chapter 2 part 1

Death stalked the Hero Hunter's battered form, waiting to claim him at the slightest moment of weakness. Splintered wood and ruptured glade, blood trailing the dirt in his path to the fires of hell and dying his humanity with crimson perseverance - the lone wolf glared at his hunters, their visage reflected from his very pupils.

Standing in the clearing of the woods with the earth of which was stained by bodies and blood cracked like glass, and carrying the top half of the split tree, Garou burned with fierce demonic tenacity to crush the three opponents before him.

Blood dyed the rims of his hair, corrupting pure silver to demonic red, as he slowly exhaled through gritted teeth; his bandages torn and a red aura rippled off his frame as cracks infected the shattered earth beneath his feet. Silence permeated the air so richly only the sound of uncountable rustling leaves blew to his ear as he tightened the tree in his grip.

Bang, Bomb, and Genos stood before him; all momentarily shocked by his sudden, logic-defying power. However, before any of them could resume their fight, another party swooped from the skies.

Grabbed by the shoulders, two talons lifting him to the skies with each mighty beat of the phoenix's wings, The Hero Hunter struggled, cursed, and threatened the thing to let him go, but he could not free himself, not unless he wished for the hammer of gravity to smash him into a crimson smear.

However, before his consciousness fell, a black mist suddenly swirled around his entire being, engulfing in black without warning.

Phoenixman could neither react nor parse the event until it was too late, stupored into inactivity as Garou somehow vanished as if he was spirited away by a much more supernatural force.

"!" Garou's sudden absence stunned Phoenixman. From where did the mist come?

More importantly, what the hell just happened? Where did Garou go? No, what was that mist in the first place? Even more importantly, Garou was no longer in his possession. Meaning, he failed in his objective in the end, and soon realized that he would indefinitely end up inside Orochi's stomach upon return.

"CRAPPPPPPP!" Phoenix man cursed the heavens as Garou vanished from the face of the earth.