*Zap!*, *Bzzt!*
Lighting wrapped itself around Hawke's body, his bright blue eyes shining ferociously.
"Haha! Are you angry?"
Nicolai teased Hawke.
*Crackle!*,*Blaze!*
He enveloped his body in bright red flames.
"I am a servant of the Demon King, how dare you bare your teeth at me?"
"A challenge to me is a direct challenge to them Demon King! Everyone you know will die!"
Nicolai spat, confidence oozing from the heat emitted by his flames.
"Ah I see... are you not confident that you can take on a "bird" on your own? So you're gonna run and tell your papa? Keke!"
Hawke provoked the Demon in front of him.
"Besides... if I kill you right here, he will never know."
Hawke cracked his knuckles with a wide provocative grin on his face.
"..."
Nicolai grit his teeth and increased the intensity of the flames around his body.
He coiled up his legs and...
*BANG!*
Nicolai sprung himself toward Hawke at terrifying speed.
*Pow!*
He unleashed his fiery fist on Hawke who was ready to meet the attack and blocked it with his left forearm.
In the same instance, Hawke unleashed his right elbow and struck Nicolai's cheekbone.
*crack!*
An eerie sound was produced as a result of Hawke striking Nicolai, a sound that resembled bones being shattered.
"Argh!"
Nicolai vocalized his pain as his body was being flung backward.
He felt a stinging pain from his left cheekbone, the cut on it allowing a trickle of blood to flow down to his chin.
Nicolai raised his thumb to the injury and wiped off the blood, he then glanced down to the blood soaked thumb and opened his mouth.
*slurp!*
He licked the blood and raised his ruby eyes to glare at Hawke.
"...I am going to kill you..."
Nicolai declared through his gnashing fangs.
He extended his arms and joined his palms together, intense heat began radiating from his hands.
■■ Infernal Blaze! ■■
Nicolai cast his spell, a bright red, raging flame swirled to his palms and he shot it toward Hawke.
[!!]
Hawke immediately condensed considerable amounts of lighting to his right arm, releasing a blinding, bright blue hue that illuminated the night sky.
■■ Cassowary's Talons! ■■
Hawke's condensed lighting crackled and formed into the shape of a gauntlet with three sharp claws on it.
He extended his right hand to intercept Nicolai's bright red flames.
*CRACKLE!*,*ZAP!*,*BZZZT!*
"Urgh!"
The flames violently clashed with his lighting gauntlet.
The force from Nicolai's spell gradually pushed Hawke back.
Soon, cracks appeared in his lighting gauntlet as it slowly succumbed to Nicolai's flames.
*Zap!*.... *BOOOOOM!*
Nicolai's flames exploded, creating a cloud of flames in the air.
The bright flames consumed Hawke's being, the intensity of the flames seeping into his pores.
"ARRGH!!!!"
Hawke vocalized his pain, his skin slowly being charred.
Had it not been for Mana Enhancement his body would have been completely burned to ash.
"*huff*,*huff*..."
Hawke groaned and took labored breaths, his right arm radiating pain throughout his entire body.
*step,step*
Nicolai confidently stepped forward with his arms crossed behind his back, and his posture as straight as a ruler.
"What's wrong little birdie? I thought you said you were going to kill me?"
Nicolai spat, his fangs glistening.
He lowered his blood-red eyes and beheld Hawke's limp, bright pink arm riddled with first degree burns and blisters.
"Ha...haha.. HAHAHA!!!"
Nicolai spread his arms and laughed out loud at the sight of seeing Hawke in pain.
"I am going to clip those wings that you are so proud of!"
Nicolai spat, setting his fist ablaze.
"Ugh..."
Hawke groaned and dragged himself off the ground, his left hand balancing his right arm.
"Now... stop resisting and just die!"
Nicolai charged towards Hawke and loosened his fist.
*FLAP!*
[!!]
Hawke beat his wings and flung himself backward, effectively dodging and creating distance between him and Nicolai.
Hawke extended his right foot and planted it on Nicolai's face!
*Thud!*
"Urk!"
Hawke's kick propelled Nicolai's body back a short distance.
Hawke flipped his body and landed on his feet.
[This might be a little dirty but...]
Hawke mused, pressing the middle finger and thumb of his left hand together.
*bzzzzzz*
Lightning wrapped itself around said fingers.
*Snap!*
Hawke snapped his fingers and...
■■Flash Bang! ■■
A bright blue, literally blinding light engulfed the skies, sending a stinging sensation to Nicolai's eyes.
"Argh! I can't see! Fight me properly you fucking coward!"
Nicolai raised his forearms to cover his eyes from the blinding light of Hawke's spell.
[!!]
[He's behind me?!]
Nicolai cried inwardly, sensing Hawke's presence behind him.
*Bzzt!*
Hawke appeared, his entire body clad in lighting but more so in his left arm.
■■Flash Step Guillotine! ■■
*ZZZAP!*
Hawke extended his lightning imbued forearm and struck Nicolai's neck.
Nicolai's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he was violently flung off the mountain.
*Huff*, *huff*..."
Hawke regulated his breaths and collapsed to his knees.
"...argh..."
He glanced at Nicolai's figure which was slowly disappearing into the distance.
"That... Should have decapitated him... Just how sturdy is he?!"
"*huff*,*huff*... I hope he's atleast unconscious, so that the fall can finish him off."
Hawke knew that it would be difficult for Nicolai to survive a fall from that height...
Even if he did, he would be severely injured.
[I'm almost out of mana...]
He got up to his feet.
"*phew*... I should have stayed home like you asked, Anaise..."
He closed his eyes and spoke in a soft and gentle tone, the visages of his wife and son appearing clearly in his mind.
"It's a shame what happened to the mountain..."
Hawke chewed his lips, regretting that he had destroyed a nest that has been in his family for generations.
*step,step*.
He walked over to the edge of the mountain.
[He's probably still alive down there... I should go and finish him off.]
He mused, his icy blue eyes piercing into the distance.
[!!]
Suddenly! The clouds were adorned by a bright red light, unbearable heat radiating from beneath them.
"Shit..."
A tower of bright red flames bursted through the clouds, raging like an inferno.
Hawke raise his eyes to the top of the flame tower and beheld the figure of Nicolai.
Nicolai glared down at Hawke, multiple girthy veins pulsating on his forehead, steam blowing out of his nostrils everytime he exhaled.
The side of his face swollen and bleeding profusely.
Nicolai gently placed his palm on his neck.
*Crack!*,*Crack!*
He readjusted his neckbones and muscles.
"That really hurt... you fucker..."
Nicolai spat through gnashing teeth.
The tower of flames swirled and condensed into the shape of a sphere, shining almost as bright as the sun and releasing intense waves of heat, enough to melt the already scorched surface of the mountain where Hawke stood.
Hawke beat his wings and flew into the sky to avoid his feet being submerged in lava.
Nocolai grabbed the flame sphere that fit into his palms.
■■■ Ifrit's Tear Drop! ■■■
Nicolai cast his spell and...
"*Gulp!*"
...Swallowed the flame sphere.
*BA-DUMP!*, *BA-DUMP!*
Nicolai's heart beat like a drum, his once olive skin now glowing bright orange like molten steel, his eyes literally ablaze with a red flame.
As Hawke beheld the new form of Nicolai radiating with intense heat and mana, he felt despair crawl up his feathery spine, his every instinct screaming at him to fly away.