There was some rage at the destruction of his village and the death of his people, but the majority of the crocodilian's emotions were glee at being able to fight.
Since this particular one was supposed to be a remnant of Towers' campaign, it might not have had anyone of the same level to test himself against. And what little was known of the crocodilians painted them as warlike people who always enjoyed testing themselves.
Mr. Julian's appearance might have spelled doom for the settlement, but the crocodilian cared only for the fight it would give him.
Despite his wild emotions, however, the warrior wasn't stupid. Rather than attempting to do the same thing again and be slapped away by the monstrously powerful old man, he started circling around his floating form, looking for a weakness.
It won't work, but it shows that he can learn. If what I feel is correct, he should be the A-rank Mr. Julian talked about, which means he still has some cards in his sleeve.
The crocodilian's movements became more deliberate, each step and thrust of his glaive calculated to probe Mr. Julian's defenses without overcommitting.
Mr. Julian, for his part, seemed almost amused by the crocodilian's efforts. He floated serenely, his posture relaxed but alert, ready to respond to any real threat. But none came, at least not in the way James had expected. As the crocodilian circled, his tail deftly traced patterns in the swampy ground, almost casually.
It took almost a minute before he realized what was happening. "Lauren, look at his tail," James whispered urgently, though he knew they were safe within Mr. Julian's shield. "He's drawing a magical circle."
Lauren's gaze sharpened, and she nodded, understanding the implications. The crocodilian's feints with the glaive were a diversion to buy time and cover his real intentions.
The circle was complete before James could voice a warning, not that he believed Mr. Julian was unaware. The ground within it glowed ominously, runes flaring to life with significant power. Without a moment's delay, the circle activated.
The marshy ground churned and rumbled, followed by a loud sucking sound as water for hundreds of feet was absorbed. This soon led to the earth below the old man bulging, until a water geyser was unleashed. It shot skyward with tremendous force, aimed directly at Mr. Julian.
It reached so high in the sky that James had to look up to see where it ended. Still, he could feel his teacher's presence exactly where it had been, apparently unmoved by the mighty attack.
The geyser continued for several seconds, which the crocodilian took advantage of. He dipped his glaive into the blood of the fallen, the pool where his village once stood now a macabre testament to the old man’s might. The glaive absorbed the blood, and runes appeared along its length, glowing with a dark, foreboding light.
James watched, tense, waiting for Mr. Julian's response. He remained motionless through the geyser's eruption, a statue amidst the chaos. Then, as the water began to fall back to earth, he emerged from the mist unscathed, his expression unchanged.
Without a word, he flew towards the crocodilian, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye like a wraith emerging from the mist. The crocodilian barely had time to raise his glaive in defense before Mr. Julian was upon him.
A bright red flash followed as the power stored within the weapon was released all at once in a desperate attempt to push the old man back.
James rocketed back as a crimson flash shattered upon the protective bubble. Its power had been enough to atomize him on the spot. Lauren grabbed his forearm to steady herself, blinking back the spots in her eye.
"That was fucking close." She muttered, earning a startled laugh from him.
Still, he didn't waste time and refocused on the fight below.
The crocodilian attempted an overhead swing, which struck the ground when Mr. Julian shifted like a leaf in the wind. It sent splatters of mud and soil into the air but didn't get stuck, allowing the monster to continue his assault. Again, he attempted to skewer the old man, glaive jabbing out dozens of times in a single second. James noticed his tail hung limply, evidently broken, and winced in pain. Mr. Julian was brutal when he wanted to.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
All the monster's efforts were for naught, as nothing seemed to stick.
The crocodilian rumbled in frustration. He was taken by battlelust, and his opponent avoiding him seemed to incense him greatly.
In response, Mr. Julian slapped him again. The warrior flew back twenty feet, only stopped by a large mangrove tree.
Unbidden, a cheer left James, and he was surprised to realize how relaxed he felt watching the deadly duel. In his mind, the conclusion was foregone. It was just a matter of how good of a show the crocodilian could put on until then.
The warrior rose to his feet with a snarl, sweeping his weapon toward the old man before charging again and overshooting his former position as his target flew around, apparently unbothered by the aggression.
The crocodilian stilled for a moment, and James felt him reach a decision. There was sorrow there but also a savage joy at finally letting go fully.
He's going to do something big. I think he decided that since the village is gone anyway, he might as well use all his power. It must be destructive if he hasn't used it until now.
The crocodilian summoned a dark aura around himself, a miasma of death that caused the vegetation to wither and flatten in a wide radius. He released a guttural shout, whose shockwaves blasted for a mile out. They harmlessly splashed against the shield protecting James and Lauren, allowing them to watch the old man's response.
With his bare hand, he met the crocodilian's next attack, a flying slash emanating from the glaive, stopping it dead in its tracks. The collision sparked a shockwave, rippling through the air and disturbing the water around them, but Mr. Julian's stance was unmovable.
Around the old man’s right hand, a golden glow began to accumulate, drawing in energy from the surroundings with a quiet hum that was felt more than heard. This caused the crocodilian warrior to become visibly wary, his attacks becoming more erratic as he sought to avoid contact with that glowing hand.
Mr. Julian's patience seemed infinite, parrying strikes of deathly energy that rent the air and ground alike, leaving deep furrows in the earth. Despite the crocodilian's efforts to avoid the golden glow, Mr. Julian's timing was impeccable, each parry bringing them closer to an inevitable conclusion. It was like watching two actors; only, one was desperately trying not to act and was somehow forced to play his part.
Mr. Julian slapped the crocodilian across the face with a swift, unexpected movement. This wasn't the dismissive gesture of before but a focused application of his accumulated power. The impact was catastrophic; half of the crocodilian's muzzle was obliterated, vanishing in a spray of dark energy and blood.
The creature rolled back, a loud growl of pain escaping its throat as the dark aura flared wildly around it. The missing half of its muzzle regenerated in a flash of dark energy. Yet, the regeneration did little to bolster its confidence. The warrior became much more circumspect, the realization that Mr. Julian held back until now settling in with chilling clarity.
The fight continued, with the crocodilian summoning the last of its strength and cunning for another assault. It launched at Mr. Julian with speed and ferocity, ignoring its injuries. Every move was a desperate bid to turn the tide.
But Mr. Julian, an immovable force, met each attack with a serene grace. The air around his right hand now shimmered with a brilliance that bordered the unbearable. So bright it was, James started noticing the crocodilian's armor and scales sloughing off, melting under the unstoppable might of the Silent Guardian.
Finally, with a gentle motion, Mr. Julian brought his glowing hand down upon the crocodilian's head. The golden light exploded in a radiant burst, enveloping the warrior and a significant portion of the surrounding area.
James and Lauren shielded their eyes against the brilliance of the light, the intensity of the energy release momentarily overwhelming even from their protected position. When they dared to look again, the aftermath was stark.
A deep furrow had been carved into the swampy ground. Nothing was left of the mighty warrior who had given his all to avenge his tribe. The golden glow around Mr. Julian's hand faded, leaving no trace of the power that had just been unleashed.
The old man turned back to James and Lauren, his expression unreadable. The air around him settled; the oppressive might that had filled the swamp receded like a tide, leaving a stillness almost more unsettling than the battle's fury.
James couldn't shake off the awe as he contemplated the sheer magnitude of Mr. Julian's power. It dawned on him then, more clearly than ever, that the old man had used but a fraction of his strength in dispatching the A-rank crocodilian. The realization was both terrifying and humbling.
I can't even begin to calculate how much damage he could do if he used his full power. He might be able to destroy an entire country if they are unprepared for him. It’s crazy that a single person could do that much damage.
The shield around them dissipated, and Mr. Julian motioned for them to follow as he descended toward the devastated village below. As they stood amid the ruins, the old man instructed them to ensure that no crocodilian had survived their assault, "I'll need to visit the other villages once we are done here, but it's better to be thorough. I didn't get them directly, after all. The croc managed to absorb most of that attack's power."
James activated his skills, extending his senses throughout the remains of the village. The task was grim but necessary. One by one, he confirmed the absence of life, the silence of the swamp bearing witness to the finality of their victory. He walked over roof tiles, cobbled streets, and even a smithy. It had all been flattened by an errant wave of Mr. Julian's hand.
They are our enemies, but it's still hard to digest that they lived a perfectly normal life, aside from killing humans.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of corpses were buried beneath. James still did his duty, stopping to make sure none still breathed.
Surprisingly, he eventually found a destroyed building under which there were a couple of feeble presences.
Given their size and mana reserves, James suspected they were adult mystics who had worn some artifact that had protected them. They had still been injured by the building falling on them and probably by the clash of mighty energies, but they had lived. If left alone, it was possible they'd recover enough to extricate from the rubble.
And then they'd dedicate their life to killing humans in revenge. No, it's better to nip this in the bud. It would have been different if they had been kids, but adults get no mercy.
With a sigh, James drove a psychic nail into their brain stems, enhancing the attack with Mindforge Mastery enough that even the C-rank mystics could do nothing in their injured state.
They released their last breath soon after.
The mission complete, Mr. Julian gathered them once more, and with a wave of his hand, they were aloft, flying back to the safety of the resort. The journey back was quiet, each lost in their thoughts, the day's events weighing heavily on their minds. They touched down in silence.
Before they could retire to their rooms, Mr. Julian had a few words to say, "You must have a lot on your mind, so I'll not keep you long. But try to understand all the implications of what you've seen today and not just focus on the fight itself. Go rest now; we have much to do tomorrow."