Cassius burst through the air toward Alex. He looked as if he could destroy the world with one kick. Alex sensed him coming and turned to face him. He bent his left leg forward and spread his arms out wide. Lowering his body to the ground, he quickly moved back out of Cassius's path.
Alex's movement caused Cassius to falter slightly, but not enough to lose his footing. Alex remained poised and ready. This leader wouldn't be as easy to trick as the priests he had sent to kidnap Debbie.
A look of surprise flashed across Cassius's face when he failed to knock Alex down. But he stood his ground and stared intensely into Alex's eyes.
A heavy silence descended over the two as one regarding the other, anticipating the next move of their unexpectedly skilled opponent.
Dark clouds covered the bright moon. A gloomy air descended upon the scene of the ceremony. A cold wind blew through. Then Cassius curled up his hands and circled Alex.
Alex put his hands on his hips, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes glowing like fire. Nothing would stop him from saving Debbie. He calmly watched Cassius take step after step, ready to resist his next attack at any time.
"You're from Baltimore?" Cassius asked, his eyes glowing green in the dark.
"Yes," Alex answered. There was something strange about Cassius, especially the way his eyes glowed. It indicated to Alex that Cassius must have taken some kind of drug, maybe one that increased his power. He wondered what kinds of enhancements the drug offered him.
He got a chance to assess this when Cassius made his move. He ran up to Alex like a ghost, going straight through his body. He was faster and more skilled than the four Black Orchid priests. Alex had to lean over to quickly grab his fist. But as he seized it, he realized it felt as if Cassius' hand had no bones. It was like he was striking at nothing and couldn't hurt the other man.
"What technique is this?" Alex mumbled under his breath.
Pulling his hand away, Cassius regained his composure. He kicked his leg out to sweep under Alex. A faint sound of thunder and wind whistled through. Alex stretched out his right leg to block Cassius's attack. But when their legs touched, Cassius' leg seemed soft, absorbing the force of Alex's blow. It completely stole Alex's power, wasting the energy he had put into the kick.
He was worried. If this had been a normal fight, he would not have been afraid. However, this Black Orchid leader seemed to have mastered some ancient martial arts moves, so he could fight Alex without overexerting himself.
Debbie stared at Alex without blinking. There was worry and concern in her eyes. She was so scared for him that she forgot to be worried about her safety.
Alex took a breath. He knew that the more anxious he was, the harder it would be to achieve his goal. My usual strategy isn't working, he thought. I won't be able to defeat this man like the others, he's too fast. And if I try to hit him, he can manipulate his body and deflect my punch…
He immediately changed his approach. He began to fight more fiercely and cover Cassius with a flurry of attacks. All he heard was a cry as Cassius's body fell back. But despite his punches, Cassius couldn't be defeated. No matter where Alex hit him, his head, his feet, anywhere, Cassius's body absorbed the blows. Each joint could be knocked freely and not be damaged.
Distracted by this development, Alex paused in surprise. Cassius was quick to take advantage of his hesitation. He suddenly burst out and unexpectedly rushed toward him. His original defensive position became an offensive one, and now Alex was the one who needed to protect himself.
But neither man appeared to be making much progress. It appeared that the fighters couldn't beat each other. Cassius was growing impatient. His clothes were torn, his muscles bulging as he and Alex continued to go back and forth.
The dark clouds had drifted past now, the moonlight shining brighter and brighter over the altar. Cassius made his move. A burst of green light shot from his arm, forming the shape of a Crescent sword.
He struck Alex but caused no damage or pain. If anything, Alex shone brighter under the moon.
They had both met their match. No matter what moves they pulled on each other, no matter the fighting style, they could not defeat one another.
They were interrupted by fireworks flying and exploding in the air. Cassius was bewildered. This was the signal of the start of the ceremony. It was time to offer the gods their sacrifice!
"Fire!" he called out suddenly.
Alex was taken aback when he saw a few members of the group running toward Debbie, torches in their hands. It seemed they were going to burn her alive. His heart thudded in his chest as he ran to her side.
"Debbie!" Alex hurried as panic filled his body, his mind racing. He was hit. He could taste the metallic sting of blood in his mouth, but he kept pushing to get closer to Debbie. He ran a few steps before he finally fell to the ground. He was shaking slightly, but he used his remaining strength to try and crawl to the pillar.
"Debbie," he whispered hoarsely.
Debbie was heartbroken and cried helplessly. Alex was pale. The blow from Cassius had destroyed their love and their future. If Alex was unable to save Debbie, she would be burned by fire.
His mouth was bleeding. He murmured and continued to crawl toward Debbie, dragging himself inch by inch. She strained against the chains and stretched out her hand to try and grab hold of him. Just as he was about to get close enough to touch her, Cassius quickly stepped forward and pushed Alex's hand away.
"Begin." Cassius's voice was harsh. He closed his eyes, ready for the ceremony to start.
The torch fell on the wood at Debbie's feet. The fire grew bigger and bigger. She was completely trapped in the fire and surrounded by the flame.
Alex gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes. He was about to witness the death of the love of his life in a sea of fire. It was too painful.
"Light! Where did the light come from?"
Cassius opened his eyes at the exclamation and saw a strange light coming from Alex's body. The light was as bright as the moon, and it was getting bigger and bigger.