NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: Chapter 12
High in the sky, above the lazy cottony clouds drifting by, two silhouettes stood, their gazes fixed on the world below. Yumi and Akira, like celestial sentinels, observed with an almost clinical detachment the commotion among the hunters gathered near the portal.
The voices of mortals reached them like a distant buzz, barely audible in the vastness of the sky. Their lively conversations, their worried speculations, all seemed so insignificant from up here. To Yumi and Akira, these hunters were nothing but food for jubi.
Akira took a deep breath, savoring the pure and invigorating air filling his lungs. "Hhhhmmmm... Ahhh," he sighed with satisfaction. "The energy of this planet is truly pure." His words floated in the wind, like a whispered confession to the universe.
Yumi, ever pragmatic, turned to him. "What do you plan to do now?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
An enigmatic smile stretched Akira's lips. "Nothing... nothing for now," he replied nonchalantly, stretching and flexing his muscles under his skin. "I'll just enjoy these luxuries that are offered to us."
Yumi redirected her attention to the hunters below. "It seems like that man is the famous SS+ rank," she observed, her sharp gaze landing on Ethan's imposing silhouette.
"It certainly looks that way!" Akira agreed, crouching like a feline ready to pounce, his eyes intensely fixed on the hunter. "Of all those present here, he's the only one who sensed our presence."
As if hearing their words, Ethan suddenly looked up at the sky, his piercing gaze seeming to pierce through the clouds and directly onto them.
"Ohhh... looks like he saw us," Akira teased, a mischievous gleam dancing in his eyes.
Yumi gently shook her head. "He doesn't see us," she corrected. "Just like earlier, he just sensed our presence. Having such instincts for a mere mortal is truly commendable," she added, a hint of admiration in her voice.
Akira straightened up, a predatory smile stretching his lips. "I'm going to have a lot of fun," he declared, a fierce anticipation radiating from his being.
Yumi gave him a sidelong glance, a silent warning. "You better be careful... You could end up losing your skin, and that would be a shame," she cautioned, her voice tinged with concealed concern.
But Akira brushed off her words with a casual gesture. "I'll be careful," he replied, not taking his companion's warning seriously. "Let's go," he added, rising to his feet, his limbs unfolding with feline grace.
In unison, they took flight, cutting through the air with supernatural ease. The wind whistled in their ears as they soared higher and higher, leaving behind the hunters and their agitation. They headed towards an imposing skyscraper standing at the heart of the city, offering them an unobstructed view of the bustling streets below.
When they reached their destination, they landed delicately on the rooftop, their feet barely touching the concrete. The city sprawled as far as the eye could see, a maze of lights and shadows pulsating to the rhythm of urban life.
"What are we going to do now?" Yumi inquired, her gaze sweeping the horizon.
Akira stepped towards the edge of the roof, his arms crossed over his chest. "Wait," he replied, a note of mystery in his voice. "We'll wait for nightfall, then we'll join Elysia."
He sat at the edge of the precipice, his legs swinging nonchalantly in the void. Activating his Byakugan, he began to observe with supernatural acuity everything unfolding in the city below. Every detail, every movement, every interaction appeared to him with crystal clarity, as if he were both everywhere and nowhere.
Yumi sat beside him, her presence both reassuring and enigmatic. Together, they contemplated the spectacle of the city laid out before them, the shadows lengthening as the sun declined on the horizon.
The sky adorned itself with orange and purple hues, the last rays of the sun bathing the city in a golden light. The buildings stood like silent sentinels, their facades sparkling under the twilight reflections. The streets below teemed with activity, passersby hurrying home after a long day of work.