Frustrations

My eyes slowly rolled to his position. "What the fuck are you doing up there?!" I questioned him as he floated in the air.

Is he manipulating his wind magic to allow himself to float? He might even be able to fly with that sort of magic.

"Me?" He replied sarcastically.

"Well who else would I be talking to?!"

"Sorry, I didn't realise you could see me. After all, someone as weak as you who is dimensions below me could never hope to manifest my being in front of your peasant eyes." The edges of his mouth twisted upwards as he let out an annoying cackle.

"You sure do talk a lot for someone who just witnessed their clone get get rocked!" I taunt.

He yawns and stretches his arms out disrespectfully. "Well, you do have a point there. So how about I give you a quick demonstration." He snapped his finger and vanished from my eyes.

"Huh? Where did he go?" My head turned in all directions near me, searching for his disappearance. Then behind me, a trail of golden dust fell down to the floor.

Wait, that's not dust. It's...

"Mana!" I screamed aloud trying to jump out the way, but I was too late.

"That is correct." He whispered into my ear, appearing behind me and striking me in my lower back sending me flying.

"Aghh!" I wept in pain convulsing around the lower area of my back. "I think he broke my back."

"Oh, don't worry. Your back isn't broken. I simply displaced some of the bones. They should pop back in place any time now since my blow didn't pack all that much strength." He sneered at me with his cocky attitude, glistening even brighter than the expensive robes he dawned.

"Lucky me then." I replied and then dived forwards at him channelling my source KI throughout my body. I arrived at his side in a mere second, my right arm cocked back ready to unleash a fierce blow to the side of his skull. However, he didn't even flinch. A calm smile remained fixed on his ugly mug that taunted me with every look. I ignored his disturbing behaviour and followed through my original intentions, launching my fist at his head, but he swiftly moved his palm to intercept my blow as it exploded in size. A coated glove of KI, resembling a lion's paw, that surrounded his hand quickly collected my charged fist with no trouble.

"C'mon, is that it? All that source KI but you don't even know how to use the most basic moves with it? This is rather disappointing."

"Shut up!" I shouted trying to break free of his monstrous grip, but he remained unfazed and brought me in closer and struck me with his open palm directly in the solar plexus.

"Bleughh!" I winced as blood splattered from my mouth.

Why is this so different from fighting his clone?

"Why is this so different from fighting my clone, you're probably thinking? Well, whilst my clone possess the same abilities and power as me, it can't replicate my thinking process, knowledge or training. Basically my clone fights on instinct only and will only use the most basic of moves. It has no sentience."

So that's it. But how did he know what I was thinking?

"By the way, I don't know what you are thinking. But, you beat my clone so easily so of course you'd be shaken by the fact you're getting beat up by the same person. You're looking for what has changed to see if you can capitalise on it, right? It's only natural to think that way when you are losing but previously were winning. It proves you're not mindlessly swinging. Although, you kind of are at the same time. Well, whatever."

He now walked up to me the same way I walked up on his clone. Though we did the same things, there was levels to this. He's beating a perfectly capable human who can think logically. Whilst I was just being up some rag doll.

He arrived in front of me and wasted no time in delivering the truth to me. A reality check, if you wish. He forcefully stepped on my right leg, snapping it in half in an instant. He continued to do this to my left leg.

"AGHHHHHHH!!"

Then to my right arm.

"AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

And finally to my left arm. At that point I couldn't scream anymore. The pain welled up inside me and felt mon existent at this point. I felt so much pain, my body couldn't process the following pain that it received. He then slowly picked me up by my right arm, holding it up high as if he was trying to raise me up to my feet.

"Look at poor little you." He said in a genuinely concerned tone. He didn't even acknowledge me as someone who could have killed him. That's why he could feel pity and concern for me. And that fact...

MADE ME RAGE! IT MADE MY BLOOD BOIL AND MY TEETH GRIND AGAINST EACH OVER!!

"Ooooh. That is not a flattering look for your handsome face. Especially those eyes. Those veins are about to burst any minute now. And one more thing before I go. Since I'm fairly certain he was talking about you, 7 years ago, I'll ask you this. Are you fighting for what you think you are fighting for? Or are you wallowing in your delusion, unable to escape the never ending hell that is reality? Whichever it may be, think twice about what you are doing and why you are doing this. Is this what's right?"

My eyes barely kept themselves open, but when he finished speaking to me, he placed his fingertips on my eyelids and gently shut them.

Are you fighting for what you think you are fighting for? Or are you wallowing in your delusion, unable to escape the never ending hell that is reality?

Huh? What is he on about? What would he know about my situation. I'm not trying to escape reality, I'm simply bending it to my will.