Chapter 13

As the dust from the crash blocks their vision, Yuji was pulling himself together, as he tries to face their situation with focus.

Everyone was stunned at their position until the dust blocking their vision of the entity started to clear up.

"A HIGH CLASS!!" one of the persons at the back shouted, causing panic among some students, resulting in them to run away.

The Akuma had a tall body about 6-7 feet, it had one large arm while the other was long and thin, and had average buff legs. And like the other Akumas, its right eye was closed with large veins covering half of its face.

"IDIOTS! Don't separate!" Gin shouted.

Despite what Gin said, most students still ran, scattering, leaving them behind.

"WATCH OUT!" Yuji shouted as the Akuma jumped high in the air, with its arms raised, about to smash the ground.

Gin managed to dodge the attack, as the Akuma came crashing down with its unnaturally large arm.

The students had a great decrease in numbers, due to running away.

"This is bad," said Gin.

"Stay calm," said Jack.

"The square head!" Yuji thought.

"Sure, some cowards ditched us, but there are still enough people here to get rid of that thing, in fact, this might have made it easier," said Jack.

Gin clicked his tongue "I know that... But you're missing the point," he said.

"I won't argue about staying calm," said Yuji, "but I don't think you're getting the whole picture here,".

"what do you mean?" said Jack in a cocky tone.

"Right now, if we take too long to kill that thing, we're as good as dead," said Yuji.

"What!?" said Jack, with a sudden realization.

"Looks like you got it," said Yuji, "If we take too long, and the noise attracts more Akumas to head here, we're going to have to deal with numerous Akumas, along with this high-class Akuma,".

"And in the worst-case scenario," said Gin, "The archdemon will get here faster than we thought, if that's the case we're done,".

"Crap..." said Jack.

"IT'S COMING!" Layla shouted as the Akuma ran towards them, with its arm covering its front.

Yuji, Gin, and Jack quickly scattered to dodge the Akuma, as the Akuma swings its large arm in the air, as it tried to hit something.

The Akuma had a quick look and started to run again, this time it was towards Elizabeth and the others.

"SCATTER!" Yuji shouted.

Everyone scattered and dodged the Akuma.

After Every attack, the Akuma keeps on quickly recovering and attacking, not giving them time to think.

"Squadron! distract it!" Gin shouted, giving an order.

"Yes sir!" the soldiers replied, as the three soldiers ran towards the Akuma.

After injecting themselves, the soldiers kept on attacking and defending with their guns against the Akuma, taking its whole attention, yet none of their attacks seem to have an effect.

One soldier pulled out a knife, as he jumped on the Akumas neck. The soldier stabbed the Akuma in the neck, as the soldier presses a button on the handle of the knife, producing a burst of electricity from the knife, electrifying the Akuma.

The Akuma was stunned for a short second, the Akuma used its long thin arm to grab the soldier as soon as it recovered. Unlike its large left hand, its thin right hand was a lot faster, which resulted in the soldier being grabbed at the head.

The Akuma then threw the soldier in mid-air, and hit the soldier with its heavy left hand, resulting in the soldier flying away.

The soldier came flying, hitting a building wall a few meters away.

"looks like they won't be able to take care of it..." said Gin, sounding irritated, "we'll take care of it from here," he said as he looked at the students.

Yuji and Jack looked closely at Gin.

"Hey kid," Gin said as he looked directly at Yuji, "You have a risky plan, right?"

"Huh?" Yuji replied.

"Earlier you asked, which way would Erina and the others will come from," said Gin, "If by the chance that they're not ahead of us, you were hoping for us to meet up with them once we're in a pinch like this aren't you?"

"He... thought of something like that?" Jack thought.

"Yeah..." Yuji said in a low energy voice, "but it's really risky... I didn't wish for this to happen,"

"Go on ahead, all of you," Gin said.

Everyone looked at Gin with worried faces, as he said those familiar words.

"That's!" Yuji said.

"GO! All of you will just hold me back anyways," said Gin.

Yuji stood silent for a moment.

"Are all of you adults like that... always saying stuff to push us away, just to keep us safe..." Yuji said as he was gripping his hand hardly, "what do you gain by doing that..."

Gin turned around and said "looks like it's not the first time you heard something like that or experience a situation similar to this," Gin looked at Yuji again and noticed his expression, "or the second..."

Gin took a deep breath, "Listen kids! and listen well!" Gin shouted,

"The new generation of people always represents a stronger version of the past generation, that's why for us, you kids are hope... our hope to end this messed up era, that's been going on for hundreds of years. Now go! we'll take the risk, and if we managed to get rid of this Akuma quicker than expected, we'll be right behind you..." he said with a smug smile on his face.

Hearing Gin, Jack gathered his group and started to run, as he passes Yuji "let's go..." Jack said without making any eye contact.

Yuji regained his composure, as he gathered everyone in his group and said "let's go,".

Elizabeth and the others nodded, as Yuji took one last glance at Gin saying "don't die," as they left.

Yuji and the others catch up to Jack and everyone and kept running in the direction of the extraction.

After a few moments.

"How did you do it?" said by a person from Jack's group, looking at Yuji.

"Huh?" Yuji said.

"Sorry I haven't introduced myself," said the student with black hair and eyes, in Jack's group, "my name is Ray, we meet again," he said with a smile.

"You! the person I bumped into, this morning," said Yuji.

"Seems like a lot has happened since then huh?" Ray said, "so, how did you get this far? without any abilities..."

Yuji was stunned speechless and wasn't able to answer for a moment.

"luck... I guess," said Yuji, "luck that brought me to these people," he said with a slight smile, facing Ray.

"Hmph, true... but I can't help but feel it's the other way around..." Ryan whispered.

"You actually said it," said Layla "that was uncharacteristic of you," she said with a smug face.

Ryan looked away as if he was embarrassed.

"Hey, Ray," said by a man with a deep voice beside him, "don't waste energy, there's still a way to go,"

"aww, come on Craig, I was just setting up a conversation to lighten up the mood," said Ray in a complaining manner.

"He's got a point you know," said Yuji, "I can't believe you'd try to lighten up the mood in this situation," he thought.

"EH!? you too?" said Ray, "fine, I'll keep quiet," he said as if he was feeling down, just like a complaining kid who didn't get what he want.

"Akumas ahead," said Jack, "four of them,".

Everyone got ready and charged at the Akuma's, some Akuma's were not newly turned and was faster than the others, but it did not cause too much problem for them.

After they knocked down the Akumas, Yuji looked carefully at one of the bodies.

"Hey!" Jack called, "we don't have much time here! let's keep going!"

Yuji catches up with the others, as they continue to run.

"Did you see something?" Layla asked.

"There was an unusual hole on one of the newly turned Akumas, it just kinda bothered me," said Yuji.

"Hopefully it's nothing," Jaspher prayed.

After a few minutes of running, they saw a number of dead bodies that has yet to turn on the road.

"Dead bodies?" Jack said.

They stopped and looked at the corpses.

"These bodies... it has the same holes like earlier!" Yuji pointed out.

"What does it mean?" said Elizabeth.

"It means we might be following a trail of an Akuma that killed all those people," said Ryan.

"What should we do?" Layla asked.

As they were thinking, a loud sound suddenly emerged from behind them.

BOOM*

The loud sound reached them, as they see a large smoke of explosion behind a small building from a distance.

"That place is!" said Ryan.

"Where Gin was... right?" said Yuji as he paused for thought.

"let's split up," said Yuji.

"what?" Jack questioned.

"In front of us there's a two-way path again, that leads to the same location, only with different exits," said Yuji, "after that explosion, it could attract some Akuma's, being in a large group would be too dangerous,".

"So, you're suggesting that we split into two, so we have better chances of concealing ourselves?" said Jack.

Yuji nodded.

"But your group has five people, and we got three," said Jack, "Your group is in a dangerous state,".

"That's why if you're willing, you can take one of them," said Yuji, "or whoever wants to go with them, just say,".

"I'll stay here," said Elizabeth, with no hesitation.

"If my sister is staying, then so am I," said Layla.

Jaspher was looking down and seemed lost on what was the right thing to do.

"I don't... want to be too much of trouble for Yuji and everyone if something happens," said Jaspher, as he walked closer to Ryan, he handed Ryan the Glove he used to knock down the Akuma they fought earlier, "I can't use any other specialized weapons, and I don't have any special ability... so...."

"Jaspher, it's ok," said Yuji, as he smiles at Jaspher, "thanks for everything,"

Jaspher nodded as he walked over to Jack's side, looking disappointed at himself.

"Then that's everything," said Jack.

"Wait!" Ray said, "I have a proposal"

"What?" said Jack.

"Do you mind, if we switched places?" Ray said, pointing at Ryan.

"Huh?" Ryan said.

"I'm just a B class unlike you, an A-class, and I don't mean to offend in any way... but I think I can help them better if they get in a pinch," said Ray.

Ryan was speechless.

"He's that confident he can help them better, despite being a class lower than me..." Ryan thought.

"I'm probably not as strong, but I got these things that really suit my ability," said Ray, as he showed his belt, below his uniform, containing three types of specialized weapons.

"A gun, two gloves, and a blue knife..." Yuji pointed out.

"Yep, sorry but I think I'm the only one who can efficiently use this," said Ray.

Ryan looked at Yuji and nodded, he then walked closer to Ray and said, "take care of them,".

Ryan gave Yuji the black case containing Syringes with amplifiers.

"I still have one shot left... And they have their own... It should be more than enough," he said.

Ryan then walked over to Jack's side, switching places with Ray.

"Then I'll be in your care everyone!" said Ray in an energetic voice.

"Then that's that, you take care," said Jack, looking at Ray, "let's go,".