𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙚 | 𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘩. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

˚⊱ 27. | ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴘᴛ. 2 ⊰˚

The flickering devil, now desperate, began to zip around them, its form becoming a blur as it attempted to find an escape route. Its flickering form made it difficult to track, its transparency adding to the confusion.

The four tried to keep up, their eyes straining as they followed the devil's moving form, their weapons poised to strike.

In a wild flurry of movement, the devil darted left and right, its form appearing and disappearing rapidly. The group watched with laser focus, their muscles tensing as it came closer to them. Touko, her blades ready, suddenly lunged forward, striking out as the devil materialized nearby.

However, the devil was quick. It vanished the moment Touko's blade made contact, its form reappearing behind them. Denji turned swiftly, his chainsaw swiping at the devil, missing by an inch.

Power, seeing an opening, threw a punch, aimed at the devil's flickering form. However, her attack passed right through it, the devil reappearing a few feet away.

"Damn it, it's still too fast!" she cursed as she landed on her feet, her face contorting with frustration.

The devil, now clearly gaining the upper hand, chuckled menacingly, its form flickering faster, its movements more erratic. The group could barely keep up with its speed, their strikes missing by the slightest margins.

Aki, despite his injury, tried to maintain his focus. "We need to think of something," he panted, holding onto his wounded back.

They stood in silence for a moment, each one trying to come up with a plan, their breathing labored and their bodies tense. The devil continued to dart around them, its form flickering, an air of triumph in its movements.

Touko, her eyes ablaze with determination, suddenly had a realization. "Wait," she began, her voice strained, "I have an idea."

The others turned to her, their eyes filled with hope. "What is it?" Aki asked, his voice steady despite the pain.

"The devil's speed, it's not all natural," she said, her mind churning. "It's materializing and dematerializing to move that fast. But every time it does that, it's not fully formed. Which means it's temporarily vulnerable."

Aki, Denji, and Power seemed to catch onto Touko's idea. "So if we can get in a hit during that moment of vulnerability..." Aki prompted.

"Exactly," Touko confirmed, a flicker of confidence in her eyes. "We have to time it perfectly, hit it when it's in the process of materializing."

The group collectively nodded, their focus renewed. The devil continued to dart around them, its form flickering faster and faster, a blur of movement. But now, the group wasn't just watching, they were waiting, their bodies poised to strike at the right moment.

The devil, realizing the group was onto its strategy, increased its pace even more, a desperate attempt to keep ahead of them. Its form flickered, almost becoming a mere blur of motion. But the group didn't waver, their eyes locked onto the devil, their instincts primed for the right moment.

Power took the lead, her eyes sharp, her reaction time lightning fast. She lunged, her strike aiming at the devil as it flickered, only to miss by a hair. Aki, his sword ready, took his turn, his swing narrowly missing as the devil vanished and reappeared.

Touko, her blades at her sides, anticipated the devil's next dematerialization, striking at the exact moment, but the devil was too fast, disappearing and reappearing away from her blades' reach, scraping against the concrete wall.

Denji, his eyes set, swung his chainsaw, aiming for the devil as it flickered, only to come up short. The devil, with its unnatural speed, vanished in the blink of an eye, reappearing just out of his reach.