0.1 seconds.
Twist targeted Ess' chest, the force from his flying palm generating a powerful breeze that caused Ess' clothes to ripple violently.
Before his hand could reach Ess, however, the curly-haired young man raised his leg and stomped on the ground with enough power to topple a large hill.
The room darkened at the violent impact, waves of potential devastation making their way through the supposedly resistant walls and floor.
0.17 seconds.
Ess' motion was so fast that Twist's relatively quick dash from just now became laughable by comparison. The boy thought so too. As quick as he was on his feet, the tremors running through the room disrupted him, forcing him to slow down.
A wad of dark, oil-like pressure exploded from Ess in the next micro-instance and blasted Twist back at breakneck speed.
The young boy didn't seem surprised or flustered, though. This was pretty much standard for his older brother. Ess was even holding back considerably, as Twist had gathered that he had grown stronger in the last five years.
As Twist flew, he focused his gaze on Ess again, and in the next moment, the air and intangible space between them warped.
Twist then appeared right in front of Ess so abruptly that it looked like a whole frame in this short play had been deleted!
1.3 seconds.
How was it possible to move so fast?
Fint was a dark energy that emerged when the sun suddenly produced multi-colored rays of light centuries ago. It had many uses, ranging from basic, intermediate to advanced.
The Spark, which was like a small sensory organ within the brains of humans and animals, was used to perceive and use Fint.
At a basic level, Fint, which was abundant in the world, could amplify physical attributes with prolonged use. Those who could use their Spark efficiently to manipulate Fint could even prolong their lives.
As for not-so-basic uses...
Fint could be used to ELIMINATE matter.
All non-sentient life could be reduced to nothingness through precise control of the dark, greedy energy.
Erasing lands, plants, air, and even space was possible depending on the level of mastery, and sadly, only one of these possible, varied targets was capable of naturally restoring itself.
Twist was erasing the space in front of him by precisely allocating Fint towards it, and the result made it look as though he instantly transmitted himself right in Ess' face!
This was a common technique among experienced combatants on either side of the 'law.'
Its name, at least in Agavon, was Phantasming.
Twist launched a series of punches that left after-images as they crossed the minimal distance between him and his brother.
1.4 seconds.
The air within the room was agitated by the sheer force from the young boy's punches which were saturated with Fint to the limit.
Yet, not a single one of Twist's punches landed. Ess remained still the whole time, but there was no feedback when the boy's attacks 'touched' him.
The only thing that had any impact whatsoever, was a cruel, pointed force that blasted into Twist's chest abruptly!
1.47 seconds.
The boy didn't see anything before Ess' foot rammed into him. He streaked upward into the air like misguided lightning while coughing blood!
"You've become too reliant on your Utility and your J.U.N.K. Without them, you can't even muster a decently powerful punch."
Twist only heard Ess' voice in his ears after he had slammed into the ceiling, its tough material denting inwards!
1.49 seconds.
With barely any delay, the boy felt a hand grasp his throat tight, and he saw his older brother looking at him with eyes that gleamed vibrantly even in the brightly lit space. Then, the two started to fall down.
"What's the point of a fight like this? Don't tell me that when Father died you actually discarded his philosophy."
With a light push, Twist was flung a distance away and he hurried to regain control of his body before hitting the ground.
3 seconds.
Ess landed with grace and gave his younger brother a cold stare.
"Tell me that's not all you can do without relying on your Utility, Twist."
Twist scowled darkly, and in the next instance of minuscule time, a vicious punch smashed into Ess' face!
4.5 seconds.
Twist had covered the distance between himself and Ess with such immense speed that he outshined his earlier performances. The tiles of the ground ruptured and the entire house shook under the immensity of his attack!
Unfortunately for him though, a thin film of darkness was protecting Ess' face. His punch had done zero damage. The protective Fint around Ess had blocked the blow wholly and completely.
Twist glared at Ess and gnashed his teeth.
5 seconds.
"It was stupid of me to think that you'd at least see how much I've grown. I'm not in the same place I was when you left, brother. I worked my ass off to get where I am, but..." Twist's face softened, made so by deep, biting sorrow. Soon, it hardened again, however. "... unfortunately for me, you're still so warped that you don't seem that different from Father."
Ess' eyes constricted, and then they turned cold.
They turned colder the longer he stared at his younger brother in disbelief. On his face was a niche kind of pallidness that barked mouthfuls silently about how he was not impressed with what he had just been accused of.
In the next moment, Twist found himself right in front of Ess.
No. It was the opposite. Ess was the one who had Phantasmed towards him!
The curly-haired young man didn't wear any aggression on his face at all, but the growing pressure from his Fint which attempted to cripple Twist's bones made it known to the boy that he was in trouble.
Twist knew he had crossed a line and he gnashed his teeth while closing his eyes shut, expecting lethal punishment.
Did he regret what he said? Heck no.
Ess wouldn't agree. He would deny it. But everyone in the family knew, try as he might to say otherwise, that he was modeled after Father's ideals. He was the first and only 'success.'
Twist shrank.
Fortunately for him… nothing happened.
He looked up and saw Ess turning his back to him.
"It's over. The 5 seconds ended already," he said before he started walking away.
Twist first wore a look of incredulity and then he slumped to the ground, sighing in frustration.
He looked at Ess' back. He had so much to say, but it was all but evident that his older brother wouldn't take to heart any of his concerns, his worries, his love.
But worse than this was…
"This is the reason why I left. Each and every one of you has imposed yourselves on me for too long. You think you've got a good grasp over who I am me just because we are family, and because there's barely any open secrets between us. I have my defects like the rest of you, but I am nothing like Father. That's why I won't flatten you into the ground," Ess said with a voice that almost seemed far away, echoing ominously through a range of cold hills and mountains. "Just make sure you remember who is about to put that old demon out of his misery for the third time."
Twist huffed in rapid breaths in anguish and then he hung his head.
'Yeah, I will,' he thought.