P.S= #31: Empty Barrels Make The Most Noise

[Ava]

The rhythmic crunch of snow beneath Ava's boots was the only sound as she traversed the snow-covered landscape. The cold air stung her cheeks, but her determined steps carried her forward. TEP! TEP! TEP!

As Ava continued, a voice, chilling in its tone, sliced through the frosty air. "You don't smell or look like a normal Trinity," the Ayakashi remarked from the shadows.

Ava halted, her senses on high alert. The Ayakashi, perched on a tree branch like a sinister sentinel, came into view. Its eyes, gleaming with an otherworldly intensity, bore into Ava's.

After absorbing the Ayakashi's comment, Ava met its gaze with a mix of curiosity and caution. With a graceful descent, the Ayakashi landed in front of her, blocking her path. The contrast between its frigid aura and Ava's composed demeanor created an air of tension.

"Could it be that you're a..." the Ayakashi's voice trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the cold air. Ava's expression remained inscrutable as she waited for the Ayakashi to complete its thought.

[Kiyomizu and Yamato]

The frigid air crackled with tension as Kiyomizu and Yamato confronted the Ayakashis, determined to protect the village from the impending threat.

"Kill every last human," commanded the Ayakashi siting in a chair made of ice with the other Ayakashis surround him, its voice a sinister echo through the snow-laden forest.

TEP! TEP! The duo approached the Ayakashi with unwavering resolve. "We won't let you past," they declared in unison, their voices cutting through the eerie stillness.

"Huh? What will you humans do? This one here has no haku, and you have a low amount. Hahahaha!!!!" jeered the Ayakashi, mocking their perceived weakness.

Yamato raised his right hand, and with a resounding proclamation, unleashed the power of his magic drive, "Kingston Connon!!!" DOOOOM!!! The blast of Haku eradicated up to 25 small Ayakashi in a dazzling display of raw power.

Meanwhile, Kiyomizu deftly drew her handgun and unleashed a rapid barrage of shots, each one finding its mark. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! The small Ayakashi fell like snowflakes in her wake.

"Damn, this gun is good," marveled Kiyomizu, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"When we're finished, I'll upgrade it for you," Yamato promised, his mind already working on enhancing their arsenal.

"Nice," Kiyomizu acknowledged, a nod of appreciation passing between the two.

Yamato, fueled by determination, dashed towards a snow Ayakashi, seizing it by the face before obliterating it with the might of Kingston Connon. Simultaneously, Kiyomizu efficiently dispatched the foes in her immediate vicinity.

Despite their valiant efforts, the relentless onslaught continued. Yamato, surveying the battlefield, acknowledged the dire situation. "There are so many," he observed, his thoughts racing.

"Stop whining. We have to hold them off until the others get here," Kiyomizu urged, her gaze unwavering.

"Okay, then. So it's up to us," Yamato affirmed, readying himself for the ongoing battle. BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Why can't you fools kill them already? It's clear that they're the weaklings in their crew," taunted the Ayakashi, goading them.

"Hey, take back that. I'm not weak; I'm just not a fighter," retorted Yamato, his defiance cutting through the frosty air.

HUFF! HUFF! As the skirmish intensified, Yamato felt the strain on his Haku. "Damn it, my Haku is almost finished, and i can't refill my haku and I don't know why plus my magic drive is soon to overheat. I will be useless. the leader is the only one left I'll have to beat him and fast," he pondered urgently.

"You know why you call us weak," Yamato addressed the Ayakashi, a steely resolve in his eyes.

"Huh?" The Ayakashi seemed taken aback by Yamato's bold statement.

"What are you doing," Kiyomizu interjected, sensing the tension escalating.

"It's because you're afraid," declared Yamato, his words resonating in the chilling air.

"What did you say, human," growled the Ayakashi, its patience wearing thin.

"You're so weak and afraid; you're hiding behind weaklings, thinking that they will save you," accused Yamato, unmasking the Ayakashi's vulnerability.

"No, he doesn't mean that, Mr. Ayakashi," Kiyomizu interceded, attempting to defuse the situation.

"Stop! Don't get the bad guy upset," Kiyomizu cautioned, trying to maintain a semblance of order.

"Hahaha, Kiyomizu, do you remember when you whispered and told me he looks like a batch?" Yamato's unexpected revelation hung in the air.

"What? No, he's lying," Kiyomizu protested, caught off guard.

Kiyomizu, unable to comprehend Yamato's erratic behavior, seized him and shook him in frustration. "What's wrong with you?"

"And you know what? You do look like a bitch," Yamato declared boldly, unfazed by the Ayakashi's growing displeasure.

"You will regret what you just said, human. Both of you," the Ayakashi threatened, rising from its seat and closing the distance between them.

"WOW, aren't you a big fellow. Is there any chance I could take back what I said?" Yamato quipped, attempting to diffuse the tension with unexpected humor.

"No. Now, what did you just say, human?" the Ayakashi demanded, its icy demeanor hinting at an impending confrontation.

"I love you," Yamato declared, sending shockwaves through the silent forest. 

"I'm scared," confessed Kiyomizu.

Yamato clenched his right hand into a formidable fist, channeling all the energy of his Haku into a concentrated force. "Metalical punch." DOOOOM!!! His punch tore through the Ayakashi, creating a gaping hole that ruptured its core. The resounding impact echoed through the frost-laden air.

"Empty barrels make the most noise," Yamato quipped, his voice carrying a mix of triumph and resolve. The defeated Ayakashi crumbled, its form disintegrating into the snowy landscape.

With the battle's intensity waning, Yamato, fatigued, dropped to the ground with a resounding THUD! The metal on his hand dispersed, and the staff he wielded reverted to its original form with a subtle SOOWISH! A sigh of relief escaped him as he felt the dissipating energy.

"Oh, just in time. My Haku is finished," Yamato remarked, the visible strain on his face relaxing. The aftermath of the skirmish left an eerie stillness, punctuated only by the gentle fall of snowflakes in the silent forest.