According to Kenshin, there were two types of fights, battles and lessons. Battles were fights where two or more parties with near equal battle ability had a conflict. A lesson was just like the name itself. Kenshin called it a lesson, because in such a fight, all one can do, is pay to attention and hope to learn something. Kenshin was curious as to how Bastian would handle this fight. Would he battle it out with his enemies? Or would he teach them a lesson?
Either way Kenshin had no doubt that Bastian would surprise him. Luckily for him, Bastian was ready to teach the Teachers. The Teachers moved like ghosts as they quickly made their way to Bastian unobstructed. Kai's strength was infamous in this city, so the duo were sure that Kai would intercept them, yet he did not, much to their happiness. Arias and Pountus were two warriors with a high reputation amongst warriors within Yani City. Both were water attribute warriors, so they specialized in speed, which was part of the reason why Maxwell chose them in particular. Both men drew out their swords and got ready to behead Bastian.
It was only when their swords were a few inches from Bastian's neck that the latter moved. Like a specter Bastian's figure flashed before everyone. Both men had attacked Bastian from the front at the same time, with each man taking one side but that made little difference to Bastian.
His figure reappeared and his hands gripped the chins of both men whilst they were in motion. Bastian was in a ducking position, with both his hands stretched toward each man, whilst his two fingers reached out of each hand. That not only resulted in the duo striking air but also resulted in a rather embarrassing position, but little did that mattered, what did matter was that Bastian was now within striking distance of the two.
The men were somewhat startled but they were not afraid, because they were confident that Bastian could not harm them. After all, he was a mage, an acolyte.
Maxwell and Edward had talked fervently about Bastian during their walk to this location, so the duo was well aware that Bastian was a powerful mage. Yet in a fight where energy could not be used, warriors always came out on top. Such was the way of thinking amongst the majority of cultivators on that Sovereign Continent.
Yet the moment Bastian's fingers touched the chins of the two men, their expressions went pale and they screamed in agony. Within a fraction of a second after making contact, Bastian had already lifted up their bodies with just two of his fingers.
Arias and Pontus were screaming in agony whilst their bodies were lifted slightly aboveground when this happened. Bastian used his somewhat large hands to grip each man by the face, and in an oddly gentle, yet fast manner, slammed both their bodies into the ground.
A cobweb of cracks was formed where both men contacted the ground and a weak shockwave spread from both impact points. Bastian released both men from his grip and started cracking his knuckles. Both Arias and Pontus were violently convulsing on the ground, with foam coming out of their mouths. Their pale skins started turning red and blood started coming out of their seven orifices.
Kai knew those symptoms well, that was the result of a warrior or mage losing control over their own Soul Force. This resulted in a backlash from built up qi or mana.
Kai knew that Bastian had somehow caused what was happening. There were many ways for powerful cultivators to achieve such a thing. Even Kai himself could do it easily but not to cultivators who had a higher cultivation than him.
Kai knew full well that Bastian was not a Scholar, so there was no way he could have been able to cause such a backlash inside other cultivator's bodies.
The area of the hall they were in became silent, and every eye available was staring at Bastian like he was a monster. The majority of the people in that hall knew of Arias and Pontus. Yet an unknown cultivator who had participated in the two star tournament had taken them down in one move!
"Impossible! Impossible! Y-you! What did you do to my warriors!" shouted Maxwell as he backed away in fear. Edward quickly followed suite and backed away as well. His mind shrouded by only one word, monster.
"Shut up you pig. I told you that you smell. Now leave my presence at once." said Bastian. Every person in that hall who heard Bastian speak involuntarily backed away slightly, Kenshin and Kai included. Bastian's voice had an irresistible force behind it but that was nothing compared to what his body was doing.
Wind was acting chaotically around his body, causing his long hair to float about. His bloody and battered body exuded a domineering aura, the likes of which none who were present had ever felt. The weak minded people in the room all fell to their knees, whilst others found it hard to breathe.
Bastian's line of sight was directed toward Maxwell, and the latter felt the full force of Bastian's current disposition. Maxwell fainted, and Edward lost strength in his legs, immediately landing straight on his behind.
Normally, someone in their group would have caught them but not a single person in the room noticed any of that. Bastian's body was like a visual magnet, forcing all who were nearby to pay attention to him and him only.
The first person to regain their senses was Kenshin, followed very quickly by Kai. "Quickly! Get him out of here, now!" ordered Kai. Bastian was still in his odd state, and Kenshin did not have the time or patience to deal with what Bastian had become, so he bit his lips and flashed behind Bastian.
Bastian only noticed a presence appear behind him, then once more, his vision turned black.
...