Drake surged forward, his speed allowing him to close the gap between him and Bjorn in an instant. The combination of all of his Endowments doubled his stats in some aspects.
Moving quickly to Bjorn's blind spot, he threw his fist forward aiming for his right side, exactly where his liver was.
Drake's flame and lightning-fueled fists careened for its target, but again, Bjorn's own hand moved, stopping Drake's in its tracks.
"What?! Do you have eyes in the back of your head?!" Drake spat, measuring Bjorn's gaze, but surprise painted Bjorn's face forcing a similar expression from Drake.
What? He's surprised? Does that mean he didn't do it consciously?! Drake thought, stepping again, changing his direction of attack.
Moving with speed even Bjorn could not follow, Drake attacked from all sides, using his Asura spell to attack from four different directions.
But to no avail, he was unable to find a gap in Bjorn's defense.
Not all was lost though, as Drake slowly began damaging Bjorn's armor, the marks of his searing strikes beginning to appear, with Bjorn's breath becoming more and more labored as the fight went on.
Slipping in and out of Bjorn's guard, Drake threw everything he had at him.
But like before his every straight, every jab, every blow was met with the wall that was Bjorn's hand or blade deflecting or blocking Drake's strikes.
He's not doing it on his own, that I'm sure of. It must be his skill. He basically has an automated defense. Drake thought, zipping backwards, one of his arms moving from his shoulder and forming a dense lance of lightning.
"You've reached your cap on your defensive buff. I can tell. Your speed has stopped increasing as well," Drake conjectured.
Bjorn looked back at Drake, silent, neither confirming or denying his statement.
"Bear, you've lost. You can't keep up with me anymore! And your skill won't let you move without losing your built-up buffs, I've won this time. You can trust me to keep you in check. So… So don't give up ever again and tell me to kill you!!" Drake shouted across the field, many of the spectators gasping in confusion.
"Kill him?"
"What does he mean? Bear wants to die?"
"Why in the world would he do that?"
Bjorn's eyes snapped to Drake, his body glowing in a black aura.
"Who said I can't move?" Bjorn growled, "Just let me do what I think is right! I don't want to hurt people! My life is nothing but one fight, let me just give up… I can't do it anymore Shot. I tried to push through, to adapt like I always have bro… But this time. The faces of the people I've had to kill to save my own life… They keep appearing! Every time I close my eyes they're there! I can't take it! What is even worse is I'm starting… I'm starting to enjoy it! The Cruelty, the savagery. It's something that's becoming instinctively pleasurable… I don't want that!"
"And what's wrong with that?" Drake said, "What's wrong with feeling remorse for taking a life, what's wrong with not wanting to be at constant war with others," Drake murmured, his lighting spell crackling louder with every passing word, "But you don't have to worry about that anymore Bear. I'll take all of that responsibility on. You will never have to worry again about slipping. I'll show you how strong I've become and if it isn't enough I'll just reach out and grab the power I need to keep you from falling further. So don't say you've given up! Because I won't let you give up, you have so much more to do for the world. Just like you've told me I might be needed, I know you will be for this wild world we are about to go into," Drake said, staring back at him.
"I-I don't think you understand. There is a monster in me bro! You don't know what that feels like!" Bjorn spat back.
"Fuck if I don't! There is something inside both of us! That's the responsibility of the strong to quell the monster inside. Do you think it's painful having to deal with only the thought of it?" Drake asked.
"Yes… I don't need this anymore. I don't need to keep going man…"
"Bullshit!" Drake shouted, "Do you know what hurts more! What's really painful!? It's the feeling of regret! The feeling of giving up before the end of the line. Not giving it your all before your last breath knowing you can take one more step to change things. Change it with me Bear! You don't have to be the monster, because I will be."
Drake flexed his aura, encompassing the area and Bjorn.
The spectators all gasped in surprise as their beneficial abilities were wiped clean from his Tyrannical Aura. Some were unable to bear the brunt of the force, passing out in a frothing white mess.
[Beneficial Skill outranks current Skill]
[Beneficial Skill outranks current Skill]
[Beneficial Ski….
…
..
.
Drake didn't give up, focusing his skill on Bjorn, doing his utmost to strip away the defensive skill.
Bjorn reacted almost instinctively as he began marching forward, each step embedding him into the ground almost as if gravity around him was flexing and weighing him down.
Fuck! My skill can't compete with the legendary skill. I'll just have to brute force it then! Drake cursed.
"Brace your teeth buddy! I'm not holding back!" Drake shouted giving Bjorn a warning, but he seemed to ignore it as he walked slowly forward, entranced.
Drake quickly slipped his rings into his inventory, extinguishing the flames around his fists, a staff of four petals appeared in front of him.
"Heretical Attunement! Lightning!" Drake shouted merging his violet lightning with the staff as it grew in size becoming a blade of iridescent sparks.
"Darkness beyond blackest pitch," Drake began staring down his friend, the blade of lightning snapping and roaring as it licked the ground cracking back and forth, "Deeper than the deepest night!"
Drake continued to chant, but Bjorn was not about to allow him to do so freely, as he suddenly shot forward, his hand outstretched to grab Drake.
Drake wouldn't allow himself to go down though, as he desperately dodged, his speed still greater than Bjorn's. But the casting of his spell had slowed Drake to where he was only barely dodging Bjorn's hand, and the subsequent strikes from his sword.
I can't let his sword touch me or it's over!
Drake continued his chant desperately now.
"Lord as vast as the largest ocean," each word condensed the mana into the blade of lightning, but now Drake needed more, "Heretical Attunement! Fire!" he shouted adding a second element to the spell but forcing his status to drop as he felt the drain on him, but he needed to continue.
Still being chased as he chanted, Drake dodged and tumbled to the ground, anything to not be hit by Bjorn's sword.
"Colder than the coldest ice!" Drake roared, then adding another element to the blade, "Heretical Attunement! Ice!" a shard of ice shimmering to life under the fire as it contained the lightning within a cold container.
Drake coughed suddenly, the strain catching up with him, a bead of red liquid escaping his mask.
"King of Darkness who shines like gold upon the Sea of Chaos! I call upon thee and swear myself to thee! I stand ready to bear the strength you give me!" Drake screamed rapidly, his conscious beginning to falter as his movements began to slow.
Drake forced himself to stay awake as he bolted in every direction keeping ahead of the relentless Bjorn, his fists and swings of his sword carving the ground below them in enormous divots and craters.
"Let the fools wh-" Drake tried to continue but his body faltered for only a moment.
But that moment was enough for Bjorn to catch him, his sword swinging down, as his fist came down from the side.
I can't dodge! Drake spat internally.
He had no choice, he had to take one of the blows.
So Drake bet on what he thought was best.
Bjorn's fist collided with Drake's face as Drake turned mid-air narrowly dodging his sword swing, but taking the full brunt of his first slamming against him.
[You have gained a Reprieve Charge]
[You have gained a Reprieve Charge]
[You have gained a Reprieve Charge]
[Max Charges reached, Reprieve Charge Lost]
Drake flew backward like a bullet tumbling against the ground until he stopped.
Struggling to stand Drake smiled underneath his mask, his fight with the Warrior Vampiric Ape flashing in his mind.
He had gained just enough distance to finish his spell.
Bjorn rushed forward to follow up, but he was too late.
"Who stands before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess!" Drake howled at the top of his lungs, his breath coming out as visible steam from his mask.
Bjorn was just inches from Drake.
But Drake teleported at the last second, straight into the air above Bjorn, his massive spell expanding as it whipped wildly in the magnificent shifting colors of his combined elements. His hair and robes whipped and snapped against the wind the spell produced as he shouted the last words.
"Giga! Slaveeeeeeee!!!!"
Drake put all his force into bringing down the tremendous spell, it lighting up the sky as it screeched forward toward the ground, the brilliance of the spell so bright that it outshone the sun, casting shadows all around it.
The spell whipped and roared forward towards Bjorn, the man standing stoically as he stared back at the spell, a smile creasing his face as he mouthed two simple words.
"Thanks, bro."
"No problem," Drake said, using his last Reprieve charge to teleport down to next to Bjorn, "Now no more saying stupid shit, or this spell really will hit you," Drake chuckled snapping his fingers as the spell winked out of existence, "Now lend me an overly muscular arm of yours, I'm about to pass out. I need to at least stay looking cool for a bit longer," Drake chuckled before he fell forward-leaning on Bjorn's arm.
Bjorn looked over in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing trying to find the words. But his face slowly relaxed and turned to a smirk.
"Fine, you win… Stubborn bastard really is an asshole," he chuckled.
----------------------------------------------------------
"What's going on outside?" Chelsea asked from her seat across from Claire's as her face continued to stay in a perpetual scowl.
"I don't know, probably Drake going crazy again. But we'lll never know since we're on baby duty…" Claire replied, scowling back.
"You mean you were on baby duty! Why did I have to get dragged into this…" Chelsea grumbled.
"Because it would have been unfair if it was just me!" Claire responded.
"That's not my problem Claire! It was unfair you got to go into the tent! Here I thought I lost…" Chelsea mumbled.
"W-what!? He doesn't even see me like that!" Chlair pouted.
"Y-yeah…. He doesn't seem to have a thing for me either, but I did dig into him a lot before…He isn't gay is he?"
"I-i… I don't think so…? I catch him looking all the time… I'm not sure if he just doesn't want… dirty goods…" Claire said, turning despondent.
"What!? If that asshole ever said anything like that seriously. We would tear him apart! That wasn't even your fault!" Chelsea said, consoling her.
"Thanks…" Claire said, smiling slightly, "Ah…. Did he tell you the same thing about not being interested?" Claire finally asked.
Chelsea blushed, but answered timidly, "Y-yeah. He was a gentleman about it but, I really didn't expect him to turn me down… I mean look at us," she said her face turning into a smirk, "He's got to be gay or stupid to say no," she joked.
Before Claire could respond after laughing they both heard a loud crunch interrupting them.
"Are you two quite done? The aforementioned baby is trying to eat in peace here," Natto said, biting into a piece of boar as she ripped a piece of bread away from the loaf with an audible crunch and tear.
"Uh… Sorry… just you know girl talk…" Chelsea said sheepishly.
"I am also a woman you know," Natto sneered.
Claire coughed, breaking her silence then quickly turned away fixing her hair not wanting to meet Natto's eyes.
"I applaud you both for not giving up on the fool, but my advice to you is to give up. He has no need for a relationship right now. Furthermore, I do not believe he has told you how his last endeavor with the opposite sex had gone," Natto explained.
"Ok, so he isn't gay…good.." Claire whispered under her breath.
Natto cocked her eye but ignored the comment continuing her line of thoughts aloud.
"Your best course of action is to either forget about him and find another man, or I suppose, simply wait," Natto said, taking another bite of boar, "But regardless of how you feel, know that he is a man of his word to at least protect you as the contract stipulates until the end of the tutorial. After that, he has not even shared with me what his thoughts are for the most part. So we will all have to wait for an answer there…." Natto trailed off, her attention going elsewhere as the sounds of fighting outside began to increase.
"Your name is Uta, yes?" Natto said to no one in particular.
Instantly Chelsea's eyes snapped to the corner of the room, where a small black-haired girl inched out into view. Chelsea drew her bow and trained it on the girl. Claire moved to Chelsea's side, pulling her staff out at the ready. Only Natto remained calm, continuing to eat.
"It is alright you two, she simply wants to speak. Although she could most likely kill one of you if she had to, she knows as well as I that the repercussions of such an action would spell a very ugly end for her beloved master," Natto sneered, "Then? What is it you wish to discuss? I am surprised you did not out my owner for having a construct in public… I am assuming your group does not know you are a construct as well then?"
Both Chelsea and Claire drew in a quick breath at the information but maintained their vigilance towards the girl.
"You would be correct. My name is Uta, may I ask for yours as well?" Uta asked.
"Natto. Well?" she replied.
"I can tell you are a Territorial Assistant, that means you have information I do not. I simply wish to ask questions in aid of my Master."
"Oh..?" Natto cooed intrigued, "And what is in it for us? You seem to forget how poorly you treated my owner when we arrived. What makes you think I would even want to deal with you?"
Uta ignored Natto's question, instead asking her own.
"You call him your owner and not Master, why do you not show respect to him?"
Natto scoffed, her face turning a shade of red.
"Because that dumb ape would take it too far if I did!" she coughed, "Call it a precaution to keep his ego in check, you have seen how he likes to fly off the handle."
Natto pointed her fork, boar meat and all at Uta, "Now, enough of dodging my question. What reason would we have to give you any sort of information?"
Uta ground her teeth like she was chewing on something unpleasant.
"I have advised my Master as best I can, but I simply am not equipped to aid him in what is to come after the tutorial. Seeing how he was so soundly defeated by your.. Owner.. I realize now that even with all his skills he is sorely lacking in ability. And needs every advantage to survive once the tutorial is finished," Uta explained.
"And?" Natto urged growing tired as she ripped another piece of boar and bread.
"My Master has permitted the use of an alliance. In return for your information he will do his best to help your owner outside of the tutorial," Uta continued.
"That does not help us when we would be the ones protecting you, do you not agree? Seems that you are only the ones benefiting if that is truly the only thing you offer."
"Natto is kind of scary right now, don't you think Chelsea….?" Claire whispered.
"Yeah… she's usually never like this.. I mean she's a little intimidating when it comes to the skill stones but this is different. I can feel the tension…" Chelsea whispered back.
"Y-you know of the coming fight and the vote for the Planet's Leaders in the conference before the war. My Master will vouch for your owner, meaning the rest of the coalition will as well!"
"Oh…. Now that sounds like a good deal…." Natto smiled.