He had long hair that moved in the wind in unison with his cloak. A beige bandana wrapped around his head, its folds obscured his eyes. “I sent my subordinates ahead of me, only to find this. Their bodies were frozen mid-action. Their faces twisted in expressions of fear. "They didn’t hurt anyone, they were doing honest work.”

He eyed the new visitor. Honest work? Those guys were pillaging corpses. That’s not exactly honorable. “I don’t want to fight, your subordinates attacked me on their own.”

Changes both seen and unseen were taking place in his body. What’s happening to my body? It started acting differently since the event. It’s not light magic for sure. It had been drilled into him so many times. “People only have one magical affinity, you have light magic, the most sacred and divine of them all.” This was entirely different. The source of this wasn’t his Insignia. It wasn’t that mark on his chest, where he once could feel the very mana as it was channeled through its markings. This came from deeper within it came from his very core. It came from his soul. Maybe my way of thinking is skewed, is this even magic in the first place? What exactly was it that was coursing through him? The weird energy rushed out of his body. Using his force of mind he was able to calm it.

“You beat up my subordinates yet you expect to settle this with words. Those are the delusions of a fool.”

Maxwell clenched his fist. This guy won’t listen to me at all.

With every step he took a slight hiss could be heard.

Maxwell clenched his fist. This guy won’t listen to me at all.

The man was calm, yet Maxwell detected intense malice emanating from him. He panted heavily, his entire rib-cage expanding and contracting with each breath. The tiredness was setting deeper into him. I don’t ask for much. Is it this hard to merely want to live? Did he have to struggle and toil so much just to justify his existence to the universe?

The man was only a few paces from now. Wait a minute, how is he walking normally? Why isn’t it working? He looked over at Kur. His body was entirely frozen. Any contact with the ground should have rendered him frozen yet he was casually closing distance. He peered closer. A trail of unusual footsteps followed the man. Deep imprints through the layer of ice that was forming.

The man started sprinting forward as swift as an arrow. In that instant, Maxwell had two choices. They were the choices bestowed upon all living things that laboured, that lived and breathed under the harsh sun. He could fight or flee. Maxwell grimaced. I’m tired of running. He lunged forward with outstretched hands. Frost shimmered on his palms. I’ll freeze him solid.

He was the first to make contact, his fingers wrapped around the opponent's wrist only for him to grasp at empty space. Maxwell swiped at him again only to come up short. He feinted doing a wide haymaker before punching with his other hand. Why can’t I hit him? No matter what he tried he could not even graze him. Even his cloak was out of reach. The man simply floated out of his grasp. He moved swiftly and with purpose but only a hairsbreadth at a time. It was as if he was trying to catch a feather with a leafblower. His very movies were the very thing that drove him out of his grasp. The man smiled tauntingly.

“Would you believe me if I told you my eyes were closed.”

“I thought you were going to fight for your subordinates!” shouted Maxwell gasping for breath. “Are you all bark and no bite!” he taunted.

The man simply smiled slyly. Maxwell didn’t like the scent of him. Why is he being quiet now? He wanted to grate that stupid smile off his face using the pavement.

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The man stopped a couple paces back. His cloak flowed violently before being held in place by him. “I have a duty to my subordinates. I gave them my word and I will honor that.”

“That’s laughable,” spat Maxwell. “What reason do thieves have to keep their honor, you’re just fighting for no reason, you cause bloodshed for your enjoyment. Speaking of bloodshed, The way they were desecrating those bodies was shameless. They should have been raised better.”

“I never said they were saints of the church, It doesn’t matter what they did, It’s my duty to take care of them, that includes getting payback for them. Abandoning them and turning tail when their foe stands before me would simply be cowardlyThere are many like them who grew up on these streets. This city is far more grim than its surface gives. Even they glow ever so slightly in the darkness that is this city.”

Maxwell growled. Why won’t this guy just listen to him, who even thinks like this.

“I don’t have time for whatever moral high ground you seem to think you have.”

He focused on the cold welling up within him. I need to exert a higher output. One that will freeze this guy in a second. He felt it cloud his vision and his senses fading. He blinked it away. It was affecting more than just his body, he could feel his thoughts slowing down as well but he pushed through. He darted in again with new vigour. His limbs moved noticeably faster than before. The dodges of the man seemed slower too, more predictable. I can do it! He realised. He closed the distance with a burst of speed aiming for the side of the man’s ribs.

His hand was nearly at the man’s rib. A large blade slashed down nearly piercing Maxwell’s stomach with a massive Shrrrk! The scimitar jarred against the ground sending shards of ice blitzing through the air. Maxwell scrambled backward clutching his stomach. He lifted a blood covered hand from the wound. He didn’t even feel himself getting cut. A layer of ice around his stomach had prevented the blade from penetrating him. It still left a deep cut on him. If I didn’t dodge I would have been dead.

“My you’ve got good reflexes haven’t you,” smiled the man. “Or maybe I simply let you get away.”

He gritted his teeth. Toying with me yet again. He was getting an unusual feeling. He couldn’t let the man set the pace. He was taking control and if he didn’t do anything he would fall into that rhythm.

I can’t let up my attacks, but I need to use my brain, If I don’t… His wound throbbed. He crouched low, scooping up pieces of ice. He threw them at the man. He simply parried them with his blade. It had continued to form and wrap around the weapon like a sleeve. The man wiped off a piece of ice that had caught the blade. Maxwell rained a volley of hail at him. He avoided all of them except for one. It hit his hand near the hilt of his sword. He shook his hand patting it off with a cry of pain.

Maxwell smiled. I spotted your weakness. It seemed that things weren’t hopeless yet. He was weak to Maxwell’s abilities and therefore wary. That was something he could exploit. The man darted forward swinging his blade. Maxwell stepped backward. He kicked up particles of ice. The man dashed smoothly backward. At that moment. Maxwell grabbed the blade. The very momentum he was using to step back .Ice formed around his fingertips. He threw the blade to the ground, he took one step forward, pivoting on his heel. His foot connected solidly into the man. It had enough power to knock out a horse. It was the perfect blow, one of the strongest human attacks.

Why isn’t he collapsing…

The man smiled gleefully, leaning into his ear. “Are you gonna try running now. How unfortunate.” His fingers were wrapped around Maxwell’s barefoot. An intense heat emanated from the man’s digits. His foot was sizzling in the sun. I’m melting.

How? How was he able to touch him? He should have been frozen solid. But he was avoiding my attacks, this doesn’t make sense. Was he bluffing all this time?!

The man grunted and swung Maxwell up, up so high into the air. His stomach lurched. He still had a firm grasp on his boot. He then proceeded to smash him against the ground. The world gave out for a second.

It was through sheer force of will that he was able to keep his consciousness from slipping away. He bounced several times before crashing into the side of the cart. All his bones were broken- no he could still move. He turned over onto his hands and feet. I won’t die here. Something was broken for sure. His eyes seethed with rage. Drool ran the sides of his bare teeth before freezing against his neck. Ice crystals crackled in the air. Mist as cold as the dead emanated from his body in violent torrents. The area around his hands and feet were quickly ballooning out in ice.

The man took a few cautious steps backward. “How troublesome, you don’t even look human anymore. How unsightly.”