Mixed Blood

58: Battle Royal: Part 3

"Welcome to MY world," Jun declared, emphasizing the word "my".

"What did you do?" Munhee blurted out, his voice filled with panic.

"Simple. I cancelled your illusions with darkness," Jun explained. "Since your visual illusions heavily rely on being seen, that means they also heavily rely on the presence of light in order to be perceived. Now, I created an area where no light could penetrate. Without light, your illusions are powerless."

"Let me out! Fight me mano a mano," Munhee insisted.

"After you toyed with me using your power, now you want hand to hand combat? I don't think so," Jun declined. "But since you really want to fight using hands so much, let me honor your final wishes."

Jun was darkness and darkness was Jun. Jun was easily moving himself around the darkness. Finally, he delivered the final move to Munhee. He revealed himself from the darkness in front of Munhee and punched his hand through Munhee's chest, into his heart and all the way to the back. Munhee disintegrated into ashes shortly after.

"You're right, Haohao," Jun whispered to himself. "No matter what or how the landscape is, it's all useless when there's no light and you can't see anything,"

On one part of the forest, Seungcheol finally managed to catch Yongsun, the Moissanite crown prince.

"What a historical battle this will turn out to be," Yongsun said. "A battle between two crown princes."

"And I will be going down in the history books as the one victorious," Seungcheol confidently claimed.

"No. I'll be making sure that by sunrise, you're history," Yongsun rebutted.

The battle immediately ensued. Seungcheol made the first move by shooting lightning off his palms; his eyes glowed Serenity blue as soon as he used his power. Strangely, Yongsun also countered with lightning. Unfazed, Seungcheol brought forth a strong gale but Yongsun mimicked what Seungcheol did and retaliated with air also.

"What are you? A power replicator, channeler or an elementalist just like me?" Seungcheol addressed.

"It's for you to figure out," Yongsun quizzed.

This time, Youngsun attacked by summoning hail. Seungcheol simply countered it with his fire and launched sharp rocks to Yongsun. But contrary to Seungcheol's expectations, Yongsun did not counter with rocks. Instead, he pulverized the rocks using continuous bolts of lightning with pinpoint accuracy.

"So, according to our last exchange, you are not a power channeler," Seungcheol deduced.

"How can you say so?" Yongsun questioned.

"Because if you were a channeler, you shouldn't be able to summon hail since I did not activate my Cryokinesis. The same is true when you used electricity to counter my rocks. You should have countered my Geokinesis with Geokinesis if you were a power channeler."

"Let me clear things up for you then," Yongsun stated. "Allow me to change the conditions."

After Yongsun said that, a huge thunderstorm enveloped the whole Fear Forest. It quickly poured torrential rain. Thankfully, the other Princes were done battling at this point. Only the pivotal battle between the two crown princes remained.

"I see. You're Atmokinetic," Seungcheol realized.

"Knowing what my ability is does not guarantee your victory, Crown Prince," Yongsun pointed out.

The battle resumed. It was the main event indeed. Both vampires were equally skilled in combat and in utilizing their abilities in battle. Elements were thrown here and there. Explosions reverberated across the forest. After more or less ten minutes of attacks and counter-attacks, both vampires emerged with considerable injuries on their respective bodies.

"He's skilled," Seungcheol admitted.

"What now, Crown Prince? Not as powerful as you think you are when fighting against someone nearly the same power as you?" Yongsun ridiculed.

"Nearly the same power as me?" Seungcheol repeated silently.

The latter part of Yongsun's mockery triggered Seungcheol's memory. Seungcheol reminisced about a question asked by Joshua in one of Jeonghan's trainings. In this particular time, the Mystics were helping the WANNABLE squad train Jeonghan with his Deflection.

"Same power as me?" Seungcheol repeated for the second time, only louder. "I don't think so,"

Seungcheol slowly exhaled and clapped his hands above his head. Instantaneously, the thunderstorm subsided.

"What did you do?" Yongsun looked up.

"True. Atmokinesis may be able to simulate Elementalism." — Seungcheol paused for a few seconds — "But now, let see Elementalism simulating Atmokinesis."

After the declaration, Seungcheol generated a huge sandstorm to blow. Yongsun protected himself by countering it with a localized rain in his area. Seungcheol immediately followed with electricity-infused fire. Yongsun was barely able to defend using a blast of ice from his palms. Finally, Seungcheol pulled an imaginary bow and launched an imaginary arrow to the sky. Almost immediately, flaming rocks began to fall in Yongsun's direction. Youngsun did his best to counter the mini-meteors but was ultimately hit by the incoming barrage. Seungcheol went closer to the near lifeless body of Yongsun.

"The greatest weakness of Atmokinesis is that it cannot produce fire and earth since the two does not occur naturally in the atmosphere," Seungcheol looked down on Yongsun.

"If y-y-you think... this i-is o-over... Seungcheol... you... are g-g-gravely... mistaken," Yongsun's broken declaration even in the brink of death. "We... are s-seven... Moissanite p-p-princes. E-even if... each o-of your b-b-brothers... managed to f-f-fight... and k-kill one... one of u-us will s-s-still... be a-able to a-accomplish... our... o-original... g-g-goal."

"Where is he? What is your last brother trying to accomplish?" Seungcheol demanded answers.

"Ha..." Youngsun was still able to let out a laugh. "He... s-should h-have... r-reached... t-t-the p-palace... b-b-by now."

"Our soulmates!" realization struck Seungcheol.

Yongsun weakly cackled, "You a-a-are t-t-too... l-late... S-s-seungcheol. A-a-all of y-you... w-will... h-have no s-soulmates... t-t-to r-return to. Live... in a w-world... f-full... of s-s-sadness... and m-m-misery."

Yongsun's statement caused Seungcheol's expression to darken. Without any hint of mercy, Seungcheol released blue flames from both of his palms. Ashes was left where Yongsun used to lay.

"I have to get to my brothers," Seungcheol needed to return to the palace as soon as possible.