The Trial of Strength (4)

A standoff ensued, he wandered around me whilst the crowd continues to roar in a guttural bloodlust. They craved the blood, it seemed like they were even more ecstatic from my presence.

It also looks like that annoyed the vampire in-front of me, one from the Everi clan, one of Veron's blood...

Indri, he was out for my blood. He wants the glory of being the one to kill the dual-element user. Gods...

My mind is still pulsing with the fragments of the power that I had faced earlier, my knees were still wobbly and weak, alas I remained firm. I took a deep breath as I looked towards Indri. 

His eyes shine with a glimmer of pure malice, he really means to kill me. It probably wouldn't be his first time either, from what I know the Everi were absolutely brutish. They thrived off physical combat, and with the Resan, they would be able to increase those capabilities tenfold.

I had to be vigilant, I need to focus. 

But, my mind keeps wandering.

A blur.

Another spike of pain.

It felt like shards of glass caressing my very skull, the pain is so otherworldly.

Focus, Gian.

Focus.

A bell rings across the entire arena, a loud bellowing voice blasts over the entire space. 

"Let the fight begin!"

I pool in my Resan immediately, the pain inside my very skull assists with keeping me grounded and not passing out immediately. Indri was bleedin' fast. A shade of black skirts over to me, within seconds as my Resan had finally come together I feel a blunt force make contact with my stomach. The first hit was plenty of pain, but what followed after was even worse. 

His Resan! It poured over the fist and had blasted into me, my body flails away. The crowd loved it, the sounds of my groans of pain were masked with the overwhelming sound of thousands of people screaming at the top of their lungs in satisfaction of that hit.

Gods, it hurts!

I slide along the floor after gaining my balance in mid air, Indri seems cocky, he's smiling and twisting his neck side to side, continuing his pursuit of me. 

A blue hue emerges from my body, a crackle. The high pitched sound that sounded like screaming itself. The lightning had manifested and was pouring out constantly around me as a shield, an aura.

My Resan had finally manifested after that debacle. I felt slightly more confident, I struggle up to my feet and then begin my pressing attack onto Indri. He's also charging over to me. This is the first time I had seen it -- his element. The chill was a precursor to what would manifest. Ice.

How fitting for one so cold and attuned to death to be gifted with ice.

His fist flings out towards me, my body moves as if possessed, the lightning forging a path for me to weave around the fist and then boosted by the same power my fist would ram into his side. The lightning would course over his body and send him flying in the same way I had just gone. He can't seem to gain control of his body, his back slamming into one of the pillars that littered the arena. I can see his muscles spasming, this was my time. 

I continue my attack, the Resan would direct over to my legs and feet, supporting them alongside the lightning that sparked off wildly from them. My speed was great, I knew I couldn't quickly swap where my Resan would be, so I had no choice. I couldn't use the skill Veron had given me. So I result to a good old kick to the head. 

My foot flies over to Indri's head, the lightning squeaks off his chin and the foot follows. The sound was one of pure blunt force. A thud that cantered off his chin and sent him further into the pillar. The pure force of Resan mixed with the lightning had caused a reaction which pushed his body with so much strength, the pure rocky mass of the pillar had broken and fallen.

Surely that was it, right?

Had I just finished this?

A sudden chill covers my body, I had used a large amount of Resan on these last two attacks, I could feel the virility of the Resan depleting rapidly, but that chill was not my lack of Resan. It felt too cold. 

I look down to see my feet encased in ice.

Indri had sneakily frozen them while I attacked him! 

My instant reaction was for my hands to be thrown down to the feet and start smashing the ice away, it was fairly recent so no damage would be done, but it had me rooted to the same place. Whilst I'm keeled over, the scent of blood rapidly approached me.

The first thing I felt was a sudden loss of breath, then the chill, then the daze.

Indri had attacked my head whilst I was trying to get the ice off, I can numbly feel my joints flying through the air, the ice had broken off my feet when his attack had met me. I land on the floor, in a complete daze, I couldn't redirect enough Resan to even properly block that attack.

He got me...

I mumble jargon as I attempt to get up, but Indri is devilishly quick. My vision rests on him pouncing up at me, his Resan solidifying over his fist, a fist of pure ice coming crashing down right onto me.

This could kill me.

In a last ditch effort I roll away and the attack slams into the floor where I once was, the sand spreading over the area following the attack.

The crowd's reaction was bittersweet, cheers and boo's were heard all over.

Indri and I were both injured, but I was at a significant disadvantage. My Resan levels were low, lower than they had ever been since I have discovered this power. I haven't had an ample opportunity to find out what this power could do. 

In a final effort I begin to size up Indri, in a moment of neutrality we circle each other, beginning a mental battle. This next attack would decide the victor, we were both at our wits end.

Someone will die.

But can I really kill--

Enough. I have to do this.

Remember mother, remember Darius. I had to see them again. I cannot die here.

We both pounce at each other, I pool the remnants of my Resan over my fist and he does the same. The sand kicks up as we sprint frantically at each other. 

"Veron was wrong about you, you're weak! You deserve to die! Clanless mutt." His words were harsh, it helped me view him as someone who needed to die.

I see his fist swing over towards my body, by instinct mine does the same. Our fists clash, our Resan initiating in a tug of war. The sparks of electricity mingling with the ethereal chill of his ice. 

I clench my teeth as I continue to push forward, I can feel him doing the same, pushing with all his might. My mind is focused on landing this hit, pushing past his Resan and completely rendering him incapable of living. The sparks that erupted from my fist grew stronger in these fits of emotions that I battled.

Alas, it wasn't enough.

His icy arm blasts through, landing on my chest and sending me into the floor. His follow up was quick. I try to move.

Move damn it, move! You can't die here. Move, Gian!

My vision begins to fade to black, Indri engaged in a leap with both of his hands in the air coming down onto me.

Is this... it?

You are pathetic, boy.

Losing to one as weak as he.

Allow me to show you... true power.