5 05 The Hunt

"Dialogue"

'Inner Thoughts'

/Spell/

*Warning this chapter includes some violent content, you have been warned*

ENEMY MAGE

'There she is' the Enemy Mage thought. Having tracked her down ever since she took out his friends, he has been wanting to take her out.

Although they were not mages, he still felt bond of sort to them, a sentiment shared by no other mages in their group.

As badly as he wanted to free his friends to prevent them from getting captured from the Rune Knights, the orders were very clear, track the woman and wait for the signal.

He however didn't think much of her magically and so when she brought along that boy he knew that she is even weaker now having to protect both herself and the boy.

'This lady is true magic' he thought.

He stepped out of cover and casted /Wind Magic: Wind Arrow/

"Hmph" He smirked knowing the arrow to be true.

Confident that she would have no time to prepare a defense he prepared another arrow for the boy.

Ready to cast his spell again, he could not even pronounce a single syllable before everything went wrong.

The weak defenseless boy who was supposed to be a waste of mana to kill slashed his spell into nothing.

'What the hell was that'.

Although a bandit he had never fought mages stronger than himself choosing to prey on the weak, so he never truly felt what is was like to be the prey.

If the liquid running down his pants wasn't already an indicator the whispered words floating into his eardrums "My turn" truly put him in his place.

He was the prey, and he was dead.

ATLAS

With the feeling of the hunt alive in his very bones, his whole body yearned to be utilized to its full extent.

Thanks only to his tribes increased durability Atlas shot out towards the mage putting strain on his whole body to propel him at speeds thought impossible, katana at the ready.

In a second Atlas was behind his opponent, headless opponent.

'Damn I must be weaker than I thought, I was a too slow.' Atlas thought.

Stepping forward to avoid the spray of blood that caught up with its decapitated host, the head of his adversary laid next to its body still shocked from his spell being banished.

For many people killing humans is wrong, this was not shared by Atlas.

He only values the lives of his comrades (if he had any other than his mother).

He is a beast, and anyone who is weaker is prey.

To strike the beast is asking for death and to not fulfill that wish would be a disrespect.

That mage tried his best, but he is just another prey in Atlas' eyes.

Looking back Laki lied unconscious on the ground, thanks only to Atlas.

Even though he does not like her very much she helped him at his weakest, so he thought it would be better for her not to witness the carnage that comes with the hunt.

There however was no time to contemplate on how to deal with her.

The beast killed his prey and his allies have decided to enact revenge.

If they had an ounce of intelligence, they would only know the fight was futile.

Just like mage before they would all fall to his blade, by coming to him only made it more convenient.

"You fucker, DIEEEE" yelled a new mage /Fire Magic: Fireball/.

Atlas smiled.

He just revealed his location, he will be next.

Casting /Counter Vanish/ on his katana he sharply spun around to cut through the fireball headed towards him.

*Swoosh* and the fireball was no more than a heated breeze that warmed his face.

Locking in, he finds his prey in the trees.

Eyes meeting, the last thing the enemy mage would see are the ice blue eyes of a beast marking his prey as dead.

Sprint jumping up Atlas was upon the mage within a second with his katana through the mages gut.

Quickly pulling out his katana he swiftly slices off the head.

2 dead, one remains.

Dropping down from the branch Atlas walks out to the middle of the clearing cleaning of the blood from his Katana waiting to see what his final prey will choose.

Run or fight.

For Atlas neither matter, both result in his hunts completion.

Stepping out his final prey joins him in the clearing.

Sword in hand, he looks ready to fight.

Anger is written all over is face as he just witnessed his two allies be ruthfully slaughtered with no care.

"You will pay for their deaths, you fucking kid, you think I won't kill you watch me. I will make you fucking SUFFER". The mage exclaimed.

"They were only prey, as are you. A beast cares not for the prey. You will see". Atlas coldly stated slowly looking up and meeting the eyes of his opponent.

In an instant the enemy mage charged coming slashing down strong.

Blocked easily by Atlas directed the blade to the side retaliating in a strike to the side.

The mage quickly recovers and blocks.

Both jump away breaking down their opponent from just a couple exchanges.

While the mages expression is one of slight uneasiness, Atlas' is filled with hunger.

"So you can block a strike, thank you I was worried this hunt would be boring but you just made it interesting. Feel accomplished prey for you blocked my strike but as for all prey you will die like the rest".

And just like that Atlas launched himself past what his body could handle fueled by the thrill of the hunt.

All that could be done by the mage is block Atlas' strikes, more like try to block.

Atlas with a fury flung his katana incredibly fast practically hitting all angles at once.

For every successful block resulted in 3 wounds along with it.

It would not be long before the mage would become overwhelmed.

In a last-ditch effort, the mage expended a majority of mana to push Atlas back for a few seconds.

Panting and grunting with wounds covering his whole body the mage uttered, "You almost had me kid, but you lost the second you didn't kill me fast enough. I know you can vanish cast magic but let's see you block this", /Sword Magic: Tempest Strike/.

Electricity filled the blade of the mage as he charged for one final strike against Atlas.

A powerful strike such as this would be deadly to most humans, however Atlas is not most humans, he is a beast.

Casting /Full Counter/ on his blade he waited for the mage to reach him allowing his prey one final hope of victory before he is utterly crushed.

Leaping high in the sky the mage brought down a strike extremely forceful full of magical power.

If Atlas was being serious, he would have easily dodged such a telegraphed attack, but wanting to see what his magic could do lifted his katana to meet his preys sword.

With the two blades meeting a second passed before anything happened.

Just enough time fore the mage to think 'What th-' before he was obliterated with a strike twice as powerful as his own.

Atlas smiled, the hunt was over, and his prey were no more and he had a plan in mind.

'I will travel the world in search of more prey to defeat until only I the beast remain'.