Chapter 69: Ch108. Hunter and prey - 4 [DANGER]
"Ahhhh..." Rhegal sighed in something that sounded like relief. "It’s been years since the last time I got to fight in my proper battle form... Congratulations to you two, for making me fight seriously for once. Although the sense of accomplishment won’t last long." He said, vanishing from Kurt’s and Groth’s field of view.
Kurt got down as soon as he sensed the attack coming, but something felt different this time.
Rhegal’s attack didn’t move the air, so his senses picked up the attack one split-second too late.
Rhegal’s claws scratched Kurt’s face, drawing some blood, and Rhegal’s legs kicked Groth’s chest.
Kurt’s familiar managed to block the attack, but it still caused damage, and it was still strong enough to make Groth fly away inside the Indigo Irregulars dorm.
’Master, would you mind if I take my time evacuating the victims of the Dragon Fear before coming back to back you up?’
Kurt’s eyes widened as he punched Rhegal with all he had, denting the scales on his chest ever so slightly.
’You can use telepathy?’ Kurt asked in his mind, internally gasping, while he did his best to keep up with Rhegal’s attacks.
He dodged, punched, kicked, avoided attacks and got punched back.
But both the Ishir commander and Kurt seemed to be evenly matched, and no matter how many blows they landed on each other, the gruesome fight just seemed to be moving towards a stalemate.
’It’s not telepathy.’ Groth answered, calmly. His voice sounded like the hollowing of the wind, soft but imposing. ’It’s the bond we share due to the title effect. And it’s strengthened by how the former king acknowledged you.’
’It makes sense. Anyways, do what you think is right, and thank you for thinking about my friends.’
Groth felt the smile in Kurt’s thought, and he smiled at it, taking Evellyn, Nikolai, and Cinthia in his arms first.
All students and professors that appeared there were now unconscious, due to the devastating effect of Rhegal’s Dragon Fear.
And as Kurt thought about that, he couldn’t answer to himself why a creature that first told the entire planet that they were allies, would do something like that.
It made his blood run hot.
His thoughts ran faster than before, and even before Rhegal could land a blow to Kurt’s face, he remembered of how he drew Rodrick’s attention in combat class.
Kurt’s senses were heightened to an extent that made Groth feel a chill running down his spine as soon as he felt it through their bond.
He felt how Kurt’s instincts were more like those of a beast as he focused more and more in that simple movement.
Duck.
Step forward.
Slide underneath the punch.
Focus all the energy you have in one single point, while moving your arm towards the opponent.
Over his own punch.
And Kurt threw the perfectest counter at Rhegal’s chin.
"In a fight between two wielders, who wins?" Kurt remembered Rodrick asking him.
"Technique." Kurt said, looking at Rhegal’s eyes going vacant, as his whole body went down, falling unconscious to the ground.
Kurt waited a few seconds until he could himself fall to the ground, too exhausted to move.
"Fu-fuck..." Kurt panted. "I’m tired..."
But suddenly, there was movement from Rhegal’s unconscious body.
Kurt tried to get up, but when he was finally able to, Rhegal was already standing tall, even though his jaw bled profusely.
"You think you won just because you knocked me out?" Rhegal mocked. "Let’s see how you deal with this!"
Rhegal’s body began vibrating, and he grimaced in pain, but the Ishir commander kept talking.
"Mark my words, virus... You might be able to get out of it alive, but the world won’t be the one you know anymore. And everyone will stand against you..."
Kurt looked, confused, as he tried to raise his arms, to defend himself from the attack that would come.
But what came instead, was Rhegal’s loud screech, and it wasn’t anything like Dragon Fear.
Rhegal’s body trembled and vibrated, almost as if the commander was having a seizure.
The commander began glowing in that bright red light that emanated from his eyes, brighter and brighter.
And when it achieved a point of almost blinding brilliance, Rhegal exploded.
Leaving a slack-jawed Kurt behind, and a portal where his body once was.
"Wait..." Kurt said, but the system beeped, making his worst fears come true, and bringing even more confusion to his head.
[NEST DETECTED]
[WARNING]
[THE NEST IS 02 MINUTES AWAY FROM BURSTING]
Kurt’s eyes went wide and he stepped back unintentionally.
’No, wait...’
"If It’s only two minutes away from bursting out, then there’s no other choice than to fight... System, is there any other alternative?"
[YES]
[YOU CAN CROSS THE BUBBLE’S THRESHOLD]
[THE BUBBLE VIBRATES WITH YOUR LIFE SIGNATURE, AND ONCE YOU STEP INTO IT, IT WILL CLOSE]
Kurt thought for a second, trying to understand everything that the system was telling him, but the system spoke again.
[THERE IS A WARNING, HOWEVER]
"What is it?"
[YOU MIGHT BE TRAPPED INSIDE THERE FOREVER]
Kurt’s stomach sank, as he looked over his shoulders, towards the direction where Groth had taken his friends.
Seconds passed, while Kurt reminisced in the few weeks he spent together with them.
’Groth, tell them I said goodbye, and take care of them for me, until I get back, okay?’
’Master...’ Kurt felt Groth’s hesitation, but after one moment, the familiar answered. ’I’ll do my best. Just promise you will come back.’
Kurt didn’t say anything.
He just stepped forward, walking towards the Bubble, until he felt the membrane between worlds closing behind him.
The landscape in front of Kurt left him stunned.
It was night, and he was standing on the top of a hill, and a city unfolded below him.
Buildings burning, Beasts swarming the streets, and a few screams echoing through the night.
Right after he arrived, however, the Beasts below seemed to have felt him, and they all turned towards the hill.
"Oh, fuck..." Kurt breathed in deeply, many times, trying to recover some energy from the battle, when he just had an idea. "The stamina potion!"
The Beasts charged towards him from down the hill, but as he drank the blue liquid from the flask, he felt his energy being replenished in an astonishing speed.
Kurt prepared to fight them, but before they finally arrived, he heard a voice from atop of a nearby tree.
"What are you doing? Hide your presence, you idiot!"
It was a female voice that made Kurt feel very familiar with it.
’No... It can’t be...’
Then, he heard another voice that shocked him even more.
"He can’t do it yet."
A pool of darkness formed in front of him, and a figure wearing an cyberpunk oni mask emerged from it.
"Copy my skill, [CONCEAL]. You’ll be able to go on unnoticed by the beasts, then."
The man in front of Kurt was too familiar to him, although in a strange way.
Because he had a few scars that made him look more handsome and badass than Kurt ever imagined.
And he was older, more mature.
"What are you waiting for? A special invitation? Copy it!"
And Kurt did as he was told, still too shocked to say anything back.
[COPYING SKILL – CONCEAL]
[THE PLAYER NOW HAS A NEW SKILL]
Kurt used it, and suddenly, the beasts all seemed to have lost interest in him.
"What was that just now?" He asked to the person in front of him.
"I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the one popping out of a bubble all of a sudden."
Kurt looked at the young man, and the young man looked back.
"What? Is it so shocking to see me?"
"Yes, no, but..."
The young man shushed Kurt, taking off his mask, as the young woman got down from the tree.
"We don’t have much time." Evellyn said, but she was older, too.
And way prettier.
"I know." The older Kurt answered. "Hey, kid, how about you hang out with us for a while? We might have some interesting stuff to show you."
The younger Kurt was about to say something, when the older shushed him again.
"One more thing. Call me K, just so we don’t have any misunderstandings here, okay?"
