"Get out of here, I will take care of this..."
"Errr, thanks."
And without further questioning, Aefrine hit the ground running. Rin calmly approached the scene.
"I thought you're supposed to be dead ?"
"For a ninja leader, you greatly underestimated my knowledge of poisons."
"I suppose so... Tell me how much I need to pay for you get me the head of that boy? "
"I'm retired."
Mary immediately charged forward. She put both of her swords together by hooking them up from the hook end and swang her new long sword. The blade of the handle barely missed Rin, who back flipped away. Mary continued to attack him with many long-range slashes. This time, Rin was now blocking her attacks with his arms. He was wearing grey thin gauntlets, which was strong enough to save himself from the fast killing blows.
Her fighting speed is more than I expected, and I can't get close enough to return some blows... what kind of assassin uses hookswords ?
And suddenly, Rin caught the handle of her attack, the blade, and pulled her in order to strike her. However, he got overwhelmed quickly by her surprising strength. And instead, it was him who got kicked in the guts very hard. He was sent flying to the fountain.
What the fuck, how strong is this woman ? This is enough...
The enemy has only shown good speed. If that is the best he has, then this would be a 'below mid fight' . I should end it quickly before new elements appear and complicate the battle.
"Stop right there! Weapons in the air!"
Mary looked around her. There were guards surrounding both of them, with long spears.
Guards of the town, they would not be much use nor against me or for me. I should ignore them.
She charged again towards Rin. However, Rin was preparing a trick up his sleeve. He went into squat position and put both his fists together. Suddenly, the water and dirt from the fountain started to float and take a form. Mary hastily jumped away. The water and dirt had formed a giant cat spirit. It was a little bit bigger than Rin but to the point where he was in his shadow. The dirt created its core while the water made up its skin.
A tiger spirit. This turns the battle into a mid one. The enemy is very skilled, considering he summoned a very rare and strong spirit quickly.
The tiger roared, frightening all in sight. The guards who were already cautious about the situation started to shiver in fear. Some even ran away. Meanwhile, Mary was looking all around the battlefield to observe every detail.
She is totally unaffected by the roar of my spirit. Does she have an anti-spirit armour, or is she resisting it on her own using her mental strength or maybe both. Anyway, I should get rid of her here. If she gets out of the picture, the boy wouldn't be harder. I trust my men with getting him.
The spirit turned invisible, and Mary immediately dodged an expected attack. And the next moment, the spirit reappeared in Mary's place, and it had crushed half a house with its massive strength. Mary quickly retaliated with another attack with her extended sword, targeting its neck. For a moment, it appeared like the tiger was cut off, but before the head could begin to fall to the ground, it rearranged itself. And soon after, it attacks again. Mary always faster dodged it with ease. The attack created a massive hole in the ground. In addition, it created shockwaves, and the ground was now shaking. Suddenly , huge rock spikes were rising from the ground. The swordwoman kept dodging and manoeuvring. She then went running towards Rin, who was still in the fountain.
She assembled her two swords and tried to strike his head off. The tiger went invisible again, and the next moment, it slashed Mary away. She got slammed into a nearby building with an impact so strong that it made a frame in the wall. Despite such taking such a strong hit, Mary was still able to get out of the way just in time to avoid the tiger's next attack, which turned the before mentioned house into dust.
My armour only protects me from attacks that target the soul. So, it doesn't help much again a physical attack. I am safe from his fear roars, but his spikes and claws are still worth considering. Usually, I would have just attacked the spirit user until his spirit was unable to catch up and destroy its source. But since the enemy is a skilled, close-range combat ninja, there will be little use of trying to kill him while ignoring his spirit. I need to destroy the tiger first.
The tiger again striked the ground, and the spikes reappeared. Mary manoeuvred, jumping and running in various directions, trying to keep close to her target while trying not to get impaled. Then, in surprise attack, Rin appeared from behind and punched the air in front of her. It created an air wave that pushed her to the back of one of the rock spikes.
However, it didn't affect her much as she immediately charged at him full speed with her blade.
This is a chance I should not waste. He has come to me himself. Wait... where is his spirit?
The tiger had gone invisible and reappeared above Mary ,its huge paw about to squash Mary.
Meanwhile, Aefrine was swinging towards the gate from which he came from. That was before he almost got blasted away. The Duke was back.
"Give me my potion, you theif!"
Oh my god...
"I don't have it, ok? I swear by Go-"
"That is exactly what you would say if you have it!"
Are you serious?
Suddenly, two ninjas jumped behind him, ambushing. Aefrine hastily blocked with his bow and pulled his axe, but he didn't get to use as he got blown off his feet by the Duke. However, the Duke couldn't finish off his attack as other ninjas threw at him bombs trying to knock him off.
"Mind your own business!"
And he started to shoot at them. A hude roar could be heard from the city centre.
"What on Adanya is that"
Said the Duke when he saw what seemed to him a giant glowing thing, far away.
Meanwhile, Aefrine, who just got back on his feet, had enough explosions for one day. He aimed at his axe and landed a hit and he pulled himself over. The Duke didn't notice fast enough. All he could say was :
"Wait, what the fu- AHAHAHHAH"
Aefrine punched him in the face knocking him off, and suddenly the axe was no longer floating and both of them were now falling. However, it wasn't long before the axe returned to its owner hand and Aefrine who's arrow was still attached to it followed it unintentionally.
This time however the Duke was ready. The moment they made contact, he tried punching Aefrine hard, but Aefrine blocked, so he kicked him off his axe. Aefrine still was hanging with his string, but then the Duke spined around himself fast and threw Aefrine, whom grab couldn't hold longer.
He landed on another rooftop. His instinct kicked in, and he jumped from his resting place as another explosion made a hole in it. He made a desperate string to the same roof before he fell. He ended smashing into the house's window.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
A woman screams from the kitchen.
"Sorry, sorry, I will fix it.."
"Come out, coward!!"
Damn it...
"You want the potion ?!"
"Yes, it is time you admitted your crime, theif!"
"It is with the woman."
"Ahhhh!!"
Cried the woman with Aefrine as she ran to another room.
Wait, no, I didn't mean you...
"What woman?"
Oh, wait, damn it...
"No, I mean there is an armoured Knight in the town centre. He has it."
"Oh, please, you seriously need to learn how to lie, OWW."
A bomb finally landed on the Duke, and he fell from his flying axe. Meanwhile, a ninja jumped into the kitchen, Aefrine hastily smashed against the wall and punched him hard. After that, he threw out of the window. He ducked as a bomb went his way. It destroyed the other part of the room. Aefrine summoned his bow and went to the aiming position. He sniped three ninjas coming his way before ducking again as another bomb was thrown.
I need to get out of here fast.
He ran out of the destroyed area to the entrance and ran out to the street. He found an open barrel next to the door. He hid in it and then closed it. He didn't hear any footsteps, so he used his soul hearing ability. Three men entered the house, all with anticipation boiling their hearts. He took his chance and jumped out his hiding spot, and pulled himself with a string to a rooftop.
Just as he got up, he found a rifle in his face.
"A step, and I will crack your head like an egg."
A ninja behind them jumped to the roof.
"Behind you!"
"That isn't going to work on m-"
The enemy threw a bomb. So, Aefrine ignored the gun and got the Duke out of the way. As they felt hard to the ground, the bomb passed them hitting the house that the other ninja were in. Just as they were about to get up, their enemy tried to slash the Duke blocked with his axe. That gave Aefrine time to punch him in the head and then shoot an arrow in his head, making him lose conscious.
And he jumped off running back towards the gate.
"Wait, where do you think you going? AHHHHH!!!"
Aefrine looked behind him, his enemy got shocked. Not short after, he also got shocked. He felt a weird amount of electricity running through him, making move uncontrollably. Despite it being for a few moments, it felt like days. After that, he immediately ducked and got on the floor.
There were two Iguanas on the street , with two guards on each. One had a bow, and the other had a spear. The spear would shoot lighting bolts at them while the bow would shoot blue arrows that would leave a great amount of electricity on wherever it landed.
"Get down, now!"
"He is the thief! Not me!"
Really?
"I said get down -"
He was interrupted by explosions. As the ninja came in swiftly and knocked them off their Iguanas and killed them, rather a bit too fast...
How many bombs do they have?
He went back running, but something pulled him by his cape.
"What?"
"Where is the potion?"
"Can we talk later, we are both going to die ?"
The Duke took a look at the men in black who had just finished their job.
"Grab my hand."
"What?"
The Duke grabbed his arm and flew in the air. It was a terrible experience for Aefrine, who didn't expect that his feet would fly off the ground. As they dodged more bombs, Aefrine realised that they were going upwards more than they were going forward.
"Er, sir, where we're going ?"
They were now high in the air, and the ninjas appeared like ants, as they went hiding in various locations. Aefrine had never been afraid of heights until this moment. He never thought he would find himself in such position.
"Thank you, sir. I think they are gone, now. If you can, please drop over -"
"Ok."
And he let go of Aefrine.
"Wait -"
Aefrine barely managed to get hold of the end of the axe. A rifle was pointed at his forehead again.
"Now give me my potion. We both know that I rightfully deserve it, not you. I could just kill you right now, but I am merciful after all, so I will give you this last chance. Give me my potion."
"You know I could just kill you?"
"Well, that would be stupid, wouldn't it? "
Replied the Duke, looking downwards.
"I don't have the potion."
"Liar."
"I swear I don't have it."
"Then where is it?"
"There was never a potion. It was a trap set up for me. That is why they made me win. "
"Oh, of course."
"Then why do you think the men in black are after me ?"
"I don't know, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I should believe anything you have to say about them, huh ?"
"Listen, if it is money, I will give you some."
"Do I look like someone who needs money? How disrespectful ."
"Well, you do look like someone who values his life..."
"And what does that suppose to mean ?"
"Well, I have a friend of mine who is a wanted serial killer. He is very deadly. If anything bad happens to me, you will definitely be dead."
"As if that is true, nice try, you finally got creative with your lies."
"Are you sure that you will be able to live with a grand serial killer after you? How would you sleep in the night, knowing that it might be your last."
"Pretty fine, actually. As something that doesn't exist can't harm me. "
"Well, if that is how you feel."
And Aefrine let go of the axe and fell into the open sky.