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Non Perfection
Chapter 16: Survival Instincts

Chapter 16: Survival Instincts

Jumping above the building, Annie sees Hao fighting fiercely against the invisible person, fading in and out of sight as he leaves gusts of winds behind. She lands and rushes to join him.

Approaching the scout from behind, Annie tries to impale him with her sword. Suddenly, the scout turns and blocks the attack effortlessly, his other hand pinning Hao’s greatsword down. The scout taunts Annie.

"A little dirty, don't you think?"

Annie is shocked by the scout’s speed. Taking advantage of her hesitation, he spins into the air, escaping their pincer attack.

The scout taunts them once again, stretching his legs.

"Are you guys only warming up?! you're so slow!"

Annie is annoyed, but Hao rushes forward, grinning.

"I'm only getting started!"

Hao swings horizontally, the scout ducks under the blade, leaving small gashes on Hao’s face. Annie follows up, aiming her sword at the scout’s head.

"So slow..."

The scout dodges easily and retaliates with a dagger strike to Annie’s stomach. Blood spills from the wound.

'This is bad...'

Annie backs away, clutching her stomach.

'I'm going to bleed out at this rate.'

Hao reengages, the two of them locked in a deadly dance. Their movements blur as they dodge and strike, neither gaining the upper hand.

Their speed going on as the seconds pass.

Dodging an overhead swing from Hao, the scout stabs his shoulder. Hao groans in pain. Annie lunges from behind, her hand still pressed to her wound. Hao shifts his sword to trap the scout between their attacks.

Cornered between attacks, the scout disappears. He reappears behind Hao, ready to strike.

'How did he-?!'

Hao turns just in time, creating distance with a wide swing. Annie leaps over Hao, slamming her sword down, but the scout is already gone.

He reappears behind Annie, dagger ready to cut her throat.

'I get it now!'

Annie pulls her sword from the ground, blocking the dagger just in time.

'He's insanely fast!'

Hao swings at the scout, but he dodges effortlessly, creating space between them. The scout grins, his voice filled with curiosity.

"Oh? this is getting interesting..."

He jumps side to side, ready to rush them again. His smile widening.

"Let’s kick it up a notch, shall we?!"

He disappears, a gust of wind whips past Annie. Small cuts appear on her torso, then more on Hao’s body. Blood drips from their wounds as the scout’s attacks grow faster and more relentless.

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Annie stumbles, her face pale.

'Shit, this is too much...'

The wind of blades intensifies, and Annie’s vision blurs. Her face filled with sorrow

'Am i going to die?!'

Suddenly, Hao swings his sword in a massive horizontal arc. The scout falls to the ground, rolling to a stop. Hao grins.

"I get it now! You’re not invisible—you’re just super fast!"

The scout looks confused.

"Who told you i was invisible?!"

Hao shrugs.

"I guess Selth was wrong..."

The scout stands, brushing himself off.

"Whatever..."

He readies himself for another attack.

Annie kneels, ripping a strip of fabric from her pants to bandage her wound. She tightens it as much as she can, her strength, fading. Hao glances at her, his smile faltering.

"You okay?"

Annie tries to stand but collapses into a pool of her own blood.

"I'm... losing consciousness..."

Her body goes limp, her face pressed against the cold ground.

'I can't lose consciousness.'

Suddenly, a metal sound clashes from nearby. Both the scout and Hao freeze. Part of a wall nearby breaking, the door leading to the door flying away. Moen comes running straight out of the smoke, his shield slamming into the ground where the scout stood moments before. The ground beneath it cracking.

The scout appears on Moen’s shoulders, with both of his daggers he cleanly cuts his head and rushes towards Hao at amazing speeds. This time, Hao blocks the attack.

'He's slower.'

Moen is already upon him again, ready to hit him with his massive shield. Meanwhile Annie is still laying on the ground nearby, she feels the ground shaking as the three warriors fight.

'Don't lose consciousness...'

She starts drinking her own blood.

'I can't...'

She phases in and out of consciousness. She starts drinking more blood rapidly.

However, it's useless. She loses consciousness.

The scout easily dodges both Moen and Hao's attacks. His movements slower. Hao tirelessly swinging his sword.

"I just have to resist a bit more..."

Suddenly the scout is on Moen's back, his dagger seeping deep into his back. After taking the dagger out, the scout focuses on his regenerating wound.

The scout jumps back, creating distance. Moen and Hao charge, their attacks shaking the ground. The roof begins to collapse, and they all fall to the floor below—except Annie, who remains on the intact half of the roof.

'He dodged it but... The roof won't hold up for long!'

The roof begins to collapse, and they all fall to the floor below—except Annie, who remains on the intact half of the roof.

Landing, they all instantly hurry to clash once again. Meeting Moen he instantly cuts his left arm, throwing it far away. Hao follows up, coming from Moen's right side Hao tries to cut the scout in half with his fastest horizontal swing yet. He misses, cutting part of Moen's stomach in the process.

The scout swiftly moved to Moen's left side. Using Moen as a meat shield. His left side weak as the regeneration process on the arm was taking longer than normal.

Both Hao and the scout dance around Moen, using him as a wall as if playing a deadly game of hide and seek. Moen trying to slam his shield onto the scout while they both dance around him.

The dangerous swift fight between Hao and the scout is suddenly broken. Moen steps aside. All of them suddenly take corners. Readying themselves to fight once again. A second passes. Then. The fight resumes, All of them rushing to meet in the middle.

something falls between them. All step back-except Moen, who stumbles and almost falls backwards.

Hao's voice breaks out.

"ANNIE?!"

Looking down, she stands up. Her white eyes lifeless, blood dripping from her whole body, her hair partly covering her face.

She looks up and scans the room. All of them frozen. Fear etched on their faces.

The scout flinches.

'What the fuck is that thing...'

Annie’s gaze locks onto him. The scout meets her gaze.

'D-Death!'

She claws at the air, and giant claw marks tear through the wall behind the scout. He barely dodges, blood dripping from a gash on his face.

The scout touches the wound, his expression grim. One of his eyes affected. Annie turns clawing the air once again, a side ways giant claw mark appears on the wall. Hao and Moen block. Both of their weapons deformed by the force of the attack.

"Thank god i crouched..."

Taking his sword out of his vision, the scout was gone. Annie still standing there, menacingly looking at the mark of her attack. Hao asks, the fear palpable on his voice.

"Annie...?"

He looks over at Moen, his body mutilated and regenerating slowly. Hao falls to his knees, holding Annie tightly.

"M-Moen?"

Moen doesn't respond, his body still regenerating. Hao glances back at Annie. His eyes widening.

"ANNIE!"

He rushes towards Annie, grabbing her shoulders.

She turns to him, her voice faint.

"I- i... i'm sorry..."

She collapses. Hao catches her.

"What the hell..."

He glances back at Moen's mutilated body. The meat and skin slithering back together.

Hao falls to his knees holding Annie tightly.

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