The shadows pressed in around Tanuki, an all-consuming void pulling her deeper with every breath. The mist clung to her skin, thick and biting, like it was feeding off her energy. She staggered as a creeping paralysis spread from her fingers to her arms, down to her legs. Her Aura spike flickered weakly, like a torch against the relentless fog, as she strained to keep herself moving. She knew she couldn’t stop. Not for a moment.

But with every step, she was slipping further into his trap. The Poacher’s shadowed form melted into the mist, his presence haunting her from all sides, his voice slipping through the darkness.

"Do you feel it, Ghoul?" His tone was almost mocking, thick with an unsettling calmness. "The helplessness, the despair? Struggle all you want; the Abyss only tightens its hold."

She grit her teeth and pushed forward, each motion labored, her muscles trembling as the mist sapped her strength. Her own breath echoed in her ears, shallow and strained, while his footsteps moved closer, a constant reminder of his presence.

She couldn’t see him, couldn’t even sense where he might come from next, and every instinct screamed that this was her end. And yet, that thought only sharpened her resolve. Each drop of blood that seeped from her wounds seemed to fuel her, her defiance flaring hotter with every pulse.

‘If this is it,’ she thought, ‘then I’m dragging him down with me.’

With a surge of will, she thrust her Aura spike through the fog, swinging in wild arcs, her strikes backed with everything she had. Each motion left shockwaves that vibrated in the air, enough to force the mist to part momentarily, but only for it to close in once more.

She heard him chuckle softly, close enough that his breath grazed her ear, and she whipped around, slashing at the shadows. But he wasn’t there.

"How disappointing," he murmured, his voice drifting in like a whisper. "I thought you might last longer."

Her heart raced, her breathing shallow as she pivoted to face the direction of his voice, her Aura spike glowing weakly in the darkened mist. But even the faint light was soon swallowed by the ever-thickening shadows. Panic began to bubble beneath her anger, a feeling she fought to keep from spilling over.

"I don’t… I don’t go down easy," she spat, her voice raspy but defiant. She forced her legs to move, pushing through the fog, feeling her blood throb in her veins, steadying her as much as it could.

The Poacher remained calm, his disembodied voice cold and remorseless. "That’s what all of you say. But in the end, all you do is beg."

A sudden sharp pain tore through her arm as one of his ghostly blades materialized from the mist, slicing clean through her defenses before disappearing. Tanuki let out a strangled gasp, stumbling back, clutching at the wound. Another blade shot from the fog, slashing across her thigh, then another at her side. She could feel her strength draining, her limbs growing numb, as if the darkness itself was siphoning away her vitality.

The fog thickened, each shadow blade carving into her with a precision that left her battered and bleeding, every blow sapping her energy faster than she could replenish it. Her Aura flickered, struggling to stay alight against the smothering darkness. Desperation clawed at her as she realized she was running out of time, her body reaching its breaking point.

"Do you feel that, Ghoul?" His voice slithered through the fog, his presence edging closer. "The inevitable? That’s the nature of the Abyss. The harder you fight, the deeper you sink."

The paralysis crept up her body, her arms stiffening, her legs slowing. Her own blood began to betray her, its empowering flow weakening as her body buckled under the endless strain. She stumbled, her Aura spike slipping from her grasp, vanishing into the thick mist. She was almost entirely immobilized now, her breaths shallow and labored, her vision dimming as the Poacher finally stepped into view, his silhouette towering over her.

"Any last words?" he sneered, raising his hand, mist swirling around it like a blade.

Tanuki glared up at him, her jaw clenched, a flicker of defiance sparking in her eyes even as her vision blurred. But before she could utter a word, a sudden, overpowering pressure swept through the hall, crashing over them like a tidal wave.

It was a weight that seemed to bend the air itself, thick and suffocating, radiating an intensity that silenced every noise, every thought. The Poacher’s expression flickered, his mouth dropping in a rare moment of shock as he felt the sheer force of the presence pressing down upon them.

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"What… is this?" he whispered, momentarily distracted, his grip on his Soul Resonance loosening.

Tanuki, seizing the moment with every ounce of strength left in her, forced her body to move. With a feral glint in her eyes and a defiant snarl, she aimed low, her fist striking his calf with surprising precision. The Poacher let out a hiss, stumbling as pain rippled through his leg—pain that surged beyond the force of her strike. The blow had landed on an already weakened spot, one that another erratic Ghoul had savaged just days prior.

The Poacher’s leg buckled, his balance thrown, and Tanuki took advantage of the split-second lapse. It wasn’t enough to drop him, but it forced him to brace himself, to shift his weight, buying her a precious moment.

A split second advantage was delivered to her.

She staggered to her feet, blood dripping from her wounds, her body trembling with exhaustion. Without a second glance, she bolted into the fog, pushing herself forward with every ounce of will she could muster. Her vision was blurred, her limbs heavy, but she knew she couldn’t stop now. She needed to put distance between them, to survive just a little longer.

Behind her, the Poacher’s gaze hardened as he recovered, his face twisted in frustration. He couldn’t see her through the mist, but that oppressive presence still lingered, its weight pressing on him, clawing at his control.

"This bitch…" he hissed, his eyes scanning the shadows, his Soul Resonance faltering under the strain of that overwhelming aura. The mist around him trembled, dissipating slightly, as if retreating from whatever force had invaded the space.

It was as if the hall itself had turned against him, the shadows no longer bending to his will, slipping from his grasp. And Tanuki, feeling the shift, didn’t waste a moment.

With the last reserves of her strength, she pushed through the mist, her heart pounding in her chest as she found herself at the edge of the hall. The oppressive energy faded as she left the Poacher behind, her body collapsing against the wall in exhaustion. She could feel the pain settling in, each cut and bruise finally catching up to her, but she forced herself to breathe, to stay focused.

The Poacher’s silhouette loomed in the fog, his gaze burning with fury as he realized she’d escaped, his hands clenched into fists. He took a step forward, ready to follow, but that pressure surged again, pinning him in place, forcing him to confront a fear he’d never felt before.

The pressure hanging in the hall wasn’t aimed at him specifically—it was simply that intense by nature, a force so overwhelming that it didn’t need a target. It pressed down on everything in its path, filling the air with an unyielding, almost primordial weight that left even the Poacher on edge, his confidence flickering beneath its crushing, impersonal might.

“The Executioner…” The Poacher cursed under his breath as he dissipated the fog and looked at the eye of the storm.

***

Subaru moved through the chaos like a silver storm, his double-sided spear flashing in arcs as he cut down Ghoul after Ghoul. Blood splattered across the floor, painting a grim portrait of his brutal efficiency. His silver hair, tied in a neat bun, barely shifted as he spun and struck, each movement smooth, practiced, deadly. The Ghouls attacking him fell without so much as a second chance to breathe, their shrieks and roars dying in gasps before his spear’s relentless assault.

He didn’t pause, didn’t hesitate. Each strike landed clean and true, his focus like a blade slicing through the disorder. It was as though he were in his own world, an unstoppable force mowing down any unfortunate enough to stand in his path. But then, in the midst of his carnage, Subaru’s attention was drawn to something—a figure moving through the chaos with calm, unsettling precision.

This Ghoul was no ordinary adversary.

Subaru’s gaze narrowed as he watched the figure stride toward him, seemingly undeterred by the onslaught around him. Attacks came at him from all directions as other fighters lashed out, but he moved through it effortlessly, weaving past each strike with an almost casual indifference. Blades, claws, and gunfire missed him by the narrowest of margins, as if he were untouchable, gliding just beyond reach.

A peculiar tension settled over Subaru as the two locked eyes. The distance between them shrank, yet the air grew thicker, heavy with an oppressive weight—a Marmic Pressure emanating from Subaru himself. This was a force that could crush most under its weight, a controlled brutality radiating from him in waves, forcing lesser beings to tremble and back away.

But the Ghoul didn’t stop, didn’t even flinch.

Instead, he projected something of his own: an ominous bloodlust, dark and suffocating. Its effect was instantaneous, striking those nearby with primal terror. The other Ghouls stumbled back, visibly disturbed as they felt it wash over them, an aura so dense it twisted the air with malice. His mere presence made even the most hardened fighters hesitate, their movements stilled under the weight of his menace.

As they drew closer, it was as though the world shrank, folding in on the intense field between them, an inevitable clash of overwhelming power and raw ferocity. Subaru tightened his grip on his spear, his eyes widening, the usual composure on his face darkening with the creeping shadow of recognition. The Ghoul’s features came into sharper focus as they closed in, and a deep, dreadful realization settled over Subaru like a cold shroud.

When they were close enough to speak, Subaru’s voice escaped him in a low murmur, filled with disbelief yet laden with certainty.

“Orochi?”