Knov x Neferpitou

"Chairman, are you ready?" Knov held the phone to his ear. "I just need a distraction for a few seconds." It's a risky, but I can't back out. I'll be pinned down indefinitely.

Knov's voice came through the earpieces attached to the ears of both men. Netero sat up, still on the back of the six-winged bird. "Zeno?" A grunt and nod came in response to his inquiry. He hopped back onto his feet.

Zeno and Netero had been circling the city outskirts of the city for some time as to avoid alerting the Chimera Ants to their presence in the sky. Abruptly, the bird dove downwards, rapidly approaching the north of the city. A carpet bombing, I wouldn't expect something like this from Knov.

Zeno leapt from the bird's back with his hands still clasped behind his back. A shroud of golden aura with a purple interior began to spew from him. It began to expand, moulding itself into the shape of a Chinese dragon. He stood atop the dragon-shaped Nen construct as it descended.

Upon Zeno's departure, the bird ascended, retreating back into the cover of the clouds.

Neferpitou looked up at the approaching dot in the distance. Those curious ears of hers stopped rotating like satellite dishes, stiffening at the sudden threat coming from above. The humans, finally. Her claws lengthened and sharpened as veins bulged around her fingers.

"Dragon Dive." The dragon's body began to split off into a hail of countless arrows imitating star fall.

Do I go for this? Neferpitou looked left to right. Or do I go for that? Her tail undulated rhythmically. If I get this, I can't get that. She playfully tilted her body from side to side. But if I get that I can't get this. "Nyow, I get it. It's a distraction." Her aura ballooned once again, covering the area. I'll be able to kill that one before they reach the ground.

Knov reappeared on the surface, in an area out of range of the Dragon Dive. I don't have much time before that thing realises I'm here agai- Her aura hit him once again. Too late. Knov's phone was still in hand, connected to Zeno's earpiece. "Zeno, Double Dive." He uttered those words so quickly he almost stuttered.

Prior to surfacing, Knov had identified two of his portals. One which would likely lead him to the king, and one to use as a decoy. 'Double Dive' was a code used to instruct Zeno to deploy Dragon Dive on his current position, not solely at his decoy position.

Seeing as it will charge straight at me, this is only predictable. Knov stood, waiting. Zeno obliged, zooming over to Knov's positioning and unloading another round of Dragon Dive. The delay between him getting here, unloading an attack, and the attack reaching the ground is too long.

Knov's body phased through the ground, leaving just his raised hands exposed. He clapped his hands together, parting them as far as he could to reveal a hazy stream of darkness connected to each of his sweaty palms. 

"Scream Sensor"

Neferpitou's blurring figure appeared in the distance in front of Knov who planted himself in the ground like a mine. Assuming it's aiming for the head or upper body, I may be able to claim one of its legs.

What is this feeling? Warm water? Neferpitou dove straight toward Knov the instant she realised the diversion. Her foot passed through Knov's 'Scream Sensor'. This misuse of her immense speed would cost her something invaluable, time.

Scream Sensor. A modification of Scream which bypassed the need for Knov to manually close it with his command as it senses when a foreign body contacts it. However, its convenience came at a cost. The condition for its usage is complete stillness, meaning it could not be used in motion like Scream. This limitation enhanced its effectiveness since to not be able to move and have one's arms spread apart is a suicidal gesture, and one of surrender.

 Thwoom. The portal between his hands had closed, claiming the creature's lower leg. Yes, yes! Knov re-entered his 'room', trembling with triumph. I can't try that again, no I won't even think of it! The next time will be my last!

Prior to, "You're so much fun! I'll catch you thi-" Neferpitou felt a strange sensation, well no, an absence of sensation which somehow felt strange. W-what!? My leg has been cut? She tripped over, skidding across the ground like a ragdoll just as the arrows from Zeno's Dragon Dive begun pelting the ground.

Neferpitou's voice was quietened by the sound of the arrows impacting the ground, flinging debris and kicking up dust. An arrow hit Neferpitou squarely in the back, but it was not powerful enough to have penetrated her, only driving her further into the ground, forming a body-shaped crater beneath herself.

"Doctor Blythe!" Her face twisted into an unsightly expression. I must kill that human, it cannot be allowed to be near the king! Neferpitou's claws scored tracks into the concrete. Her leg was severed below the knee. I should've been more serious.

If she had been any more serious, Knov would've died not knowing what hit him.

Where Knov went, Dragon Dive went, leaving a trail of destruction and casualty behind him. That should keep it out of the game for some time, I hope. Knov stumbled backward into the wall of his 'room', slowly sliding downwards before curling up into a ball.

I... I want to go home. Another stray hair fell from him. Grey and withered. I can't surrender yet, just a little... a little more. He eventually exited, holding his phone to his ear. "Y-You can head back, I'll call on you if needed."

That boy is falling apart. Zeno directed his dragon up towards the clouds to rendezvous with Netero.

In the skyscraper, Imhokepri and the king idly watched the rain of Zeno's arrows pouring from the sky. "It is awful weather we're having, wouldn't you say Imhokepri?" 

The humans have chosen to not respond with their military. "Shall I intervene, your majesty?" Instead, an infiltration team. The ones in the sky and on the ground likely aren't all the members of it. 

"And how would you intervene? Amuse me."

"It seems the humans acted outside of my expectations, sending an infiltration team rather than the full force of a military." 

"Don't bore me with the details, you assume there are more operating in this area."

Their power is weaker than the king's, mine and the rest of the royal guard. "This is more likely a suicide mission unless a certain set of factors align in their favour." Imhokepri leant his head against the wall. "Going off of infiltration, they're aiming for the most efficient way to eliminate us, that way being your death."

He laughed. "I'm sure they don't know where it is you are, your majesty. Otherwise, they wouldn't be firing so blindly."

The king clasped his hands together. "The simple answer would be to change locations. They will move where I move, therefore we shall always have the initiative." He waved his hand at Imhokepri. "Fetch Komugi from her quarters, I wish to play."