Chapter 272: And I Am Strong Enough To Be Cruel

Landin stood next to his three summons, staring down the massive man across from him.

Xavier and Landin had moved a small distance away from the rescue tents, the only audience the entourage that Xavier had forced to accompany him.

Hudson had stayed behind reluctantly to keep the rescued citizens safe from any other surprises and the soldiers were unsurprisingly unwilling to follow Landin.

"You done there, princess? I'd like to hurry this up, I got lots of plans to get to today," Xavier sneered, licking his lips.

Landin grimaced, "Shut up. Your insults are as bad as a Halo 2 lobby, you gross old man. Can you even get it up, you disgusting, balding, Slender Man looking idiot? Maybe need a little blue pill there, maybe some blue chew, Giganto?"

Xavier frowned, flashing forward before Landin could realize what happened.

Landin was looking up at the clouded sky, his back searing in pain as he coughed up a wad of blood.

W-what happened?! He thought, his mind racing only for a moment until he saw Xavier standing above him.

"You talk too much."

Landin grinned, "Habit I picked up from my cringy teacher," he chuckled, spitting a glob of blood back at Xavier, it hitting him on the cheek.

Xavier's frown devolved into a scowl as he wiped the red splotch from his cheek. Xavier grunted loudly, raising his massive military-like boot above Landin.

But just as his foot came down, Landin was pulled out from under the blow, Ifrit barking loudly as the wolf pup yanked hard on Landin's pant leg.

Jumping back up, Landin wiped the blood from his mouth, bracing himself for whatever was coming. But to his surprise, the man didn't move, instead rolling his shoulders and neck.

"I haven't had a stretch in a while. And since we have such a captivated audience. I think I'll enjoy embarrassing you before I rip your shitty little throat out kid," Xavier laughed.

Landin scowled, but this was the best scenario for him. Xavier was underestimating him and giving him precious time for the others to get to Drake.

But Xavier blurred after a light sneer back at Landin, a second later in front of him, already in the motion of a right hook.

Landin's eyes once again widened, unwilling to believe this man was so leagues above him in stats. Quickly snapping his fingers, he switched places with Anima. Their differences in height saving both of them once again, Xavier's hook passing over her harmlessly.

Landin needed to pull out all the stops or he wouldn't last long enough in the fight, even with the bastard of a man playing around with him. He had just used up the last charge of his replacement skill and it wouldn't be back for several minutes.

He began chanting, straining his eyes to keep track of Xavier.

"Ifrit! Let the bell toll!" he began.

Landin crouched ready to receive another blow but it never came. Xavier rolled his arms again, this time a glow beginning to emanate as he did.

A skill? A body enhancement like Drake's, but it works with him fighting longer like Sarah? Or is it just from him rolling his arms? Landin thought.

But he continued the chant, not time to waste.

"Ring the sound of victory, devour the branch of life, Grow and expand! Step forward into the light! Summoner's Enlightenment!" he roared, Ifrit taking long leaping bounds towards him.

Ifrit was bathed in white light suddenly growing several times bigger, his legs becoming more muscular, claws longer and sharper. The flames on his mane and elbows burned with more intensity. Finally, his face turned several times more severe and ferocious. No longer a puppy but a full-grown Tundra Wolf.

Landin continued, reaching his hand out to Ifrit.

"Dwell within me! King Maker!"

Ifrit lept into Landin's chest a magic circle forming instantaneously as he did between them. As Ifrit passed through the circle, Landin began to glow in bright bluish light, his body expanding outward, his hands becoming larger with sharp claws instead of nails. His hair growing out past his waist and changed to a deep blue.

Landin gave a guttural animalistic growl, his eyes yellow and sharp.

"Oh look, the snot-nosed kid, grew some sharp nails, want me to wait while you paint them?" Xavier bellowed, his head snapping backward with each amused laugh.

Landin ignored him and flexed his legs, taking a step forward, the ground underneath him cracking and denting from the force.

He shot forward before Xavier was able to react in time. Landin thrusted his hand forward like a spear, his new claws set to points, aimed directly at the man's chest.

But it was never that easy. Either a skill, defensive item, or just the difference in levels and stats prevented Landin's blow from dealing any real damage.

His clawed hand ricocheted off Xavier's chest, only ripping the clothes and leaving a small scratch against the man's skin.

Xavier frowned, "That's some power-up! Still not good enough though! You're just some weak little brat who got some fancy stones!"

Landin tried to retreat, taking a step back, but his wrist was grabbed in a flash by Xavier. The strength behind it too much as Landin could hear and feel his bones snapping under the hold.

"Let me teach you just how weak and useless you really are!"

Xavier bellowed another laugh, lifting Landin like a paperweight into the air and slamming him down into the ground.

Landin gave out a grunt of pain, air forcibly expelled from his lungs as his eyes rolled back into his head. Then was thrown across the open area, skipping across the ground until he crashed into a building, toppling it from the force.

Xavier laughed mirthfully. Allowing Bahamut and Anima to go to him.

A voice Landin hadn't heard before yelled out as he scrambled to get up out of the house's rubble.

"Please! Please stop! You can't win! Don't throw your life away!"

Landin flexed his aura, Anima beginning to heal him as his head struggled to lift to see the owner of the voice only to hear a single crack of a hand.

He finally found it, Xavier, had slapped the elf woman in maid clothing across the face, sending her to the floor.

"Who told you to speak, you dumb slut! You sit there and you watch as I beat the shit out of this less than dirt, burden! And just for talking, I think I'll have extra fun for our special night!"

Something twinged inside Landin, a fierce scowl forming across his wolf-like face.

"I… am not worthless," he growled, canceling his King Maker skill, his body reverting back to normal, "And I am not a burden!"

The elf girl held her hand to her face, a difficult expression on it, but yelled out again.

"Don't waste your life for us, we're already lost… There's no hope of us escaping, no matter who is here!"

Xavier turned, but Landin shouted first.

"SHUT UP!" he growled, "I'm not doing it for you! I'm doing it for me! I'm not going to be told I can't do something ever again! It's my job to protect this camp and there are people in front of me who need help, and I finally have the power to do something about it! I'll do it, just like he did it for me! So just shut up, sit there, and let me put my life on the line to finally do what I want to!" he gave a feral grin, pointing a finger at Xavier, "I'm finally living my life my way and right now that means kicking this Lieutenant Surge wannabe reject, head looking ass's dick in the dirt!"

Xavier's face turned purple in rage, turning back to face Landin. He began swinging his arms, the dim glow Landin had seen before beginning to brighten and deepen in color, turning to a deep red.

Landin had no other options, he wasn't even sure if what he was about to do would work. But if he didn't he was dead. His enhanced form with Ifrit was the strongest skill combination that he had used.

There was only that left.

"Duality Core! Bahamut into Anima!"

Both summons glowed, turning into spheres of light and then crashing into each other as their anchors on Landin's body glowed and vibrated with power.

"Plus Ifrit! Monst3r!"

Landin roared, Ifrit becoming a sphere of light and finishing the skill as it crashed into the other.

Xavier blurred, flashing out of sight.

But Monst3r formed from the light, taking the blow meant for Landin in its shoulder, blowing it's arm from the shoulder down clean off. The amalgamation of the summons shrieked in pain and grunted as it slowly used Anima's power to recover itself.

Unfortunately, Landin didn't have time to wait for his summon to fully heal. He was almost out of mana, and Duality Core only lasted so long while putting a huge tax on his resources.

Gritting his teeth Landin shouted while he still had eyes on Xavier.

"Dwell within me! King Maker!"

He jumped forward, aiming right at the back of his new summon. Praying the skill activated.

And with luck, it did. Just inches from colliding with Monst3r, a magic circle formed and he melded with the summon.

Landin's entire body grew several times larger as he loomed over Xavier now. His facial features were fierce and sharp, his skin several shades darker as if it had turned to woodish bark. His face still resembled himself, however, blue fire escaped his mouth and yellow-slitted eyes leered back at Xavier.

On Landin's back enormous dark wings spread wide, his feet changing to serrated talons, and his arms covered in white-blueish fur with knives for fingertips.

Xavier was stunned for a moment looking back up at the creature.

Landin sucked in a deep breath, then gave a guttural howl of blue flames, covering Xavier in frozen fire.

It was a gamble, but it looked like it had paid off. Landin didn't have the minute control his summons had over their skills, instead, he could only brute force them. And he had never practiced, giving this fight a whole new level of difficulty.

Then, it was Landin's turn to be stunned as a only slightly frostbitten hand reached out through the gale of blue fire. Trying to grab for his throat.

Landin cut off the bellowing fire and threw his serrated hand in an uppercut to deflect Xavier's grip.

Once he did, another hand came from the side in a left hook.

Landin put his right elbow up to block it. But that was a mistake as he was flung to the side, his arm going limp.

Xavier had shattered his arm.

Landin stopped himself mid-air, flexing his wings, and willed his body to mend thanks to Anima's skills. But it was clumsy at best, which only slowed down the process of mending the shattered bone.

And Xavier wasn't waiting any longer.

The man dashed forward chasing Landin, throwing several jabs in quick succession.

Landin could see the blows now thanks to combining with his summons, but only barely, the blows coming in blurred streaks.

He tried his best to dodge the blows, dipping to one side, but one of the jabs touched the side of his cheek, cutting it wide open.

Landin flapped his wings, forcing himself into a spinning kick with his talons only to hear a scraping sound against Xavier's skin as if Landin was scratching metal against metal.

Xavier's guard halted Landin's strike, allowing him to grab him by the leg and throw him to the ground once more. Landin impacted and crushed the ground beneath him, blood escaping his mouth as he grimaced, trying to stay conscious.

But Xavier was unrelenting. Jumping onto Landin's chest, he swung his arms, the light growing and growing with each rotation.

"Any last words piss ant?" Xavier sneered.

"You look like an ugly Mr. Potatohead…" Landin smirked, showing two elongated canines.

Xavier's face twisted in derision and he gripped his hands together like a hammer, bringing it down on Landin's stomach.

The blow folded Landin like a lawn chair as he was pushed further into the ground. His body desperately tried to heal the damage, but he was running on empty, his health and mana bars dangerously low.

Xavier reached down into the hole, picking Landin up by his hair and dragging him in front of the elf girl.

"See what happens when you step out of line bitch? You're just like him, useless! Only good for that thing between your legs. Too bad this sack of shit, couldn't back up his mouth. I needed to burn off those snacks I had earlier!" Xavier guffawed.

Landin coughed, one eye forced shut, the other half able to open.

"Y-you taking a break potato face? I-I didn't hear no bell, spudman…"

Xavier growled, rearing back his free arm as Landin's eye began to close, exhaustion taking him, his skills and spells running out and canceling.

Then Xavier was gone.

The sound as if a grenade had gone off next to his head rang deep within his being deafening the surroundings and blurring his already darkening vision. The only sensation he felt was the lack of rain for a few moments, then warmth entered his body.

Landin opened his eyes, a goofy empathetic smirk looking back at him.

"It's about goddamn time-" Landin said, but coughed, a dribble of red liquid leaving his lips.

"You did good. I didn't expect someone so strong to be here. That was my fault… It won't happen again," Drake answered, standing up.

Drake motioned to several people, "Take care of him. Tanya? Bring him and those women to the tents. Sarah, Mordred, Glenn, Luciem. Go to the pits, and find Clotho and Quetz. Evacuate anyone you can. You have 10 minutes."

A roar came from behind Drake, the voice now very familiar to Landin.

"They aren't going anyw-"

But the voice was cut short, the surroundings crackling and humming with power as magic circles of every element at Drake's disposal manifested and then vanished, his entire being going golden.

Drake turned away from Landin, his eyes sharp daggers in a vicious primal glare as he looked over his shoulder.

"I didn't say you could speak."

Landin bent to the side slightly to see past Drake, seeing Xavier splayed across the muddy ground, his face showing just how much effort he was putting into fighting against Drake's aura.

"What about the guards we've captured, Patriarch?" Sah Ul' asked from the side, looking at the man with murderous disdain.

"Leave them here. I know what to do against men like him. They are going to die just like he is, and the last thing they see is him. As the true weakling that he is. You can try to fight against my aura. But you are just like Adam," Drake scoffed, "Bjorn was right. It looks like our auras are affected by some things. And yours has no bite. I can only assume how you came to be so high level but you do not deserve it. There is no substance in it, just like you. A small little man, on a small little throne."

Landin chuckled slightly.

"Oh, now you're screwed."