Special Tournament 12

Chapter 24

Special Tournament 12

Shiro slowly got up while the creature was still processing what had happened. His face was battered, blood rolled down his back, and his arm felt numb.

He looked at the creature with hunter eyes.

“So, your little ability of yours has finally been cracked! Any attack that lands on you, your body just phases right through it, but only if you’re looking directly at the user or the incoming attack!”

Shiro took another step forward. The creature didn’t move like a dead animal. “I know you’re not dead.”
The creature stayed still, not responding to his words.

“Tsk.”

Shiro opened his palm and dozens of bubbles formed around him. The bubbles moved at his command, gently gliding toward the creature’s body.
The bubbles hovered over the creature like bees about to take a flower’s pollen.

BOOM!

With a flick of his finger, Shiro commanded the bubbles to fall on the creature’s laying body like missiles.
Smoke filled the room, blinding Shiro.

If I’m correct, the creature should be up by now. I can’t see shit because of this horrible dust. Based on this creature, it could probably see through this or feel my fage. The best thing I can do right now is retreat.

Remembering the layout of his room, Shiro dashed out of the bathroom, taking a sharp left toward the door. The dust hadn’t filled the entire room, so he could still see the door.
As he was about to get out, Shiro looked back. He paled deeply. His thoughts could only be two words:

Oh no…

Shiro’s footsteps started to fade. Each step made his heart beat again like the last time. The atmosphere was eerie, and he felt fear.

Looking back toward the door was a black barrier-like object, the same power that reduced the basics of sound. The horror was quiet, the kind of quiet that could drive any man insane after hours.

FUCK.

Shiro quickly turned around. As the dust settled, the gray creature’s shadow arose. Shiro summoned more bubbles to protect him, forming a shield.

The bubbles would pop instantly the second he touched them, but they would slow him down enough.

Waiting behind the wall of bubbles, Shiro turned around. The black barrier was still up. Running toward it at full speed, his heart jumped.

As Shiro was about to reach the barrier, a long white snake slithered from the side of the door. It had the side of a bat, and its red eyes glowed. It stopped right before Shiro reached the barrier.

Another creature!

Shiro jumped sideways from the snake, keeping his watch on both the creature and the snake.
Walking sideways, Shiro summoned another bubble, shooting it toward the snake.
The bubble shot through the snake, but strangely, the snake didn’t budge.

Without wasting a second, Shiro tried to run out, but the snake jumped toward him, reaching eye level. The snake had the bubble halfway inside of it.

While in the air, the snake observed the bubble. Suddenly, it twitched. Its guts wrapped around the bubble, forming new veins and skin.

The skin fully covered Shiro’s bubble, but it didn’t stop there. Its head shook, flattening itself.

The snake’s long, slim body suddenly flattened and increased in size. Its body wrapped around the door entrance, and its head moved from its original place onto its stomach.

Watching like a camera and blocking the pathway out.
Why is this group so weird?

Shiro yelped but couldn’t hear his voice. He turned toward the creature, which slowly walked toward him like a weeping angel.

Shiro thought of a bigger plan than just leaving, grinning.

If the creature dashes toward me, I can possibly dodge the incoming attack, and the gray thing can puncture this dumbass snake.
Shiro waited behind the bubbles, running through his plan over and over. Then he paused, thinking realistically.

Wait… won’t he be able to phase through my bubb—

Shiro’s thoughts vanished as the creature dashed toward him. Its body flowed through the air like liquid, its loose skin flapping as it charged.

The creature gazed at the first bubble, its head making a large hole as it phased right through it. When it reached the other dozen bubbles, its body turned water-like. It phased through the first ten, then the next two.

The creature’s body regrew as it passed the dozen bubbles. Half solid, it raised its arm. Shiro was shocked. He had no other choice but to raise his guard.

…

Blood splattered across the room as the creature’s hand jammed into Shiro’s shoulder. He wanted to groan in pain but couldn’t release a sound, one of the few things that made him human.

The creature’s long fingers dug deeper into his shoulder, gripping the flesh. It tossed him back into his bedroom. As Shiro was sent flying toward the window, he opened his eyes.

The pain of his shoulder being ripped made him cry out silently. Slamming into the wall, the impact should have made a sound, but it didn’t. Holding his shoulder, his vision started to blur slightly.

But Shiro didn’t want to fall unconscious. He grabbed the piece of flesh torn from his shoulder and gripped it even harder, forcing himself to stay awake.

Breathing hard, Shiro watched the creature’s actions carefully. His eyes widened, and he paled even more.

The creature grabbed Shiro’s piece of flesh and gently dropped it onto the ground. Then it opened both palms and slowly moved its arms toward its chest.

Pressing its fingers hard against its chest, it ripped open its skin. Gray liquid spilled out like blood.

Shiro couldn’t believe his eyes. He hoped this day would end soon.

The creature kept digging into its chest, like it was searching for something. Finally, it grabbed a long, thin object, a transparent gray cylinder.

It placed the cylinder on the ground, then reached for Shiro’s flesh again. Slowly, it picked up the soft piece and gently placed it inside the cylinder. The flesh slid in, slick with its own blood.

The creature stood up, holding the gray cylinder and inspecting it. It looked it over from top to bottom.

After a moment, the gray creature sighed, as if suddenly gaining human expression, the first Shiro had ever seen.

The creature slowly turned its head toward Shiro. Its face drooped like melted clay, but this time a mouth formed with the droop. The mouth moved and spoke, even without sound, Shiro understood what the lips said. His heart tightened.

“I’m sorry.”