The intensity of their fight escalated, with Erik's movements becoming faster and more desperate. Each strike held the weight of their resolve and determination to prevail in this clash of powers.
Simone lunged forward, his dagger aimed at Erik's chest, but the awakener had his defenses up and took no damage.
He quickly sidestepped and raised his weapon; his flyssa sliced through the air in a retaliatory strike.
Simone deftly parried the blow, his dagger clashing against the opponent's blade. The clash of metal echoed through the room as the two combatants engaged in a fierce and deadly dance.
Erik channeled his powers, and soon after, bones emerged from his arms, elongating and hardening into razor-sharp spikes.
With a fluid motion, he unleashed a flurry of bone thrusts toward Simone, who avoided them with quick and calculated movements.
Simone smirked, his eyes filled with confidence. "Impressive tricks, Erik. But can you handle this?" With a swift motion, he activated his own power, turning his dagger into a gleaming ice blade.
The ordinary weapon was transformed into a deadly instrument, glinting with an evil, chilly aura. As Erik observed this, he was left stunned; this man should have belonged to a clan.
"Did you think only the Silverbend could do this?"
The man then charged at Erik, their weapons clashing with a resounding force that was slightly different now due to the ice encasing Simone's dagger, which now resembled a sword rather than a dagger.
The room trembled with their clashes, and the air crackled with mana. The fight was far from over, and both Erik and Simone knew it. Their destinies intertwined in this moment of conflict as Erik pushed his limits, seeking victory in the face of danger.
The onlookers stood in awe, students and thugs alike; their eyes widened with shock and disbelief. The other group members, Amber, Gwen, Jacob, and the rest, gave them occasional glances as the two fought and were left speechless by Erik's prowess.
But there was only one thought in their minds: how the hell could Erik do that? It wasn't only that he was fighting equally against Simone, but they asked themselves how he could use multiple powers.
Their expressions transformed from fear to astonishment, unable to comprehend the magnitude of Erik's ability.
Amber's mouth hung open in disbelief, her eyes wide with astonishment. She had never witnessed such powers before and knew nothing of them.
She could hardly believe that the person she was so intimate with possessed such ability. All of that went beyond human comprehension.
Gwen's brows furrowed, her gaze occasionally moving on the unfolding spectacle. Her mind raced with questions, struggling to grasp the nature of Erik's powers. She had always known him to be strong, but this display surpassed anything she could have imagined.
The rest of the group exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions reflecting a combination of shock, disbelief, and intrigue. The revelation of his powers left them reeling, questioning their own understanding of the world they inhabited.
Though, as they looked at him, his fight progressed; each strike made by Simone was met with a counterstrike by Erik, who used his bone-manipulating brain crystal power to cover his relative lack of speed and prevent Simone from getting too close. The bones even worked as a supplementary defense, as in order to reach his flesh, the sword had to go past the bones first.
The room was filled with the clashing of weapons, the echoes of their grunts reverberating through the air. Erik's spikes thrust once again, Simone made a backspin with acrobatic agility and avoided them once again, and the boney weapons pierced the air.
But the thug was not one to be outdone; his ice sword moved with precision and speed, aiming for Erik's exposed areas.
The man pushed himself and swung the sword at the young man, who could do nothing to defend against that swing and had to resort to using his mana once again. He metalized and used his mana exoskeleton to prevent damage, but that required a lot of Erik's reserves.
<Fuck…> the young man thought.
"What an impressive defense!" Simone said as he retreated.
Sweat glistened on Erik's brow. These many fights against people so strong placed a significant burden on him and his mana reserves. He didn't have that much now, and he was seriously starting to fear he would die that day.
Matthew's hound, Simone, lunged forward again, the ice sword gleaming in his hand and decreasing the room's temperature by several degrees, aiming for Erik's chest once again.
But the awakener, thanks to Nathaniel's power, was able to block the blow. He parried the move with his Flyssa, boosting his strength with the force; Matthew's son was so proud of; the clash of metal ringing through the air.
Undeterred, Simone pivoted, his eyes filled with determination. He swiftly darted to the side, avoiding the bone spikes that erupted from Erik's body, each aiming to impale the thug.
But Simone was no ordinary adversary; his agility was far higher than Erik's, and even if the awakener attacked at almost point-blank range, he was able to avoid the attacks. He twisted and turned, narrowly evading the lethal thrusts.
Erik's eyes glowed with intensity as he channeled his powers further, trying to kill the man, but so did his frustration as the thug kept avoiding each attack he made.
That was the best he could do unless he used Logan's power, but to do that, he needed three conditions: first, he had to use the dart when Simone least expected it.
Secondly, he needed the man to be tired enough to make it impossible for him to avoid the dart, and third, Erik needed enough mana to debilitate him enough to be able to kill him.
With that thought in mind, and with a swift movement, Erik lunged forward, his flyssa aimed at Simone's midsection and hoping the opportunity to use the dart came. The thug, taken aback by the sudden change in Erik's approach, barely managed to dodge the powerful blow.
"You were almost lucky!" Simone shouted.
The force of Erik's strike sent shock waves through the air, causing debris to scatter across the room and dust to arise.
Simone recovered quickly, his expression a mix of amusement and excitement. He knew Erik had very few neural links, and if he was able to do all of this with that meager amount, then he wondered how strong he would be once he got his hands on this power.
The room became a battleground as the two fought. Their movements were a blur of steel and shimmering mana.
Erik's bone spikes shot forth from his body, seeking to impale the thug, but Simone's agility and skill allowed him to dodge, sidestep, and parry each deadly thrust. It was like Simone was dancing as he avoided the bones.
Amidst the chaos, the other group members watched in awe and disbelief while they fought their battles. Their eyes widened as they witnessed Erik's incredible abilities—the manifestation of powers they had never seen before.
Their initial fear and apprehension turned into a mix of hope and astonishment as Erik kept his ground against the man, and they used that hope to fuel their energy during their own fights.
They understood that Erik was the key to their survival. The awakener had become their beacon of hope and their shield against the relentless onslaught of Simone and his thugs.
Amid the battle, Erik's eyes burned with fierce determination, but tiredness could be seen in them. With every strike and every parry, his strength waned, while Simone was still in relatively good shape, although it was becoming challenging even for him.
Though a brief moment of miscalculation led to Erik's defenses faltering, Simone seized the opportunity and swiftly maneuvered his dagger, delivering a deep gash across Erik's chest, adding to the one he already had—a surge of pain shot through Erik's body, causing him to stagger back momentarily.
The group gasped in collective worry as they witnessed Erik's injury. Amber's eyes widened with concern, and her voice trembled as she called out his name. "Erik!"
Despite the pain coursing through his veins, Erik refused to let it deter him. Blood trickled from his wound, but he pushed forward, refusing to back down. The young man briefly glanced at his companions, acknowledging their concerns and noticing how they were fighting desperately against the thugs.
His friends were now fighting two against one, but they lost the initial advantage they held when they were more, and trying to stay alive and avoid their enemies' attacks was the only thing they could do and think of.
However, their lives also depended on the amount of mana they had available, which was not that much even in their case since they had been fighting for quite some time now.
The battle continued, with Erik's movements becoming more calculated and his focus honed despite the throbbing ache in his wounded chest, shoulder, and arms. Every blow and parry was like a stab wound on his side. He was starting to feel too weak as the blood kept flowing out of his wound.
A twisted grin curled across Simone's face as he witnessed Erik's struggle. His eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure, reveling in the sight of his adversary's pain.
The sight of Erik's weakening defenses and the strain evident on his face fueled his excitement.
He could taste victory within reach, his confidence surging with each blow exchanged. The intensity of the battle had awakened a primal hunger in him, a hunger to dominate and conquer.
His excitement grew, mirroring the growing desperation in Erik's every movement as he relished the prospect of bringing his opponent's secret out.
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