Chapter 207: Snowy Clash

Point-of-View: Shiro Blanc

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"Yo, how much farther is it?" Inquired Rion, as a stiff, cold breeze blew across. 

"About five hundred meters, I guess...I can't pinpoint his exact location, I can only get a vague fix on his general location. So once we get there, we might have to look around a bit," I replied with a sigh. 

I was starting to feel restless...I wanted to hurry up and kill him already. The sooner I solidify my existence, the better. And then, I'll no longer have to put on this act of getting along with all these people, I'll be able to do as I please when I please. 

While I'd been tracking his movements, it soon became clear that Kuro was going to head back to the Rustlands through the snowy area, and I'd brought along the group I'd picked to intercept him. We were close now, less than a kilometer from his position. 

"So, what's the plan for when we encounter him?" Asked Persia, as her ears twitched, listening for any sounds of movement. 

Oh, right, I have to form a plan that makes it seem like I was trying to protect them while taking the brunt of the work onto myself...what a pain. 

"Hm, let's see...I'll take him on for the most part, you guys back me up as you see fit. Don't get too close to him though...don't make eye contact with him, stay out of the line of his palms and if he disappears, be ready to react immediately, in case he reappears near you," I replied, putting on a concerned tone. 

"Since he's got all your powers, that goes without saying," Remarked Azyl...tch, smart-ass, I'll kill him once this is over too. 

"Hey, if I nail him with a headshot, will he die?" Inquired Rex, patting one of his rifles. 

Huh, good question...decapitation and piercing his heart would definitely kill him, and draining his life force was another option...as for a bullet to the head, I really don't know...it might kill him, but I had no proof of that. 

"No clue, but it's not impossible that he'd be able to recover from that," I answered with a frown. 

"Then it's through the heart or off with his head, right?" Chimed in Azeria. 

"Right."

"Will Fuo be there as well?" Asked Ekai with a worried look. 

Huh? How would I know that? But I can't say that... 

"It's possible, and if she is, then we'll prioritize saving her before going in for the kill," I said reluctantly, putting on an assuring tone. 

Anyway, we soon got to the area where I was sensing his presence from...so, he's somewhere around here, is he? Time to finish this.

"So, he's somewhere here?" Inquired Gela, clicking her claws in anticipation. 

"Yeah, I think so...you guys stay here in an outward circle formation, I'll look around this area, you all keep your eyes peeled and make sure he doesn't sneak away," I instructed, before glancing around the area, my eyes darting about, looking for a hiding place. 

Should I enter Vampire Mode? No, that's risky, I can't afford to let him have more of his time limit intact than I do...instead, I'll enter Soul-Eater Mode and prepare myself to use Teleport the instant I find him, and then transform. 

This was pretty risky too, but I knew from the start that killing him was never going to be easy...so, I'll take that risk...if he transforms first, I'll have more of my time limit intact, even if it's just half a second, it could make a big difference if this fight drags out. 

Hm, what's that? A cave? I almost didn't see it...is that where he is? I'm not sensing any bloodlust...then he either doesn't know that I'm here, or he's suppressing it...if it's the latter, then I doubt he'll be able to keep it down for long. After all, he wants to kill me just as badly as I want to kill him. 

I cautiously made my way towards the cave, my left hand lingering by the handle of my dagger. Come on out, wherever you are, Original...come out and let me kill y-...suddenly, I instinctively stiffened and stumbled back before I could stop myself, as an intense, heavy bloodlust overwhelmed my senses, coming from the cave. 

And the next thing I knew...he was behind me. His bloodlust was so immense and stifling...looks like I was wrong, he wants to kill me way more than I want to kill him. It was so intense that I could help but feel fear... 

"Damn it, you-!" I cried, my eyes widening as I began to turn around. 

"I'll kill you...Imposter!" He snarled, his eyes burning with murderous intent. 

He drove his fist towards me, lightning, flames and wind swirling around it, striking my back right as I simultaneously hastily shifted my gaze away, activated Teleport and got some distance from him. The spot he struck, the skin in that area was gone. That was close...he almost punched a hole through me just then. But he didn't, I managed to get away just in time...he may have caught me off-guard, but I'm still alive...and he won't get another chance... 

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Point-of-View: Kuro Black

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Damn it, he managed to slip away...no matter, he won't get away from me! I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve, and I will kill him...but I can't transform to Vampire God Mode until he does...my time limit with regular Vampire Mode is already ticking down, I can't afford to use up both time limits before he does. 

"That was close...but you do realize that you're the imposter, right?" Remarked Shiro, entering Vampire Mode with a glint in his eyes.

The others had surrounded me, and were cautiously keeping their distance, their eyes focused on me. It won't be easy to fight him whilr simultaneously holding all of them off without hurting them with just regular Vampire Mode, but...I don't have a choice. 

"You've got some nerve, you rotten bastard...you're the imposter, not me!" I responded angrily, looking around pleadingly at the others, silently begging them to believe me. 

I could feel a sense of despair creeping up on me, as the others all stared at me cautiously, bloodlust emanating from them...they think I'm the imposter, so they're afraid, and as a result...they want me dead. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Damn it, I need to calm down and get my thoughts under control...I can't let my rage boil too much... 

"Alright, everyone, let's take him down!" Declared Shiro, as he shot towards me, drawing out his blades and running lightning and flames through them. 

I need to focus and ignore all my negative thoughts and emotions...because if I don't, I'll die. As he began to close in, I swiftly opened my mouth and blasted out my acid venom at him. He crossed his arms in alarm and used Teleport as my attack struck him, the blast searing off the skin on his forearms before he disappeared and reappeared above me. 

He let out a growl and then fired out a blast of lightning from his mouth, as I countered by summoning a few Goblins above me to absorb the impact, and then used Teleport to get away. As I reappeared, a massive fireball came blazing towards me, vaporizing the snow as it rapidly closed in on me. Ekai, he had unleashed his True Anima form. Crap, it'll reach me before the half-second cooldown of Teleport! 

I fired off Repulsion and formed an Absolute Defense barrier simultaneously, the former slowing down the flames just long enough for the barrier to appear before I could get scorched. Suddenly, a rapid blur appeared to my left...it was faster than me, but I could see it clearly thanks to my improved eyesight...it was Persia. 

"I've got you, take this!" She exclaimed fiercely, drawing back her fist. 

For an instant, I froze, unable to react as I felt her bloodlust up close...directed at me. She slammed her fist onto my face, wind swirling around it, sending me flying back and skidding along the ground till I crashed onto a rock. The skin on the left side of my face had been torn off...and if I hadn't reinforced my skeleton, it could have been a lot worse. 

I then felt a powerful force crash onto me, the rock behind me cracking severely as it blasted onto me...Shiro, he'd closed in using Teleport and then hit me with Repulsion. Goddammit, why is this so hard...I need to suppress my emotions already, before it's too late! 

Persia swiftly swooped down towards me and fired off a barrage of powerful flame and wind blasts from her mouth, I bit down on my lip to snap myself out of it and used Teleport to get away just in time. A wave of ice then came barreling towards me as I reappeared, I flew up to evade it, but it shot up after me and pierced through my abdomen, the ice extending inside my body. 

"Don't move, or I'll pierce your heart," Warned Az coldly. 

I can't use Teleport with this ice attached to me. I began to form flames to melt the ice, he immediately reacted and rapidly extended the ice towards my heart...which then shattered, as it crashed onto the cage of bone I'd covered my heart with. He'd been aiming to graze my heart slightly, so that I wouldn't die instantly... 

As Az frowned in confusion, I gritted my teeth and swiftly shot out a jet of acid venom from my mouth at the ice and used Teleport to get away as soon as it melted, staying in the air, as Rex fired a barrage of bullets up at me, which I deflected using Repulsion. Persia and Shiro were zipping towards me through the air, as the hole in my stomach began healing as I melted the ice in me with flames. 

Damn it...damn it, damn it, damn it! I-I...I can't focus, no matter how hard I try!

I evaded as Shiro closed in and slashed at my neck, before I felt a crushing blow to my right side as Persia slammed her knee onto that spot. Gela then shot towards me with wind swirling around her claws and talons, I used Teleport to evade, and as I reappeared, black flames enhanced by wind roared towards me as Rion fired at me from behind. 

I summoned a Giant to block the flames, as a barrage of lava arrows came shooting towards me, Azeria having melted the ground below the snow to create a pool of lava. Persia then fired a powerful wind blast down at me, I evaded using Teleport, and the instant I reappeared, Ekai was right in front of me, and swung his hand towards my neck, grabbing my throat tightly. 

Ice then wrapped around my legs and waist, restraining me. If I don't do something...he'll crush my throat. I opened my mouth and let some acid venom drip down onto his hand, he let out a hiss of pain and let go, springing back warily, but not before slashing my eyes. 

I quickly activated both Lightning Sensory Field and my heat sense. They were all surrounding me, as Shiro approached me. What am I doing...? Am I really going to let myself get killed here? 

"It's over...I win, time for you to die, imposter," Remarked Shiro, entering Vampire God Mode as he closed in and drove his claws towards my chest with a triumphantly widening grin, which faded as he made contact, "Huh, what the-!?" 

As his claws struck my bone cage, cracked slightly and then deflected off, I finished healing one eye, entered Vampire God Mode, slashed off my legs along with the ice around them and used Teleport to slip behind Az in one, swift motion. 

"Oh, no-!" He began in alarm, ice starting to burst out towards me. 

"Sorry about this, buddy," I remarked quietly, as I swiftly summoned a Snow Serpent around his feet and then undid the summon. 

He disappeared right as a large shard of ice pierced through my abdomen, blood pouring out of my mouth. Alright, I can do this, I can take the others out of this fight without hurting them...right then, enough is enough, time to get serious...I'm done being knocked around... 

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