Angry spoke Sakami when running over the branches at higher pace, she dragged out her both blades when her hood blew back, Codey spun his boomerangs that have appeared in his arms. "That was smart thinking, Octavius." Spoke Toshiro.

"Yes it was.... and now we know exactly where the girl is, but first.... we should really focus on getting rid of these two..."

To be continued...