Marko Tenkou

Chapter 14

"Hero, don't." he tried to advice him. "He only wants you to attack him first. Let's just walk away."

"Why?" Hero asked.

"He's a lot stronger than he looks. Dei is trying to use this card to make you think irrationally. This is actually part of his strategy."

"Hey, old man, no cheating." Dei pouted. "It's no fun when you spoil shit."

"Dei, let's..." Umetaro was about to speak, but Hero stopped him.

"It's fine, Umetaro. I can face him." he insisted as he slowly walked towards Dei.

"Hero, wait..."

Hero shot himself forward in near blinding speed with his hand slowly forming blue energy around his right fist. He jumped, preparing to punch Dei in the face. As he threw his punch, he noticed he hadn't move at all.

"What? Is he going to take my attack?" Hero put aside his wonderment and focused.

With a wave his right hand, Dei intercepted the punch like a swating a fly. While Hero was still caught in shock, he grabbed him by his face midair with his right hand and flung him out of the window, shattering it entirely and causing him to fall head first to into the clean cut grass below.

Just before impact, Hero landed on the safely and turned back only to Dei jumping down after him. He jumped forward, evading his attack.

"That all you got that?!" Dei laughed as he stood up.

"This guy..." Hero placed his guard up.

The others, aside from Shani, ran to the edge of the window to see the fight.

"Just who is this guy, Umetaro?" Titania asked her hero.

"I really don't know..." he responded. "But, what I do know is that he fights better than he speaks. He's no pushover. If Hero wants to win... hell, even want to live, he better unsheathe his sword now."

Just as he said that, Hero readied to unsheathe his sword. In response, Dei folded his arms.

"Go on ahead and attack." Dei stood firmly.

"Huh?" Hero looked at him with a confused look. "Aren't you going to arm yourself?"

"No need. Hell, I can beat with you without using my arms at all." Dei gave a confident smirk.

Hero released his grip on his sword and charged at him with another energy punch at ready. Just as he threw it, a lightning bolt struck at him, forcing him to jolt backwards to evade it.

"What the hell?!" he cursed. He noticed Dei hadn't move at all during the process. A spark appeared on his forehand. At the same time, another lightning bolt struck downward on Hero. He quickly blocked it with the blade of his sword, tiny sparks danced off.

A series of sparks flashed on Dei's forehand as lightning rained down from the sky in quick succession. Hero blocked, evaded, and parried as quickly as he could. A surprise bolt managed to him, sending volts through his body.

He gritted his teeth in intense pain to prevent from screaming. After the bolt vanished, he nearly fell to the ground, but managed to keep his hold.

Dei laughed madly. "It's not fun getting hit by lightning, isn't it?! If you beg on your knees, I'll save you the pain of experience more."

"Shut up." Hero barked as he weakly stood. The bolt had already made his body shake. Another might have made it numb. He didn't want to imagine what more could do to him.

"He can't win." Umetaro concluded to himself and then turned to Shani, who hadn't move from her position since. "Shani, stop this battle at once. It's clear who the victor is going to be."

"Correct. It shall be, Dei." Shani said. "However, he hasn't won yet."

"Are you trying to get him killed?" he glared at her. "Set aside your childish ambitions before someone gets killed."

"Then tell him to surrender. If he wants to get himself killed, then it's not my fault."

"You..."

"It's alright, Umetaro." Marko suddenly spoke.

"Marko?" Titania stared at her.

"He's going to win. I know it."

"Look at him..." Umetaro pointed at Hero. "And tell me that again."

"I am looking at him, Umetaro. It's sad that you're not."

"What are you..." Umetaro gazed at Hero. His body was no longer shaking, his grip on his sword tensed, and his gleamed brightly with a hue of blue in them as well as determination.

"He's just getting started." Marko said with her own deep determination in voice.

Blue energy began to surround his entire body until he and his sword was cloaked in it. Dei kept his smirk until Hero vanished into thin air.

"What..." he quickly searched for him and saw he was just a few inches away. He called down another lightning bolt to strike him, but he vanished completely before the bolt even touched the ground.

His eyes widen once he sensed he was now behind him. He quickly shot himself and called another bolt to strike, but once again it didn't met his target.

Hero reappeared again, this time directly above him and swung his sword downward. Dei sensed his presence and caught the blade in his bare hands before it could meet his face.

He gritted his teeth in pain as he tighten his hold and his palms bleed. He was about to call another bolt, but Hero released his grip and dove below him.

"Hero Barrage!" he shouted his attack and repeatedly pummeled his fists into Dei's exposed chest and stomach in a rapid succession.

Dei coughed up blood as the barrage of punches kept coming. He quickly let go of the his sword and threw a punch at him in an attempt to stop him, but Hero simply vanished again and continued his attack, this time at his face.

The others stared in bewilderment as he continued. Shani sensed the change in battle walked to see it herself. She then too was staring in bewilderment as well.

Just as the hundredth reached him, Dei managed to grab hold of his arms and heavily collided his head against his own, a headbutt in other words. Hero escaped his grip, grabbed his sword, and struck downward at him.

Dei summoned two dark yellow jis, Chinese halberds with small crescent blades attached to the head and red horsehair tassel with lightning bolt markings where the head is fixed to the shaft, and locked blades with him.

The two heroes roared as they exchanged rapid slashes and danced around the battlefield in blurs. They once again clashed and locked blades. Dei called another lightning bolt to struck Hero. Amazingly, Hero kept his hold and grip as volts surged through his body.

"What the hell?!" Dei's eyes widened. "Who is he still standing?!"

He called another, this one more stronger and vicious than the last. As the struck its target, it gave out a bang that could shatter eardrum and a bright flash of light.

Everybody covered their eyes from the light. The intensity of the attack blew out the windows and created a massive carter in the ground.

As the light faded, they opened their to see Dei and Hero still standing. Suddenly, Hero fell over, unconscious and defeated.