Solum (14.12.9978 AS)

“What is wrong with you?” Laura said with an annoyed voice. “Why did you lead us over here? I was just fine over there; I don’t mind the crowd at all, so why don’t we go back?” She pointed at the crowd having fun visiting the various stalls of the festival.

“They are moving just intercept anyone coming towards our location.” Tristan said through his Commu.

“Looks like the fun is about to start” said Melodias in ecstasy. “We won’t let any of them, get near you!” He added while sounding as if he had started to move.

“Well, I guess two will come to our way anyways.” Tristan said happily, putting his Commu back in his pocket.

“Was that a Commu?!” Ai asked with sparkling eyes at Tristan, not even questioning the talk he just had had in front of her. Tristan nodded and answered. “I’ll lend it to you sometime later and Laura, can you shut up for a moment?”

Laura’s bloodshot eyes landed on Tristan. “Why should I shut up?! Didn’t Erika say not to go near alleyways?”

“She did, but they had figured us out anyways.” Tristan said as he looked towards the two shadows in the rooftop above them. “And you don’t want to involve innocent bystanders in such an uncivilized fight, right? You better channel your animosity towards our enemies and not towards me.” Tristan added with a casual tone.

“Wait, what?” Both Ai and Laura shouted at Tristan in unison finally snapping back to their normal selves.

“There they come, so I take on the idiot and you two, take on the girl, but Laura, make sure to take care of Ai.” Tristan said, while he pointed towards Viktor, who was headed directly towards them.

‘Eavesdropping the conversations of others isn’t nice at all!” Schattenklinge said to Tristan, who took out a small device from inside his ears. ‘Well, if they are stupid enough to use one of my products without my permission, then they deserve being eavesdropped.’

‘I still feel like you cheated.’ Schattenkling answered with a bored tone. ‘I didn’t cheat, I first had to pinpoint their location, before I could hear in their conversations. I’m just lucky I picked up sensing mana quite fast thanks to Ai’s help, I still can’t see the colors, but I’m already able to feel the intensity of the mana.’

‘And another cheat, why do you just learn abilities that are like cheating? Why don’t you learn some hand to hand combat or some good ol’ shadow’s magic, like any other Demon your age?’ Schattenklinge said with a disgusted voice.

‘Because I’m no normal boy, I was forced into this situation by some messed up pervert, so let me pick up the best abilities to beat a crazy god, when the time comes.’ Tristan answered with an annoyed tone, before adding. ‘Now get ready to fight, that idiot should be arriving soon. If I estimated his abilities correctly, he shouldn’t be stronger than me.’

***

Clair was looking at the festival with a bored expression, while playing with the ring she had gotten from Bella. Dietrich and Kayle were sitting next to her, also watching the festival from a balcony of a skyscraper near the place she had met Tristan for the first time.

They had returned to Solum after having finished their business at Roche. Today was Clair’s last day in Terra, she would be returning home after the end of the festival. Thus, her mood had already been foul adding oil to the fire was the business of her friends killing an innocent soul! She had heard from the odd communication devices, Dietrich was using, that her friends were about to engage their target.

Her heart tightened just thinking about it. ‘What should I do, should I use the ring, to save him or not? If I use it, I might be able to save him, but it will mean this is my last day outside of the palast! Yeah, if I use it, I will rot inside that golden cage of them!’

*Sigh*

“Is something wrong with?” Kayle asked as she saw Clair looking quite sad, towards the people enjoying the festival.

“Eh… What… Nothing, I’m just jealous of the people down there enjoying their lives all carefree and all.” Clair, who was brought back to reality said with a sad voice, trying to calm down Kayle.

“Well, it can’t be helped, we’re just allowed to watch from the outside, but it’s still quite exciting to see a different continent!” Kayle remarked.

“Yeah, I know.” Clair said with disinterest looking towards Dietrich, who had suddenly stood up, his Commu in his hands.

“Sorry, looks like something came up, I’ll need to go and take a look for myself!” He bowed towards Clair and ran out of the room.

***

Viktor jumped from the rooftop, he had been standing, not paying attention to Sariel’s protest. It was his moment to shine, an annoying woman, wouldn’t stop him from getting his glory.

Midair he performed the movements for a roundhouse kick directed at Tristan’s thorax, for him the best option of taking Tristan out in one go. The girls next to him wouldn’t be able to realize what had happened and he would be free to transport Tristan’s unconscious body to a less crowded place to finish him off.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

At least that was, what he hoped would happen, but-

Instead of his kick landing on Tristan’s chest and breaking some of his ribs, Viktor’s kick went through Tristan.

“Wha-” Viktor couldn’t even bring out a word of surprise as Tristan’s fist landed directly on his nose and sending him flying for a few meters. Tristan smiled pleased as he took off the deformed and bloody knuckleduster and let it disappear into thin air.

Ai and Laura looked at him in disbelief, not being able to follow the events.

“Viktor!” Sariel landed next to her comrade and tried to tend his wounds, but his wounds were already closing by themselves.

“He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay! He’ll pay!” Viktor roared as he stood up with a swing, pushing Sariel by side.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have that much money” Tristan mocked him and a threw blue crystal into the air. The crystal dissolved into dust that formed a magic circle, from this magic circle a barrier spread through the alleyway surrounding the five youngsters.

“Now we should be able to fight without caring about bystanders.” Tristan said still a superior smile on his face. “I’ll leave that girl to you; I will take on the troublesome guy.” Tristan said and jumped towards Viktor while summoning two bastard swords.

Viktor took one of the swords he was carrying on his back and also jumped towards Tristan. Tristan sliced at Viktor midair who barely managed to stop Tristan’s attack.

Almost not able to land on his feet Viktor was completely open to Tristan’s next attack: Tristan used the fact that he was able to fly and accelerated in midair once again towards Viktor. Not being able to parry the attack Viktor tried to dodge it, but was not entirely able to: One of Tristan’s swords bored its way into his left upper arm.

“Fuuuckkk!” Viktor roared in pain and jumped backwards. “You piece of shit ain’t an Elder! You a Demon!” He pointed out in broken English, his face still distorted in pain. While steam started to pour out of his wound.

Tristan’s sadistic smile disappeared as he saw the wound he had just inflicted close this fast. ‘What’s with that, Seraphs have superior healing abilities than we, but that doesn’t explain why he’s regenerating so fast!’ – ‘It’s his active; He’s a phoenix!’ Schattenklinge explained. ‘People with that kind of active are the most troublesome to deal with, since they’re basically immortal.’

‘Basically immortal? So that means they can be killed?’ Tristan asked with a smile. ‘Of course, there is nothing in this world that isn’t mortal.’ Schattenklinge answered. ‘So how can I kill him the easiest?’ Tristan asked once again showing a sadistic smile. ‘The brain is the only part of their bodies they can’t regrow.’ Schattenklinge pointed out.

‘So, I just have to behead him, isn’t that kinda too easy?’ Tristan asked disappointed. ‘No, I din’t mean it that way! I meant that you have to smash the head or find some other way of destroying his brain in one go!’ Schattenklinge said with an ecstatic grin on his face.

“Ewww.” Tristan said out loud with a disgusted tone.

Meanwhile, Viktor’s wound had closed up completely, his anger reaching levels he didn’t know were possible: Why didn’t he attack while I was regenerating? Is he mocking me? These kinds of thoughts came to his mind as he changed the sword he had been using to the other sword he was carrying on his back.

***

Even before Sariel could grasp the situation, Laura was already charging full speed at her. As usual Laura had deactivated the gravity around her body and used acceleration magic to charge at her opponent. In no time she had reached Sariel, her left foot lunging for a kick.

“Shit!” Sairel activated her magic just in time and Laura’s kick was stopped by a seemingly invisible wall.

“Not this again!” Laura said and jumped backwards landing at the very same stop she had started her charge.

“Wha… What’s going on?” Ai asked, still in shock about the events unfolding in front of her.

“They attacked us and we’re striking back.” Laura pointed towards Sariel, Ai nodded after hearing those words. “Now if you excuse me, I’ll have to kick her ass!” Laura said before disappearing once again from Ai’s field of view.

With a speed eyes couldn’t follow Laura charged at Sairel, who was standing helplessly in front of her, not knowing what to do, or that was how it felt to the charging Laura.

Once again, she appeared in front of Sairel raising her fists about to strike Sariel’s defenseless face. – But right before hitting, she once disappeared from Sariels line of sight.

Laura had enough experience fighting against telepaths. She had often beaten Seria, who used the very same tactic as Sariel, in mock battles. Laura was sure she could win against any telepath, thanks to her speed and agility.

Thus, she used the very same tactic she would use against Seria by disappearing from her line of sight and then striking from a blind spot!

“Bullseye!” Laura exclaimed as her heel hit the mark. The heel should have buried itself into Sariels left shoulder blade – But

Nothing of the like happened; it was as if Laura had just kicked a block of solid adamantine. Pain spread from Laura’s left foot over her entire body.

“Ahhh!” She screamed in pain, trying to hold the tears in her eyes.

“Princess Clair is faster than you.” Sariel determined with a proud smile, before turning serious again and this time going over to the offensive.

***

Viktor’s poured his mana into the sword and sword started burning in an almost invisible blue. With a satisfied smile he charged towards Tristan as fast as he could. Tristan also charged at Viktor full speed and sliced at him.

Viktor barely managed to parry Tristan’s strike, causing sparks to lighten up the scene. Not letting his bastard sword touch Viktor’s flaming sword for too long, Tristan stroke at Viktor over and over again, but Viktor deflected every one of the strikes causing more sparks to fly around between the two of them.

After a while Tristan jumped backwards, seeking distance from Viktor. Although, he didn’t let his Swords touch Viktor’s flaming sword for long, his two swords had gone all blunt. Viktor smelling an advantage wouldn’t let Tristan change his weapons, and jumped after him every time Tristan sought to increase the distance between the two of them.

‘He isn’t that stupid as I thought.’ Tristan reflected annoyed. ‘Even if he’s an idiot I shouldn’t have underestimated him.’ He thought, as he tried to evade as many strikes from Viktor’s flaming sword. He knew his swords wouldn’t be able to hold much longer.

“AHAHah, where is your stupid grin now asshole?” Viktor taunted him with a sadistic smile on his face. “Just wait till I burn you down, AHAHAh”

Tristan replied with a devilish grin as he once again sought to put distance between the two of them and was promptly followed by Viktor.

‘One time an idiot, always and idiot.’ Tristan thought as he opened hundreds of gates leading to his armory around Viktor, not letting his opponent time to react, he poured mana into the catalyst stone on his bracelet and activated his telekinesis spell.

Hundreds of spears and swords poured down like rain towards Viktor, who desperately tried to evade the weapons. Unfortunately for Viktor he wasn’t fast enough, and ended up as shish kebab.

Tristan stopped his tracks and threw out his bastard swords and grew a sword from his shadow. “I guess it’s time to stop the child’s play.” He smiled at his jet black swords. ‘Finally, let’s go partner!’ Shattenkling exclaimed in Tristan’s ears.