Chapter 35: Jumping at it's finest

Why do i keep writing? I told myself i was going to try and write less during school days but here i am again releasing another chapter!

How is the fight scenes? mid? Amazing? comment what you think but please be gentle im very sensitive.

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As Owen stepped into the car, his attention was immediately drawn to a shivering Ikoma on the ground. The sight puzzled him briefly, but unwilling to remain in the dark, he approached Mumei. She stood not too far away, arms crossed, a subtle furrow on her brow.

"What's going on with the punching bag over there?" Owen asked, causing Mumei to sigh. She and owen watched Ikoma yell at his friend Takumi, who tried to comfort him despite being warned not to approach him as ikoma thought he was a savage kabane.

"Punching bag?" Mumei immediately locked in on Owen's words, causing Owen to shrug as he replied, "When we fight together, he always gets hurt like he's never heard of the word 'dodge'." Mumei giggled at this before looking back over to Ikoma and Takumi, who were still arguing. She then proceeded to explain to Owen what had happened.

'So the long and short of it is, Ikoma did not get his blood fix and almost went savage. Makes enough sense,' Owen thought as he and Mumei soon approached the arguing duo. They proceeded to split as, at some point, Takumi punched Ikoma in the face, which led to the two getting into a struggle on the floor.

"Ikoma, listen. You're not a Kabane," Owen's words were clear and concise. But seeing that Ikoma was getting ready to speak, Owen wasted no time, delivering a quick jab to his stomach. The poor boy crumpled to the floor in a coughing mess.

"Why!" Ikoma asked from his spot on the floor as owen crouched down beside him as he ignored the question and instead asked his owen.

"Did you feel that?" He asked causing ikoma to look up at him in confusion as he nodded lightly causing owen to sigh as he then continued speaking.

"That proves you're alive then! I had severed the tendons of every Kabane I could not kill, and let me tell you, not a single one flinched! This is one of the things that separate humans from the dead. But let me ask you this: If someone has the body of a Kabane, what do they need to feed that body?" Owen words spread out through the train car as ikoma previously unclear misty eye took on a new darkness as he let out a small voice.

"Humans," but this only got him a smack from Owen as he immediately shook his head before looking over to Mumei, who took this as her cue to speak.

"We as Kabaneri need blood, and not that much either. At most, we need 1/4th of a liter to operate at maximum combat capacity, and even less than that if not in combat," Mumei explained.

"There you have it. just let me say ikoma that just because-"

"Must be because we were forced to go through the tunnel, they must have hopped on then," Owen said, causing Sukari who he had not noticed until now to speak, their hair seeming to stand on end as they exclaimed, "What? Why did we go through the tunnel? Isn't that place notorious for almost 100% Kabane attack?" This caused Owen to quickly sum up the events that took place in the engine room, which prompted many people to voice their surprise.

"It doesn't matter; we have to quickly go save people!" Suddenly, Ikoma shouted, the light in his eyes reignited. Owen's pep talk, even if cut in half, still did the trick, as he soon nodded and followed behind Ikoma, who had rushed out. They were then followed by Mumei, who came rushing out armed with two pistols in either hand. She quickly hopped up on top of the train, where she began to slaughter Kabane, while Ikoma went through the train inside, with Owen joining Mumei on the outside as they both wiped out the Kabane.

But their crusade was soon cut short as Owen heard a familiar voice let out a scream, a voice that quickly became known. Owen watched as Ikoma came flying out of a nearby train car, slamming into the railings of the walkway, a massive wound very visible across his chest. He wasted no time rolling to the side, barely dodging a sword slice from a large creature which had emerged from inside a train car.

"Large" would be an understatement to describe the Kabane. It stood a head and a half taller than Owen, which was impressive considering his current height. But not only that, it wielded two large, unmaintained katana in both hands, one of which was previously swung at the injured Ikoma.

*BANG* 

*BANG* 

*BANG* 

*BANG* 

Suddenly, as the strange kabane lunged to pursue Ikoma, swinging its sword, it was forced to dodge as several shots whizzed towards it, compelling it to leap, evading the bullets. It found itself atop the train roof, not far from Mumei. Owen, having swiftly ascended to the train's peak, rapidly closed in. Without hesitation, the creature charged Mumei with a swift horizontal sword slash. She skillfully dodged by backflipping over Owen, who then closed the distance, wielding his spear to stab at the enemy's head. However, his attack was deflected by the monster's other sword, eliciting a strange scream as it readied for another strike.

Before its blade could find its mark, Ikoma intervened, striking the creature's lower back, throwing off its aim. Owen sidestepped, regrouping next to Mumei, who had already reloaded her guns, unleashing a barrage upon the injured foe. Despite its wounds, the creature remained agile, darting away, realizing it was outmatched. Determined not to let it escape, they gave chase, only to be confronted by a horde of kabane swarming onto the train roof.

"Twenty, no, thirty at least," Owen thought as they charged forward, pursuing the creature Mumei identified as a wastori—a kabane that had learned to wield weapons through combat experience.

Luckily, with the three of them working together, they swiftly dispatched the kabane. Owen took the lead, using his spear to knock down or disarm any kabane that stood in their path. Meanwhile, Ikoma efficiently finished them off, ensuring none remained standing. Mumei trailed closely behind, occasionally unloading a shell into any stray kabane that either Ikoma or Owen missed, ensuring their path was clear and safe. Their coordinated efforts made short work of the kabane threat, allowing them to proceed with their pursuit of the elusive wastori.

*BOOOM*

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge explosion rocked a couple of train cars ahead, prompting Owen and the group to immediately accelerate. They all sensed that the wastori was likely there—a presumption soon proven correct as they approached. A large part of a train car had been blown out, revealing Kurusu locked in an intense sword battle with the wastori. He seemed to have the upper hand, but just as Owen was about to intervene, he heard a groan from his two companions.

"What's going on with you two?" Owen asked, feeling slightly anxious about rushing to Kurusu's aid. He observed his two friends becoming visibly more sluggish, their condition soon explained by Mumei, who clarified that they needed blood to sustain their strength in battle.

"Here, drink mine!" Owen exclaimed, panic evident in his voice. He immediately retrieved a small knife from his inventory and made a small cut on his hand, allowing blood to gush out. The two kabaneri opened their mouths, eagerly letting the blood drip onto their tongues. Their eyes took on a greedy look as color became much more apparent on their faces, visibly regaining their energy with each drop.

What came next unfolded with clarity as the two kabaneri, now energized by Owen's blood, moved with renewed vigor. They leaped down and charged towards the wastori, which was still locked in combat with Kurusu. Sensing the reinforcements, Kurusu wasted no time in increasing his offense, applying relentless pressure on the wastori. As a result, the wastori became more defensive, leaving it unable to dodge the coordinated attacks from Ikoma and Mumei. 

With renewed strength fueled by Owen's blood, Ikoma and Mumei launched themselves into the fray, their movements synchronized as they closed in on the Wastori. The air crackled with tension as they approached, their determination burning bright in their eyes.

Owen, wielding his spear with precision and focus, joined the fray alongside his comrades. His weapon glinted in the dim light of the train car as he advanced, his movements fluid and controlled as he sought to support his allies.

Ikoma brandished his Piercing Gun, its barrel gleaming in the dim light of the train car. With practiced precision, he took aim at the Wastori, his finger poised on the trigger, ready to unleash a barrage of deadly projectiles.

Mumei, swift and agile, danced around the Wastori, her blades flashing as she sought out openings in his defenses. With lightning-fast strikes, she tested his reflexes, probing for weaknesses with each calculated move. The Wastori, though skilled, found himself hard-pressed to keep up with her relentless onslaught.

Kurusu, sensing the tide of battle turning in their favor, redoubled his efforts, his blade singing through the air as he pressed the attack. With each strike, he drove the Wastori back, his movements precise and controlled as he sought to exploit any opening that presented itself.

The Wastori, sensing the mounting pressure from all sides, fought with desperate determination, his movements becoming more erratic as he sought to break free from the encirclement. But Ikoma, Mumei, Kurusu, and Owen fought as one, their teamwork flawless as they hemmed him in, their weapons striking with deadly accuracy.

As the battle raged on, the train car became a whirlwind of steel and fury, the clash of weapons echoing through the confined space. The Wastori, outnumbered and outmatched, found himself slowly being driven back, his defenses crumbling under the relentless assault.

It's defeat was sealed as Kurusu landed the first solid hit by severing its arm, followed by Ikoma who went low, spearing a hole through its thigh, making it drop to its knee with its leg now unusable. Mumei soon followed up as she emptied both her guns into the creature's head while spearing its other leg through with his spear, making it unable to move as it sat there swinging the sword in its only good working arm, which was soon also taken out by Ayame who had fired a arrow with her steam-assisted bow.

'Guess its over' that's all owen thought as he then took ikoma weapon and finished the wastori as he wanted the 500 point reward.