Amaro charged forward, but the Noxa was ready. Amaro hooked to his head, but took a heavy blow to the gut. Sparks flew as static crackled in the air. Another hit to the body forced Amaro to redirect his guard only to take an uppercut to the jaw. The Noxa slipped a frantic counter, making Amaro eat his knuckles.
“What’s wrong, chrome tail? Tired?” He jeered.
Anger boiled in his gut. He yelled, rushing forward every strike aimed to take his head off. Yet that Noxa eluded him. He bobbed, weaved, and ducked out of the way.
He wasn’t just dodging. The wind itself was pushing his punches off course. This noxa was wearing the air like armor. All Amaro had to do was break through that armor. He pushed forward, eating counter after counter as the noxa paced back and ran. The Noxa had more reach than he did, and he was making full use of it. With Tulos around, he couldn’t even use his lightning properly.
A kick sent him sliding backward. Amaro grinned, he wanted to laugh. This Noxa was an experienced fighter, but no matter how many times the Noxa hit him, none of it hurt. Not like it had when he fought Anitus. And yet the one strike he had landed on the devil’s jaw was clearly bothering him.
One punch had been all it took to make this Noxa dodge like his life depended on it. And yet he stood in opposition just the same. Perhaps he thought his underhanded tactics had weakened Amaro enough to fight him? He could see it in his eyes now. They both knew how wide the gap between them was now just off of the first exchange. Amaro stalked forward, his guard down, eyes locked with the Noxa and daring him to strike again.
Before Amaro could rush again, the ground between them bulged. Blue fire spewed from the cracks as Anitus pulled himself out of the dirt, “When I get my hands on that bastard Noxa…” He growled.
A stone pillar shot out towards Anitus, but he shattered it with his fist, “Such weak magic. It’s understandable why they had to have us weaken each other just to stand a chance.” He said, brushing rubble from his shoulder.
“Give it up Noxa. You’re not going to win this,” Amaro said.
“Oh I think we’ve got a different idea about what’s considered ‘winning’,” He said, taking his stance again as stones launched from the ground and covered his hands like gloves.
“I see, so the four armed freak is hiding nearby in order to buff you.” Anitus said.
“Not quite.” The devil grinned as the four armed giant burst from the ground clad in stone armor.
“You think you can beat me with some silly stone armor?” Anitus said, connecting a stone shattering blow to his ribs, “You don’t know who my brother is, do you?”
The four armed giant staggered, “I know your brother doesn’t have four arms, though!” he said, snatching Anitus in his arms and lifting him off his feet with a bear hug, “Your brother is a good power puncher, I’ll give him that, but he’s not a grappler like me!”
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Anitus’s body burst into flames in an attempt to break free, but the giant was unaffected thanks to his armor. Amaro launched lightning at him, but the stones insulated him from the blast. Before he knew it, the devil Noxa had closed the distance. Amaro was on his backfoot now, his guard around his head.
The devil smirked, feinting a jab to his head and hooking to the body. That one hurt. Amaro’s guard lowered on instinct, only for him to eat another uppercut. He countered, but the devil slipped it and fed him an overhand right.
Something the giant had said was bugging him. He spoke as if he knew who Raktus was, and how he fought. These two had been watching them. Amaro had felt a presence over his shoulder, but he could never find the culprit. The noxa were crafty. They had been studying them these past few weeks. Watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to humiliate them in battle.
Amaro knew he could beat this devil, but that was what frustrated him. This noxa was weaker than him. He was slower, and even if he could cast powerful magic it was nowhere near the level of his own, or even the nobility he had defeated in the past. If he had not fought Anitus with everything he had, this devil would not have lasted even a minute against him.
And yet here he was on wobbling legs unable to land a good hit, or defend himself. His arms were so heavy he could barely raise his guard.
“Having trouble Amaro?” Deka said over his shoulder, dragging an unconscious Tulos by his horns, “How embarrassing. Letting dirty noxa like them humiliate you.”
Amaro did not take his eyes off the devil. He was standing still, not daring to rush now that two of them were nearby, “You better not have hurt my brother-”
“He’s fine. But when you run your mouth as much as he did, breaking his jaw is only fair.”
Amaro grit his teeth, “Bastard.”
“That aside I must say I’m appalled at your technique. In fact, I'm unimpressed.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve spent so much time avoiding fights you’re swinging like an amateur. That Noxa has been slipping every strike because he knows exactly where you’re trying to swing every time.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, how can he know that?”
“You’ve been trying to take his head off, so he’s just been moving it out of the way. Is there anything more I can say? You did the same to Anitus, and you did the same to all the minor nobility. The only difference is that this Noxa has enough fear to know they should dodge it.”
Amaro clicked his tongue. He hated to admit it, but Deka was right. He had been trying to knock the devil out to end it quick, but all that did was make him predictable no matter how fast he was.
“Admittedly, though, you’re extra sloppy with this one, but that’s what fatigue does. It makes your bad habits all the more prevalent.”
“So are you going to help me take him down?”
Deka laughed, “I will be helping Kaara and Vilka with the Tibur. Whether you win or lose it doesn’t matter to me. In fact, seeing you disgrace the Xirxus clan’s name by losing to a Noxa would be good for me in the end.”
“You’re half Xirxus too.”
“And yet it’s the Alveridan half of me that matters more,” Deka said, stepping through the wall of wind like it wasn’t there, “You’re on your own, Amaro. Prove yourself.”
Amaro raised his guard, “That’s alright. You’ve actually helped me quite a bit, Deka.”