A man trashed against a stall of fruit shop. He got up the next moment, the pile of fruits rolling down onto the ground caused by the fierce movements of the man. His eyes narrowed at the direction he flew from. The shop owner stared at him, his jaw almost drooping to the ground. Before he could regain his calm he saw the man disappear into thin air.
The people around were dumbfounded, including the shop owner. All of them stared at the hole on the wall, the place where that man who had disappeared came flying from.
While at the same time on the other side of the capital, within these crushed walls, the people around looked at the boy with amazement.
Satatra now understood why this person was able to send himself backwards with a single kick. This was the same boy, the same commoner who was executed a few months ago. Persuambly under a false execution. Just like him Eustin and Revard also recognised Hitomu, the boy that had the nerve of a wolf, enough to mock at those pigs openly. Even Aaroar was not an exception. His eyes widened as he watched the young boy stand nonchalantly as if he did not do anything much of a big deal.
Zarad's lips curved into a proud smirk. That was his man! Strong and powerful, beautiful like art itself.
Alfru almost felt his eyes rolling off the ground. He had never imagined the youth not only had a nonchalant temperament, he was even a skilled fighter. A very skilled one.
Hitomu ignored their gazes. Instead, his eyes slanted towards a direction. He was coming back.
The shadow of a person appeared before him as he threw a fist at him. Hitomu blocked the attack with a single jab, then he raised his legs taking a clean stance.
Bang!
Two kicks holding equivalent power collided, skin to skin. The area of contact between their attacks let out sparks, creating strong waves once more. The pair of legs struggled for domination. Both ended up retreating their legs then kicked at the same time once more, causing a strong friction that created a dent onto the ground. Shand clenched his fingers like claws as he aimed them at his enemy's neck. He acted faster than eyes could see. But Hitomu saw it. Right before his iron grip claws could touch him he blocked them using his fingers, jabbing at the clawed finger's joints, making them bend. Shand clicked his tongue as he slammed his other leg onto Hitomu.
Hitomu dodged it slightly but the momentum of the kick grazed past his cheek, cutting him a bit on his face. He had no time to wipe away the dripping blood so he could only ignore it for now.
"YOU! YOU DARED TO SMASH ME LIKE THAT!" Shand spoke in a calm yet, murderous tone. He was clearly very angry.
Adulle and Adu could tell. But they were thankful as he seemed livelier than ever. His murderous eyes were smiling with excitement like some maniac.
"It had been a long long time since I was last injured. Not bad." His bright eyes twisted like a madman's. As he spoke he fixed the broken bone on his legs, fingers and his abdomen with cracking sounds. He popped his neck, making cracking sounds as he chuckled to himself.
"I shall have you crumble before me today no matter what."
Hitomu did not reply. He simply sprinted towards his target. Shand smiled at him creepily. As soon as Hitomu was a few meters away from him he felt a pressuring aura crashing down onto him. It was a domain. A domain of Shand's royal halo.
Hitomu frowned. But he did not submit to the pressure. He let out a long sigh as he adjusted his posture. Shand saw this so he did not delay his attack.
"Royal halos can also be used this way." He spoke.
Thousands of spears projected from within the gorund, the sharp tip of the spears shinning with a sharp glint, draped in yellow bright auras. The spears dangled in mid air. All of their sharp fangs directed towards Hitomu. Shand gestured with his hand and at his command the energy spears dashed towards Hitomu all at once. Hitomu who had adjusted the flow of energy in his body gazed at the scene before him with calm eyes, like a wild cat, he moved gracefully at full speed, agile and swift, just like the wind and everytime he moved places he used the knuckles of his fingers to dispel the spear made of halos. Shand grinned wider, his eyes shinning briliantly. He could see the shadow of another person overlapping over Hitomu's.
Shand flicked his fingers. A sword appeared in his hand. He sprinted into the centre where Hitomu was attacking rapidly. Shand swept his fingers against the blade of his sword. He did not chant any kind of words but he had actually activated one of his original spells. The sword that was draped with bright halo dimmed and became a normal sword, that was to say, its appearance became that of a normal sword.
Hitomu who was as calm as the sea breeze slanted his eyes elsewhere. He raised his hands just to block the dangerous slash of the enemy's on time.
Kakaka.....kekeke...k.
The friction between the sword and his hand created these strange sounds. The smile on Shand's face was gone and instead it was replaced by a bloodshot look. He waved with his other hand and thrusted it forward aiming at the boy that irritated his nerves. Hitomu felt the bone crushing power of the man through the sword he held. Now that another strike was coming at him, head on, he should panic a little bit. But he was calm. He once more directed the flow of strentgh throughout his body onto the tips of his fingers and his hand that was used to block the sword.
Zinggg!
The strike that held bone crushing power was met with another fist, the fist that retaliated slammed onto the enemy's attack, drilling through its defense. It drilled against the skin of the enemy, crushing the bones of the hand from inside. Shand frowned. He retracted his hand. Infact he was not the only one. The tips of Hitomu's fingers were bent, deviating to a strange curve.
Shand stared at Hitomu's eyes. The look on Hitomu's face stung his heart. For a moment, he saw himself in him, he saw his younger self reflected in Hitomu's eyes. And it stung his heart for various reasons.
"Come with me." His subconsciousness won over his rational side. Shand was stunt with himself as soon as he heard these words leave from his very own lips. He frowned thinking he made a mistake. But when he raised his eyes and they met with Hitomu's serene eyes, he did not hesitated any longer.
"Come with me. We have no reason as to why we should fight. Not anymore." Shand spoke. His voice was clear this time.
"I initially wanted to finish you off but it's such a waste to do it. And if you come with me, I will tell you a secret related to you birth mother,......" Shand tried to speak that name but stopped. He frowned as he tried to control the urge to complete this sentence in his heart.
As soon as Zarad heard these words he let the mascular man he was strangling fall down on the ground. The man's head hit the ground hard and he groaned but Zarad did not gave a damn to him as he rushed over to Hitomu's side.
Once he was beside him he took Hitomu's hand and held it tightly. Then he glared at Shand. Shand glared back at him. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the two hands held together. Although Zarad did not say anything his actions said it all. Zarad was not satisfied so he pulled Hitomu back and stood before him, as if guarding him, blocking Shand's view at the same time.
Hitomu felt the tug on his hand grow tighter. The hands were slightly trembling. He looked up at Zarad. With soft eyes.
Shand noticed the look of softness in Hitomu's eyes.
"Hah!" He exclaimed. Like father like son. Just like that damn Diego.
He felt a bitterness in his heart as he spoke for the last time wearing a dead pan expression, his eyes serious.
"You will regret if you continue looking at him like that. This is my last chance for you."
Hitomu looked him in the eyes. He did not speak for a while but he displayed his answer very clearly. He squeezed at Zarad's hand that was holding his palm. Zarad looked at him and Hitomu did the same thing. He did not speak but his eyes made it known that it was okay. Everything was okay.
"My answer will always remain the same." He did not look at Shand while speaking this instead he gazed at Zarad calmly, with slightly curved lips. Zarad felt his heart beat crazily against his chest as he saw the boy look up at him with a soft expression. They totally ignored the look of everyone around them. Specially Shand.
Shand was oozing out an intense aura filled with killing intent. The air around him became ominous and the temperature dropped. Adulle felt it distinctively more than anyone did. Just when everyone thought he was gonna explode Shand suddenly announced.
"Everyone, we are leaving. Retreat." Darkness loomed in his eyes as he glanced at Hitomu for a second. But he did not let his eyes linger around for longer than a second. His mood was complicated as he felt a starnge contradiction in his heart, one that he tried to deny over and over again.
Adule and Adu got back to his side. And before anyone could take a chance to stop them the three of them jumped on a magical beast that had wings. The beast let them up in its back then dove up to the sky. It picked up the masculine man who laid unconscious using its elongated tail. While at the same time it used its other tail, let it coil around Ahaii's waist before it picked him up too.
Too bad before they could fly up to a point where it was unreachable Hitomu jumped up to its tail. He then kicked at the tail that was holding Ahaii. The tail coiled aorund his waist went loose and he began to fall. Hitomu quickly sprinted towards him, princess carried him and then came crashing down landing softly on the gorund without making a single sound. Ahaii, the one who was princess carried was dumbfounded. Hitomu set him down. Because he was also another innocent person who was dragged into a mess of a cruel fate he decided to rescue him for once. After this whatever road he would choose it would be up to Ahaii.
"Your life is no one's but yours. Don't walk behind another person's shadows but your own. Walk in and with freedom if you want to make your wish of revival come true." Hitomu faced Ahaii as he spoke these words to him.
Ahaii's eyes fluctuated with surprise. He stared into the other person's brown eyes. Ahaii had never seen such beautiful and crystal clear eyes, so pure and clean, it was nothing like he had ever seen before.
After saying this Hitomu looked at the departing enemies.
"My prince that lad....." Adulle was stopped mid way.
"Let him be. He is no longer useful." Shand interrupted him. He closed his eyes to hide the Storm that was brewing in them. His mood was complicated.
Even the two could sense it.
The next time we meet in battlefield, I will slay you for sure.....without hesitating. Young owl Anwyll.......
These thoughts rang in his mind as a reminder.
Meanwhile back at the other side, there stood a certain person eating vinegar.
Moreover he was tasting it for the first time ever in his life.
Revard almost dropped his jaw onto the ground when he saw the face Zarad was making at the moment.