The fire drake’s wings crawled down Sveno’s arm. It encircled itself around his bloody wrist, tightening around it. The skin sounded like fabric as it coiled and contracted around the stump. The flow of blood dwindled. The bleeding had stopped.

The armoured newcomer stepped off the cart remains. His blade had a menacing look. THe backside of the black steel was serrated like the teeth of a large animal.

In an instant they both darted toward each other. Maxwell wasn’t even an afterthought in the fight anymore. Their blades collided, ringing out over the alleyway. Maxwell clamped his hands over his ears at the sound. It was monstrously loud. Each strike sent shockwaves reverberating between the walls and across the cobblestone road. He stared on wide-eyed. I can’t see any of their attacks. All he could make out was flashes of metal before their attacks collided viciously.

He got to his feet flexing his fingers. I don’t know who this new guy is but we seem to have the same goal. Beat up Sveno.

Maxwell hurtled forward low to the ground. In the last second he leapt up over the officer. A gauntleted hand grabbed him out of the air.

“What’s a mutt doing out here,” said the man. “Let me go, what are you doing we’re working together!” shouted Maxwell, twisting his body. The man scoffed before tossing Maxwell over his shoulder. It was as if he was no more than a kitten. He wasn’t even worth taking seriously in this fight. How had the man even managed to grab hold of him safely? Anything he touched froze solid.

He knocked backward into a far wall. He tried to stand but his vision blurred. The little pykrete he had left was struggling to stay solid. The ice that kept it together was cracking and splintering from gravity alone. I can’t fight anymore can I? He wondered. He clawed at his chest. A blocking sensation travelled up his throat. He gagged, coughing. A piece of bloody ice splattered to the floor. Did that come from inside of me, he wondered in horror. He was freezing from the inside out.

“I need to get out of here,” groaned Maxwell.

The two fighters pulled apart.

“Unfortunately I don’t have time to prolong this fight any longer,” said Sveno. At the end of his sentence the fire drake began pulsing, its body glowing a faint orange. Blistering tendrils magma red pulsed, running down through the creature’s wings into the man’s arm into his sword. The drake creature unfurls extending wings. The creature’s eyes glowed yellow like a creature from hell.

The flames from Sveno’s blade grew several times larger. Pockets of blue snapped open along the Scimitars spine. The ice on the ground melted in a circle around him. Steam rose as the water was then vaporised.

Maxwell felt a pang in his heart. He wasn’t even going seriously when he fought me, was he? He recalled Julius’s words before. Fire magic is the most developed magic type ever since 100 years ago. FIghting that without magic would be impossible.

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His opponent straightened, twirling his sword before sheathing it. He was giving up. In front of such overwhelming flames what soul wouldn’t. The man tilted forward slightly, sinking into his hips. He crouched, turning his body slightly sideways in a staggered stance. His metal fingers clinked against his sword handle as he wrapped them around the hilt. The man took a deep breath, his eyes were unblinking. Focused on the flames.

Maxwell watched breathlessly. There’s no way. His cloak fluttered behind him. Buckling and twisting from the heat. A “Y” symbol with an extra line rising from the intersection. A three pronged Y. It was encircled by a metallic circle. He’d seen it before. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It was the mark of an Imperial Knight.

“There’s no way anyone can cut fire, and with magic, that’s not even possible. Even those Imperial Knight myths are overboard, fighting using close combat alone is idiotic. . THey’re just legends, Did they exist, yes. Were they incredibly strong, yes- but that’s just unthinkable, childish really. Sure maybe they were able to defeat mages in the past using their physical prowess but in the modern age… with the advancements of magic. They wouldn’t stand a chance.”

A tornado of fire emanated from Sveno’s blade scorching the ground and shooting forward.

Maxwell didn’t even see the attack. Thunder split the sky. He tasted blood in his mouth. The ground trembled. His skin crawled.

It shouldn’t be possible. The soldier stood beyond Sveno. He only noticed he had moved after the incident. A blade clattered to the ground.

“Damn, I’ve gotten rusty,” said the armoured man.

Sveno’s sword had been split in half, the other half lay on the ground.

I should probably get out of here, thought Maxell. He scurried along the corner of it avoiding eye-contact.

“You fought well, Sveno,” said the man.

“This isn’t over yet,” said Sveno.

They didn’t pay any attention to Maxwell’s small figure and he was able to make it out safely. As soon as he made it past the corner he started running. He needed to get as far away from the scene as possible. His feet pounded the ground. His breath was hoarse in his lungs. His limbs jostled and grinded against each other. The remains of the icey layer that once aided him only served to slow him down now. He ran until he couldn’t anymore. Those guys were way too strong for him. Even at his best even with power he never knew he possessed he wasn’t anywhere near close to those guys. He needed to get stronger, a lot stronger. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to survive an encounter like that again.

“For someone of such low rank your proficiency is quite unusual”

What had Sveno meant when he had said that. He had golden eyes, didn't he? What kind of name was Sveno anyways. He was some kind of bounty hunter. Maxwell clutched his right eye. This can’t be true. He hadn’t even noticed it but his vision had returned. His eye had returned. He’d been so preoccupied with fighting he hadn’t even noticed it. Speaking of change, these ice abilities he had. He had no explanation for them. His affinity was light, it had to be. He went through the entire ceremony in the church for them. He couldn’t make sense of anything that was happening to him. It went against everything he had been taught since coming to this world.

Ah, that’s right, I have nowhere to go. He was all alone in this foreign world with not a single back to lean on. He rested against a stone wall. He heard laughter coming from within the house. He could sense warmth coming from within it. He sank to the ground. There’s no place for someone like me in this world. I feel I have to fight so hard just to live pathetically. His head slowly tilted backwards, his eyes drooping. His head lolled back until it softly thumped against the wall. I have to get stronger, I have to get stronger. His arms were wrapped loosely around his curled up legs. His world escaped, slipping away.