18 vs 4

“That nightmare.” Yuka held her head, unaware of the tree root that slithered around her feet. It flung her high into the sky. The air whiplashed her body as it slammed her down. She screamed as it went back and forth on the ground, her bones cracking with each hit. Her voice went out and she went still, mouth hanging open lifelessly. Austin stretched his head, from the top of the tree branch, to peek at the bottom. “Finally she is dead.”

Yuka sprinted from her hiding spot, jumping on top of the branch, running on the root towards the center. “What? She is still alive? How!”

“That actually hurts you asshole!” she yelled. He sent another root and Yuka jumped mid air. The other root was too far for her to land. Yuka clasped her hands together, forcing herself to concentrate. She floated momentarily before falling, her hands grabbed a branch just in time to pull herself above. “Misuki, couldn’t you have picked a better ability? I can’t control this one!”

She ran back up and he sent another root and Yuka jumped up, using the telekinesis to push herself higher momentarily. She staggered to balance herself as she continued to run with full power. This ability is so hard to control, I need to change.

In panic, he kept sending more roots and Yuka leaped to another root. And another came towards her, and Yuka gracefully jumped, using telekinesis to basically hop in mid-air momentarily as if there was concrete underneath her feet.

“Die! Die! Die!” He screamed as she got close and he immediately wrapped himself with branches, for cover. It was a shield and his defenses. Yuka jumped forward. I can’t cut that with any weapon. If only I had something big that can deal big damage— ah!

Yuka twirled, in mid air, materialising the weapon that she needed from the start. “I’m such an idiot!”

She swung the big scythe, cutting through the defense, beheading Austin. She made the weapon disappear as she ran down the root. That was a lot heavier than I thought.

She saw the winged man, dropping Hayato from a very high height, laughing as Hayato’s bones cracked from the fall. He was close to one of the roots, so she leaped off the root, grabbing onto his wings. He nudged down as she swung her body back up onto his back. She wrapped her legs around his waist. With a knife in her hand, she stabbed his back and poked holes in his wings aggressively. He started to crash down, pulling her feet up on his back to cushion the impact.

“Where did she come from?” Finn whispered, on the ground. Yuka raised her knife and slammed it into his skull. Nodding in approval at the sound of the crack.

Vennasa looked at trees, where Austin was supposed to help, before she launched her attack. “What happened to Austin?”

Yuka dodged the attack and, with a knife in her hand, threw it towards Vennasa. It lodged in her foot. Vennasa fell as she continued to pump out her attack. Yuka spun across the ground, around Vennasa and summoned more knives. As she was dodging, she was throwing them at her.It hit her shoulder, then the back of her biceps and thighs. Vennasa gritted her teeth, keeping her arms steady but the attacks were slower and predictable now. Yuka focused momentarily to accurately throw as she lodged the next knife right into her head. Vennasa gaped, but she didn't die yet. She grabbed the hilt of the knife but Yuka was already behind her. “Didn't I tell you guys to just kill?”

Yuka slit her throat as she looked at Silvia and Hayato. “What did I tell you? Nobody will believe your plan.”

Hayato looked down at his own leg, clenching his feet that she was right again. He hated the fact she was right.

Yuka sighed as she stood there, hands on her hips. Misuki slowly approached them, her shield in her hand, being careful like Yuka informed her. “Silvia said they were seven…. I don't think I have seen one of them yet.”

That's right, there should be seven. Yuka looked around at the clearing. He had to be close. On a tree, there was a white, aegithalos caudatus bird tweeting and hopping around. It's….super cute! What an adorable little creature! Yuka's eyes sparkled but then it went serious. It looks kinda out of place. I've barely seen any animals in the forest and it looks like a baby bird… must be that kid.

Yuka looked away.

“Umm look.” Misuki pointed at the top of the cave. There were multiple people staring at them. Silvia counted them. “There are eleven… they must be here because of the signal and more may be coming.”

Yuka's face fell as she looked at the timer. 00:32 left. She sharply turned, interlocking her fingers together. “Run?”

“Genesis’s legs are broken. We can't run, we have to fight,” Silvia nervously said.

“I can fly…” Hayato offered.

“No, you will be an easy target right now.” Yuka looked at Hayato. Deadweight One. Then Misuki. Deadweight Two. Then Silvia. Silvia smiled. “I can fight.”

Deadweight Three. Yuka held her neck. "I don't need you guys to fight; I just need you to protect each other. Can you do that?"

“Of course,” all three said simultaneously.

The more conviction they have, the less I trust them. Yuka felt like she was fighting the biggest migraine of her life, if it didn't kill her before this round did. “I'll distract them while you, Silvia, use your clones to carry him and keep everyone moving. You need to get farther away from people.”

Yuka turned back to the clearing, going to the centre. She looked up the hill, trying to get the attention on herself while they escaped.

“So how should we do this?” She asked the crowd. “Should I come up and kill you, or would you prefer to come down so I can kill you?”

Silvia, Hayato and Misuki jaw dropped. Hayato pulled his hair. “She never changes.”

“Does she have to do this everytime?” Misuki held her head. Silvia cried comical tears. “We're going to die faster this way.”

“Do you know what's better than having Ishikawa Yuka? It’s having two Yuka Ishikawas.” Yuka gestured to the two clones of herself. Silvia's eyes widened. “That's my ability.”

Yuka extended her hand out as a big scythe overtook her height.

Someone will shoot her. Hayato didn't hesitate to say, “DUCK!”

Yuka immediately ducked. The spiky ball fell to the ground. She couldn’t see where this attack came from.

Her left. “RIGHT!” She twirled right and another spiky ball hit the ground.

“What the hell? How is he predicting our attacks?” A small voice said, but she couldn't see who it came from. She kept her eyes straight ahead. He did this before, but it doesn't seem consistent.

Yuka brows furrowed when she saw a trail of fire as someone ran towards her. Isn't it that guy? Ryota? Yuka immediately turned back, running. “Run, you idiots, that firecracker is back!”

It was a feint, Yuka swung the scythe as she felt the heat coming close. Ryota backed away as Yuka kept spinning, her feet tapped around faster and faster. If I can’t use my strength, I can use my speed!

Ryota fired a consistent flow of fire, and the scythe was pushing it away momentarily before the flames engulfed her. Yuka screamed before melting off.

Yuka sprinted from behind a tree, running with the group, cursing under her breath. “THAT HURTS!”

She rubbed her own arms. Silvia, who was leading the escape, carrying Hayato while Misuki was beside her, yelled. “I KNOW!”

Ryota’s feet burned in flames as he rushed after them. “I’ll kill you!”

His feet are now in flames; he is getting better at using his ability. Yuka worriedly looked as he was approaching. That psycho is actually fast! Yuka turned around, going to him. She summoned an array of swords and sent them flying towards him. Her hands swung around like a conductor performing an orchestra as Ryota was trying to avoid each one of them. One of the swords stabbed him in the stomach. Suddenly a blue holographic appeared, deflecting Yuka’s attacks.

“DODGE!” Hayato yelled. Yuka hopped to her left, a spiky ball landing in her spot, but instead of stopping, her fingers twirled, changing the direction of the only remaining sword to stab him from the side, but the shield prevented her attack again. Yuka immediately turned back to running, abandoning her plan.