Kurt

  An explosion shook the world. I protected my eyes from the wind and debris. Air drifted back. And out of the cloud of dust, my master held the demon-tainted arm. The power of those two was unfathomable. But to Tarion, such a demonic power was a simple punch. Tarion twisted the caught punch, causing the grey, long-eared man to lean forward with his ever-confident voice. "Kurt, your time is now.” He smiled at me, and I noticed his eyes and ears change. An uppercut from my master sent the Vioden Duke straight to the sky, ripping an arm from the joints. Stone and grass scattered from the detonation of air as fire erupted from Tarion’s boots, catching up with the cursed duke filing in the dark sky. They became smaller in the distance.

  “Sickly Duke, huh…?” Riding next to me, Count Shopen chuckled as he watched the sparks of light miles in the air with pride. “So, Captain, what are your orders?”

  “Situation?” I whispered, still watching new stars ignite from the two beings of celestial power go to war.

  The count cleared his throat. “Bradshaw and the south Osberg nobles make their way to point A. Lieutenant James' regiment holds on and guards the rear.”

  While details ran off Shopen’s mouth, the red-cloaked men of Viodens dropped the weapon in awe and fear. All they had heard and thought were vilins' lies came true right before their eyes. Vioden Mercenaries were the first to run and the first to have their soul sucked from them. White spirits turn bck with malice and fear as they are absorbed by the changed duke.

  “To see it person… Sends a chill down my body!”

  Our first circles can withstand the pull, but theirs are taken, although they find it hard to stand. Is it something they ate?

  “A rge bulk of the Vioden army is effectively useless.” Shakes his fist, charged by optimism. “This is the right time to strike at Maize hard!”

  I held a hand up. “They are not done, sir.”

  I watched the battlefield transform into a mess of chaos. The main Vidoen army disassembled, every man leaving anything that could weigh them down. However, the weaker ones drop to the floor like lifeless dolls. Twitching and wiggling, curse consumed them.

  So that is your pn. It wouldn’t matter if there are none left to remember.

  “Lands above! This is… Is this how Mouve…?”

  “Yes. Ghouls.”

  My new heavy-armoured comrades stepped back, gripping their weapons as the new supernatural foe encroached across the battlefield with bck, swirling mist.

  “No time to gawk, Milord. Time to fight.” I hit my chest pte loud, dropping down my horse.

  "Knights. Heed my word.” I unsheathed the fanciful dagger I received. From my side, I guided Holy Water to my weapon, forming a sparkling blue sabre on the dagger’s edge. I turned back to apprehensive, cowardly men. I looked to Shopen. He nodded.

  “WAKE UP!!”

  They did. I called to the knights, pretending my words were my master’s.

  “TIME TO MAKE THOSE SHINY SUITS WORTH THEIR COIN! WATER USERS UP FRONT. LET ONE OF THEM DIE, AND YOU WILL BE REPRIMANDED. WE HAVE NEW ORDERS. GUARD OUR TROOPS FROM THE REAR AND PROTECT THEM FROM CURSED UNTILL THE ENTRY POINT.”

  A chorus of gauntlets beat their metal chest. “YES, CAPTAIN!!”

  I exhaled. I hated shouting. A waste of energy. Regardless, to be by Tarion's side, stepping out of my comfort zone was a must. However, in some moments here and there, I sometimes wished to leave this stuff to my brother; he was always a people person.

  “HOLY WATER, READY!”

  Soldiers held out their fsks, and holy water swirled out, slushing and spshing in the air. Three ghouls rushed, striding with quick gait. Each with their cws of mist out, my holy bde dissects them. The torsos and heads rolled behind me, burnt from touching the heavenly water of our duchess. Like a wave of death, hundreds more scurried down the grassy hills.

  My mind is still. My master gave me a duty to fulfil. I took a step, facing the enemy of humankind.

  Tarion

  (2:00)

  “Those bckened eyes!!” lightning became bck on Duke Wolfburn’s regenerated right fist. With all his rage, he smmed down. My palm, humming with calm, inky blood tint energy, absorbed it. Rushing Tide Technique pulled the Duke down with a twist and yank into my rib-pulverising knee. My abdominal muscles flexed injured organs that were still healing from earlier. Flem spit out of the duke’s mouth as he struck with a sharp, left jab, which I parried up. Bck mana shot from his fist and punctured a hole in the clouds.

  “My son was right to fear you!” The wolfburn throws a right haymaker to my chest, forcing me yards away. Bck Lightning shot him like a charged javelin, and he was already pelting me with wide attacks. The bck mist from below slowly merged with him. His fists dug deeper, and I felt incredible from every punch. My arms blocked strikes too powerful to fully absorb. The Wolfburn hit harder, faster. I slipped away from a lead overhand with a weaving dodge, and my left uppercut an open face for the counter.

  My gloved, pinky knuckle grazed the right cheek of the smiling man of ash. Quick learn- The wolfburn's back fist spped the sense out of me for a moment. In the haze of darkness, three heavy blows find my body.

  “Argh, fuck off!” The Duke flew under my roundhouse kick and his wide punch to my body was thwarted. The power of his strike sent me tumbling in the air.

  “I AM TRYING!!” The demon tainted closed in again, finding much glee in beating the fuck out of me. More souls merge with him, and his punch gets stronger, each sonic-booming impact making the bones in my arms creak.

  Zhi… Master Zhi would focus.

  Eyes burned in their sockets, and I caught a grey fist. Gloves exploded, ripping into pieces, revealing dark scales on my pale palms and knuckles. Duke Wolfburn’s beard bopped as he looked at me and my mysterious hand.

  (00:50)

  What the fuck?

  A bright blistering bze superheated the captured arm, and the duke cut the charring limb off to escape.

  “Of course…” The duke twirled his beard, nervously grinding his teeth as his arm regenerated in a second. “OF COURSE!!! IT HAD TO BE YOU. YOUR DAMN FAMILY. WHY MUST YOU HAVE IT ALL SO EASY!!?”

  I shrugged. “Tis life. Deal with hand dealt.” Stilling my mind like calm waters, I flowed the mysterious energy like qi to my hands. The scales grew darker, thicker and tougher on my knuckles. 90% to fists and 10% everywhere else. I sighed. A risky ratio for sure. But one I must take. I turned off the fire beneath my boots and nded on a ptform of air.

  “No… This is destiny. YES! My final test! If I can beat a descendant... Heavenly Demon. Do I dare?” A duke ughed heartedly as a mass of bck souls burst from the duke, cloaking him in a ball of mist. Breaking free with a yell, a once human duke appeared cd in skin-tight sectioned armour. Almost merging with the dark sky, feathered wings spread freely, feeling the wind. With a fp of the wings, the demonic man disappeared.

  I guarded low to the right, and the duke’s left heel kick blew away the air. Sound returned as a thousand thunder strikes rumbled the sky. I slid across a cracking air ptform, keeping my composure. A right-axe kick came from the heavens, falling like an orbital strike. Fshstep pivoted me away from death. The duke spun with propelling fire, slicing the air with a bde kick of bck fire. A scaly palm absorbed all.

  “The monolith. You gave up on it?” I said with heavy, nguishing breath.

  Duke Wolfburn’s leg snapped back. “Oh… You don’t know…” He smiled like he felt embarrassed for me. “It's not for me.” Bck fire nces float in the sky in their thousands. “And after tonight, I will never have to bow my head to that Liuen buffon ever again!”

  Completely for—OF COURSE I KNOW!

  Six barrels from my bracelets teleported beside me, and with a squeeze of my hand, the contents exploded out of the wood.

  Slow, careful movement guided the water into six spheroid pools of illuminating liquid.

  “So much holy water…! HOW!?”

  A very studious, novice priestess.

  (00:35)

  “Vilins always ask like I would fucking tell them.” Worry on his face, fear jerked the cursed fire nces in Vioden Duke’s tenuous control.

  I raised my hand. The duke shivered, watching my motions cautiously like a cornered dog.

  “You fought hard, old man, sacrificed limbs and still kept standing. I see why your name came out of my father's mouth often.

  Holy water bubbled in my control.

  “Your perseverance makes you a fun sparring partner. I would have loved to learn more about you. But today-”

  “Shut up! Shut up!! SHUT UP!!” A gesture fired the nces. Like rain, the nce zipped in the air with shh. Scorching fire surrounded me, and my heightened sight saw nowhere out.

  "This feud finally ends. In my victory.”