17: Chains (I): Surprise

Ten-meter radius.

Between a couple of seconds to five minutes per meter.

If the objective is visible it is easier, also if it is someone you know previously.

"Those are the rules that I deduce your resonance has," Seng stated. "The most likely thing is that when you control it, the range is wider or the time is more exact."

"Hm, I understand" Echsos said. "And how will I practice that?"

Seng leaned against a tree, crossed his arms and closed his eyes to think of the best method. In the past when he was learning to use his ice resonance he forced himself to be in hot places and focused on not using his body at all, a risky situation where the only solution was for his soul to adapt and learn to use that. resonance.

Those kinds of experiences don't translate too well in this case —aside from being difficult to create —an environment where you have to read people's souls to survive would imply a lethal risk compared to being too close to a campfire of your own free will.

"Natsume" Seng said.

"What?" The poor thing was sitting drawing in the sand with a branch, she missed her bed.

"What did you do to train your resonance?"

"I don't think it will serve as an example," she replied. Seng raised his eyebrow, surely it was for trust matters, but it was not difficult for her to say how she developed the resonance of her; after all he had already seen her.

"Yes, Natsume is a prodigy." Layd climbed the cliff, crawled until his feet were completely touching solid ground, and rose with a sigh of relief. "She came to the orphanage just a few months ago and she forcibly earned the number one spot." He walked until she was next to Echsos.

"Really?" Seng hesitated and looked at him.

Natsume looked away, she didn't like to touch on this subject and made it known to Layd with a sneer of subtle contempt that was ignored by the dark young man knowingly.

"If it wasn't for his age, she should call Echsos older brother" he and Echsos laughed. "And where is the girl with the painted hair?"

"She went for food and she hasn't come back" Seng replied.

"Just to know," Natsume interrupted, "why did she dye all her hair and you just splashed dye on it? Do you also follow that stupid fashion?"

"Fashion?" Seng thought. "I-is that we did not calculate well and so I stayed." He made up a silly excuse. "Now people dye their hair blue…?"

"I have to admit that Airys' hair looks great, the others I've seen are always missing parts," Layd commented.

"Yes, yes, she is also the only one with such long hair" added Echsos.

"So you're part of them, huh…" Natsume mused.

Seng sweated cold, every time some fashion spread out there, the people part of that wave were some kind of idiots, it was the same when children believed that they could imitate the resonances of some adults if they went through the same dangerous experiences as them. Not to mention how many parents were left childless.

"I want to clarify something" Seng snapped, drawing the attention of the other three who left the subject behind. "It was because Brat said it would help her focus and it ended up splashing me."

"Didn't you say you miscalculated?" Layd replied.

"I misjudged how easy it would be to splash the dye," he rectified with a quick mental gymnastics.

Layd downplayed it, however, Echsos knew immediately that it was a lie thanks to his resonance and only decided to shut up about it to practice retaining that impulse that caused him so much trouble. Natsume on the other hand felt that this was false, she could not say for sure; however, when she spoke to him closely she didn't notice any roots of another color and —well she did not check that aspect —didn't find the sense of having hair in random blue and black proportions in a strange and ugly balance. This is not how splashing works.

"Anyway, what about you Layd? What did you do to train your resonance when you discovered it?" Echsos asked.

"Oh yeah I'm not a genius or anything so it took me a long time to get better I admit." He sat down next to Echsos and ruffled his hair. "You'll see/"

Seng suddenly straightened up and left that relaxed posture. Layd fell silent when he saw him react like this and when Natsume got up he turned his head in that direction.

"What happens?" said the most lost, Echsos.

The bushes shook to Seng's right, and two male figures emerged after a second.

"I guess it was impossible to get that close without being noticed, kid" Garyon snorted alongside Eheron. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Echsos" he smiled with a disturbing serenity, identical to the smile of a crow when his prey is dying.

The atmosphere became heavy. Those two guys were different from the couple who gave them trouble last time, the man in chains was so imposing that Layd would think twice about using his resonance and exposing himself as an easy target. Echsos broke out in a cold sweat.

Seng silently cursed Echsos, wishing he was less of a jerk, and regretted not getting the answer he longed for.

"Natsume, Layd, whatever you do do not approach the man next to the boy with the chains!" Seng sputtered.

Garyon opened his eyes in surprise, not every day you see someone move their mouth and breathe hard without hearing a word. He chuckled slightly and Eheron guessed that he had already realized one of the hindrance powers.

"Tell me boy, who are you?" Garyon asked, however Seng was using his resonance to share what he knew with Echsos and the others.

"That guy is Garyon, he's a psycho who hunts people with strong resonances!" Natsume tried to ask a question, but she didn't even hear herself. "His resonance of him is somewhat like diminishing the effect of the other resonances!"

Seng finished his sentence and gave Echsos a hateful look similar to the one he was hiding from the Brat.

"Garyon?! That Garyon?! " Layd tried to say to no avail and guessed it was Seng's skill.

"We must flee!" Seng roared.

Echsos started to get up along with Layd with that order, Seng pointed to the right of him and Natsume waited for the pair of turtles to move to start moving. In those eternal five seconds it took Echsos and Layd to pass Natsume's side; she and Seng kept an eye on Garyon as he spoke things with an irritated face.

"Is Seng talking to him?" Natsume hesitated unable to hear anyone.

Garyon started to move in his direction as soon as they started to move away, it was a matter of moments. Seng tried to run along with them, but Garyon was smart and cut off the route.

"Do you find it fun to shut up others?!" Garyon mumbled as he reached out, intent on grabbing Seng by the face of his with his thick, rough hands.

To the surprise of those present —and especially Seng —they heard Garyon's scream clearly. The attack was imminent and it seemed that Seng would not be capable to dodge it and continue fleeing from him, however, he stopped short and leaned back; with which he was able to avoid the grasp of that man. Echsos, Layd, and Natsume inertia stopped, concerned for their guide. Seng didn't take a second and tried to punch Garyon in the window of opportunity that gave him that brazen missed grip and if it hadn't been for Eheron he would have accomplished his goal.

A long chain wound around and caught Seng's left arm. At the other end Eheron held Seng's arm in place, which was shaking from both applications of force.

"What are you waiting for?!" Seng exclaimed to the three onlookers, they had barely known him for a day, a short time, yes... enough for that disturbed and stressed face of Seng to communicate a higher degree of fear. The conceited man who was capable of keeping both Natsume and Layd in check was now a young man who expelled insecurity.

Layd and Natsume didn't think about it for half a second. Natsume took Echsos' hand and they resumed their escape. Seng regretted having accepted the deal and accepted that he would surely have one of the deadliest fights of his life, perhaps the last.

To his luck —or his misfortune —Garyon ignored him and proceeded to pursue that trio.

"Is this a fucking joke?!" he thought. For the first time in years he decides to sacrifice himself like this and are he's going to ignore him? How on earth did he dare?

He clenched his teeth in anger. He recognized his opponent, in fact, it wasn't the first time they met… and yet, he completely ignored him to go after that boy. He will regret it.

"Natsume be careful using your resonance!" he yelled as the last piece of advice for Garyon's poor victims. "I'll be there in a bit" he promised after slowly straightening his left arm against Eheron's will and holding the chain with his right.