*Swoosh*
The shadow moved from its hiding place and dashed its way to the mercenaries' at an insane speed. The shadow was about to land close to the mercenaries when...
*Shiiing*
*Boom*
A huge two-handed axe came crushing down to meet the shadow, to which the shadow narrowly dodged in return by tilting its body to the side.
That attack was so strong that a huge fissure was created from the ground due to the strength behind that swing from the two-handed axe.
The shadow was shocked as it did not expect that to happen, raising its head, it saw the one responsible for that attack was the big guy with cross scars on his chest.
The big guy has an irritated expression on his face as he stared at the silhouette of the shadow that was covered by the darkness of the night.
Raising his two-handed axe, he put it right into his shoulders as his companions also got into position ready to attack. Staring a bit longer at the shadow, the big guy finally spoke.
"So you have been following us for quite some time now, are you here to pick some fight? Cause I sure am in a dire need of some stress reliever". He spoke to the shadow who's features still can't be clearly seen.
The shadow didn't respond at first as it also became wary of the big guy, just from that swing, the shadow deduced the physical strength of the mercenary to not be that far from its own.
The moon then peeked between the clouds as its light shone upon the dark sorroundings. Everyone was basked by the beautiful moonlight as it shone bright enough for everyone's vision to be cleared amidst the dark night.
Which in turn, revealed the shadow's appearance for the mercenaries to see, seeing the appearance of the shadow, everyone can't help but be surprised.
"A woman?". The mercenary with mustache dumbly mumbled as he stared at the woman in front of them.
Everyone was surprised to see the identity of the one that has been following them to turn out to be a woman.
The woman was none other than the mysterious woman at the tavern earlier. She stood there firmly with her hood still on and a robe that completely hugs her body. Her hood makes it hard for the mercenaries to see her face, the same could be said to her body as she wears a robe.
But she's obviously a woman, those curves can't be hidden by a mere robe.
Knowing that they had seen her anyways, the woman was about to speak about her intention on following them in the first place when she was rudely interrupted mid-way.
"Who cares if it's a he or she?! That still doesn't removed the fact that she followed us until here! And anyone who does that clearly doesn't have a good intention!" The big guy said as he slowly took a stance with his two-handed axe.
The woman was dumbfounded, she doesn't have a bad intention, she only wanted to ask some questions personally as she doesn't want anyone to see her do that in public as she clearly wore a hood and robe for a reason.
Realizing that they misunderstood her, the woman tried to explain in a deep but womanly voice. "Wait! I'm not he-".
But she was again interrupted by the big guy.
"Listen guys! Let me face this person alone! I had a lot of frustrations and stress to let out!" To which his buddies nodded in reply as they then lowered their weapons but didn't remove their stance.
"Wait! I'm not really here to-". The woman then tried to explain herself but was again rudely interrupted by the big guy.
"Get ready woman! I will not show mercy!" The big guy yelled at her as he then dashed in a speed that doesn't suit his huge build.
The woman was pissed, this guy just won't let her finish what she wanted to say and charged at her without even asking what's her intention on following them.
Pissed off, the woman also took a stance to greet the big guy.
The big guy then leaped high into the air as he raised his two-handed axe into its maximum height and wildly swung it downwards, aiming at the woman.
The mysterious woman then dodged the attack swiftly as she leaped backwards 3 meters from her previous location.
*Boooom*
*Rumble*
The big guy's axe landed on the ground, creating a crater as the ground shook due to the strength behind it. Smoke and dust filled the place where the big guy attacked. Hindering the woman's eyesight to know where the big guy is.
The woman didn't let her guard down as she inspected the place filled with smoke and dust, she completely put her attention there that she didn't even bother to inspect her own sorroundings.
*Swooosh*
A great disturbance in the air pulled her out from putting her attention in the previous place she was in, as she immediately look at her left where the disturbance was, only to see a huge axe already close to her neck.
Widening her eyes, the woman flexibly bended her body backwards to dodge the axe.
Thankfully her instincts reacted, making her dodge that attack, albeit norrowly.
The force behind that attack was so strong that it brought a strong wind pressure that pushed the woman 5 meters away from where she's previously standing.
Getting her bearings back, the woman tried to hide her shock from the attack that almost cost her life as she then stood up and made a distance between the attacker and her.
Raising her head, the woman can't help but be surprised on seeing that it was actually the big guy.
'How did he sneaked up behind me?!' She thought in alarm, she clearly put her attention on the place where he attacked but he then appeared behind her?
Looking more at her sorroundings, she noticed a huge hole not so far away from where she was previously at.
Seeing that, she also took a glance to where the big guy created that crater, only to see a huge hole on it. That hole was huge enough for the big guy to get through.
This surprised the woman, if it was not for her instincts screaming at her in alarm, she would have her head rolling on the ground. She can't let that happen before she complete her promise.
Looking at the big guy, she realized that this guy's experience in battle shouldn't be understimated, making her take this battle more seriously.
Meanwhile, the big guy has an irritated expression on his face as he did not expect the woman to dodge that attack.
"Che! You won't be so lucky next time woman!" He said as he again took his stance, getting ready.
"Wait! I'm not really he-". The woman again tried to explain herself as she doesn't want to participate in a battle only due to a misunderstanding.
But the big guy didn't listen, as he again charged at the woman in a speed that doesn't suit his huge build.
'GRRRAAHHH!!!'. The woman mentally screamed in frustration. Why can't this brute wait for even one second to listen to her?! 'This is ridiculous!' She thought.
The big guy then got closed to the woman and unleashed a torrent of deadly swings with his axe. To which the woman skillfully dodged in return.
The big guy's attack kept on getting faster each swing as though he entered a state where he only thinks of attacking.
The woman started having a hard time dodging all those fast and strong swings of his, so she decided to retaliate by sending multiple small wind blades that came out from her palms.
The big guy received the attacks with his body as though nothing happened but his speed was clearly decreased as his momentum was disturbed.
To which the woman took advantage of, by making a distance between them.
The big guy gritted his teeth as he breathed steam from his nose like an enraged beast. The big guy then stomped the ground hard that it destroyed the ground into bits and chunks of hard dirt and rocks.
He then uses those chunks of rock and dirt as a weapon as he used his axe's flat side to bat them into the woman's direction.
*Swoosh*
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
Multiple rocks and dirts went into the woman's direction to which she skillfully dodged in return by taking advantage of her speed and flexibility, she keep on dodging the rocks that the big guy batted like crazy until she was finally hit by a rock at her back because of her momentary hesitation to which side should she dodge.
This destroyed her momentum completely as the big guy kept on sending multiple rocks in her way, raising her head, she saw multiple rocks heading her way.
Having no choice, the woman gritted her teeth and raised her hands as she yelled. "
*SWOOOOOOSSSHHHH*
To which it summoned a strong wind that destroyed all the rocks heading her way, that wind was so strong that it even uprooted several trees in the distance while the big guy had a hard time standing in his place if it was not for him using his weapon as a means to hold him into place.
Finished, the woman then stopped the wind she summomed as she could be seen panting like crazy at the side while holding her hood tightly in order to not reveal her face accidentally.
The big guy then stood up slowly with multiple cuts wounds in his body due to that wind.
Sighing, the big guy then picked up his axe and watch the woman panting there, getting ready, the big guy then ran to his top speed and made a huge leap high into the air as he wildly swung his axe, aiming at the woman.
Recovering slightly, the woman then noticed that the guy made his move again. Pissed off, the woman decided to retaliate for real this time.
This time, the woman didn't retreated and instead crouched down into the ground in all fours like a ferocious beast, her fingers grew some sharp nails as it turns into sharp claws.
Her demeanor changed as her robe started fluttering due to the aura she started exuding.
Getting ready, she then leaped high in the air to meet the big guy's attack.
The big guy was surprised, but he still swung his axe to meet the woman in the air, to which the woman brought her claws to meet the axe in return.
*Booom*
*Rumble*
*Rumble*
*Rumble*
A huge booming sound was made when the claw and the axe connected to each other as shockwaves was released due to the strength from the attack on both sides making the whole place shake uncontrollably.
The big guy gritted his teeth, he didn't expect this woman to be this strong as he putted more strength on his arms, as his veins popped into his arms, signifying that he's using his whole strength.
The woman also didn't retreat as she pumped more strength into her small arms, pushing the axe slightly backwards.
This surprised the big guy, as he also gritted his teeth not allowing his self to lose to a woman as he summoned more of his strength into his arms.
*Tssszz*
*Tssszz*
While they were still suspended in the air, weird crackling sounds was being created from his axe and her claws as though little sparks was generated due to the force between the two attacks.
*Booooom*
The crackling sounds then turned into a booming sound as their attack created a mini explosion that separated them from each other.
Sliding backwards due to the explosion, the woman held her hood as she doesn't want it to be blown away and accidentally reveal her face.
The big guy also skid into the ground, his hands slightly shaking from the attack the woman produced. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he again took a stance as his pride won't let him be defeated by a woman.
Deciding to take this seriously, the big guy then coated his axe and his arms with mana that came from his whole body. The place then became a mess as a huge transparent whirpool like thing was produced into the big guy's body as he used mana to coat his weapon and arms.
*Ziiinggg*
His axe, as though alive, made a sound as he kept on feeding it with mana. Slowly, the weapon's body was fully coated with mana as it then changed its color.
His weapon and hands was then fully coated with mana that was yellowish-brown in color that represents him. Looking seriously at the woman, the big guy yelled. "Woman! Get ready and receive this blow!"
To which the woman also coated her claws in mana in reply. It produces a yellow-green like color unlike the man who has yellowish-brown color on it.
Crouching on all fours, the woman, like a beast ready to strike, stared at the big guy under her hood.
*Swoosh*
The big guy's speed tripled from before as he arrived in front of the woman in no time.
He then swung his axe wildly downwards with all his strength in a cutting motion. Intending to cut the woman in half as he yelled his attack.
"
An illusionary cavalry was then produced along the big guy's attack, strengthening his attack more.
To which the woman also attacked in reply. She coated her whole right arm and clawed the axe of the big guy.
*BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM*
The whole place exploded as it shook uncontrollably, to which the other mercenaries doesn't have a choice but to retreat from that place and watch from afar, this battle surprised them greatly, they had no choice but to retreat and watch here from afar when the big guy started batting rocks at the place.
Honestly, they were worried about their friend, cause unlike the big guy, they already knew from the start that the woman doesn't have a bad intention at all. They realized that when the woman tried to explain herself multiple times before the battle.
They were worried, cause it was clear to them that the woman was stronger than their friend but was just holding back.
But even them could not stop their big friend when he decides on something.
Meanwhile, at the place where the battle was.
A huge crater was created due to the attack that it even destroyed a large portion of the place and uprooted several trees at the distance. The big guy also created several huge fissures that continued to the distance.
The place was in a mess and was utterly destroyed, and at the center of the crater, you could see two silhouettes amidst the smoke and dust, thanks to the light the moon produced.
Wind then passed by, clearing the place of smoke and dust, letting the mercenaries see the two person's state at the center from afar.
The big guy was still standing with a raising motion like he was about to swing his axe down, but he has no axe in his hands anymore. Across him, the woman was still fine, with no injuries of some sort but a disheveled and dirtied clothing.
The big guy stood there for a while, until he then brought his shaking and bloodied hands down. Both of his arms was definitely broken. Sighing, the big guy sat down on the hard ground with a defeated expression.
That last exchanged completely disintegrated his weapon into mere dust, sighing at the loss of his weapon, he has no one else to blame but himself.
Afterall, he already knew that the woman doesn't have a bad intention at all after their few exchange earlier. After spending all his years on being a mercenary, he could already differentiate those who had an ill intention and those who do not after a fight.
Cause unlike him, the woman seems to have no intention on killing him.
But he was just too stressed out from before that he felt like he needed it to get out of his system, and the best way to do that was with a fight.
Sighing again, the big guy raised his head and looked at the woman in front of him, who seems to be busy on arranging her disheveled clothing along with her hood.
"So? What was your intention on following us?" The big guy asked the woman.
To which the woman grew a tickmark in return.
'You would ask that now?! You brute just wanted to asked that now?! Huh?!' The woman mentally ranted as she stared at the big guy with hate.
The big guy could feel her staring into him hatefully, so he explained. "Sorry, I knew that you have no ill intent, but I just really need a fight to vent my frustrations to".
"So you attacked me instead? You almost killed me earlier". The woman asked in silent hate behind her voice.
The big guy sweat dropped as he really didn't think of it much deeply and immediately engaged into a fight. Having no choice, the big guy bowed his head down and apologized to the woman sincerely. "Sorry, I would do anything as a payment for the trouble I brought".
"Hmmph". To which the woman only harrumphed in reply. She hated the big guy no doubt, but she's in a hurry and doesn't like violence that much, so she instead proceed to the reason why she followed them.
"Anyways, I am here to ask for some questions that you might know". The woman said in a deep womanly voice, she's trying to make her voice as different as it is from her normal voice.
"Ask away, take that as an apology for not listening earlier". The big guy said.
The woman stared at the big guy for a moment as she then harrumphed in annoyance.
"Hmmph, anyways, I came here to ask more about the "Five Calamities" and specifically, their leader". The woman said to the big guy.
The big guy was surprised, so he queried.
"Their leader? You mean-". The big guy was interrupted as the woman nodded and said.
"Indeed, their leader. The one who bears the symbol of the "Jack". Breyal Alforon!".
======================================
(A/N: I'm not really that good in fighting scenes yet, so do forgive me if you found it hard to imagine the battle in your mind vividly, I would be improving along the way so bear with me. Hope you enjoyed the 3rd chapter, that's all, thanks for reading this book!)
[Update: 1 chapter every two days.]
(The update would depend on how much the readers like the story.)