A and K Chapter 70: Begin!

Kira quietly steps outside expecting the others to follow. The group does, each one of them more tense than the last. As they stand out there, Kira turns back to them.
Kira: Which one of you shall be first?
Kana throws her kunai at Kira and then grabs Kei’s sword, lashing out at him.
Kei: (Thinking) Hey! That’s mine!
Kira cuts the kunai in half with his katana. He then moves to defend himself from her strike. Kana performs a diagonal slash and then transitions into a sweep with her legs. Kira easily blocks the attack and jumps over the leg sweep. Kana throws a smoke bomb on the floor and briefly disappears from the sight. Kira closes his eyes and uses his ears to listen for movements. A kunai flies straight at his face while Kana strikes with a sword from behind. Instead of defending, he simply moves away from the two and lets the kunai come straight at Kana instead of him. Kana catches her kunai, but leaves herself open for a strike. He takes advantage trying to strike at her, but is surprised at Saori coming in, using the smoke as a diversion, and defending Kana from the strike.
Kira: So we’re all just going to play are we?
Kana: I didn’t ask for this.
Saori: I’m not asking.
Kana: Stay out of this. He’s mine.
Saori seemingly ignores her. She forces Kira to back off.
Saori: You won’t get the better of any one of us.
From behind him, Nick places his gun at the back of Kira’s head.
Nick: You’re too dangerous for just one person. Each advantage we get we’re going to take advantage of.
Kira: Fine then, come at me all at once if you wish.
Kei comes in and takes back his sword from Kana. He then holds out to her.
Kei: At least ask next time.
Kana: There was no time to ask, but I’ll consider it.
Meanwhile, Josh takes his batons and twirls them as he approaches Kira.
Josh: Hey Woody, let’s play.
With all of his feral strength he lashes out at Kira, delivering strikes with high speed. Each of them could easily break a man’s bones. Nick backs off to let Josh continue his attack. Kira uses his movements to dodge his attacks. Despite this, he still sustains a few cuts from the attack. To him, however, it doesn’t matter. He just lets the blood drip off from his cuts. Josh simply twirls his batons and then leaps upwards, raising his leg in mid-air and then crashing down at Kira with a devastating ax kick. Kira moves backwards again, using his honed instincts and then moves just to the left of his ax kick to try and stab him in the face, using a fencing-like maneuver. Josh manages to catch his arm during the maneuver and twist it behind his back, kicking him afterwards.
Josh: You’re such a glutton for punishment.
Kira takes the hit, but it seemingly unaffected him. He then keeps going after the hit, and uses his own leg to throw at his head.
Kira: You think I’m not used to taking punishment?
Josh takes the hit, but shakes it off, as he grabs Kira’s leg and uses it as lever to make him fall to the ground. As he falls to the ground, he uses his other leg to sweep their legs. Josh falls, but he still doesn’t release Kira’s leg and pulls him closer to kick him in the face. Kira moves his arm to protect himself from the hit and forces him to let go of his leg. He gets quickly to his feet. Only to find a gun to the back of his head again.
Kira: So quick to force me to freeze.
Nick: Just forcing you to think about me.
Josh gets up and shows Kira his talons, as he gets more and more feral.
Josh: This is gonna hurt.
Kira: Hmph.
Kira forces Nick’s arm away from him. He stabs his sword into the ground.
Kira: Barrier of Swords.
From his center, a small dome forms over him, and then creates swords at every conceivable angle from his dome.
Kana: Just a woodsman, huh?
Kei: My best guess is that he didn’t have his sword to start with, I’m betting the branch gave it to him.
Kana: (Throws a volley of kunais at the dome) More reasons for me to take them down.
Kei: He’s not just going to go down just from one person though, we’re a team here. We have to work our way to…
A sword flies between them. He takes note of this, as the swords of the dome fly off in all general directions. Kei moves to avoid, he move to help Shigure as well, who was simply a bystander at this point. Rin also ducks and moves to avoid letting herself get hurt.
Kira: The Porcupine Dome, at work.
Kana: Jeez, what a lame name. (Catches a sword flying at her) I’ll use this.
Josh tackles Saori to the ground to protect her from the swords.
Josh: Watch out!
Saori doesn’t move quick enough and Josh’s tackling of her does spare her from the swords.
Saori: (Stuttering) T-thank you.
Josh: Don’t bother yourself over it.
With the blades gone, Saori awkwardly stares at him.
Saori: (Mild blush) Um, can you get off of me please?
Josh: (Blushes as he realizes he’s on top of Saori) Oh… s-sorry.
He quickly gets up and helps Saori to her feet. A blade comes swinging during his weak moment, but Saori defends him from it.
Saori: We’re even.
Josh: Thanks… I guess.
Kira: Hmph, human emotion. So annoying.
He brings his sword back to the side of his body.
Kira: All of you are simply so boring.
Kei: What do you give a man who has nothing?
Nick: That’s an odd question to ask. What do you give a man who had everything, and lost it?
Saori: The thing he probably wants.
Shigure: And that would be?
Kei: Death.
Kana: And we will grant it to him.
Josh: Sure thing.
Kira: Hmph. Allow me to tell you a story, since you all are so sure of killing me. Of how I killed the parents of those two vermin.
Nick: (Growls) You love to just besmirch people.
Kira: I hired that hitman, and made sure no security was attached because beastkin could not be responsible for such an historic achievement.
Kei: And you robbed the world of such an achievement.
Kira: Hmph. And who is to judge me for my crimes. Who among you is worthy to cast your stone at me? Are you all without sin?
Josh: Of course not, but your sins outweigh ours.
Nick: And even a devil can speak truth and make them out to be lies.
Kira: You are all so annoying. I am finished playing with you all.
Nick: ‘Playing’?
Kei: The hell does he mean by that?
Saori: Bet it has something to do with that sword.
Kana: Huh… gotta be careful with that.
He brings his sword to his face. Just slightly, he cuts his finger with the sword.
Nick: What is he doing?
Kana: Some sort of a ritual, I bet.
Saori: Josh, watch carefully.
Josh: Huh...
Suddenly, the energy spikes. And his sword vanishes. His whole body becomes like a porcupine’s. The back of his body has swords sticking out of his back.
Kei: ...Like something out of a movie.
Kana: Whoa, that’s nasty.
Josh: Ouch.
Saori: This is not going to be easy.
Kana: You don’t say? But mutilating yourself like that… he must be desperate.
Kira: (Now a gravelly voice) Desperate? No. I am bringing out all of my power, so I may squash the little vermin.
Josh: Tch… is that it? Wasting all of your power to finish off a group of beastkins? You really are desperate.
Kira: What kind of precedent am I setting, if I go easy on all of you? Did you not want to finish me off at my full strength? Or am I just expecting too much from your group?
Kei: So now you’re calling us weak? That’s odd.
Kira: Hmph, uppity brats. I shall end you.
Category:A and K
Category:Novel Chapter