*Asura's POV*

 

"It's carrying something!" Haku shouted and an almost invisible punch wrecked my guts as I looked at the fleeting figure of the Giant.

 

'It came from the Provisions Building, who was in that building?' my thoughts raced as I looked at the Giant whose only visible feature now was a Golden Gleam from a Cane it was carrying on its back.

 

"Go after him," Kenji shouted from somewhere and that's all it took for me to make a run for him like a man possessed.

 

I rushed past the broken walls, jumping over splinters of wood, and then after passing through the patch of flat ground outside I entered the forest proper.

 

Smelling the Demon was easy, its smell was overwhelmingly flowery like it had soaked itself in a jar of Rose Water for a Century or two but there were two other smells.

 

One was a very familiar smell, the smell of blood but mixed with soot, ash, and charcoal.

 

The other was an even more familiar smell. And the reason for my Anxiety.

 

'That's Inosuke's smell.' it was faint, very very faint but I could recognize the signs of my brother more than I could recognize the taste of meat.

 

I rushed past broken trees, great monoliths of what must surely have been gigantic trees that had made the forest their home for decades, rooted upon the ground. Now all that was left was a path in between them that was covered in splinters of wood, as the trees seemed to have been brushed aside like frail branches in the path of the Giant.

 

I couldn't see the Giant, not with the Night and certainly not with the Giant's frankly unimaginable speed as it had dashed through the forest.

 

My senses seemed to be dulling down the deeper I entered the forest and now all that seemed to exist was the Wrecked path between the Trees as I rushed on and on and on through it.

 

[Your Fear Leaves you but its scent lingers to cloud your judgment and veil your eyes] the system announced Pompously.

 

'I don't have time for this Riddle shit, tell me what happened in clear words.' I shouted as I rushed through the eerily silent forest.

 

[It means that the Fear Aura is going down finally but it's also dulling your senses. It wouldn't have mattered much if your KI was even halfway full but as you can see that's not exactly the case right now.]

 

"Well fuck." I shouted even as I continued running through the forest, leaving a path of muddled ground behind me.

 

My hair had come loose and now danced wildly in the air as I swiftly made my way through the forest.

 

But even as I ran, I knew that I wouldn't be able to catch up to the Giant.

 

[Eye of Solomon: Not activated]

 

'Huh? Hey, system open my right eye so I can hunt this bitch down!' I called out inside my thoughts as I ran aggrieved. This was the first time a request to the System for one of my skills came back empty.

 

[KI: 4/19

 

Cost of activation for Eye of Solomon: 2 KI

 

Host If the system opens that skill then you'll be extremely tired afterwards and not in any way able to hunt anyone. That's dangerously low KI points for you and it'll take more than half a week of complete rest, even with your regeneration, for you to be battle ready after that.]

 

The system answered sincerely, its tone a bit pleading but that could've just been my senses and perception being so vague that the only world that seemed to exist was the broken path in front of me and the one inside me.

 

'I don't care! If that bastard has my brother then I'll rest after I've clawed my brother from his clutches!' I internally shouted.

 

[But Host if you'll just wai-] the system started before it was cut off.

 

'Do it.'

 

[As you wish.

 

Eye of Solomon: Activated

 

KI: 2/19]

 

My right eye burned a shaded Crimson as I looked around the forest before seeing a straight path to the Giant and rushing off.

 

It had been trying to throw me off by changing its path, and surprisingly being able to pass through those paths without leaving a wreck of a forest behind him.

 

But now I could see it clearly, the forest that was covered in a haze to confuse others, to make them go everywhere but where they wish to go. I could see it well for what it was now from my right eye. So I followed the path.

 

'Breath, Breath. Keep breathing. Breath.' I kept chanting as I ran, storing even my wolf pelt so I could run more free through the forest.

 

'Help from Fenris would be appreciated right about now.' I thought dismayed for a moment before shaking my head and continuing my chase.

 

Fenris was needed elsewhere, I had made that decision and I wasn't going to start regretting it. Not when I had a brother to take back.

 

'How can it keep on running for so long? Oh, right regeneration. Fucking shit.' I cursed as the chase continued for a ridiculous amount of time. For hours on end, I chased the Giant Demon even as the sky turned Purple and mist moved away from the forest.

 

The smell from the demon also seemed to lessen, and I could no longer smell my brother from him.

 

For a moment as I pursued that trail of thought I arrived at a dark conclusion, one that I'll never allow to happen.

 

'It hasn't killed him. No. The smell of blood would've been greater. But what about blunt trauma? No, the smell would still not go faint. Not for a long time.' I thought shooting off possibilities one by one.  Because even the thought of something other than that was so horrible that I could never even imagine it.

 

My speed picked up, even as my body started to fail me from exhaustion. I was running faster and faster while not allowing even a moment of rest to allow my healing to fully set in.

 

It was like getting healed for a cut, but just as the doctor applied the salve to mend it you take a knife and reopen the wound. It was sheer agony of the highest order. But still, I ran.

 

[Host you'll fall down from exhaustion in less than 2 minutes. Rest.] The system sounded emotionless but still the words were a warning yet I continued to run, picking up strength I didn't imagine I had as tears flew from my eyes even as the smell of my brother turned fainter.

 

2 minutes came and passed, my bones started to buckle but I continued to run. Even the system didn't take the time to comment on it.

 

The sun was high in the sky now, fully up and shining down on my face with its warmth.

 

I ran but then just as suddenly my eyes lost focus.

 

'Why is the ground running towards me?' I mused chuckling even as I fell. Tripped over a stray branch.

 

Even as I fell I could almost sense my brother but now the smell was coming from everywhere.

 

'Please let him be okay.' I said a final prayer before my mind lost focus.

-----------------------------------

 

Author's Note: Asura really has a problem sprinting off after inconsiderate people doesn't he.

On another note, I managed to poison myself a few days ago so that was a new experience, wouldn't recommend though. 

Was already sporting a fever and managed to confuse the tube containing the toothpaste for my sensitive little teeth with mosquito repellent insecticide. Looking back on it, why do they make them look so similar? Anyways, don't be an idiot like me is the lesson to learn from that one, I'm still alive somehow.

Hope all of you enjoyed the chapter, if you want to read ahead and support me while I try not to poison myself you can do so at my Patreon.

Well, I have some medicine to intake and some hurling to do so I'm gonna be off.

Have a great Day/Night.