Just like that, without any searching, their enemies had fallen into their lap. Something that only proved to be a boon to the group’s goals. The tension between the two groups was building, that much was clear to see. But what wasn’t, was how they were going to go about fighting their enemies. After all, they didn’t know very much about what they were capable of. For quite a bit, they continued their staring match. No member of either group averted their gaze. Not willing to allow their opponent's to get the first move. After all, they all knew how quick a battle could move.

“How do we decide who goes first?”

“I have a simple idea, but it’s effective... Rock Paper Scissors.” Said Kazimir.

...What?

Arctaius looked at Kazimir as he raised his hand.

“Hm. Sounds like a plan to me. Alright!”

“Fine then.” Alarick replied.

The other three raised their hands, soon followed by their gaze falling upon each other's hands, analyzing, looking for even the most minute muscle movements. First gunning at one of their enemies was no joke, after all.

“Rock!Paper! Scissors!” They yelled in unison.

Before they threw their hands out, and, while three of the four had paper… A certain Russian had rock. Just like that, he was out in the first round.

“Oh come on! Just my luck…”

Arctaius brought his hand back to his body, as he balled it into a fist once more.

“Now that that's over, The real contest has begun!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Alarick balled his fist as well.

“Again!!”

“Rock--Paper--Scissors!”

The three tied once more as their hands shot out. All the while, their expressions began to become more intense. Liang deadpanned at this display, while Bijan simply looked the other way.

“These jokers… Are the ones they had us worrying about?” Liang mumbled

“AGAIN!”

Finally the deadlock was broken, With Alarick as the victor, Having chosen scissors and Zhao and Arctaius with paper. Something they were not fond of.. But, they let him step forward regardless.

“Alright then, first choice. I'll take that one.”

Alarick pointed at Lafeyah, catching the youth’s attention.

Lafeyah: Fine then. Let's begin.

Soon enough, the two bent their knees, before jumping off, and flying at one another, ripping apart the floor that formerly stood under them. Lafeyah took the initiative, launching his right fist at Alarick. However, the attack hit air, as his opponent ducked under the fist, and threw a right straight, but Alarick ducks under his fist. Soon, he flew past Lafeyah, unwilling to let him get an attack in, quickly rotated his body, prepared to launch another attack. But, flying at him, after rebounding off the wall, was Alarick, who drove his knee into his stomach with explosive force that, for a moment, left him dazed. Just enough for Alarick to continue his assault, grasping his arm, and flinging him out of the hole that now rested in the wall. Alarick soon leaped out to follow him. All the while, Liang looked over his shoulder, watching the two with his eyes. As they made their exit, he put his gaze forward.

“Then it looks like we’ll have to handle things here…”

“Not so fast-- I can't allow you to do that.”

Liang turns his attention toward the source, his gaze eventually focused on Arctaius.

“You intend to stop us?”

“I just said so, didn’t I? I’ll be honest when I say I don't care for these people... however, I will not let you take a valuable source of information”

Liang began a slow advance toward the remaining 3 fighters, as he placed his right hand on the hilt of ablade, sheathed on his side. His trusty jian, a weapon he’d used since he began getting into combat.

“Then it looks like I'll have to force you out of the way.”

Soon, another martial artist began stepping forward in response.

“It’s a battle then.”

Zhao moved his left hand to a sheathed blade on his side, a Dao. The two fighters' gaze went across one another, until Zhao took note of a marking on Liang’s shoulder, What looked like two arrow points, with a dot below them.

“That emblem on your shoulder-- are you by any chance.. a chuōjiâo Practitioner?”

“Correct, Shanghai-style. And with those markings on your forehead...You learned from the Guo monastery.”

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

The two stopped their advance within a few feet of each other, continuing to size their opponent up.

“I'll take this one.. I've heard about the dangers of Chuōjiâo...”

Liang glanced at the troops behind him.

“Likewise”

Liang and Zhao leap out of the same hole, leaving Arctaius and Kazimir standing there with the two remaining troops… Who were promptly eliminated, as Arctiaus flashed forward, shoving his fist into their torso’s. Ripping a hole within them, and ending their lives. He put his blood stained hand at his side, as he walked to the edge, With Kazimir following suit.

“Well, looks like we'll stay here. if any more of them come.”

Part B

The two fighters landed on the grass. The ground crunching under their feet. The two glared at each other, watching for any sudden movements. Alarick was the first to move, shuffling his foot back Lafeyah, kept his gaze on him for a bit, before,, his eyes gravitated to the foliage.

“Large area... Fertilized soil… Optimal Conditions.”

Lafeyah reached to his side, his hand falling upon a burlap sack on his belt loop. He shoved his hand inside, before he threw seeds onto the ground.Something that Alarick took note of. He put his hand on his chin in his confusion.

“Seeds…? What would he be doing with those?”

The soft earth began to rupture, as well as the rock underneath. Coming in to replace it were dark green roots, soon, accompanying it, were strange plants that sprouted from the ground. Lafeyah glanced around, at the plants, and then, his gaze returned to his opponent.

“Verdant Golems, Rise!”

With his statement, vines rosee from the plants. A few moments after, they began winding around one another, over and over, like helixes. Until legs, a torso, and arms are formed. These 4 golems stand in front of lafeyah, unmoving.

“The hell..?! He must be like that life weaver if he pulled something like THAT.”

Lafeyah threw his hand up, pointing at Alarick. His Golems charged forward almost immediately, Alarick’s eyes squinted. He jumped as they got closer. Landing hits on the two golems unlucky enough to get close to him. Forcing them away from him. One flies back, crashing into the wall of a manor, and destroying it upon impact.

However, to his surprise, a third golem grabbed him, while a fourth threw a punch, hitting his cheek, and knocking him back, as the third released him. Though he’d soon stop himself, skidding on the ground, and breaking the earth. Alarick would find himself caught in a storm of strikes. He put his arms up in an attempt to defend, his eyes darting around all the same. As he looked to the golem on his left, he noticed a punch, a rather wide one, allowing him to slip from the attack. Alarick soon jumps far away from them. Bending his knees, and planting his feet on the ground. Feeling something trickling down his jaw, Alarick glanced down at his mouth, noticing some blood leaking from it. He soon wiped it off with the sleeve of his jacket.

“Tch - those have some power behind them. And there are still more rising from the ground. I'll need a different tactic…”

Alarick began to look around at the golems in front of him. To the left, and right, and then, the ones that stand in front of Bijan, guarding him.

“There's a larger gap between those golems compared to the rest - noticeably so... However, if I can notice, it is likely that he can as well... It could be a ruse… Let's do this then.”

Alarick bent his knees as he focused his gaze on Bijan and barrels down towards Lafeyah. The man throws his hand forward as the vines rip through the ground and move to lash out at Aalrick. Taking note, his opponent quickly weaved around these vines, before taking flight, and moving backward. But, the attacks did not end there. As the vines moved to snap at him midair. Unlucky for him, however, Alarick continued to weave around, backing up once more as well. And, just like that, the attacks stopped.

“I can only assume that’s his maximum range… About 100 Meters. That makes planning this out easier.”

Lafeyah stands there behind the wall of golems, as he stares at alarick, he puts his right hand on his chin.

“Something isn’t right with how he's acting.. he hasn't made any attempts at an attack after the first… Could he possibly be studying me..? Can't have that.. I'll have to handle him before he can figure me out. It'll be harder to win in the future... If I give him too much leeway, it will come back to bite me.”

Lafeyah’s hand flew up once more, spines sprouted on the rapidly spreading amount of the plants on the ground.

“Thorn Maelstrom!!”

Soon, the thorns took flight, coming off of the plant’s surface, sending them forward, as a boom echoed through the ears of those watching, with the sound barrier shattered. Alaarick’s eyes widened.. He quickly put his arms up in his defense, and despite this, he found his skin broken, and small cuts being left in the places he was hit, blood drawn soon after.

“These attacks… These thorns might even move faster than Orbital Shells. A I suspected- he's a level above Mr. Burns from the Shīma ward. These thorns-- are extremely sharp as well…”

The thorns continue to cut Alarick’s skin-- this onslaught continues for quite a while, gradually stopping. On the ground, however, more spines begin to grow on the plants. Alarick begins to fly farther away.

“Dammit. This will only get worse unless I change something. I need to break that defense somehow.”

Alarick lands, taking a look at his opponent, and his creations, before his gaze, his eyes narrow.

“Those things may be able to move... But they're still plants, I can only assume he’s given them a rudimentary nervous system. Even so, more complex movements could be restricted. But it is possible that their standing is unsteady... in which case-- this'll work… STONE PILLARS!”

The pillars rise from the ground. Puncturing through the leg area of the Golems, and ripping up the ground under them Making them Fall- one by one. On others, however, they are tangled around pillars of stone, restricting their movement. Lafeyah looks to his left, then his right as he takes notice of this.

“So that's his ability... This opens up some avenues.”

Alarick then immediately takes the chance to attack Lafeyah, leaping up, and flying toward him. Knocking him down as he lands, and Giving him a hard punch to the stomach -- before attacking him with a flurry of blows. However, with a yell. His eyes dilate as he clutches his chest. Alarick jumps back. To his surprise, however, he moved much slower than he had before, letting a golem that managed to escape through his attack slug him in the jaw, sending him flying back,

“Wait... What happened? That shouldn’t have done anywhere near that much damage. Either he's gotten stronger or… I've gotten weaker?!”

“The latter is correct.. those thorns were covered in a certain poison -- created via my abilities. It is unique to me, and unlike any normal poison, has no problem with use against proto-humans.”

Elsewhere, Arctaius and Kazimir stood at the edge of the building, watching the battle in silence.

“It looks like Half-Pint is between a rock and a hard place.” Arctaius Mumbled

“His attempts to get close have been failing up to now.. that, or he might be planning something…”

Arctaius glanced at Kazimir, and then, put his gaze back onto the battle below.

“If that’s the case... He'd better reveal this plan of his soon if he even has one.”

The Golems rushed forward, continually hitting Alarick once again.

“Although... I made that in a rush before the mission-- so it won't last nearly as long.. I'll have to eliminate him before he recovers…”

Alarick put his gaze on the approaching enemies, as he clenched his fists.

“Dammit.. I'll have to do this then-- Geode Carapace!!”

The earth began to shift once again, as the ground around Alarick broke down, as it began to move to cover his skin, condensing around it, the bumpy surfaces turned into more flat ones, until it formed a protective layer of stone armor around Alarick, resembling a suit of gothic Knight armor. The golems began to charge regardless. However, their attacks resembled thrown pillows, rather than something with the intent to kill.

“Tch. I’ll increase attack power-”

With this, small plants seem to rapidly grow, connecting to the golems. And eventually, their strikes slowly but surely begin to damage the armor. However, the very same happened to them, the wear and tear began to affect the golem’s limbs, torn by the hard rock they pounded against. to affect the structure of the golems. Alarick begins his counter-attack. He ducks under a fist from the left of him-- jumping over the right. Delivering a kick directly to the Golem in front of him, sending it barreling back. As well as the right one. He continues to fight and dispel golems, as Lafeyah watches from a distance.

“ Even with my poison…who knows what else he may have up his sleeve… I'll pull out the stops… Return! “

The Golems do just this, returning to Lafeyah as he stares directly at Alarick once again. Alarick raised an eyebrow at this, questioning what his next course of action was.

“It seems to assure my victory... I must use this earlier than I intended to. I do hate to put all my cards on the table. Come Forth-- Verdant Emperor!!”

With this-- the golems began to move closer to one another. Accompanying them were vines sprouting from the surrounding plants once more. As they began to coagulate, vines soon ripped apart the soil to come to join them. Forming a larger creature- as more golems join, The humanoid features of the “Emperor” Begin to disappear. A giant amount of roots shoot out-- Covering both the soil- And the manor, with walls further destroyed by the vegetation. Even going as far as the rivers and wetlands outside of the manor Elsewhere, Arctaius and Kazimir watched this from within. Kazimir’s eyes widened as he took a look at the effects of… Whatever this was.

“Hold On a Minute--What the hell is that?!”

It continued to grow to a large and overbearing size. Until it towers over the manor and its walls - seemingly even reaching the size of the city’s spires. Arctaius glanced between the grounds of the courtyard, and the beast that stood in front of them. After all this, he had but one thing to say.

“This looks like it'll be a problem”

Watching as well, were Zhao and Liang. Standing on the roof, watching as the Emperor took root.

“It looks like Lafeyah has pulled out the stops…”

As Liang spoke, Zhao glanced at him, and then, his gaze went back toward Alarick.

“Hopefully... He finds a way to get himself out of this.”

He turned back to Liang, drawing the blade at his side, and soon, his opponent did the same in response.

“Regardless-- let us begin!”

As the two readied themselves, getting into their stances, Alarick looked up at the large, yet, eerily quiet being. If he’d not seen a lot in battle beforehand, he may not even be this composed.

“Rise in Protomis detected… This isn't good”

To Be Continued