Little Axis
"My name is Yumiko..." The little girl revealed her name.
"Yumiko huh?, You have the power of the winds, what is your Class Name?"
"Class...Name?" The girl seemed confused "Like in video games?"
"Yeah exactly like Video Games."
"... I'm a Wind Mage... and my current equipment is just this wooden Catalyst" She showed the crew her staff and reveals her magic circle formation.
"I'm Hayashi, I have two classes and my equipment is light leather armor, a Stealthy hoodie, Fleetfoot Sneakers, and my two trusty Slingshot blades."
"T-Two classes!?" She exclaimed. "I only have one!"
"I figured, but don't be surprised, my second class is a production class."
"Oh...then never mind..."She seemed a bit sickened, not knowing what a production class is.
"Alright, team! Let's clean up the neighborhood!" Hayashi instructed now taking out his [Hornet Emporer] and noticed that his ammo pouch has reloaded with the last of his
"C-Clean up the neighborhood...?" Yumiko seemed confused by the band of teenagers carrying makeshift weaponry.
"Yes, clean up the neighborhood. Feel free to watch and learn. Fueki, protect her alright?" Hayashi grins arming his slingshot and shooting multiple zombies.
"Reckless...but sure." Fueki brandished her blade and shows her blade modification
"What's that?" Yumiko points to the blade modification attached to the blade of the kendo sword.
"This is known as a blade modification, later to be renamed." Fueki starts to slash any zombies that come near her and Yumiko.
"Wind Blade!" Yumiko fired the skill at a zombie that was behind Fueki
"Thanks, kid" Fueki slashed the last zombie. "Are there any survivors around? Or at least a camp?"
"There is a camp. My mom is there!" Yumiko said, pointing northwest from where she came from. "But you need a password to get in, it's owned by some rich snob!" She shuddered
The rest of the combat and Foraging teams came back after killing off the zombies in the houses and went to take a break before going back into the houses to dispose of the corpses after Hayashi harvests the zombies within his range gaining dozens of any resources: cloth, wood, stone, (Minor) monster cores, accessories, and other types of loot.
Hayashi looked around seeing his combat team members had exited the houses. "Alright, Yamaguchi?"
"R-Right" Yamaguchi stuttered. "Foraging team, drag the zombie corpses out of the houses!" Yamaguchi orders the Foraging team as they move into the houses and drag the corpses out, even the largest ones. "Hayashi-san?" Yamaguchi said his name, taking a lighter out of his pocket.
"On it." Hayashi made a hand gesture and a medium log flew out of his system and onto the ground.
"Rest in peace..." The brown-haired boy kicked the medium log and made it roll into corpses and began to kick the zombies on top of the log before Yumiko uses her wind magic to move the zombies with a large gust that would also launch him.
"Is that better?" Yumiko laughed a bit.
"A lot, Thank you" Yamaguchi got up and went over to the part where the log sticks out and lit it on fire, soon a large bonfire would crackle and pop, burning the former undead as everyone became quiet, soon other human survivors were popping up all around from the houses with zombies, large and small civilians alike.
"A-Are they gone...?" a large woman with her hair tied back and holding a paddle asked.
"Is everyone alright!?" A large man in a suit yelled out.
Many voices were heard and the many voices seemed to indicate that multiple people were alright but soon other people were brought out in different conditions but shared one thing in common: they were dying of starvation or thirst as Hayashi ran towards them feeling their breath to know if they were still alive.
"W-who may you be..? young man?" An old man questioned Hayashi's identity to which he would only respond with a look of a pure void.
"They're hungry..." Hayashi took out pastries, canned food, and freshwater from his inventory. "Feed them." Hayashi looked at the man with a suit while ignoring the old man's question before Hayashi turned around and joined the Co-op team.
"D-don't you think we should take them back to our camp?" Yamaguchi asked.
"No," Hayashi told him coldly.
"Wh-" Yamaguchi was about to ask.
"No." Hayashi once again showed a cold demeanor.
"I didn't even finish" Yamaguchi decided not to pursue the matter but became nervous after seeing Hayashi change from commanding and being loud to being quiet and emitting a bloodlust so concentrated it hurt to even breathe.
Hayashi's eyes shifted and he looked over his shoulder before making his way back now realizing that they were nearly at the border of what Hayashi remembered as [Personage Peak] in his past life. The territory that should develop 2 years later and get captured by both the Military Faction and Prisoner Faction and them half the territory and basically wage war and make camps but ultimately stay in a stalemate for another 3 years. It was the safe zone Yumiko was pointing to now Remember this point, Hayashi put on a hoodie and pulled on it from the front as if he were tipping his hat before leaving with Yamaguchi and his Foraging team and his Combat team.
"Everyone...Rest in that building we cleared out...we move at sunrise." Hayashi managed to get his entire team and closed the door as he stayed out and ''Took Watch'' before walking in the middle of the street and taking out his [Ronin] Slingshot-blade before smiling. "Hey! Are you just going to keep following us from the shadows? or will you reveal yourself?" Hayashi turned around in the direction of an alley in his blind spot in which a man also dressed in all black approached him but the attire was different. He had been wearing a cloak with the hood up, a black tee-shirt, jeans, and a kitsune mask that was black and red. Hayashi puts the slingshot away.
"I'm surprised you managed to detect me, hah! I want to see what you're made of more and more...!" The man said not revealing his face other than the amber eyes that glowed through the eyes of the mask as the man approached Hayashi, first walking, then jogging then a full dead sprint at him.
"No, you don't!" Hayashi made his attempt to counter the man as he launched his first attack and collided with the masked man's fist but jumped back as a huge pain coursed through his fist making Hayashi lose HP but gain the passive skill [Stone Skin] LVL 0.
"B-Brass knuckles?" Hayashi asked
"Glad you noticed, would you still like to play? Kekekeke!" The man laughed his eyes glowing harder as he cackled.
"Screw you." Hayashi took out [Ronin] again and rushed at the man listening to the sound of cold steel colliding. "Well...If you have this getup, you must be a vigilante? or some hero?" Hayashi grunted as he was trying to push the man as he was getting overpowered by the man and pushed him away, not wanting to use skills if he doesn't need to.
"Running away so soon!?" The masked individual kept rushing at him and the grey-haired boy fought defensively countering with the dagger end of [Ronin] and throwing his opponent but he keeps landing on his feet with each toss while he keeps losing energy until he starts to glow.
"I'm sorry...I didn't want to do this...[Elemental Attunment][7 element Channeling]...I'm going to end this."
"oh ho ho~ getting serious now~" The masked man started to get in a different stance putting Hayashi in discomfort as he quickly moves in and starts launching a flurry of techniques from [Dragon God Fist] and [Boxing] at the masked man who seemed to be dodging but having a lot more trouble due to Hayashi's speed.
"This confirms it...You're an 'Awakened' just like me...judging from your combat style I'd say you're a [Brawler] near Classing up." Hayashi noted revealing his knowledge of the awakener's basic structure.
"An 'Awakened?' don't know too much about that! Don't care either!" The brawler started his counter which would prompt Hayashi into attacking when the masked figure least expected it.
"[Dragons That Raised Mountains and Rivers!]" Hayashi's fast movements and technique were enough to get passed the brawler's defense and he gets hit with a four-strike combo, breaking the bottom part of the mask as he recovers. Hayashi would be panting but moving in for the next attack.
"[Deathblow]!" The Brawler strikes with the speed of a cannonball being shot out of a cannon as Hayashi prepares to counter him with a kick.
"[Skyfall Dragon]!" Hayashi lifted his leg and kicked the fist upward causing the speed to make him fall with the brawler also falling while the [Hunter] tried to recover the [Brawler] was already leaving.
"If you want to find me at any time, go towards the bus stop." The Brawler invites him before seeping into the shadows again, leaving just as fast as he came.
"You goddamned rat..." Hayashi limps back to the doorstep and sat down while panting, the cost of the abilities and damage taken was running its course and taking its toll on his body but he wasn't passing out he was just tired. "Hm... We're at least making good time securing our own border...The sunrise we move..." Hayashi starts to close his eyes and puts his hood on while trying to get a power nap, before falling on his back and squirming around in pain.
"I'm here to take a watch, my shift starts-" The archery boy looked down to see the squirming Hayashi. "Are you ok?" He pushed up the grey-haired boy and leaned him up against a wall.
"Thanks, I'm fine." Hayashi nods and starts to walk inside and looked at the room where he saw both teams sleeping like babies, the grown man side of him made him smile. "Good night everyone...We'll stay here for another day...Then we leave." He closed the doors around the room and fell asleep and leaned up against a wall.
-IN THE MORNING-
The sun rises and Hayashi wakes up from the light shining from his eyes and called out Akari's name. "Akari...? No right...We're here, not the base..." He got up and went outside and looked around before closing the door. "There's nothing out here. If they aren't awake within an hour I can find more zombies and resources." He said before hearing a voice yelling.
"WHERE'S THE LOCKER ROOM!?" A loud voice asked before the rest chimed in.
"SHUT UP!" the rest of the combat team yelled at the lone member
"Pffft ok that's funny" Hayashi laughed. "Morning everyone" Hayashi walked back in and leaned on the wall.
"Morning..." They all collectively said and followed Hayashi as he made a gesture to follow him.
"We're getting out of here, we established a clear boundary and the policeman seems to have left. It'll be problematic for him because he has to go through Prisoner territory to get to Military domain." Hayashi commented to the team who now just noticed the man was gone or stopped following them. "So we have one of two options... We either fight the Prisoner Faction, or we sit this one out and manage our own territory." Hayashi made it clear and wanted to get the team's response so he could determine the best course of action. "If you wish to fight the Prisoner faction, please make your voices known. If you wish to retreat and return to base please say so now." Hayashi crossed his arms and leaned against a wall as everyone quietly listened before a lone girl walked to the middle and took off her helmet.
"I wish to fight..." The girl looked angry, with dark blue hair in braids that went down to her shoulders and she held her bow. "If you can fight, I wish for you to help me." She said with a shaking tone, not one of sadness but pure hatred.
"Anyone else wanna join?" Hayashi said acknowledging the girl's wishes but prioritizing the entire team hearing a lot of mumbling before the entire team separates Hayashi sees only 3 people who want to fight the Prisoner Faction and the rest would rather go to the base.
"Then that's decided...It's 4 votes to 25...Option to retreat. We move now, any food or water you have kept for the journey, you'll need it." Hayashi left his combat team alone for a bit before he picked up a rock off the street.
"PING!" New Objective: Survive
"Hayashi's eyes widened as he turned to his team. "RUN!" Hayashi yelled at his team as the floor started to break many of them jumped out the window however many were wounded now all of them noticed a giant sandworm as it lunged, attacking the team who were now armed with their arrows. Hayashi armed his [Hornet Emporer] and fired as the arrows snapped but the modified marble seemed to bounce off and he jumped and caught it. "[Create Muntion]![Create Arms]![Strong Shot]!" Hayashi called out the three skills as he fell and fired his weapon glowed intensely as if it had the light of a star. The shot pierces through its body but not enough to put it down for good as Hayashi fell to the ground making a small crater and then got up.
"Ow....Really...no catch...?" Hayashi gets up and notices the writhing sandworm and took out two books as they glowed.
"PING!" Skill Learned: Area Morale (Active)
"PING!" Skill Learned: Enhanced Technique(Passive)
"PING!" Skill Created: Area: Enhance Arms (Active)
"PING!" Skill Created: Area: Enhance Armor(Active) (Minor)
"PING!" Skill Created: Area: Enhance Munitions (Active)
"PING" Skill Created: Hunter's Footsteps (Active) (Stealth) (Speed)
"I didn't want to learn these skills yet since I got this from a mass Harvest...and only have them at level one...never expected the other skills though...Now... With the power of Blood and Iron! [Area: Area Morale]! [Area: Enhance Arms]! [Area: Enhance Munitons]!" Hayashi sacrificed a large amount of energy and stamina to use these three skills alone and started to breathe heavily. "F-Fire away Archers..."
The rest of the Combat team was amazed and watched their weapons glow with orange and blue swirling lights but tried their best to avoid the Giant Sandworm as one member had gotten injured and Yelled in pain. His Arm was broken and needed medical attention "AAAGGHHHHH!!!" The boy screamed as he held his arm and cried in pain as a kendo team member stepped in front of the boy.
"Kendo Team! Scatter!" Fueki yelled out now noticing the ground cracking below her. "No..." She begins to realize that she's about to be eaten before getting pushed out the way once the sandworm resurfaces "Who...?" She then noticed Hayashi had pushed her out the way as she screamed out, it seemed like it was in slow motion, it replayed in her head over and over seeing Hayashi get eaten by the sandworm as she cried before hearing his voice.
"[Elemental Attunment]![7 Element Channeling]![Chain Rush]!" Hayashi's voice rings out from inside the Sandworm making it writhe in pain as it starts to thrash and knock down buildings. Steam and smoke begin to rise from the wound Hayashi made with his Slingshot.
"Hey Look! It's smoking!" A kendo member pointed out as she avoided the writhing worm attacking its surroundings.
TO BE CONTINUED...