This was their chance to escape!
With all the stirred-up dust, it was the perfect opportunity to flee.
But Kawao didn’t know where to go, so he ran randomly away from the tower.
If we can put enough distance between us and them, we might escape! he thought.
Suddenly, he bumped into someone and fell to the ground. Sordo slipped from his shoulder but remained unconscious. Kawao quickly got back on his feet.
The dust was beginning to clear, and he could make out the figure he had collided with—it was one of the soldiers. The soldier wasted no time and lunged at Kawao with his spear.
Thanks to his energy radar, Kawao managed to dodge.
Soon, more soldiers appeared, closing in.
Damn! We’re surrounded! I need to defeat them quickly and escape before Feratu comes after us!
Kawao spun his spear and took a quick look around. Eight soldiers surrounded them, with others likely not far behind. He took a deep breath and charged forward.
With ease, he shattered the spears of his opponents and knocked them to the ground using the blunt end of his weapon.
It only took a minute for the skirmish to end. Kawao then hoisted Sordo back onto his shoulders.
Now or never!
The dust was almost entirely settled, and he could already make out the silhouettes of more soldiers approaching. But it also allowed him to see a clear path to run without colliding with anyone else.
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With a determined leap, he sprinted away.
Breaking through the dust cloud, he reached the open plains surrounding the tower. The soldiers spotted him and began chasing, but they were no match for his speed.
Soon, he was on the verge of leaving them far behind when a thunderous rumble echoed.
With a deafening crash, Feratu emerged from the collapsed tower.
Still in his jaguar form, his fiery eyes glared menacingly at Kawao. Without hesitation, Feratu leapt forward, pursuing the two at an incredible pace.
Even with Stage One, Kawao wasn’t fast enough to outrun him.
In no time, Feratu appeared ahead, blocking their path.
The tower was now a distant silhouette behind them.
"This is the end for you!" Feratu roared.
The tower’s collapse had left him with only a few scratches.
If I don’t stop him now, we’ll never make it out of here!
Kawao channeled all his energy into his spear.
Feratu leaped, his claws growing dramatically longer mid-air.
"Claw Burst!"
Kawao slid under him again, but this time, Feratu’s claws managed to rake across his chest, leaving six deep wounds that bled profusely.
But Kawao didn’t let it slow him down.
He turned around and, with all the strength left in his arm, hurled the spear at Feratu.
As Feratu landed and turned to face him, he saw the spear—but too late.
With full force, the spear pierced his left shoulder, embedding itself deeply.
A deafening, agonized howl echoed across the plains of Kasaka that afternoon.
While Feratu writhed in pain, Kawao kept running.
As he sprinted, he focused his energy on his chest to stem the bleeding. It worked.
Gradually, he picked up speed, putting more and more distance between himself and the soldiers. Soon, they wouldn’t be able to catch him.
Meanwhile, Feratu reverted to his human form and struggled to pull the spear from his shoulder.
At that moment, the soldiers from the tower reached him.
"Commander! What happened? Are you okay?"
Feratu silenced the concerned soldier with a punch to the face, his eyes fixed on Kawao and Sordo as they escaped.
"Shall we pursue them, sir?"
"No. Let them go! They’ll be caught soon enough. Help me get this spear out!"
The soldiers finally noticed the spear impaling their commander’s shoulder.
After several minutes, they managed to remove it, and the bloodied spear rolled onto the ground.
"Which direction are they headed?" Feratu asked, panting heavily from the ordeal.
"North, sir!"
"North? That leads to Kunkan—the city of Furo, that weakling! ... Fine. Until I recover, he’ll ensure they don’t leave the city. Then I’ll deal with them myself and snuff out their lights!"
