Hunt or be Hunted

....

(Hiroshi's POV)

We were now camping miles away from the battlefield, one of the two sides which was: sangotaro or the rebels, had to come out first.

The rebels had refused to set out; which would have been a sign of readiness to battle. I on the other hand, was just to bored and frustrated to step on the battleground first.

"It's been years, and they don't seem to even care. It feels different this time around. It looks like we'll have to start the battle." One of the soldiers who went with me to the last battle against these same rebels, said as he walked up to me.

"Let's wait" I muttered.

"Sir?"

"!Let's keep it low for now, I'll decide what we'll do later." I added.

Truly we were on a battleground, we could get bombed or even ambushed but, this case is different. They followed rules even as rebels, they only attacked when both parties were ready although, it only applied during our battles against them.

However as far as they caused harm to our country or so, they are still rebels. Whether a nice or stubborn one. I just wish above all that Fushi makes it through the entrance tests, which I'm sure he would. These rebels, will be doomed in no time as it has always been.

Yes, they never once defeated us. And the same will occur today.

***

In no time, few hours had passed, and it was certainly getting annoying as they refused to emerge upfront. And I was the only high ranked soldier, apart from the men Jinoshi gave me; others were mostly unranked or private class.

Slightly pissed, I wore my jacket and stood up momentarily. Immediately my men stood up at a fast rate.

"We move".

Immediately I said this, I brought out a Hk416 gun and others began to unsheathe their weapons as we edge closer to the battlefront.

As if we were also studied closely by the rebels; they trooped out in their numbers as we approached.

"They seem to be more than last time". Jack who was one of jinoshi's personal assistant noted.

"Yeah"_I replied with a smile.

"Hmph! we'll still stomp on 'em". Echoed on of the soldiers.

"Hey! Don't let pride make you dumb enough to be overconfident of overcoming your enemy. Just do your best while fighting: Less talking, more fighting". I ordered.

"I'm sorry sir"_He echoes as he bowed slightly.

"Oh!!!". A voice echoed from the opposition's direction, and it got everyone's attention.

The voice sounded familiar as it got closer, but could not be seen due to the dust that was brought up by their ruckus.

After few seconds of blabbing, he was finally visible.

"Akitora?"_I said loudly and clearly.

"Hi... ro... s.. hi". He says mockingly, as he intentionally breaks the word down slowly.

"What do you want?" I asked, unfazed of his sudden appearance.

He grins, then a wicked chuckle follows thereafter.

"We want the head of you all, we want the head of your country's leader". He announced.

All his men were now laughing in a wicked manner as they talked sh*t about themselves (our army).

"I see....."

"Before you have our heads"_I said with a cold smile that almost went sinister. "Why don't you do some quick introduction about yourselves?"

"Well, we are just a bunch of people from different places with different background, with the aim of wasting lives". He babbled.

"This was the same thing their former leader said. Who does he think his fooling?" I thought.

"Do you think we're here to play?" I frowned; and now everyone was preparing his or her weapons, and charging up their energies for an intense battle.

"Ha ha ha ha mwuah ha ha!" He laughed in an hysterical manner. "Of course not, our only motive here is to shed blood". He uttered with pride.

"Don't speak for everyone, we are not carnivores". I curted, as I and him were now locked in a deadly gaze.

Akitora was around 6'1" tall from my own perspective, he had a carolina blue hair and silver eyes. It looked like there was no sign of fear or worry in his eyes.

"Well aren't you a soldier?" He asked as a smile parted his lips. He was literarily grinning from ear to ear. "Well we are the headless rebels, and we have no leader". He added as he stretched his hands forward.

Truly I also was confused as my men, as I was sure they had no leader. As one gets killed, another replaces.

"But the name headless rebels, I've heard about that name before." I pondered. "Although, they weren't the headless rebels but they were the headless... Hmmmnnnn.... H.. e.. ad.. less...."

Never mind, I probably saw it in one of the mangas I read years ago, sheesh!

By the Way Akitora was in the last war, in which they were brutalised by us. Although I didn't get to fight Akitora but, from the little I saw, he's an experienced fighter.

"Show no mercy." I whispered to my men.

"Oi! Oi!" He says irritably. "Telling his men how to fight a battle, how absurd for a renowned general."

"You talk too much!"_Immediately I said this, his men began to draw out their weapons, waiting like a vicious lion that was ready to pounce on its prey as Akitora was obviously pissed by my words, he draws out his eye of drakonus(dagger).

"Finish them all!". He ordered his men.

The battle had begun, by roaring at first, then charging at ourselves.

Unluckily, we didn't have any maneuvering gear with us that would help with our movements, for those who couldn't fly including myself. Since it wasn't an actual war.

In no time, head started rolling of its position, blood spilled from left to right like it was water rushing out from a waterfall.

Well, this place was called the ''valley of death' in particular because, it was where the first battle which introduced the first world war took place.

That was probably hundreds or thousands of years ago. Since then, it was only a desolate land used in wars by sangotaro.

"Sir!" Jack called me as he removed his metal spear from the throat of an enemy. "They're d*mn serious this time". He noted.

Jack like I said earlier, was one of jinoshi's P.A. (Personal assistant). He is a very humble individual, even when he has the strength to be ranked as a captain.

He had a black thin mustache, and his special outfit was white top on black jeans, with black boots. His hair was tied in the form of a bun, with it's color dyed grape purple.

"You've really gotten along Jack". This was another way of me telling him that he was soiled with blood. He didn't wear the necessary outfits to battle, he only wore his favourite outfit. So, blood stains were like his aura at the moment.

"Yeah! Don't underestimate them". He said, as he wiped the spills of blood off his face.

I chuckled inwardly, as he departed to resume fighting. "Who is the one risking his life here?" I muttered to myself.

He says to one not to underestimate but, he's only wearing a T-shirt to fight a battle.

***

As I tried to get back into action, I felt a slight movement behind me. It was.... An enemy!

Before I could react, a very sharp edged knife was launched at me. It was so sharp, that I could see rays of light at its edges.

I was in no position to gun him down like I would have loved to but, that won't get in my way.

In a split second, I dropped my gun; almost losing my balance in the process. However, I managed to manoeuvre my movement with my legs.

Just as it was about hitting my chin, I swerved my head sideways, his knife missing my neck by a few inches, and then gave him a knife-hand strike to his radial nerve. Which was followed by an elbow to his chin. As he dropped to the floor, I quickly grabbed his knife that was still spinning in the air, and I slotted it right into his temple.

"Tssch, innocent lives!" I said under my breath. "I never liked doing this, but on a battlefield: you either hunt, or you will be hunted.

As I continued fighting, it looked like we were slowly winning but on the contrary, it looked like Akitora was also having fun.

He twists one in the neck, grabs one in the hand and uses his body to repel attacks, and in the course of his so called defense, fills the soldier with holes. He then used his dagger to remove the head of another at a very high speed, after dodging a narrow bullet. He grabs a lady that was using a spiky mace by the neck, delivering a trachea choke; in which the victim coughs blood.

I was a bit far from him so even if I tried to reach him first, I'll still have to go through some annoying opposition.

Damn it what do I do? And I had no transmission techniques, we didn't bring our maneuvers for better movement, neither did we bring our shields or medic unit. And I can't just go all out outrightly, except I want everywhere to be destroyed, and everyone to be wasted.

As I paced forward, I looked around me and it seemed I got a quick glance at jack, and denki who was also one of jinoshi's men.

I quickly used that opportunity to convey a message by weaving a hand sign with my hands. It was another way of saying 'death' or 'get serious'.

On getting my message, they also switched on their Battle mode. All that was left was for me to defeat jinoshi.

There is a popular quote that says: 'Once the head is gone, the body will scatter.'

***

Without any hesitation, I eliminated everyone that stood in my way, and I could now see Akitora from a closer angle as I paced towards his direction. On noticing my movements, he tries to quickly finish off his opponents to have a battle with me.

As I was running, I sighted some of my men who were all moving towards Akitora's direction. Seeing the writing on the wall, and reading it like a classroom register, I pulled the trigger and fired a bullet that was moving at a deadly speed.

I also enhanced it with my energy, so it traveled at a faster pace. Akitora tries to wriggle himself free as he was held by one of my men but to no avail.

"Yes!" I whispered in excitement, only to see him slicing the poor devoted soldier with his dagger. He injures himself in the process, but successfully grabs the man, using all his might to use him as a shield as he escaped the bullet.

"Damn!". I uttered, as I performed another hand sign that disseminated twenty percent of my energy to my men that were still fighting.

As I moved closer, Denki was already engaging Akitora in a fight.

"Being able to survive a bullet travelling at the speed of a rocket, you're a worthy opponent." Denki acknowledge, as he brings out his double bit throwing axe that was embedded with energy created from nulls.

*Nulls was an advanced route/method of transferring prolific energy around your body, that was more suitable to use while battling with weapons.*

"Flattering words you use to qualify the noun 'me'." Akitora sneered, as he raised one side of his hair with his left hand, while the other hand held unto his dagger tightly. He thereafter released a very massive energy that was similar to the nulls but, the only difference was that it wasn't used to amplify his weapon. It looked like the battle was just getting started.