Chapter 13
Lux dodged and deflected various attacks from his Imperial counterpart. He was trying to ask questions, but he couldn't even get a second of peace to ask them. His opponent was clearly skilled in different styles of martial arts just as he was. He could tell his adversary was quite dangerous and his physical attributes were well above normal levels. Lux decided he had no choice, he kicked the man back. Immediately he clapped his hands together which shot bolts of lightning up and down his arms. Then, he raised his arms firing the bolts into the sky. The lightning returned to the ground next to the imperial, but it didn't make contact with him. Instead, the bolts separated into individual columns and a ceiling which formed a lightning prison around the bald attacker.
***
Luna had taken to hovering over the landscape in order to find her opponent. She knew it was fairly likely that she could find him if she just ran, but this way at least she wouldn't trip. It didn't take long before she spotted an average looking man standing waist deep in a pile of snow with his arms crossed. She lowered herself to the ground a small distance in front of him. When she landed, the man didn't even acknowledge her presence.
"Excuse me, sir." She called out to him waving her hand to get his attention. "What is it you are accomplishing by standing there?"
"Don't concern yourself, young lady." He responded flatly while still not changing his gaze. "I was minding my own business when some no good trickster attacked me and sent me to this spot. So I will stay here and wait for him."
Luna was very confused by the man's strange reply. "I apologize, but I still do not understand. Why do you think it was a man who sent you here? Also, why do you stay in the precise location of your landing? Why not at least come out of the snow?"
The strange imperial laughed to himself and shook his head, but he still wouldn't make eye contact with her. "Of course I would stay where I landed, do you think I would make it easier on my attacker by moving. And, of course my enemy is a man, who else could it possibly be?"
"Um...wow," was all Luna could manage. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "Sir, I do not grasp your reasoning, but I feel I should make you aware of the fact that I sent you here. Also, I am a woman." She added the last part because she wasn't sure if the man had lost his mind.
For the first time he made eye contact and she could see a look of pure shock make its way onto his face. "Are you trying to fool me?" He questioned in disbelief. "Where would a young lady get an ability like that? And why on Atlas would you make me stand in this freezing pile of snow?"
Luna just stared at him while she tried her best to make sense of this situation. "It would seem I have been assigned an unfortunate opponent. Why would a young woman such as myself not be capable of such an ability?" She questioned the confused Imperial.
He answered her question while visibly shivering at this point. "I have just never known a woman to be a warrior."
She began to grow frustrated, "The group you were traveling with contained a woman."
The strange man looked doubtful, "I don't know if I can believe that. So far you've been very confusing."
Luna was about to lose her mind, but she was doing her best to remain calm. "Very well, sir. Let us move on. It is customary for our people to exchange names with our opponents. My name is Luna, what is yours?"
"Oh-ho-ho," The man laughed, "I see. There you go again trying to convince me that you're a warrior. I'm sorry, young lady, but I cannot give you my name and I do not accept you as my opponent. I also know that your name isn't what you say it is." He grinned as though he was being very clever, then he stepped out of the snow really quickly as if he thought Luna wouldn't see it.
Luna sighed, "I suppose you will not tell me anything about your organization either."
"Absolutely not!" He proclaimed. "I would never be so weak as to give away information. I am known for my stubbornness. Often times, I even refuse to accept facts that are as plain as day."
"This conversation is much clearer to me now." Luna said. "Then you must prepare yourself for battle."
Luna lunged forward. Her hands and eyes were glowing with her dark purple energy. She struck her absurd opponent intending to push him backward. He slid back only slightly. Confused, but not ready to pull back, she began throwing enhanced punches. Her fists hurt. Stepping back, she tried to lift him in the air using her dark compulsion. She lifted with as much power as she could muster, but to no avail. The strange Imperial stood his ground.
Luna put some distance between herself and her opponent. "Am I to assume you are stubborn in personality and ability?" Luna asked, her face conveying irritation.
The man laughed far too loudly at this revelation. "Oh fine, I guess you've figured out my secret. Okay, I'll tell you since you want to know so badly."
"I am not interested," she stated simply.
The man continued on as if he didn't hear anything. "You see, I was always stubborn so when I gained the energy of nature, my ability came naturally. I didn't even choose it...you could say it chose me." He raised his eyebrows as if this information was extremely impressive. "I can see you are still unimpressed so I'll tell you this; I have the ability to transform my body into the heaviest metal on Atlas."
"Honestly, I was unaware that Atlas contained such a metal. I could lift a mountain of rock with my ability," she said. She rushed back toward him to test his ability.
After throwing everything she had at the man, she slowed down to think. He tried to take advantage of this opportunity. He threw a punch, but it was the slowest attack Luna had seen since she was a child.
"Is this another one of your jokes?" She asked.
"I didn't expect you to be so fast."
He rushed at her with high speed and threw his hardest punch. It connected, but Luna's face only had a slight scratch.
"So, you either have incredible power with no speed or you have speed with no power," Luna said. She put her hand on her forehead.
The man clearly felt as though he had been challenged, "You think you're so powerful. But, you can't even put a scratch on me. Surely you don't think you can beat me."
"Perhaps not, however, I am confident you cannot catch me."
Luna disappeared from his sight. He sprinted after her. He was catching up when she disappeared again. She drove her fist into his abdomen. The strange Imperial was launched into the air.
She watched as he slowly stopped ascending and plummeted back to the ground. Upon landing, he crawled to his feet. As he slowly made his way to a standing position, he kept one arm wrapped around his midsection.
He coughed, "I have to say, I really didn't see that coming. Maybe you really are a warrior. But, I can't afford to be tricked again."
The injured Imperial crossed his arms over his chest diagonally. Luna could tell something was changing. His body wasn't simply transforming into metal again. She could see extra material gathering all over. Soon, large metal spikes were covering his entire body.
"This way, if you want to win, you'll have to attack me. If you attack me, it will mean your death. If you don't fight, the others will eventually show up and you'll be killed," he explained.
Luna nodded her head, "I see, and I am finally impressed. Although, I am in possession of secrets as well. Such as, my name truly is Luna, and that is because my nature is that of the moon. This is the reason for my ability to compel objects just as the moon compels the ocean's waves. However, the moon is more than that. It is the ruler of the darkness, and I am as well."
Luna's entire body was engulfed in her signature purple energy. She raised her arms to the sky. Her dark energy traveled from her hands into the air above them. Then it slowly covered the entire area as she and her opponent were enclosed in a dome of darkness.
"My power grows stronger in complete darkness. Your defenses will fall before me."
The imperial was barricaded in safely. He was sure of it. Regardless of her power upgrades, there was no way his defense could ever be breached. Then he began to think about the reality of the situation, she was in control. She had trapped him. She could attack his defenses for as long as she wanted and he might eventually break down. If he did, he would be at her mercy in the dark. He was determined that she wouldn't fool him again. He had to leave this dome at all costs.
He waited until he heard a footstep a safe distance from him. Quickly, he dropped his defenses. He sprinted for the outside. Immediately, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and his crystal had been destroyed.
The dome of darkness dissipated soon after. Luna was standing in front of the defeated Imperial who had sunk to his knees. All of his nature energy flowed out of him, and he returned to his normal state. His face was blank, and he seemed as though he might have fallen into a coma.
"Excuse me, sir?" She said as she waved her hand.
The man laughed quietly, "You did the same thing when we met...I can't believe I didn't think you could be a warrior."
"You were quite dangerous as well. If you did not believe my ruse, I could never have defeated you."
He looked at her in his familiar look of disbelief. "No way. You don't actually gain power in the dark?"
"I do gain a small portion. However, I had no hope of destroying your metal. For the most part, it is my perception that increases. I can sense anything and everything that touches the night. I had hoped you would discard your armor in the dark when I could sense it. I suspected that you would because you are so slow when you wear it. You were afraid of being overpowered so you attempted to sneak out. Your decision was precisely what I hoped it would be."
At first he was so shocked he couldn't speak, then he laughed so hard he had trouble breathing. He had no idea he would face such a clever opponent. Then he remembered that she came here for information.
"I'm sorry I did and said all of those things. My name is Kinzoku. I feel like I've been a prisoner for so long. Having the power of nature energy didn't turn out at all like I thought it would. Allow me to help you find the answers you needed."
"I understand, and it is appreciated," Luna responded. "However, we must leave at once. Everyone will most likely be waiting."