It wasn’t graceful. It wasn’t anything remotely resembling a fighter’s stance. But he surged forward, pushing past the last remnants of Azathoth’s unease, his breath coming out sharp as he swung—
WHACK.
His clipboard slammed against the side of a shadow’s head with a hollow clap.
The thing reeled, its form distorting as if glitching through reality itself.
Maruki didn’t stop.
He jammed his pen into another shadow’s torso, the ink-tip stabbing through with all the force he could muster. It didn’t do much. But it shocked the thing just enough to make it stumble back—enough for him to slam the clipboard into its side for good measure.
Another shadow flailingly lunged at him. His arm barely came up in time to swat at it, his tiny, utterly useless peashooter nearly slipping from his grip. He grit his teeth—this wasn’t his strength, combat had never been his forte, but he had to make this count.
A shadow buckled beside him, still trying to regain balance after Thanatos’ devastating strike.
Maruki’s eyes flicked down.
He shifted his weight.
And then, without hesitation, he stuck out his leg—
The shadow tripped, sprawling forward, its already unstable form completely breaking its momentum.
"Hamuko-san-!" he shouted, already watching her movements, already knowing she would seize the moment better than he ever could. "Over to you!"
2/2
It wasn’t graceful. It wasn’t anything remotely resembling a fighter’s stance. But he surged forward, pushing past the last remnants of Azathoth’s unease, his breath coming out sharp as he swung—
WHACK.
His clipboard slammed against the side of a shadow’s head with a hollow clap.
The thing reeled, its form distorting as if glitching through reality itself.
Maruki didn’t stop.
He jammed his pen into another shadow’s torso, the ink-tip stabbing through with all the force he could muster. It didn’t do much. But it shocked the thing just enough to make it stumble back—enough for him to slam the clipboard into its side for good measure.
Another shadow flailingly lunged at him. His arm barely came up in time to swat at it, his tiny, utterly useless peashooter nearly slipping from his grip. He grit his teeth—this wasn’t his strength, combat had never been his forte, but he had to make this count.
A shadow buckled beside him, still trying to regain balance after Thanatos’ devastating strike.
Maruki’s eyes flicked down.
He shifted his weight.
And then, without hesitation, he stuck out his leg—
The shadow tripped, sprawling forward, its already unstable form completely breaking its momentum.
"Hamuko-san-!" he shouted, already watching her movements, already knowing she would seize the moment better than he ever could. "Over to you!"