Crossing Blows

'' You're finally awake white haired. '' Zeralf woke up to a voice that carried traces of curiosity.

'' Where am I? '' That was the first thing he asked himself as he squinted his eyes trying to decipher where on Majhr this place was. He felt slightly weak but the overflowing Ki made up for that so he wasn't feeling too bad just a bit lightheaded.

He observed the surroundings starting with the old roofing made out of who knows what material and the bed which he found to be too hard and small making it far from comfortable. The floor was made out of brown smooth stone and although the house looked old, it wasn't overly shabby.

The memories of the past events rushed in as he observed the surrounding which made him slightly frown. He remembered he was assaulted by the red rhino after being ambushed by that damn lady whose name he didn't care about and does not want to know.

'' Yes, how am I still alive? '' Zeralf jolted out of his trance state when he heard the same voice, this time, it was nearer.

He turned toward the source of the voice and there he saw a boy around his age who looked like a classy scoundrel from hell. That was his first impression.

'' Hey white haired I was talking to you. '' Endra expressed his annoyance after being ignored.

'' Who is he? '' Zeralf was alerted when he found himself in an unknown place with an unknown kid who was calling him with a ludicrous nickname as though they'd known each other for ages. Zeralf would not wait for Endra to close in on him before he made his move, he would not allow someone he knew nothing about to suddenly approach him not when he had just woken up in a strange place.

Zeralf teleported from where he was and appeared behind Endra with the arrowhead of his kusarigama held close to Endra's neck and blood was gently trickling from the fresh cut.

Endra widened his eyes and gulped down saliva as he wasn't expecting this sudden development.

Light shimmered under Zeralf's feet and he found the ground vibrating making him lose his footing which gave Endra the chance to manifest his Zajra and struck with a rotating downward slash.

'' He has manifested his Zajra. '' Both of them screamed in their heads with caution.

Another shimmering light appeared above Zeralf's head and he teleported just in time when a lightning bolt struck his former position.

'' Dual Dharmas? '' That was Zeralf's first thought when he saw the lightning bolt after the ground vibrated but he was very erroneous about his thought and he might be in for a show.

Zeralf sent dozens of spatial cuts as he appeared in the air dodging an explosion on the ground.

'' What is with these multiple abilities? '' Zeralf's face remained calm and aloof even though he was surprised by his opponent's Dharma but he still felt uneasy by the unpredictable abilities.

Zeralf thought that was all until half of the spatial cuts he launched forward simply vanished. Endra sidestepped dodging the remaining attacks and white light shimmered on his four limbs. His speed rose to another level as he appeared before Zeralf in the air and threw an uppercut, Zeralf met the attack with a downward blow and they were both thrown apart by the momentum.

They both stopped and looked at each other with scrutiny and wary. while the whole room was greatly in mess.

'' He's just like me, already too strong for a mortal. '' Endra thought and a smirk appeared on his lips.

'' He is evenly matching my blows but where is he getting his Ki from, a mortal would've long drained out. '' Zeralf also analyzed the foe before him still with his indifferent gaze. He had not taken the fight seriously yet and he knew his opponent had not either but he remained unfazed.

Endra didn't wait for Zeralf to finish his analysis, his speed rose again and he jumped in the air in an arc like motion and struck with his staff in a left to right diagonal slash, Zeralf rotated on his left foot which propelled him upward and he slashed with his kusarigama. The two Zajras clashed and both wielders felt numbness in their hands, a light in a simple pattern shot forward and wanted to glue on Zeralf but he teleported even higher in midair before gravity acted on him. He checked his previous position which was now covered with ice shards.

'' Now it is ice? '' Zeralf wondered.

'' You don't have multiple Dharmas. '' Zeralf finally talked since the beginning of the battle. '' You have an arcane Dharma which seemed to affect reality with those lights. ''

'' My my, you seemed quite versed in Dharma. '' Endra laughed. '' I thought you were just another noobie rich kid that I can swindle hehe. ''

''Who are you? '' Zeralf asked while still not letting down his guard.

'' I am Endra and you're right, I have an arcane Dharma that bends reality with just my thoughts cool right? '' Endra wore a smug face.

'' Braggart. '' Zeralf silently muttered. '' Your Dharma is only close to that it still needs those light stuff if not, it would have ended in my defeat since. '' He said this to himself.

'' And you seem to have the Dharma of space, that's cool but it's still so so compared to my Dharma. '' Endra arrogantly announced.

Zeralf would not mind this stranger's stupidity who went by the name Endra. So far he had only used the Dharma of space which made Endra believe that that was the only Dharma he could use.

'' And this is not how you should be repaying your benefactor you ingrate fucker. '' Endra cursed loudly.

Zeralf almost tripped in discomfort from the foul language that this so called Endra was using without effort and his right eyebrow arched when he heard the word ' benefactor '.

'' What happened and how did I get here? '' Zeralf finally decided to ask while still being battle ready for any sudden action.

'' You know I first thought you were deaf white haired.. ''

'' Zeralf. ''

'' Yes white haired, I saw your pitiful dying figure in the forest and I decided to help you, I even fed you with expensive potions but you fucking attacked me what an ungrateful brat. ''

Zeralf was silent and it was now he even realized that he only had his brief on, all his clothes were nowhere to be found.

'' My clothes? ''

'' What! Of all the things I said. '' Endra complained.

'' Ok thank you. '' Since the situation had come to this, Zeralf won't shy away from showing gratitude even if he was still wary of Endra.

'' I thought you were an ungrateful jerk, well it's not as if I wanted to save your ass. '' Endra muttered inwardly.

Endra brought out a black card that Zeralf was too familiar with from his pocket and waved it in midair questioningly.

'' Give that back. '' Zeralf frowned when he saw the black card that Genzo gifted him in Endra's possession but his frown deepened when he saw the card flying to his position. He raised his hands and grabbed the card.

'' What? You thought I would fight for something that won't even grant me access? ''Endra laughed with a questioning look. '' Moreover, it was an unwritten rule to never cross anyone with that card unless you want your whole generation to perish in the hands of their backer. ''

'' Honestly, I still find it too dreamy to be real. ''

'' What do you want? '' Zeralf was tired of Endra's rumble and if one thing was sure, that was the fact that there was no free food, especially in this part of the world Majhr. He would be foolish to believe that a random kid helped him out of kindness and if his card could allow others to use it, he was dead sure that he would be dead by now.

'' I like that style, straight to the point. '' Endra's greedy eyes brightened when he found his plan to be striking perfectly.

'' I want a residence in the central region and a food supply that will be enough till I take the EDF exam. ''

'' I'm ten by the way so just five years, that's nothing for someone like you, no? '' Endra put forward a very devouring smile that Zeralf found to be pretty creepy.

Zeralf's upper eyelids angled albeit when he heard this, it wasn't as a result of the deal, with his card, he can still pull that off with a little explanation if Genzo reprimanded him, but this strange Endra somebody would be taking the EDF entrance exam too? considering his ability, he would definitely qualify with an excellent grade at that.

'' I guess we would be meeting again. '' Zeralf spoke in his head while keeping his no expression face on.

'' Fine if it's just that. '' He paused and looked at Endra intently. '' That doesn't make us acquaintances by the way. '' He said the last part silently.

'' That's a relief. '' Endra breathed in. '' It was really wise to save this money bank hehe. '' He giggled in his mind while maintaining his innocent smile.