The Strongest Warrior - Part 1

Seeing as how it had come to food time Samuel took out some food from the 'fridge' which is the closest to what the Children of Mana would call it, "So far, looking at how far we have come, I would say we have had some success! But looking at those we have lost... Let's just say we got a bit further to go!"

Shakkai quickly hummed in agreement. She decided to also become stronger so she could protect all the nice people that had protected her, she would rely on herself more than the fact that she might be a goddess.

In a quiet evening the two managed to eat some food and get some rest so they would manage another day of hard work.

It had become more of a regular occurance that they slept on the first floor couches rather than the upstairs bedroom. It was just easier to answer the door and easier to get around in the morning.

As morning began Samuel started off his days with brewing some coffee and getting some fresh apple juice, he loved pairing that with a sandwich with bacon and butter. All nicely toasted with a nice egg.

It was only in the mornings that he really drank coffee, thinking it was too bitter of a drink to be enjoyed for other purposes than waking up. Shakkai didn't need to eat but she happily did so anyway, liking the taste of food regardless of what it was, almost as if nothing ever tasted bad.

A knock on his door a few minutes after and he opened it to see his three friends, they were all standing there with slightly worried expressions.

"Whats wrong now? Bad news?" Samuel asked them in a sense of urgency as if just wanting them to come clean.

"Well it's just that..." Vazmarx began, "We have been summoned to train as a team!" Vuldara finished, "Against someone that wanted to face us all at once!" Zalbas added.

"What who?" Samuel blurted out while shaking his head.

"You will just haveto wait and see!" Alsian's voice was the one replying from outside corner of the house, he was standing in the shade.

Samuel looked at him and then looked at his friends. "Oh Ok." So he quickly got his things and walked out of his house, proceeding to follow Alsian with the rest. "I have bad feeling bout this!" Zalbas muttered.

Indeed they all got quite the shock when they arrived, not only had they walked into a large arena like training hall they had never been in before, but there was one person in full armor waiting in the middle.

"No way in the eleven hells are we fighting that guy!" Zalbas exclaimed. "Well unfortunately for you!" Alsian crossed his arms and took a very laid back position, "You don't have much of a choice!" As he said that, every door previously open did suddenly close.

"You all have potential, be it as Children of Mana or as regular fighters both, but you all need to learn how to fight at the next level." Alsian sighed while walking off to the sides and sitting down on a stone bench.

"I could think of no one better suited than learning from!" He casually started picking at some of his nails while not looking at them.

"Yo what do we do?" Zalbas looked at his friends to see if anyone had an answer, they all looked at one another but in the end their eyes laid rest on Samuel, waiting for his decision.

"Doesn't seem like we have much of a choice." He sighed and took out one of his blades. "Oh damnit." Zalbas started silently swearing, Vuldara just looked prepared and Vazmarx started growling ever so slightly.

They all slowly approached the man standing in the middle, he was sporting a large glaive like halberd. His armor crackled in blue energy, his armor which had an azure blue to it that covered his entire body.

"So you finally dare to approach me!" Tyklion mocked them, and swung his weapon and pointed it at them. "Come at me all at once! For each hit you score on me, the more serious I will get!"

The other three had not seen Tyklion's strength firsthand like Samuel, so they did feel like he underestimated them. But for Samuel this was a declaration of strength, there was no way they could seriously injure this man, "If anything, we can heal and protect ourselves better than most people, that also means he won't hold back if we push him to that extent. Do not underestimate him, and use the proper coordination we have trained for."

Samuel's words helped make them focus slightly better. As they all tried to keep a level headed focus. Vuldara readied her shield and sword, while donning her full plate armor. Vazmarx drew two of his katanas and channeled magic through them. Samuel with one blade and magic in the other hand, Zalbas... Zalbas took a battle stance with his fists.

Tyklion raised his weapon and slammed the butt of his halberd into the ground, "Begin!" Then taking a defensive stance.

All four of them didn't hesitate and each moved in a different direction at the same time, Samuel kept some distance and started casting support spells on his allies right away.

'Ability Boost, Speed, Offense, Defense, Magic.'

Zalbas rushed straight in as fire, ice, lightning, darkness and light started shaping around his arms and legs, Vuldara was following slightly behind him.

Vazmarx's swords both started glowing in runes as they were imbued with magic and mana while he ran in a half moon around Tyklion.

Vuldara picked up her speed and was right behind Zalbas, and just before they reached Tyklion, Zalbas suddenly jumped to the right.

Vuldara came charging shield first into a heavy slam, it was so heavy that it scattered dust and sand for several meters behind, but Tyklion didn't budge an inch as he had stood there and blocked her charge with his halberd as a staff.

Zalbas and Vazmarx didn't hesitate, One from the left and the other from the right they both jumped on the offense and came in swinging at Tyklion. At the same time Tyklion locked slightly behind him, feeling the magic circle forming behind him.

Samuel had placed spells in the ground, air and behind Tyklion to cut off any route of escape. But turning with great speed, Tyklion bunted the staff part to the left and pushed off Vuldara at the same time.

Vuldara stumbled backwards and just barely managed to keep her balance, but Zalbas didn't have time to defend and got a severe punch to his gut by Tyklion's weapon.

"Gah!" He expressed as all air was knocked out of his body and he lost all concentration, moving like a wasp Tyklion quickly reached the staff of his weapon around Zalbas and knocked him forward to the ground, essentially swapping places with him.

Vazmarx saw what was coming and instantly slid down on the ground and Tyklions swing just barely missed his face, Vazmarx understood that if he remained still he would suffer the same fate as Zalbas and quickly jumped to his feet, his fox ears perked in one direction and he swung with both swords in that direction.

Just barely blocking Tyklion's next strike, but it was like being hit by a heavy sledgehammer, the shock Vazmarx absorbed still caused him to skid backwards several feet. He also felt his arms going numb, but his eyes still traced his opponent and he started walking backwards in a random pattern.

"Hmm, you might have the best natural combat talent out of the entire group..." Tyklion muttered to himself as he suddenly turned around and swung behind him.

His swing just barely missing Samuel who was airborne, he did haveto flip in midair with his magic to avoid the hit though, Tyklion locked at his shoulderpad as Samuel jumped several paces back in the air.

A scratch mark from a sharp blade was there and he looked back at Samuel. "Hmm." He then held up one of his hands and a regular sword was conjured and it started crackling with blue lightning.

"Blue Cloud." Was the words he said and the sword instantly went flying towards Samuel like a lightning bolt, Samuel of course having his eyes ability and chronomancy tilted his head as he felt a tiny sting of pain on his lower cheek, he had only seen the sword as a blur but was still able to dodge it.

He turned around just in case the sword would come flying back but instead he was met with a mighty explosion as the sword exploded into a cloud of blue lightning and flame, it was so powerful Samuel was sent flying from the shockwave.

Just as he was starting to slow down in mid air with his magic he felt a presence behind him and turned his head in time to see a very intimidating presence as he felt a mass of force slam into his back.