Caption (to assist readers):
- Everything is good. - = speech of the character
"All good." = character thoughts (during certain scenes)
*boom* = ambient or scenery sounds (similar to using other types of comic fonts)
This chapter is told from James Heller's point of view.
I start my next round against Mercer.
Mercer glares at me and raises his arms, repeating his defensive pattern.
I fake a right hook with my right fist, changing my move at the last second. Then I pierce Mercer's right thigh with my arm in the Blade form.
Mercer has no time to counterattack because I surprise him a second time. I leave my blade stuck in his leg while I remove part of my right arm from it. Mercer hesitates, trapped by my blade in his leg, unable to step back and concentrate on how I'll move next.
I spin myself around using the centrifugal force generated by moving my recovering right arm back. Spinning fast enough, that creates another move, hitting Mercer one more time.
*Loud Impact sound*
"Hammer fist spin!" - I name my new move as my left hammer fist hits Mercer's shield. Despite building up his defensive shield fast, Mercer was unable to withstand the power of my new offensive move.
The impact not only shatters his shield, but also launches him meters away, tearing his right leg that was still stuck with my former right blade.
Mercer flips backward, using both his arms and left foot to land on the floor because of his injured right leg, he glares at me with rage.
I walk forward until can hold my former right blade in my front using my right arm to create a new blade form skill. I wasn't worried about Mercer, who remained in a defensive position focused on recovering his right leg.
- I'll name this the Monster Slayer Blade, the deadly blade that slays monsters. - I touch my former arm blade and make it into one huge blade with a hilt. My new weapon created using the Black Mass.
Holding my huge blade while touching the blade's back to my right shoulder, I look at Mercer with bravery. He seemed like a beast, baring his fangs due to being cornered like a last resort in the fight for survival.
- Look at you, finally at the one stance that suits you. - I provoke Mercer. - Come on cursed beast, let me see your last pitiful act. - I finish my provocation with my left hand gesturing for him to come.
- Heller! - Mercer responds angrily, changing his appearance as he reacts to my provocation. Using his wild instincts, Mercer creates a new form out of his former armor.
Mercer's new look makes him look more beast than human. His hands and feet change to animal-like claws, while his body armor shapeshift to an aerodynamic form, giving him an potential advantage in both sprint attacks and faster running, this advantage looks useful for both stand-up stance and in-stand-four stance.
We're both evolving in this fight, each in our own way, me like a hunter and Mercer is like a beast.
I hold hard on my blade's hilt, ready for the next round against Mercer.
*Mercer's loud scream*
Mercer screams and runs towards me. Running like a wolf on all fours, he quickly closes the distance between us.
I hold my blade two-handed, prepared now to cut him in half with one single move.
Mercer enters in my attack range. I charge with a horizontal cutting move aiming between his head and arms. I can foresee myself cutting him in half, despite my failure to hit him.
Mercer dodges my attack and slides closer to the ground. I hear his claws scratching the ground as he quickly spins trying to surprise me from behind.
We both spin almost in the same time.
I spin twice with my blade attack until piercing the ground with my blade in order to stop. In Mercer's case, his claws pierce the ground to recover his balance, stopping his rotation, allowing him to rush attack one more time targeting an opening before I can react.
*metal clashing sound*
I clash my blade with Mercer's claws, reversing our spots, causing us both to spin while regaining our stances. Mercer can attack more quickly in this form, though not quickly enough, allowing me to react and parry both his claws with my blade.
Mercer growls, becoming even more beast-like. His head armor changes to look like a black wolf's helmet. From his lower back, a tail grows in the form of Mercer's former whip, granting him both a tail and access to one of his former weapons
I am responsible for Mercer's evolution while I use himself to further evolve my own abilities. I should not risk more time in this dangerous play and put all of myself into winning this evolution run.
"All weapons out!" - I command myself in my mind, switching to a new stance as I hold my blade only with my right hand, gearing up my armor with a new form to face off against Mercer.
This new version of my armor optimizes my potential as a humanoid while still allowing me to use my full strength with no loss when it comes to movement. My new armor design is a mix of both modern armory elements and a touch of dark fantasy.
The new armor form changed my appearance. My current height didn't change much, by increased only a few centimeters.
The armor new appearance is all black, seems made of compact black plates covering my body, arms, and legs.
The head part of my armor looks more like a black mask that a helmet, becoming more compact, leaving only my eyes visible.
Black plates appears on my shoulders and knees like tactical protectors.
My feet armor part looks like a mix of military boots and medieval knight boots, stylish looking more that before, without any lose in performance.
"The Hunter Armor form." - I give a name for my new armor form.
I currently feel like a Black Knight challenging a Demonic Beast, not like a Hunter or Dark Hero.
"Focus, Heller!" - I reprehend myself to return to my senses, because Mercer glare replies about him ready for another round. I can reflect and create other names for my new skills later in a safe place.