Brandon, Zack, and Reha were moving at full speed bhinde Caldo who was preparing to depart to the sector where the invasion had begun. Apparently, he had wair to regain some of his mana and didn't want to go into the battlefield anything less than 100 percent.
" I'll be leaving you all now. East Sector 4 should be only a couple of miles from here. That's where you all will go." His mana had returned. He turned his head back locking eyes with Brandon as he spoke who gave him a confident nod. " You all be careful."
" What about you?" Reha replied with a confusing question.
" . . .What do you mean?"
She didn't reply. Her rose-red eyes just stared back at him pryingly, like searching his soul for the answer. After a moment Caldo faced forward once again.
" Don't worry about me. I've been specifically trained for combat, ever since I lived in the enemies kingdom."
Brandon and Zacks's eyes both widened slightly in surprise. The Kingdom of Aces had never put a focus on mana use in combat. That's what they've been told. . .From the soldiers they've fought that seemed true enough. They certainly weren't well trained. . .Who would have trained Caldo for such intense combat?
Reha's eyes sunk to the floor staring at her feet as they moved in a blur. This high speed usually made her nauseous. Ever since they were trained to focus all mana into their legs to increase speed making them travel miles in minutes. It certainly wasn't comfortable, after all the human body is still the human body. This speed isn't easy for it to handle and often causes trainees to pass out or even rupture organs.
Right now though, she couldn't think about the nausea, but the eyes that Caldo carried concerned her once more. Even after he had proved himself in combat to her surprise. His eyes remained the same, they seemed to be that of an already defeated man...Like he had no other reason to fight outside of it being the only thing he knew how to do.
[" If that's all he has...Then when death comes knocking on his door...Our doors. . .Will he accept it with open arms dragging us down with him."]
She was actually happy he was leaving them on their own. That meant they could fight without having to rely on their squad lead for orders. They can fight for each other instead of for the mission's sake.
" Brandon you are now in charge of the squad. Remember the 'R' family can transmit straight to your head...Don't panic."
" Why would I panic?"
"...Believe me. It's quite strange when they first connect." The tone of his voice seemed to be a reflection of a rather traumatic event.
" Oh...Sounds like you're speaking from experience." A teasing smile crossed Brandon's face that matched the tone of his voice.
" Few!"
Caldo paid him no mind and in a flashy show of flame. He sped off ahead of them fire trailing behind his feet...Much faster than normal mana reinforcement to the legs for higher speed.
" Howe'd he do that?' Zack asked before Reha could. No answer came as them being the same age meant none of them had that knowledge. . .Still, Brandon parted his lips after coming up with an idea.
" Maybe since fire is magic. he simply stopped the reinforcement in his legs leaving only the mana necessary for a fire cast which gives him faster speed. And reinforced his upper body to not rupture any organs or pass out."
". . .You sure?" Zack replied with a skeptical tone.
" No, I'm not sure. . .How could I be, but if you have a better idea let me hear it."
" But squad lead. You are our leader so you must know everything. Right?" His clearly teasing voice caused Brandon to whip his head around violently.
" Shut your face. Or I'll demote you and send you back to military school!"
" Uh! You don't have that kind of power."
Reha couldn't ' help but crack a smile. This type of bickering and joking has been a staple of these brothers. . .It was good to see they could still keep at it even during such intense situations...However, their joking couldn't last as Brandon suddenly faced forward and held up his arm telling them to stop.
They could hear the sounds of fierce combat not far off. They had made it to east sector 4, From the sounds of screaming and clanging of swords. It seemed this battle was still very much a fifty-fifty.
" Okay. You all ready."
Their mana had returned during the sprint here. Since it is only mana reinforcement and not mana being expelled in any way it doesn't drain the body outside of simple stamina, and if properly used mana reinforcement doesn't tire one too much.
' We're good." Zack replied for the both of them. Reha summoned her scythe prematurely as she figured after last time it would be a good idea to have it ready.
" Okay then-"
" He Ha!"
A thunderous loud voice echoed from above them. Without even looking each of them jumped away from where they were standing as something crashed in the middle of all of them as they spread out forming a triangle.
Dust and rocks flew into the air covering the apparent massive being, though its tall bulky figure was still visible only making the details of what it was.
[" This thing's mana is different from those we had just fought. . ."] There was a mana difference. Not human mana, something else. [" It's demi-human."]
Reha and Zack were positioned in front of it. With Brandon behind it his blade drawn. Seeing this Zack also drew his.
" I knew I sensed some great mana. . .How surprising. Is it coming from you three? No. you two."
The figure was slowly becoming more visible. Its head was turned facing Brandon its pupils were pitch black. It was easily 8 feet tall. Brandon recognized this beast although it's not native to their kingdom.
" It's a Calicorian!" He called out leaving Zack and Reha surprised. They too knew about these demi-humans...But the way they've been described was nothing like this...
[" This one seems more pure."] Its size was much more than described coming closer to a pure Calicorian. Its skin looked tough like sharp rocks were glued onto it. Its fingers were short but thick, its hands were the size of their heads.
Its waist and chest seemed to be pure muscle with a thin layer of skin dropped over top of it. Its teeth were sharp. . .Even now Brandon could possibly land a strike from behind as it fared forward, but an overwhelming force stopped him.
" So you know my species huh? Well, that won't help you much. . .I'll assume you haven't fought many of us seeing as you are so shocked." His eyes stopped on each one of them. As he reached Reha they grew duller, like disappointment. " So small and...."
" Shew!!"
"Pitiful!"
The beast used its length taking one step to reach Reha. It through a punch even quicker than that as it was only inches from her face quicker than Zack could react.
" Reha!" He called out. Brandon seeing the attack began to charge the back which was exposed bringing his sword up.
" Few. Shink"
A gust of wind spawned in front of Reha slowing the punch inches from her face where she then blocked it with her Scyth and surprising the best by pushing his fist away. As this happened Brandon came charging in and swung the blade aiming for the wrist of the hand it had just thrown a punch with.
" Shingg"
The sword landed, but no damage occurred as Brandon slid past the beast with his sword now chipped. He brought the blade up to his eyes where the tip had a clear chip out of it.
[" It's skin is tough."] He looked to his right where Zack seemed to be in some sort of shock. ["What gotten into him!?"] Zack! Snapp out of it!"
" uh, Sorry!"
" Impressive. For a tiny weak girl like you" The beast snickerd.
" If she's weak. . .What does that make you." Brandon replied defending her. The fear he felt earlier was gone. he understood to win you needed complete confidence In your and your ally's abilities. He couldn't allow fear to stop his movement.
" Funny." The beast laughed in its deep intimidating tone. His teeth like a shark. " If you think that was me at full strength."
The beast formed an 'X' with his arms over his chest. His mana then became visible as his output increased massively. Then his skin became even sharper and poked out slightly like blades all over his body.
" You would be mistaken."
" Tch!" Brandon clicked his tongue seeing this output increase. " Spread out!" He shouted his first command as a squad lead.
" RAH!" The beast lifted its fist in the air and punched the ground with insane force shaking the earth. Reha, Zack, and Brandon all dashed to different sides of the beast as the massive tricks from the earth were lifted into the sky.
Branodn sensed mana build up within the dust cloud. Suddenly tiny sharp things came shooting out in all directions.. . .It was the beast's skin.
[" I can't let these hit."] He sensed they were laced with something. Something deadly. He planted his foot and twisted. Gathering all the mana in the area. Which wasn't much seeing as they were far from the battlefield, but this beast's mana control wasn't great meaning he was letting much into the air for his use.
With the twist, he expelled the mana redirecting all the skin blades. Then came a bolder large enough to bust a hole straight threw any building.
[" It's only using mana reinforcement. ..Other than that previous attack it has no magical abilities."] This was a massive assumption, but one he was confident in.
.
Reha and Zack had split up. Zack had performed the same mana expulsion move that Brandon had redirecting the skin blades, he then swiftly dodged the bolder.
" Shit!"
His eyes widened as he dodged into a second. The beast apparently was targeting him first with an unexpected attack. He couldn't cast defensive magic in time and didn't have enough mana to slow down something of this size.
" Shink!"
The red outfit of Reha descended in front of his Scyth slicing straight through the bolder. Leaving Zack wide-eyed. her red hair danced in the wind as she landed on the floor the split bolder going around each of them.
' Dame! Reha how sharp is that thing!" Zack called out in surprise.
" Do you want to find out!" She then shut him up with a quick response due to the tense situation as the beast slowly approached through the cloud.
" . . .Sorry-"
" Why do you keep getting in the way." The beast spoke with a bitter tone. " My fun is with these two-"
" Fwip"
Suddenly Bradon appeared behind him his sword aiming for the beast's neck which according to the information on them would be its softest spot. The spot to kill it!
" Shwip!" The beast though turned around with speed unimaginable for its size. It had predicted this move and was prepared for it as soon as it happened.
" Crack!" Reha and Zakcs eyes widened as the back of its right fist connected with Brandons head on.
" Crash!" He was sent flying and disappeared into a dust cloud as he crashed into a small uplift in the terrain.
" BROTHER!"