51. I Like It

***

"Where are we?" Hiro asks as soon as his distorted surroundings stabilized. Tanji who was beside him, shook his head in disbelief.

They stood in a large pastureland, and they weren't the only ones present. A large number of unfamiliar faces of various ages stood all around them, perplexed and confused.

"Take out your weapon Hiro," Tanji instructed and handed him his bags.

Hiro saw the seriousness in his eyes and knew wherever they were, was not a safe place. Right now, Tanji's face held both seriousness and fear in it. And it was vivid to anyone who saw him.

Hiro took out his daggers from his bag while Tanji took out his sword. They both kept their bags and looked around, prepared for anything. Those close by saw them and wondered what was wrong with them.

"Just why did this place open earlier than expected?" Tanji asks in his head. "Last time, two seniors had battled fiercely and triggered it, so why the hell did it open this time?"

"Excuse me," one of the strangers said. She was a lady who looked to be in her late twenties. "Do any of you know where we are? And how we got here?"

"I don't. I'm wondering the same thing."

"Did a strong master summon us here or something?"

While the strangers talked among themselves, Tanji kept looking around. "I forgot to get a compass, shit," he thought. "I need to find something that would serve as a land mark, so I'll know where we are."

He turns to Hiro. "Follow me closely Hiro."

Hiro nods at him and he turns to lead the way. He picks a random direction and walked quickly.

"Tanji, is it just me or is the energy here different?"

"You can tell that quickly?"

"Yeah, it smells different."

"Huh? Smells?" Tanji turns to Hiro and found him covering his nose with one of his closed fists. "I didn't know energies had scents. Did your nose get sensitive because you used it to cultivate?"

"Well, I don't know. This energy has a sharp smell, that stings my nostrils."

Tanji turns around and continues to lead the way. "Can you cultivate with it?" he asks.

"Hm? It's kind of heavy but yeah, why?"

"Nothing, let's get out of here first."

"Okay."

"Excuse me," Tanji says to a man in front of him.

The man looked at him with disgust on his face. At a glance Tanji could tell he was pissed. Beside him were three others, who blocked the way. "Get lost," the man says.

Tanji opens his mouth, but before words could come out, Hiro pulled him back.

~Rar!~

Immediately, a roar sounds and what followed was a four-legged beast that dived at the man.

"Ah! Help! Someone help me!"

The man's companions came to his aid, attacking the beast together. Tanji on the other frowned while looking at the beast. He had let his guard down and it almost costed him.

"Thanks Hiro…"

"There are more around and underneath," Hiro interrupts.

"Ah!"

~Rar!~

"Help me, someone help!"

"No! Leave me alone!"

"Help!"

~Rar!~

Tanji watched as people around cried out under the attack of beasts, they knew not where they came from. With jaguar-like features and three long tails, the white furred beasts pounced on whoever was close by.

"Hiro, let's move. We can't stay put."

"Alright… move!" Hiro pushes Tanji away and greeted a beast that had dived at them with his daggers. Tanji falls to the ground as Hiro had pushed him in a hurry without consideration.

The weight and momentum of the beast caused Hiro to fall backwards to the ground. The beast gnaw at his left hand, which he had used as shield. With his right hand he stabs the beast's neck.

"Hiro!" Tanji yells. He got to his feet as Hiro pushed the beast off his body.

"It's weak."

"Huh?"

"It's weaker than I expected."

"Oh, it's a second level beast."

"We should move, their numbers are increasing."

"Alright, this way," Tanji picks a direction to head to.

"No, let's go this way. Let's get to the top of that hill and get a better view of the situation."

Hiro pulls Tanji and turns to a hill. It was just some kilometers away from them. "Besides, with the numbers in the direction you pointed, I believe they are coming from there."

"Alright."

"Stay close, I'll clear the way."

With that Hiro shot at a beast nearby. Tanji watched as he jabs one of his daggers into the unprepared beast's neck. He pulls his dagger down, slitting the beast's neck. Without wasting time, he shot for the next one and in no time that one fell too.

"Did I miss a step or something? I almost didn't get these two?" Hiro thought as he turned to Tanji.

"What are you waiting for?" he calls out to Tanji, who was still standing. He had his eyes opened wide as he placed his hand on his abdomen.

"Ack!" He coughs blood and Hiro's gaze landed on his abdomen. It was dyed red and there was a blade-like tip poking out of it.

~Rar!~

A roar sounded from behind Tanji and his body slowly rose to the air. Coming into Hiro's view was a beast, that had one of its three tails in Tanji.

"I messed up," Tanji thought. This was the second time he had let his guard down. And this time, it was really going to cost him his life.

~Rar!~

The beast greeted Hiro, who rushed over, with a roar. After which it pounced at him. Tanji's body swayed in the air before hitting the ground hard.

"Ack!" He coughs.

The beast's tail was pulled out, as the beast and Hiro met. Tanji on the other hand, laid on the ground. His back faced up and head to the side.

"No, I can't die like this," he says in his head. "Ah! It's broken."

He tried to push his body over with his right hand but the pain that greeted him made him to halt instantly. He could feel it, his right arm and a few ribs were broken.

"I can't die, I ca…"

"Hey, are you okay?" Hiro's voiced sounds behind him. He felt two hands touch him and turned him over.

"Ah!" he grimaced. "My pocket… my chest pocket…"

"On it."

Hiro reached out for it, and dipped his hand into it. Immediately he brought out three pouch bags.

"The one to the left…"

At his words, Hiro opens one of the pouch bags. There were lots of bottles and barrels inside.

"I see."

He took one of the bottles and poured its content on Tanji's wound. Then he opens Tanji's mouth and pour everything that was left. Tanji gulped it all and exhaled heavily.

"How long will it take?"

"Just a few breaths," Tanji replies.

"Alright."

He placed the bags in Tanji's arms and picks up his weapons. Looking around, the scene he saw around him reminded him of the first time he opened his eyes. Waking up in a battlefield between humans and beasts, this was a bit similar. The only difference was this wasn't a battle, this was a one sided slaughter. Most of the people around didn't have a weapon and a lot of those who had on them didn't get the chance to bring it out or use it. The beasts had pounced on them unannounced and gained an advantage.

"Relax Hiro, you can't go around like last time," Hiro says to himself. He bit his lower lip and suppressed the urge building within. Watching the scene around him caused his blood to slowly boil. Hiro could feel the heat from within his body. He was on the verge of losing it.

"I'm ready to go Hiro," Tanji said.

"Huh? Oh, where's your sword?"

"Over there." Tanji points behind Hiro. The sword laid some feet away from them. When Hiro saw it, he went over to pick it up.

"He killed a third level beast so easily, yet he is just at the seventh stage," Tanji sighs at the corpse of the beast that had almost killed him.

"Got it, let's go," Hiro says as soon as he got back. He stretched the sword to Tanji but Tanji didn't take it.

"You use it."

"Huh?"

"It's a level four artifact, it will make killing beast easier. Besides, a range weapon will do you more good than bad."

"Um…"

~Grr~

A roar got their attention, immediately Hiro pulls Tanji away and swings the sword up vertically.

~Grr, grrr~

Flashing its fangs at them, the beast, who had a wound that ran from its chin over its mouth, through its left cheek and left eye to its forehead, retreated. Hiro had giving it a clean cut. Luckily for it, the distance between them didn't allow Hiro to land a deep wound.

"Is it just me, or did it retreat faster?" Hiro thought. "No it felt like something different, it wasn't the beast."

The beast watched them as it retreated and didn't dare turn its back on them until it was far enough. When it was, it ran away as quickly as it could.

"I like it," Hiro mutters while looking at the sword's blade.

Tanji keeps his bags and says, "your daggers, hand them over."

Hiro nods and hands him the daggers after which the duo turn toward the hill. With Hiro leading the way, they rushed towards it.

…