A string of light swept past the side of a building.
A chain suddenly hooked onto its edge, and a figure was flung into the air.
The moment he left the ground, a strange creature burst out from beneath him. Its body resembled a mass of grinded meat which was assembled without a clear description of what it should look like, with several eyes scattered across its surface. It twisted rapidly, extending a part of itself like limbs towards the airborne figure.
Before it could reach him, something struck its body.
BOOM!
The object exploded, releasing a thick cloud of dark gas that spread through the air. The creature recoiled, its form contracting before it shifted direction and continued its escape.
Shen Yu twisted his body mid-air, adjusting his trajectory. He followed closely above the Forbidden, keeping himself just out of its reach.
The strings of light spread across the surrounding buildings. Some were thin and almost invisible, while others were considerably thicker, stretching between structures like an intricate web.
To the left, Rin Shen leapt onto a rooftop.
The moment his feet touched the surface, a cloud formed beneath them. Rather than taking another step, he used the cloud to propel himself forward, gliding across the rooftops.
Further to the left, Lian Ye ran along the ground.
Despite the twists and turns of the pursuit, his speed was surprisingly high. He managed to keep up with the others without falling behind.
Above them, Shen Yu continued moving without touching the ground. He lowered himself slightly, attempting to close the distance.
But in that instant—
Another string of light shot straight through him from the left.
Before Shen Yu could react, a second meat like creature emerged from a nearby building. Its shape was different from the one he had been pursuing, with a broad, tentacle like look.
Shen yu bent his body, twisting as he tried to redirect his momentum.
The creature slammed into him.
However, before it could put its full weight behind the collision, a bullet tore through its. A section of its body shattered, disrupting its attack.
But the impact had already begun.
The force of the collision, combined with the momentum from Shen Yu's own movement, sent him spiralling out of control.
His leg struck a nearby pole first.
The impact threw his body sideways, sending him past it and straight into the wall of an adjacent building.
THUD!
The world went silent as he sat there unconscious.
---
The world went dark for Shen Yu.
He lay motionless against the wall, one of his chains still embedded in its surface while the other rested on the ground, its length stretched out without retracting.
A dark red stain marked the spot where he had struck the wall. It was a worrying sight, but not necessarily a fatal one.
The Forbidden continued moving towards him, maintaining the speed it had displayed throughout the chase.
However, just as it was about to emerge from the ground, two sniper bullets struck the surface directly in front of it. The creature immediately changed direction, abandoning its approach towards Shen Yu.
Lian Ye, who was still pursuing it, suddenly heard a voice through his communication device.
It was Kael.
"Hurry! Check up on him. We'll take it from here!"
Lian Ye slowed down before turning right, heading towards Shen Yu's location.
Meanwhile, Rin Shen reached into a pouch and pulled out a pistol. Without breaking his pursuit, he continued
after the Forbidden.
---
Lian Ye rushed towards Shen Yu.
He knelt beside him and carefully lifted his head, trying to get a response.
"Captain Yu! Can you hear me?"
There was no answer.
Lian Ye could only tell that he was still alive, though barely. His condition was deteriorating, and there was little time to spare. Then, suddenly, Shen Yu gasped.
His eyelids lifted slightly. With what little strength he had left, he managed to speak.
"Give up on this body... It won't make it. Go on. I'll handle it."
His eyes gradually lost focus. His body went limp, and his breathing stopped.
For a moment, Lian Ye remained kneeling beside him, unable to move.
Then he snapped out of it.
He gently closed Shen Yu's eyes, lowered his head, and stood up. There was no time to dwell on what had happened.
He turned and continued the pursuit.
Elsewhere, Rin Shen was still firing poison bullets at the Forbidden.
However, his movements were beginning to slow. His attacks became less precise, and even keeping up with the creature was becoming difficult.
He reached for his pouch and injected himself with another dose.
But before the substance could properly take effect, the Forbidden struck the ground beside him.
The impact sent debris flying in every direction. Several fragments struck Rin Shen, forcing him to lose his footing.
More bullets continued to strike the Forbidden from different directions. Each shot disrupted its movements, preventing it from launching the kind of attacks that could have ended the pursuit much earlier.
Without the constant interference, the creature would have had several opportunities to land a decisive attack.
Lian Ye spoke through his communication device as he ran.
"Are we still following the plan?"
"Yes," Rin Shen replied.
Ahead of them was an open school track field belonging to one of the boarding schools in Aurora Heights. Beyond it stood a massive auditorium, normally used as a basketball court. However, the building was currently undergoing renovations.
The Forbidden burrowed beneath the ground.
A moment later, it emerged inside the auditorium.
It had sensed someone waiting for it.
The moment it entered, it was like the world was shut out.
Outside, Rin Shen and Lian Ye held their positions, keeping the creature from escaping.
Inside, the Forbidden's eyes moved rapidly, scanning its surroundings. Then they settled on a figure. A middle-aged man stood in the auditorium, his long hair falling over his eyes. He wore a long, dark coat, so dark that it seemed to absorb the light around him.
Slowly, he raised his head.
His pupils were a faint yellowish-orange, with rings rotating within them.
Then, one after another, multiple eyes opened across the walls and ceiling. Each possessed the same unusual pattern.
The moment the Forbidden made contact with one of them, it froze.
Its body suddenly began thrashing about in an attempt to escape. But the more it moved, the more eyes it encountered. It tried burrowing ack I to the floor, but they were eyes there as well.
It tried splitting itself apart, hoping to escape the effect.
It made no difference.
Every section that came into contact with the eyes froze in place, gradually restricting its movements.
The middle-aged man's eyes began to bleed. Red streaks ran down his face, yet he maintained his gaze.
Before the Forbidden could become completely petrified, it gathered what remained of its strength and attempted one final charge.
Then—
A sniper bullet tore through the wall.
It struck the Forbidden directly in the centre. Which it used to attack, then Its movement stopped.
A moment later, its entire body turned to stone.
The hunt was over.