Blood Drip

Episode 4:Hunted

The city felt quieter than usual. Smoke rose from a collapsed building in the distance, and the faint smell of wet concrete mixed with ash. Kakaido and Julo moved cautiously through the streets, sticking to shadows and abandoned alleyways.

Julo: I still don’t get it. Why would anyone want your blood so badly

Kakaido: It’s not ordinary. If someone else had it… they could heal from almost anything

Julo: Yeah, but that’s… insane. Why even try?

Kakaido glanced over his shoulder, scanning rooftops and broken windows.

Kakaido: People will do anything for power

Julo: And apparently this guy enjoys torturing people while doing it

A distant crash made them both freeze. The sound of metal twisting carried through the street.

Kakaido: Stay close

Julo: Closer than close? Because my knees are shaking

Kakaido didn’t answer. His eyes flicked toward the source—a shadow slipping behind a toppled billboard.

Suddenly, Kikuda appeared at the end of the street, leaning casually against a crumbling wall, rain still dripping from his clothes. His grin never wavered.

Kikuda: Looking for me?

Julo: Yep, there he is

Kakaido: Move, stay quiet

Kikuda took a step forward, arms loose, still smiling.

Kikuda: You two make it too easy

Julo: Easy? Easy would be staying alive

Kakaido: Focus

Kikuda’s eyes darted around, taking in the alley, the broken cars, the debris scattered everywhere.

Kikuda: You’re fast, I’ll give you that. But everyone has a weakness

Julo: I feel like I’m about to see it firsthand

Kakaido: Don’t move

Kikuda lunged suddenly, faster than Julo expected. He grabbed Kakaido by the collar and threw him through a stack of broken crates. Kakaido hit the ground hard, but barely flinched.

Julo: That’s… not normal

Kakaido pushed himself up slowly, ignoring the ache in his ribs.

Kakaido: Stay behind me

Julo: Not moving this time

Kikuda laughed, circling them like a predator.

Kikuda: You know, I could end this right now. But I like games

Julo: Great, we’re in a game… where the only rule is surviving

Kakaido clenched his fists, blood trickling from a shallow cut on his arm. It healed quickly, almost like nothing had happened.

Julo: Yep, definitely not normal

Kikuda: Fascinating, isn’t it?

Kakaido: Stop talking and fight

The first clash came suddenly. Kakaido swung a punch, Kikuda dodged easily, laughing as he moved with unnatural speed.

Julo ducked behind a broken wall.

Julo: Holy crap, he’s fast

Kakaido: I told you to stay back

Kikuda flipped backward and landed on a nearby car, cracking it beneath his weight.

Kikuda: You’ll have to do better than that

Kakaido ran toward him, slamming into a stack of metal barrels. The impact scattered debris everywhere.

Julo winced.

Julo: Okay, I take it back. Don’t tell me to stay back

Kakaido: Keep your distance and watch

Kikuda’s grin widened.

Kikuda: I’ve been hunting longer than you’ve been alive. You’re fast, sure… but survival isn’t about speed

Kakaido: Then it’s about not getting hit

Their fight escalated down the street, each strike echoing against broken buildings. Kakaido dodged a heavy kick and countered with a punch that barely grazed Kikuda’s arm.

Julo ducked again as debris flew past him.

Julo: This is insane

Kakaido: You get used to it

Kikuda: I can play all day

He lunged at Kakaido again, and for a moment, it looked like the strike would connect—but Kakaido twisted midair, landing behind him.

Kakaido: Not today

Kikuda laughed, brushing dust off his clothes.

Kikuda: Clever. I like that

Julo: How is he still smiling? He just got flipped like three times

Kakaido: Stop talking

The fight continued, shadows and debris blending with the early morning light. Sparks flew as metal collided. Broken glass scattered across the street.

Kikuda: You’re good… but not good enough

Kakaido: We’ll see

Julo: Please tell me there’s a way to end this

Kakaido: Survive

Kikuda lunged one last time, and Kakaido rolled under him, narrowly avoiding a strike. He grabbed a loose pipe from the ground and swung it, hitting Kikuda in the shoulder.

Kikuda: Huh… I like that

Kakaido: Then stay back

Julo: You call that staying back?

Kikuda: This is just the beginning

Kakaido: Then we better be ready

The camera panned out, showing the ruined street, the city smoldering quietly in the background, and the three figures in the chaos—the hunter, the hunted, and the one caught in between.

The storm had passed, but the war was just starting.

End of Episode 4

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