33 Chapter 10: The Change 7 (1/2)

I went charging to one of the men head on and a punch arrived at his face even before he knew it. He was sent flying off few meters away before sliding on the ground and then barrel rolled into a stop.

Shocked, the two other men looked at me.

”I believe you have my friends there!” I pointed at the sack. One man tags at his hoods down, covering his eyes in a shade. But I saw it glowed green as he did. The other puts the sack down slowly as he kept silent. I peeled my eyes open, bracing myself for any sudden movements.

One took his arms out and the ground shakes momentarily. A green flame bursted out, while his eyes remained glowing green, and then all of a suddenly, a spear crawls out from the ground, just by his feet. It reaches his height as he grabs hold of it.

He spun it out around a couple of times while his weapon blazes in a green fire samely like his eyes.

I looked at the other one who I punch earlier and realized he's up.

Darn it!

I wished he just stayed down instead.

He glides to us in a matter if fleeting seconds and a suddenly changes in a form of light. It rushes to the other guy who just placed the sack down; the man grabs hold of the light that stops in front of him and pulls at it —as a huge crystalline black mallet forms out with one rounded blunt head on one side while the other side stretches to a pointy end.

'A fellow Meister and his weapon!' I thought to myself.

I really wanted to see another Meister but I was rather not hoping for it to be in a situation like this.

I gasped at the sight of them, one using magic and the other two in Meistership.

These men has nobleblood in them.

”I'll fight the other one” says Levi while a gold circle emitted out on the ground where he stood, as he suddenly disappears behind me... and so is the man with blazing green spear.

”Hey no fair!!! Why did you left me with the Meister guy!?” I shouted in dismay.

I can't summon out Eriol now, Aerra would be alone and also be worried. I suppose I'll just fight this alone.

Sounds interesting enough.

I crunch my fist and made some cracking sounds from my knuckles. ”This is an unfair fight. Two against one kid?” I chuckled. The man didn't even replied.

I spread my feet apart and planted them on the ground. I focused my eyes at his but carefully kept an eye out for any movement.

His feet drew one step and went charging at me with one attack, smashing down with his weapon in one powerful blow, which I quickly evaded with one quick side-step. Without taking a breath, I quickly charged my lightning towards my right hand and feet, getting ready to counter.

As expected, he pulls his mallet up from the ground and swings it wide. I pulled one elbow aback and then abruptly shoves it out to claw at the mallet as it hurled towards me.

Blue sparks bursted out, dancing wildly from the ground up to my hand like an uncontrollable form of energy; a sound of thunder roared as the mallet hit but halted before my palm.

The man's eye widened when he realized I manage to stop his attack with just one hand.

”My friend's punches are way more powerful than this.” I said in a sneer, as I bend my knees down, dashed off and in a speed faster than plain sight can see, I appeared behind the man and planted a punch to his spine, releasing some of my lightning along as I go.

The jolt of electricity dazed him for a bit as he was down on one knee.

I leaped few steps aback and carefully watched him once again.

I need to be vigilant. Never underestimate any opponent even if you land the first hit on them, was what Eriol told me. Watch for a pattern and learn how his mind work thru his battles.

Always look for an opening and hit hard. But remember not to waste too much magic on the first minutes.

I can hear these words as if Eriol is right here right now telling it to me.

The man took a deep breath for a second and then suddenly rushes towards me one more time.

His speed is coping up, I noted, as I went on evading one hit from another. I stomp my feet on one side and slid down. I spun around with one leg out, hooking at his knees and watched as the man fell down.

Immediately, I leaped toward him to punch even before he hits the ground but he parried with his weapon and tossed me in the air with one push.

I spun overhead, planning to land on the ground soon but with one blink of an eye, I was stunned to see his eyes close with mine, only but an inch away.

Since when did he—?!

He grabs on my collar and instantly kicked me squarely on my stomach, snagging my breath, as I was violently thrown towards a bricked wall across the harbor. I gasped as I felt the impact jolting through my entire body like a wave of pain, vibrating thoroughly inside me, clouding my senses.

I wasn't able to react from that surprise attack despite my heightened senses.

Too slow, Aeron! I told myself, disappointed.

As I hit the grounds, I quickly sprung to my feet and pressed a hand on to my stomach to where the pain was greatly pounding from. I look at the man and he's just standing there, waiting patiently, his cloak dances against the wind from the harbor.

He knows the difference of strength between us.

And I know it as well.

I'm sorry Eriol. Your teachings are not applicable for all circumstances.

I need to go all out.

I then summoned electricity to the tip of my fingers, to my feet, to my center. Summoning it up from the ground,

Focus it.

Mold it.

And release it out.

It surges out violently and forms to gather on my arms, surrounding me.

I let out a battle cry—

and charged it out, blasting towards him in one intense horizontal beam of electromagnetic light. He jumps put of the way and manage to evade easily. The beam hits few crates behind him instead and exploded on impact.

Seeing this, I blasted at him few more times in rapid succession.

Same result ensues.

I paused. Obviously feeling a bit drained.

In utter frustration, I plunged head on and thrusted a fist at him but he swerves in one swift motion as his eyes aligned with mine for a moment.

There was lethality on the way he looked back at me that sent chills down my back.

I quickly leaped aback and summon several orbs of lightning around me. I sent it scattered around the battlegrounds as a trap for him.

I then casted a circle to where he stood and was about to smite an attack down when all of a sudden he impeded it by plummeting his mallet down, sending shockwave toward my direction.

I scampered off with my feet and manage to roll out of the way.

I went on attacking him aggressively for few more minutes but he only evades them as if it's the easiest thing to do.

Finally, I closed in on him spun around for a kick and manages to land a blow at him but unexpectedly he was on defence after all. He took my ankle and hurls me to the ground in a thud.

He then raises his mallet up with the pointy side this time. Alerted, I reacted quickly; just as it lands a hit down at me, I rolled to my side. The ground beside me burst open asunder. The impact sent me flying like a rag doll, tossed aimlessly.

My eyes widened seeing this.

If I didn't dodge that, my bones might have shattered to dust inside me.

He's attacking more seriously now.

”...!”

I can't manage to get hit.

I clenched my teeth and planted my feet apart just as I landed on the ground.

I summoned more lighting around me and casted a rain of bolts, pelting it all towards him. I released all the orbs that I created awhile ago at the same time! But with a speed I only seen from Eriol, he manages to evade all the bolts and closes in on me in a blink of an eye.

He swings at me but I leaped up over head and narrowly miss it. He swings it out consecutively again and again; hacking and smiting around as if he's wielding only a toy hammer.

Suddenly he held a stance for a second, unmoving.

My senses piqued.

His eyes sent me chills of cold bloodlust.

I flinched at his glare.

There's this uneasy feeling that he's about to release a devastating attack that can get me killed.

No! I mustn't let him build his momentum.

I rushed at him to break his stance and pelted more bolts of lighting. I dashed around him and tried to land a hit from an opening but he suddenly disappeared in a split second.

I paused to look for him but then a twitching sensation emanated. I leaped up just in the nick of time where another shockwave cuts through the air and pass me.

I looked to where it came from.

This time I peeled my eyes wider to see where he is. I scanned my eyes around and around but to my surprise he was nowhere in sight.

A shadow casted above me.

I gasped.

When I turned—

All I saw next was the pointy side of his mallet about to jab directly at me.

No!

With just a very thin hairline distance from my face, I abruptly released all lightning I could, to protect myself against it just at the exact same time he plummets the deathblow.

An energy surges out from two compelling forces that sent both of us flying towards separate directions.

I skidded and landed on my feet immediately and he did the same.

But I fell on my knees soon after I stood up.

Blood drips out from my nose.

My eyesight wavers unsteadily for a moment while I wiped the blood off.

I kept my focus at him as he only pulled his back straight up in silence. He's not even breaking a sweat nor is he out of breath.

He just stood there calm and steady.

A huge distance separated us.

So for now, I'm safe to collect myself and have a moment to breath and rest.

I can hear the beat of my heart racing to my ears, ringing it like a drum against the brush of the wild harbor winds. I can feel the rush of my blood crawling fast through my veins, emanating heat all thorough out my body, yet making me tremble as well. No it's not because of that. I really am shaking out of fear.

I'm not calm at all.

If anything else, I'm terrified.

Exhausted and terrified.

Terrified with how strong he is.

I grind my teeth together in a tight clench.

His attacks are too powerful even for me, as if he's aiming now to kill me.

I watch him from afar as he just stood there, eyeing me back like a seasoned killer.

A hunter sharply studying his prey.

Oh wait. That's right—

He really is planning to kill me.

I just realized that now.

But I can't barely land a hit on him.

So how am I going to win against an experienced fighter?

Is this how a real fight is?

This rush.

This fear.

This exhilarating sensation.

I closed my eyes.

”It's surprisingly fun...”

I'm sorry, Aerra.