Chapter 41: Captain
No POV:
Axel sat on the bed in the infirmary, both his hands covered in bandages.
He tried scratching his head.
He flinched...
"Ow—!" The pain stung. It felt like he was being stabbed by a thousand needles.
"You gonna be okay?" Hayley walked up to him.
With a sigh, he replied. "Yeah.. it’ll probably heal up by the end of the day..."
His gaze shifted to Amy. Hayley had already healed her...
The cuts and bruises no longer present on her smooth body.
He stared long and hard... After their fight, he had come to see her in a whole new light. Something akin to respect...
’Still... No lady should have access to that kind of power.’ He thought.
"Well, glad I didn’t wear a tank top."
Hearing her voice, Axel came back to his senses... He hadn’t realized he had been staring a little too long.
"Ohh uhmm... I didn’t... It’s not like that..." He stuttered causing Amy to laugh.
"I didn’t know you were this...active."
"I always knew he was a pervert.."
"Ack! No! C’mon!"
.
.
.
"Yes, yes. Milley saw a huge bug!"
"Really?"
"Mhm!"
Amidst the laughter, the door opened. They all turned around to see who came in.
Hades stepped inside with Milley in her arms. Seemingly having their own little conversation...
"..."
"..."
"..."
However, when their eyes met, there was silence.
Complete, utter silence...
Axel and Hayley simultaneously turned to Amy, who still stood there with her eyes wide.
Hades blinked...
"Oh uh... I thought she already left so..."
"Big brother!!" Unaware of the brewing tension, Milley jumped down from Hades’ arms and ran towards Axel...
The tension was palpable...
Amy clenched her fists. It was clear what was going to happen.
"That’s... A Devil..."
Any second from now, things could explode...
"Amy, wait. Calm down. She’s with us..." Hayley hurriedly said.
"Let’s all calm down, yeah?" Hades nervously chucked.
"You... You’re keeping a devil... A living devil..."
Her fists started to harden. Her energy spiking...
"Amy we can explain. Just.. calm down." Axel tried to reason with her.
She took a stance...
It was already too late. She was ready to attack...
"You’re going to hurt Shadow Lady?" Amy froze.
"Wha—?" She turning to Milley. She was looking at her with solemn eyes.
"Don’t hurt Shadow Lady... Please."
"Calm down and we’ll explain everything..." Hayley seized the opportunity and spoke up...
After several long seconds of silence, Amy exhaled. The stone vanishing from her fists as she sat on the bed next to Axel.
~~~~~
"So you’re telling me, she’s the devil that Axel is contracted with. And the only devil able to manifest physically?"
"Yeah..."
"And there’s another part of her— crazier, more dangerous, just as powerful..."
"Almost as powerful" Hades corrected with a smile.
"So, do you believe us?" Hayley said in a low voice.
"Yeah, I do." She sighed. "Honestly, it’s kinda hard not to. Considering how crazy things have gotten..."
"Phew.. thought I was a goner" Hades let out a relieved sigh...
"You act like that but we both know you could take us all down. Am I wrong?" Amy said with a smile.
Hades didn’t replied but smiled in return...
"Well, I guess I should get going. I’m really tired and what happened just now drained every last bit of energy I had..."
Walking to the door Amy said.
"Oh and Amy?" Hayley called out.
"Hm?"
"We’d like it if you kept this a secret... Not a lotta people know about her and it would be a problem if they do suddenly..." Hayley pleaded.
"Sure, sure.. your secret’s safe with me..."
Saying that with a wave, she left the room.
Hades exhaled loudly, placing her hands on her chest as if trying to calm a pounding heart...
"That was too close..."
~~~~~
The following day, Axel met up with Hayley at the field.
This time, he was here earlier that she’d expect.
"You’re here early..."
Axel shrugged then smiled...
"What can I say? I was kinda looking forward to this..."
Hayley scoffed. "We both know that’s a lie..."
"Alright. Today we spar. We go on until one person is unable to continue."
"I finally get to experience how good you really are..."
"What’re you talking about? You’ve seen me fight before..."
Hayley took a stance.
Axel followed. "I’ve seen you throw a few punches. I haven’t felt them."
Hayley smiled. "Not yet."
Then, they rushed towards each other...
.
.
.
.
.
"Again!"
Axel dragged himself to his feet.
The past fifteen minutes had been torture...
Hayley was dominating him.
And not in the kinky way...
’She’s merciless...’ He grimaced.
So this was the might of a Vanguard Academy captain?
The fact that she probably wasn’t using her full power made it even scarier...
They went at it.
Hayley barely allowing Axel to touch her.
Within minutes, he found himself on the ground — the wind was knocked right out of him...
"Again!"
Breathing hard, he managed to stand.
"Can’t we... Take a break?"
"We’re not stopping till you land a hit..."
**BIFF**
"Gah—!"
A punch... Straight to the gut.
Axel struggled to remain standing. His knees felt week.
He couldn’t believe it...
[You’re getting your ass whooped.]
"Shut up!"
This had to be a dream.
A very painful dream...
"Again!"
Before Axel could even get back on his feet, Hayley slammed the ground missing him by an inch...
"Again!"
The pain flooded his senses. He could barely stand.
"Again!"
The world was spinning. It was getting harder to stay upright...
"Ughh..." He had enough.
Exhaling, he surged forward.
[You have activated phase two of Scarion]
Hayley smirked. "Now we’re talking..."
"Aggan!"
The beast emerged from the floor. Roaring as he locked eyes with him.
"Hold on. I thought he was dead or something..."
"My soilders don’t die. As long as I’m alive, I can resurrect them as much as I need."
"Really? And if you do die, we both know that’s basically handing your body over to Bhuta."
"Yes. Meaning my soilders are immortal..."
They clashed.
This time on more of an equal footing.
Even though he was at a slight disadvantage, he was able to stand his ground, albeit barely...
Add Aggan to the mix and he’s was just a punch away from being flattened...
"Heh"
**TRRGH**
Using his leg, he blocked an punch from Aggan and attempted to sweep Hayley off her feet with the other in a swift motion.
She stepped back and drove a punch towards him promoting him to slide to his side to evade.
He aimed for her head and kicked as hard as he could.
**BANG**
The sound echoed through the field. When he looked in front of him, Hayley was holding his leg in place. His feet inches from her face.
"Tch.." In another swift motion, he kicked her with his second leg. Promoting Hayley to catch that one too...
Now he was being held up by both legs with his hands planted into the ground.
Hayley flung him upward sending him into the air.
Aggan followed up and that’s is where it all ended...
"RAHH!"
**BOOM**
He pounded him back to the ground, the floor breaking due to the force.
"Gah—!"
He coughed up blood.
Trying to stand up, pain flooded his body.
His ribcage had been broken..
Overwhelmed by pain, he started to revert.
He had lost. Again...
"I think that’s enough for one day..." Hayley walked towards him with Aggan following close behind.
"Hk— you think?" Axel managed to say through a rasp voice.
The pain making it hard to even breathe...
Dismissing Aggan, she helped him up. Putting an arm around her shoulders and bringing him gently toward the infirmary.
"You did good today..." She said softly
"..."
When she didn’t get a reply, she turned to face him.
Then, she smiled...
The pain finally got to him as he couldn’t bear it any longer...
Axel had passed out...
Comments