Like he was in a dream, the sound of something smashing into another filled Kruxe's ears, fear filling him at how close the sound originated, like it was about 5 steps away from him.
Instinctually, Kruxe wanted to turn to his left, wanting to know what could have caused the sudden sound, but quickly thinking, he canceled his body's automatic response and turned to face his opponent who had now become stationary.
Kruxe thought this was his chance to end the man, but before that could happen, two more loud sounds of cannon impact on the ship filled his ears once more, these impacts further rocking the ship, this time sending both Kruxe and his opponent stumbling.
With the impact being on the left of the ship, the man the man took two involuntary steps to the right, while Kruxe, lost control of his body, and was sent into an uncontrollable stumble, en route to collide with the hull of the ship.
Not wanting to crash into the ship's hull, Kruxe thought to get into a roll, put all his limbs on the floor, and stabilize himself, but then he noticed his opponent stabilize his body with ease and begin turning towards him.
In that split second, Kruxe made a decision, he abandoned his thoughts of safety and pulled the trigger of the gun which was now thankfully pointed at the man.
"Bang"
As he shot the gun, relief at finally hitting his opponent was beginning to fill Kruxe's heart but then he saw the man raise his left hand with inhuman reflexes in front of his body, and then go into a sprint.
Just as Kruxe was colliding with the hull of the ship, the man reached him, his right hand folded into a fist and moving towards him, and then before Kruxe knew it, it collided with his stomach.
"Urghhhhh" Kruxe growled out as he collapsed to the ground. Clutching his stomach.
No matter how much he tried to hold it in, it was too much, he had been punched before, but this punch was on a whole other level.
At that moment he felt like all his organs had been destroyed, like he was soon going to die.
Kruxe felt his head get light, but knowing the consequence of passing out, he bit his lips with all his might, a little bit of coppery taste filling his mouth while his eyes turned moist.
With the addition of a new sharp pain, Kruxe was able to keep himself conscious, but that didn't give him the strength to stand up or even stop clutching his stomach.
"Little bastard" Kruxe heard the man say and when he looked at the man, he saw him looking at his left hand, unhappy with blood that was flowing off his palm.
"Maruge"
"Maruge"
A voice came sounding from the upper deck hatch which was a few meters away.
"What?" the man said with annoyance.
"What are you doing down there, we have been locked on and those bastards have begun raining cannons on us, come up quick, the captain and the rest of the crew are soon to arrive"
"Just dealing with a rat, I'm coming" the man answered with annoyance.
"Damn kid" the man spat out as he looked at his palm and began digging the fingers o his right hand into the wound on his left palm.
Even as Kruxe squirmed on the ground, he kept his ears open, and hearing the words which came from above deck, he knew that he was running out of time.
"Why didn't he die from the earlier shot, he isn't even worried about the shot" Kruxe cried within.
He wished he could stand up, but the pain in his gut was still too overwhelming, his nerves still subject to its tyranny.
Kruxe thought over his enemy's strength trying to figure out how to defeat a man who could dodge bullets and then he had a sudden thought.
"Reveal" Kruxe quickly thought hopping to get some useful insight, watching as a blue screen popped up in front of him.
[
Name: Thrumberg Maruge
Rank: F
Power points: 724pp
]
Damn it, a rank F seeker Kruxe cried within, quickly dismissing the screen and then having a sudden realization, he cried within his head.
"He has a 724pp while my gun has 200pp what does that mean."
[It means you are ill-equipped to face such a foe, and unless you insist, this information will be better explained to you in a more controlled environment]
After those words, the voice in Kruxe's mind said nothing else, prompting Kruxe to once more roar in his head.
"Well help me, I'm totally outmatched here"
While he could be sceptical about the voice in his head, at the moment Kruxe had been destroyed by a single punch despite his opponent just being a rank F seeker.
His strength made Kruxe cry at how much Cletina had been holding back on him.
[There will be no help, you will have to find a solution on your own, and if you can't, don't worry, you have three lives. You can use one of them to survive and learn from your experience of today.]
Kruxe was left dumbfounded by the words of the voice, but then he heard the sound of metal falling and when he looked up, he saw his opponent who he now knew was called Maruge had taken out the bullet from his palm and was now turning to him
Kruxe had stopped groaning some seconds ago, and now he lay on the ground in a fetal position.
Seeing Kruxe all silent and his body still folded, the man reached down and grabbed him by his hair and lifted him up, ignoring the painful scream that left Kruxe's mouth
"You didn't lose consciousness," Maruge mumbled and then began looking around.
"Where is that gun of yours," Maruge said his eyes snapping to Kruxe instantly, and with them narrowed he pulled Kruxe up by his hair till his legs dangled off the ground, and then he searched him.
Having no reservations the man squeezed every inch of Kruxe's body, having no concerns for the cries that left Kruxe's mouth.
"Hmm weird," the man said after searching Kruxe and finding nothing, he was just about to bring down Kruxe's body when his right hand instinctively moved and caught Kruxe's right fist which was heading for his face.
The man sneered and then with a grin began twisting Seth's arm, wanting to dislocate it, but then there were two gunshots.
"Bam"
"Bam"