While the two battle once more the ones outside the barrier was comfortably enjoying the show, they even laid down a mat and brew a tea, it was like they are here to do a picnic.

Ezekiel who was playing with the pebble was starting to lose his smile, so he asked, “Captain, you know it would be impossible for that kid to win against that monster right? Why not let me fight it instead?”

“That's right!” Kyrille seconded.

“I did not say to defeat it.”

Lance sipped his tea like everyone else, his eyes trailed towards the young man that barely dodge the strikes thrown at him.

“Then what's the whole point of this?”

“Look at his body.”

They focused their eyes like he told, Alexis whose body was full of cracks that emits a warm crimson light paired with his blood red burning pupils and just add him a horn he would look like something that came out of hell.

“A demon?”

He did not entertained Ezekiel's guess instead he continued his explanation, “After being burnt by fire his body should formed scabs and slowly heal itself, yet, their were no signs at all instead his body was coated by a charcoal like thing and it seemed that this shell started to crack.”

The rest of the group nodded as they saw the young man cast the cinders of his robe. They reminiscences the time they are with him as all of them thought of different things.

The old man brushed his beard and made his guess, “Blessing?”

“Yes.” Lance nodded, “When those birds attacked the city he was about to break the shell but...” he looked towards Ezekiel who only tilted his head in puzzlement.

“—but it was not the right time, that's why I thought of recreating the scene of what happened in the city here.”

Damian who's listening wondered, “What's the point of letting the same thing happened it?”

“To trigger and made him remember those memories, right?” Old Man answered.

“Yes, he must've put it in the back of his mind because of us, but, when he saw the birds attacked the city he shown his feelings, so I thought to let him meet the biggest bird up here.”

Ezekiel pointing towards the manticore.

“Then isn't this not going to work?”

“No its not, it may even be the best scenario.” Lance shook his head before focusing back on Alexis.

The young man just blocked the tail, it resulted on him being thrown to the ground, now he was laying there grunting from pain as he forced himself to get up but before he could do so the manticore's tail came back for a thrust towards him.

Clang!

The beast growled at the annoying barrier that appeared again just as it was one step closer to the young man's death, now the second round of their ended a little bit longer than the first.

Alexis heaved a sigh before he flipped backwards couple of times distancing himself from the manticore.

Unlike the monsters he fought yesterday the one in front of him now was times stronger and trickier, it always fly before he could land his attacks then the creature made its counter forcing the young man into a tough position, he was at loss what to do.

But before he could even think of a plan or solution he saw the manticore opened the curtains for their third round by letting its tail eject a stinger towards him, in which he hurriedly dodge rolling over to his right.

The manticore was starting to get irritated now and instead of attacking head on like it previously did this monster started to use its stinger more while flying, turning him into annoying and much dangerous enemy.

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All Alexis could do was dodge the incoming stingers by rolling or running around, 'What should I do?' He thought before once again jump to dodge another onr of those poisonous stakes.

But just as he was about to land on the ground and make another roll he saw from the corner of his eyes the manticore folded its wings as it dive down towards him, now their situation was like a fish that left the lake to get away from a bigger fish only to be preyed by the patient bird on the sky.

Unable to dodge at mid air all he could do was stretch out his left hand letting his palm contact with the ground first and using that hand as a foundation he added more force to flung him forward.

Swish!

He barely dodge that one but he could not celebrate when he felt his left arm turning numb, still he could not waste a good opportunity when the manticore came back to the ground so he instantly propped himself before turning around.

But what greeted him was a fast approaching tail that is intent on leaving a hole in his head, Alexis subconsciously raised his sword towards his face blocking the attack however his weapon did not go unscathed and he was thrown backwards until he was force to stop when his back hit the barrier.

Alexis raised his shaking right hand as he examined his sword which now had its blade filled with fine cracks, it would not be surprising to see it crumble any moment.

“This is no use anymore...”

He breathed out a warm air as he stood up to his feet, both his hands were shaking with only difference which one would be the first to stop from doing so.

When the manticore saw the state of his weapon and arms its human face made a mocking expression trying to make the young man angry.

“No use human! You're weak!”

Its grating voice entered Alexis ears, he winced in pain as he felt that this monster was right, he should just stand here and gave up.

'Its just like that time.' he thought as he looked up towards the sky where the mighty figure looked down on everyone like they are insects.

“But this time will be different.” Alexis muttered breaking off the temptation brought by its voice, he gripped the sword's handle so hard that its blade broke down earlier than it should.

He then changed the way he held the broken sword and run forward, every time his feet left the ground a crimson flame that would burst for a fleeting moment.

Bam!

His left foot broke the ground stopping him when he gained enough charging momentum, he then bent his waist and drawn the broken sword taut towards his back, now he was like a bow with his weapon as his arrow.

“I will drag you down!”

Swish!

He released the arrow or rather broken sword shooting straight towards the sky targeting the monster's wings, but sadly it did not pierced any part of its body the manticore just slapped away the sword with its claw plunging it back to the ground.

Seeing its prey lost even the handicapped weapon the manticore smiled wickedly as it hurriedly flew down to claw him to pieces.

Alexis saw the monster was heading towards him but instead of dodging towards the sides he waited until it was close enough before rolling forward.

Bam!

Dust scattered due to the strong force blocking the monster's sight of the young man, meanwhile Alexis used the bits of time that the beast used while searching for him to sit up and opened up his left hand, there, a piece of his broken sword glimmer from the little light that made their way under the creature.

He passed the blade to his right which then punch the unguarded abdomen of the manticore, he was trying to puncture it!

“Roar!”

For the first time in the battle the predator made a beastly cries—one filled with pain, confusion, and indignance.

The blade was too small to deal a great damage against it so instead of making it deeper Alexis decided to widen the wound trying to make a path from the outside to its stomach, however the creature did not wait for any of its organs to fall as it attacked using the thorny tail.

Alexis was forced to abandon the rest of his plans and roll towards the right just in time to evade the creature's strike.

He distanced himself away from it before he turned around and saw the unhidden anger on the manticore's human face, Alexis felt a little accomplished when he saw that.

“HUMAN!!! DIE!!!”

Faced with the wrath of the mighty beast Alexis did not flinch, he first docked from the right paw's swipe before rolling forward but he could not stand up when he saw the tail that was guarding its sides launched at him, using his right hand he stopped his charge and pushed himself towards the left, rolling like a caterpillar.

“It sure is smart.” Alexis commented as he sat up while looking towards the manticore that flew up back into the sky.

It did not attack rashly as it become more cautious towards Alexis after it was wounded, it looked down on the young man with wrath and wariness.

But this time Alexis was truly screwed as he didn't even have any weapon on him, if the manticore attack all he could do was dodge.

'Should I asked for Sir Lance a new sword?' he thought while eyeing the monster that yet to attack him.

The manticore did not stopped its attacks for nothing as unlike the human whose wounds would heal a long time monsters except for their strength had also great vitality that could heal their wounds much easily, especially if they are strong. The monster's human face was not only able to use basic speech but also had a blessing of intellect making it more cautious—it was only able to use its brain after the pain sobered the creature from its anger.

Both of them reached the stalemate ending their third round, one tries to recover while the other was unsure on what to do.

Alexis lowered his head to glance at his hands, both stopped shaking with only a little bit of pain lingering was left, he was thinking of what should he do next when he remembered his captain's words.

“...Control and use it.”