The rock was fast.
Not faster than him — but fast enough that the three workers by the dump truck had no time to register what they were seeing before it had already passed between two sets of boots and was cutting east along the repair seam.
Ishiki ran as well.
The four green limbs churned against the composite, each stride low and wide, the grey-brown body staying close to the surface. It moved without panic — that was the part that registered clearly as he closed the gap.
Behind him he heard Shiro hit the street at speed.
Ishiki had summoned [Sorrow's Edge] and the jian with purple flames manifested in his hands from motes of light as he ran behind the ordinary looking rock.
Shiro brought out the pistol and removed the lock, aiming for the rock. As the rock reached the end of the street it slowed down a little and that was when he shot.
The shot landed perfectly on it and bounced off of it. The rock was sent tumbling into a different alley because of the impact.
