Chapter 213: Embodiment of the Beast

Shiji charged forward like a raging beast, his feet slamming into the ground with a force that kicked up a violent gust of wind. His eyes were locked onto the ghostly, darting figure ahead, fury blazing so fiercely within him it seemed ready to burst from his gaze.

Hayato carried Usagi on his back, leaping through the trees with both speed and precision. His movements were as swift as the wind, each step landing with calculated accuracy, as though he were intimately familiar with the terrain of this dense forest. The thick trunks served as mere springboards to him, allowing him to climb effortlessly before swinging from high branches and launching himself forward.

"Ahahaha! Come on, catch me!" Hayato's manic laughter echoed through the air, tinged with both madness and scorn. He swung from one branch to the next, moving with an inhuman agility that resembled a wild, unbridled ape. Usagi, limp and powerless on his back, had tears staining her closed eyes. Her pale face, flushed with the remnants of fear, cut deep into Shiji's heart like a blade.

Gritting his teeth, Shiji vaulted over a boulder and hurdled a fallen tree. The obstacles of the forest made his pursuit painstakingly difficult, but his gaze remained fixed on Usagi, slung helplessly over Hayato's shoulder. Her trembling form and the tear-streaked pain etched on her delicate features fueled the roaring inferno in Shiji's chest.

"You lunatic! Give Usagi back to me!" Shiji growled, his voice thunderous. With a surge of strength, his legs pushed harder, the wind around him intensifying. Each step churned up dirt and leaves, leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake. No matter what, he had to catch Hayato and save Usagi from his clutches.

But Hayato only grew faster, treating the branches like extensions of his body. Each leap and grab seemed precisely calculated, propelling him further out of reach. Glancing back at Shiji, his lips curled into an even wilder grin.

"Come on, dumbass, keep chasing me!" Hayato taunted, laughing uproariously. He grabbed a sturdy branch, swinging with such force that it bent under their combined weight like a pliant reed but refused to snap.

Shiji's eyes narrowed, fury reaching its zenith as he closed the gap between them. Just a little further, and he could finally snatch Usagi back.

"Give her back!" Shiji's roar was desperate, his voice raw with emotion.

Hayato paused briefly, his grin twisting into something even more deranged. He burst out laughing, then released the branch in an abrupt motion.

"Say goodbye!" Hayato's mocking voice cut through the air as he leapt to another tree, landing smoothly against its trunk. The branch he had just released snapped back with violent force, swinging like a massive whip straight into Shiji's abdomen.

BAM!

The impact sent Shiji flying like a broken kite. Saliva and blood sprayed from his mouth as his vision blurred. His body crashed into the ground, rolling several times before slamming into a large rock with a dull thud.

"Cough... Argh..." Shiji sprawled on the ground, struggling to push himself up with trembling arms. The searing pain in his chest made every breath agonizing, yet his eyes remained fixed on Hayato in the distance. Even as his vision swam, the fire of his rage refused to dim.

"Usa...gi..." he whispered hoarsely, his dirt- and blood-stained fist clenching tightly. The taste of iron filled his mouth, but he swallowed it back. No matter how battered his body was, giving up wasn't an option.

Shiji's eyes blazed with fury, his rationality teetering on the edge as he prepared to launch himself into a reckless attack. However, Rinro quickly stepped in, blocking his path with a firm hand.

"Calm down," Rinro said coldly, his tone sharp enough to cut through Shiji's haze of rage. Without waiting for a response, Rinro raised his dual pistols, the triggers clicking. Frost-laden bullets shot out, streaking through the air with an icy chill that seemed to bite at the night itself.

This time, Rinro had learned from his earlier mistakes. He no longer aimed at the ground—where the ice would only serve to help Hayato slide away. Instead, the bullets struck leaves and trunks directly, freezing them on contact. Frost spread rapidly, turning foliage into fragile, crystalline shards and covering branches in a thin, glistening layer of ice.

The density of the forest was rapidly thinning. The spaces Hayato could maneuver through were shrinking, the freezing bullets stripping away his natural cover and turning the trees into traps that revealed his movements.

Hayato crouched low, darting around the frozen terrain with almost animalistic agility. Despite Rinro's relentless precision, he continued to evade, all while sneering. His mocking voice rose above the chaos.

"Well, well! Looks like the dumbasses are learning!" Hayato jeered, his laughter as sharp as the frost creeping through the forest. He leapt onto a sturdy, unfrozen branch, swinging down to gain momentum before darting off again.

Rinro didn't respond to Hayato's taunts. He kept firing, his icy bullets creating an ever-tightening web that left Hayato fewer places to hide. Shiji, still catching his breath, watched anxiously from the side.

"Rinro, watch your aim! Don't hit Usagi!" Shiji shouted.

Rinro gave him a sharp glance, his voice steady. "Relax. I don't miss. And besides, with that speed of his, I can afford a little margin."

Hayato's figure zipped through the frosty maze like a shadow, his laughter still ringing out. "Oh? The idiot's finally growing a brain!"

The icy mist continued to spread, encasing the forest in a frozen grip and forcing Hayato into increasingly narrow spaces. Hidden figures among the trees lay in wait, ready to strike the moment he exposed himself.

But Hayato crouched behind an unfrozen trunk, observing his surroundings with cold, calculating eyes. His lips curled into a feral grin as he muttered, "Trying to corner me? How naïve."

Without warning, Hayato dashed straight toward Rinro, his speed blurring his form. He moved with such erratic rhythm that he vanished from sight in an instant. The frosty air seemed to tremble, as though bracing itself for the chaos to come.

"He's about to attack!" Shiji shouted, gripping his weapon tightly as his nerves wound taut. Rinro adjusted his aim, his pistols ready, but his brows furrowed when he realized Hayato wasn't appearing where he had anticipated.

"He's trying to bait us!" Rinro murmured grimly, his gaze sharpening.