Book 2, Chapter 79 - Emergent Misfortune (2/2)

A master demonhunter not specialized in close-quarters combat would fear for his life before this onslaught!

Cloudhawk’s face fell as Drake’s attack reached its climax. At last it accumulated enough energy to affect him, and it felt like a bubble burst. The kickback knocked him a few meters away.

More bad news. His body was rematerializing.

Drake kept it up. Every second he was pummeling Cloudhawk’s intangible body with a dozen strikes at different places. The force of each fist reached up to three hundred meters away. Cloudhawk could see their trajectory but couldn’t get out of the way. He curled his fist and put all the strength he had behind it, sending right into Drake’s face.

Just in that moment…

Cloudhawk’s chest and abdomen were pulverized by half a dozen punches. Both men rocketed away from one another.

Drake’s skills were beyond comprehension. His three soldier companions – Wolfe, Jaga and Tigris – stared with mouths agape.

Cloudhawk hit the ground hard, but controlled his roll and regained his footing. He paused, teetering in one knee, face pale. Drake was much stronger than he thought. He’d managed to power through Cloudhawk’s defense, something he’d never seen happen before.

His punch wasn’t something to sniff at, though.

Drake’s lower jaw was crooked from the hit. Unlike Cloudhawk he didn’t hit the ground after being knocked back. He deftly spun through the air and landed with his feet firmly beneath him like he was nailed in place.

Calloused hands gripped his face, and with an audible pop Drake reset his dislocated jaw.

Cloudhawk’s punch would have knocked a black bear’s head clean off, but all he managed to do to Drake was swell up his cheek. Even that quickly vanished as capillaries drained the flood away. He looked totally unfazed, never taking those dark eyes off Cloudhawk. No relic was perfect, and no defense insurmountable. The success of his attacks had proved that.

“I don’t know how you got your hands on that relic, but it isn’t anywhere good enough to save you!” Drake had recovered his confidence. But when he spoke blood still leaked from his mouth. His internal injuries hadn’t fully healed yet. “Now that you know I am better than your toy, what else you got to protect you?”

“Heh, don’t think you’re such top shit. That was an impressive display, but I know what it cost you. As far as I can tell you still got a bunch of splinters stuck in you. Sure as shit can’t be feeling good. Someone like you that relies on explosive force, how much longer do you think you can keep it up?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that. I have enough in me to break you apart a hundred times before I go down.”

“Then fuckin’ put up and prove it!”

Drake’s determination was exceptional. He was willing to keep throwing punches at a shadow, whereas any normal person would give up after four or five. He just kept at it like a rabid dog.

Fine. We’ll see who’s crazier.

Cloudhawk had never been afraid of going all out!

He picked up a dagger from the ground. There was enough psychic energy left in him to use the stone a few more times, enough for one more fight with this stubborn asshole. Cloudhawk knew the dagger wasn’t going to do much, but he also knew that everyone had a weakness. His eyes glanced pointedly at the spot between Drake’s legs. He was sure the guy noticed.

Drake was just as determined. He dropped into a combat posture.

He didn’t know this demonhunter, but if he had a relic like that he had to be special. If he could beat a demonhunter like this, it would be a monument to his efforts along the warrior’s path. It would prove that even a demonhunter with fortune on his side could be beaten.

“Bring it!”

Cloudhawk brought his dagger up, crouched and ready. From across the clearing Drake screamed at the top of his lungs. It’d been so long since he’d had a battle like this! Thanks to his family connection he was already a lieutenant in the army, but they still considered him too young to command troops. On the few occasions they did take him out on missions, it was to fight heathens and mutated beasts. Under these conditions, when would he have an opportunity for an epic fight?

Drake braced himself to charge, when suddenly the sounds of running footsteps rustled through the deadwood forest. Both of them looked toward the sound, and neither could believe what they saw.

Claudia and Gabriel had returned.

For Cloudhawk it was a stunning turn of events. Why would they ran back this way for no reason? Did they suddenly have a change of heart? Did their sense of morality suddenly berate them for dumping him unceremoniously to the wolves? Unlikely. Both of them were only took anxious to see Cloudhawk dead.

“This kid is mine,” Drake growled. “The rest of you, go after them. Quickly!”

Tigris, Jaga and Wolfe charged off into the trees without a second thought. In the same instant, Drake rushed at Cloudhawk like a raging bull. And just as it seemed like all-out war was about to break out-

“Stop fighting!” Claudia shouted desperately at them. “We’re surrounded by mutants! Stay here if you want to die, otherwise run!”

Cloudhawk froze.

Surrounded? By the mutants? How?!

But she was proved right. The sound of shrieks and hollers rang through the forest, and as the mist dissipated countless black figures appeared before them. The black sentinels stood just outside of view, unmoving.

Then, arrows. Everything was arrows. Poison-tipped arrows!

Drake was aghast at the scene. There was no more room for disbelief. “The arrows are poisonous! Find cover!”