“Now!” Elem commanded, prompting his Kappa to rush forward. The Summon moved with terrifying speed while the sound of its webbed feet hitting the concrete echoed through the alleyway.

For a moment, Elem pondered the possibility that he was walking into a trap. Maybe Fawkes was just bluffing when he stated that the Kappa’s ranged attacks couldn’t hurt his Summon. He banished the doubt from his mind.

It didn’t matter; there wasn’t enough time to fully evaluate the situation. For Elem, Essence still was a very finite commodity and he couldn’t waste too much time worrying.

When it was in range, the Kappa leaped at the Vodyanoy. The Water Summon lunged, its claws slashing through its adversary’s kelp armor like a machete chopping up jungle vines.

The Vodyanoy immediately moved back, releasing a high-pitched screech as it moved.

“Don’t stop!” Elem yelled. The attack was clearly damaging the Vodyanoy; this was the moment to keep up the pressure.

The Kappa let out a satisfied hiss as it kept swinging at its opponent. It swung its claws in a controlled but savage manner, each attack digging deeper into the Vodyanoy’s armor.

However it didn’t take long before Fawkes’ Summon came with a response.

The creature stretched its arms and entangled the Kappa’s wrists with the plants covering its body. Then, with one violent jerk, the Vodyanoy tossed the Kappa aside.

Elem grunted as his Summon slammed against the wall and crashed into a nearby dumpster. It was a hard blow but at least the Kappa’s shell had borne the brunt of the damage. The Kappa clappered its beak; the Vodyanoy’s attack had only enraged it.

Elem took a quick breath. He’d eaten a hit, sure, but at least he knew that his claw attack was working. His Kappa had been able to hurt the Vodyanoy to such a degree that Fawkes had been forced to widen the distance between them.

He spurred his Kappa forward once more. The Water Summon angrily hissed with every step. They would attack again but this time the Kappa would aim for the kelp on its adversary’s arms.

But before the Kappa could reach its opponent, a pool of water formed below the Vodyanoy. The water swirled and the Vodyanoy instantly dropped into the ground, only before re-emerging on the other side of the alleyway moments later.

“Let’s have a healthy distance between us,” Fawkes proposed.

Elem sighed. He had never heard of an ability like that. Somehow the Vodyanoy had created a watery vortex to maneuver out of danger, much like a waterfowl diving into a lake.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“Now it's my turn,” the Ultra Gym instructor said. “Vodyanoy attack!”

At its Summoner’s command the Vodyanoy let out a burp, launching a brown liquid orb at the Kappa. Elem’s Summon immediately dived to the side, but could only narrowly avoid the attack.

Fawkes smiled as his Vodyanoy launched another swamp ball. The Kappa jumped up, but this time it wasn’t quick enough and took a hit in the stomach.

Elem gasped for air, feeling as if he just got punched in the gut himself. He had never controlled the Kappa for this long and the duel was starting to take its toll on him.

Fawkes on the other hand, still sat in the same lotus position and looked as if he was enjoying a casual meditation session.

The Kappa had barely gotten back to its feet when it received another blow. The Vodyanoy’s swamp balls appeared to slow Elem’s Summon down with every hit. If the Kappa kept eating attacks, it wouldn’t take long before it would be rendered fully immobile.

“Where’s your big mouth now kid? Did you seriously think you could beat a stronger version of yourself?” Fawkes asked as his Summon launched yet another orb.

“While you can’t seem to hurt me, I can beat you easily,” he stretched his tattoo-covered arm and pointed at Elem’s Summon. “Kappas have an innate weakness. That dish-like head, that’s where your turtle stores its Essence, am I right? The moment that glowing water gets knocked from its skull, your Summon will be knocked out. You may have a strong shell but once I hit your Kalla hard enough for it to lose its balance, it’s over.”

Elem tightened his fists. Fawkes had driven him in a corner. If he didn’t want to lose, he’d have to come up with a solution very quickly.

The Vodyanoy launched another attack and again the brown orb violently crashed into the Kappa, this time wobbling the tired Water Summon. By now, any hit could be enough to break the Kappa.

Time was running out and Elem could only conjure up one outlandish idea. A plan that would either instantly defeat the Vodyanoy or cause his own Summon’s demise.

It was a gambit, Elem realized, and an insane one at that. He had never heard of a similar maneuver and there was a proper chance the move would ruin his Kappa.

When the Vodyanoy spit another ball in the Kappa’s direction, Elem prompted his Summon to dive down. The Kappa shifted its head forward so that it blocked the projectile with its dome.

A blinding flash lit up the entire alleyway, followed by a kinetic shockwave that tossed around a dumpster or two. Elem’s body tensed, he wasn’t sure if his tactic had worked.

Fawkes was right; the Kappa kept its Essence inside the top of its skull in the form of luminous water. And since the Vodyanoy’s attack was a water-based move, Elem hypothesized that the orb could somehow conduct the energy within the Kappa’s power source.

As the light faded, Elem’s own mouth dropped; his plan had worked! The Vodyanoy lay motionless on the ground but the Kappa was still standing. Fawkes was speechless.

“You did it, you lunatic!” Aja shouted from the sidelines. “You beat the brakes off that ugly swamp thing!”

“Not so fast,” Fawkes shouted as his Summon evaporated and his eyes returned to normal. The man’s face had paled significantly, his voice strained with anger. “This isn’t over yet. I have one more Summon left.”

Aja protested, claiming it would be unfair if Elem had to face two Summons while he only had one. However, Elem didn’t say a word. They had never established how many Summons could be used in the match and he felt that complaining now would only be a sign of weakness.

Fawkes was quick to move on, his eyes instantly darkened as he called his next Summon.

“I Summon the Werewolf, a Void Summon; cursed horror of the night.”