"Lesson number 1: When you think your prey is cornered, that is exactly when you must fear them the most," Noah/Liam said tossing the severed head to the ground with a click of his tongue. "You see, lad? He let his guard down the moment he started monologuing, look where it's gotten his pompous arse now," he guffawed, as if something about this messed up situation was entertaining to him; tossing the severed head aside with a cocky smirk.
The blonde winged man's headless body collapsed to the ground without an owner to keep it aloft, causing a cacophony of shocked screams to echo out, the crowd of challengers completely aghast.
Inside, Noah felt queasy at the sight of Liam casually beheading a primordial spirit user, simulation or not.... it was just wrong. But at the same time, as much as he wanted to deny it, there was a modicum of relief after a gruelling 16 hours of nothing but fighting and running, inching closer to death with every encounter. However, there was something even more disturbing than Liam's actions. Noah could feel part of Liam's thought process, he could feel the madness and the brutality Liam contained behind his jovial exterior as he burst out without hesitation.... and it terrified him.
"Alainis!" A pained yell echoed out from the muscular man with an exterior that seemed to be crafted from volcanic ash, as he lifted the massive circular hammer and smashed it towards Liam, only needing to take a few steps due to the seven foot tall hammer.
"The second lesson, lad, is to never let emotions overwhelm you on the battlefield," Liam yawned, as he casually threw out a palm strike laced with origin that didn't belong to Noah.
'Redirection Palm,' Noah/Liam lightly whispered those words, perhaps for the former's benefit, as the tremendous striking force behind the hammer swing ground to a halt the moment it connected with Liam's palm, causing Noah's metaphorical jaw to drop wide open in astonishment.
Seconds later the ground around Noah/Liam started cracking and fracturing as if the land were in the middle of an arid desert, and from the loud sound they carried, he could tell that the cracks ran deep into the earth.
Noah felt that the danger had passed, but Liam immediately sidestepped to the right, followed by craning his neck to the right with a yawn. Two whoosing sounds indicated how necessary Liam's actions had been, as the praying mantis spirit had used the opportunity to try and assassinate him with its sharp forelimbs.
'Strength layering... x1... x2... x 3,' Liam balled his right fist and started flexing his right arm muscles to the extreme, as seconds later the translucent man who was quietly sneaking up from the side lunged at him, weaponless. Noah realized that the defensive primordial spirit wasn't trying to directly harm Liam, just immobilize him. A lazy right fist extended out like a casual wave of the hand, but the moment the punch connected with the translucent man, Noah swore the air itself started fluctuating for an instant, before he went flying away at twice the speed he'd approached.
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"Path of the Mythic Serpent,' Omni rested on Noah/Liam's left arm in gauntlet form, he seemed to have no intention of using her in combat and Noah could understand why- origin couldn't be channeled through a gauntlet.
Noah/Liam raised both his hands near his chest, extended flat and outwards making them look exceptionally awkward. He took three steps backward in rapid succession, successfully evading the onslaught of the enraged praying mantis spirit, followed by a series of dodges, ducks, acrobatic leaps and the standard sidesteps- Noah could sense the pattern, Liam moved with the ferocity of a slithering snake, never stagnant, always changing in form. Finally, after Liam evaded a strike from the left forelimb, did he see the opportunity. The right forelimb came chopping down with intent to cut Noah/Liam in half, but he just had a crazed grin on his face.
'Palm of Stagnation,' Liam, to Noah's shock, had Omni transform into a small dagger that cluttered to the ground uselessly. The strike, far faster than anything Samain was capable of, crashed towards his skull with blinding speed.
Liam slammed both his hands together, causing a wave of shocked exclamations among the challengers... He had caught the razor sharp forelimb by directing two palm attacks at the same spot, causing them to collide with the forelimb and stifle its momentum. Even the praying mantis spirit seemed horror-stricken by Liam's move, but he wasn't done yet- his hands, which were clasped together in a praying gesture with two forces that cancelled each other out, started drifting apart- one closer to his face the other farther, and the negating forces became opposing forces.
A shrill cry of agony echoed out as Liam, with a grunt, snapped the blade in half; A slew of bright green blood flew out as a result, and Noah cringed at the sight.
The praying mantis spirit struck out with its left hand as a reflex action, but Liam casually moved past him, causing the spirit to only strike air.
'Severance Strike,' Without even glancing at his opponent, Liam chopped his arm sideways as a sharp aura engulfed his right hand. Noah gasped as a fountain of blood erupted to his right, but Liam paid it no attention and picked up omni from the ground, who reshaped herself into a gauntlet on his left arm.
"Sorry lass. Didn't mean for you to see that," Liam patted the gauntlet apologetically, seeming genuinely remorseful.
"The third lesson is to take care of this little lass here. Oh, and don't hold back when the opponent is as strong as you. Frankly, it's disrespectful," Noah/Liam nonchalantly remarked as he prepared for the next round.
"I. SHALL. GROUND. YOU. INTO. PASTE," The strength spirit took a pause after each word to try and contain the hatred it felt for Noah/Liam, covering the distance separating them with surprising quickness, followed by another swing of the circular hammer aimed to pummel his hated foe.
"Big lad you already tried that move once, innit?" Noah/Liam remarked with a sigh, as one copy split into fifty identical clones, each breaking into a sprint in a different direction. This move needed no introduction.
His hammer collided with ten or so copies that were too slow to run away in time, but from his disappointed expression it appeared as if physical contact hadn't been made.