Chapter 44 - Fighting against all odds

For the remaining days of his vacation, Thomas spent most of his time training with Bahamut and Mars, honing his combat skills and learning new spells and techniques. But he also continued to meet with Latia and Freja, who taught him how to defend himself against other magical systems.

Latia showed him how to counter curses and hexes commonly used in Dark Magic, which surprised Thomas a lot since he didn't know that his friend would know about such curses, considering that she using another magical system than him. While Latia help him with curses, Freja taught him how to defend against elemental magic and illusions. Thomas found the training with them challenging but rewarding, as he knew that he needed to be prepared for any situation, especially with a presumably highly dangerous man coming for him.

In addition to combat training and magical defense, Mars also taught Thomas about the history of the magical world, the politics behind it, and the less-known factions and groups that exist within it. He felt that the young humanlet that he stuck with for the past two years had grown enough to start learning a bit about some of the players in this world. As the days went by, Thomas noticed a marked improvement in his skills. He was able to dodge and counterattack with more speed and precision, and his spells were becoming more powerful and precise. He also found himself growing more confident in his abilities, although he tried not to let it turn into overconfidence. While he was by no means strong enough to fight against a real master assassin, he was nowhere as cluelessness as before now after facing tens of different kinds of assassins in different situations. And even though he hadn't won a single fight since his first battle, Thomas knew that Bahamut raised the difficulty so that he won't get too overconfident in his rather unorthodox victory, not that it wasn't a valid one.

On the last day of his vacation, Freja insisted that Thomas take Latia out for a date around London. At first, Thomas was hesitant, as he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their friendship or make things awkward between them. But Freja assured him that it was just a friendly outing and that they were both too young to worry about anything else.

So, Thomas nervously asked Latia if she wanted to explore London with him, and to his relief, she eagerly agreed. After that, both of them Thomas and Latia started their friendly outgoing, enjoying the sights and sounds of London. They visited Trafalgar Square and admired the imposing statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson on top of the column. They then walked along the Thames, taking in the views of the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament.

Next, they stopped by Covent Garden, where they watched street performers and visited a few shops. Thomas even bought a small glass figurine of a dragon for Latia, knowing how much she loved them. She smiled and thanked him, tucking the figurine carefully in her bag.

As they walked through the streets, Bahamut suddenly spoke up in Thomas's mind. [Thomas, be alert. Someone has just raised a barrier around us.]

Thomas's heart raced as he looked around, trying to see any signs of danger. Latia looked at him in concern. "What's wrong? Is something happening?"

Thomas didn't want to scare her, but he knew he had to be cautious. "I think someone might be trying to trap us," he said, keeping his voice low. "Stay close to me, and be ready to run if I say so."

Latia nodded, her eyes wide with fear. Thomas wished he could do more to protect her, but he was just a kid with a wand and sacred gear, and no matter what he tried to think about it there was no way he could fight against the assassin while also having to protect Latia.

Suddenly, a figure appeared from the shadows, stepping out into the dimly lit street. It was a Leopard youkai, and from how all of his instincts were screaming at him to run away, Thomas knew that this was by no means an easy opponent. The youkai's eyes were fixed on Thomas and Latia, when out of nowhere he raised his hand, summoning a powerful Touki that formed into a blade of energy.

"Thomas Grayson," he said in a low, menacing voice. "You are the one I seek. You can come with me nicely or you can come with me dead. Either way, I get paid."

Thomas's heart pounded in his chest as he looked at the assassin. He could tell that this wasn't someone he could reason with or talk down to. He had to fight, for himself and for Latia.

So before the assassin could attack him, Thomas raised his wand, his mind racing as he tried to think of the best spell to use. He settled on a Disarming Charm, hoping to knock the blade out of the assassin's hand and give them a chance to counterattack in force. But the assassin was too quick, sidestepping the spell and lunging at them with his blade. Thomas barely managed to cast a Protego in time to block the attack, pushing him back several steps.

Latia quickly runs beside him, her eyes never leaving the assassin. "What should we do?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Thomas knew they had to fight together, but he also knew that he had to protect her. He gestured for her to stand back, keeping his wand pointed at the assassin.

The Leopard youkai didn't waste any time, launching a series of swift attacks that forced Thomas to dodge and weave. He tried to cast spells in return, but the assassin was too skilled, easily deflecting them with his Touki.

While the assassin was busy chasing and deflecting Thomas' attacks, Latia, raised her hand and cast a spell, sending a burst of flame towards the assassin's face. The youkai, momentarily distracted, raised his arm to shield himself, giving Thomas the opening he needed. Thomas quickly cast a Stupefy spell, aiming straight for the youkai's chest. The spell hit its target, and the assassin stumbled backward, his sword disappearing in the air.

"Nice shot!"

Latia exclaimed, happy that her friend managed to take the assassin down. But their relief was short-lived, as the youkai quickly recovered, drawing a hidden dagger from his belt and lunging at them again. This time, Latia took the lead, firing spell after spell at the youkai, hoping to distract him long enough for Thomas to strike him down from behind. Thomas joined in, casting a series of spells at the youkai from behind Latia's cover. They managed to hit the youkai with a Stunning spell, causing him to falter and stumble again, but he was quick to recover once more.

As they continued to fight, Thomas's mind was racing. He knew that they couldn't keep this up forever, and they needed to find a way to finish the youkai off. Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Latia, can you create a wall of fire around him?" he called out. Latia nodded, understanding his plan. She quickly cast a spell, creating a wall of flames that surrounded the youkai, trapping him in a ring of fire.

As the youkai tried to break free from the flames, Thomas saw an opportunity. He focused his mind on Bahamut, calling forth Bahamut's power. Even though the dragon didn't say anything, Thomas felt a surge of energy coursing through his body as he began to transform into his human-dragon hybrid form.

Thomas felt the scales covering his entire body, his wings spreading out from his back, and his claws growing longer and sharper. Before the assassin could break free, he raised his hand and focused his magic, channeling it into his fingertips. As he drew closer to the youkai, he felt his claws tingling with power, ready to strike.

With a bestial roar, Thomas plunged his claws into the youkai's chest, tearing through flesh and bone alike. He felt his claws cut through muscle and sinew, tearing everything in his path. The youkai let out another scream, but Thomas didn't relent. He dug deeper, tearing apart everything he could reach.

The youkai's body convulsed and twitched as Thomas continued to tear it apart. Blood spattered everywhere, painting the ground and the walls in a gruesome display, but Thomas didn't flinch. He had to finish this. He had to make sure the youkai was dead one way or another. The nights when he fought against those shadowy beings, made him used to the gore and the bloodshed of a battle.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Thomas pulled his hand out of the youkai's chest, his fingers coated in blood. The youkai's body lay motionless on the ground, its lifeless eyes staring up at him. Thomas collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. He was covered in sweat and blood, his body shaking with adrenaline and exhaustion. He felt sick to his stomach, but he knew that what he had done was necessary. The youkai had been after him, and he had defended himself and his friend.

He looked up at Latia, who was staring at him in shock. He could see the fear and awe in her eyes, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to explain what he had just done. Instead, he simply stood up and walked over to her, offering her a hand to help her up. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said, his voice hoarse and ragged. Latia took his hand, her own trembling slightly. Together, they left the alleyway, leaving the youkai's body behind them. They didn't speak as they walked, both lost in their own thoughts and emotions. Thomas knew that this experience would stay with him forever, but he also knew that he couldn't let it define him. He had to move forward, and he had to protect his friends and loved ones, no matter what, even if that meant that he would have to turn himself into a monster.

As they were walking away, Thomas's transformation faded, and he reverted back to his human body. Latia stared at him in shock, having never seen him in his draconic form before.

"Thomas?" she whispered, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. Thomas took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He felt drained and exhausted, but he knew they had to leave the area as soon as possible. He turned to Latia, trying to reassure her.

"It's okay," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "It was just a transformation. I'm still the same person."

Latia nodded slowly, still looking at him with a mixture of awe and fear. Thomas could tell that she was scared, and he felt a pang of guilt for not telling her about his powers sooner.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier," he said, looking down at his feet. "I didn't want to scare you or make things weird between us."

Latia shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "It's okay," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Just as they were about to leave the area, the sound of footsteps echoed behind them. Thomas spun around, his wand at the ready, while Latia prepared herself to throw another spell when they saw Leif and his peerage emerging from a building, looking battle-ready. Freja had her whip in hand, while Klaus had his hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Max and Christina stood behind them, their expressions serious.

"Latia, Thomas, are you okay?"

Latia breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her father and rushed over to him. "We're okay," she said, hugging him tightly. "But we were attacked by an assassin sent by the main head."

Leif's expression turned serious. "I suspected as much when someone dared to erect a barrier in the middle of the wizard territory," he said. "Where is the assassin now?"

Thomas stepped forward. "He's dead," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "I killed him."

Leif and his peerage looked at Thomas in surprise. They knew that the main head had sent a powerful assassin after him, but they didn't expect him to be able to take down the assassin, even with Latia's help. After all, it wasn't an easy task to take down someone two whole classes stronger than you.

"You did?" Leif asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How?"

Thomas took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to explain what had happened without revealing the full truth. He decided to tell Leif a half-truth, omitting anything about his sacred gear transformation and instead telling him that he had transformed his hands into claws using charms he had learned at Hogwarts.

"I used some charms I learned at Hogwarts, and thankfully we managed to catch the youkai off guard, and we were able to take him down."

Leif and Freja listened to Thomas's explanation with interest, but there was a hint of skepticism in their eyes. Thomas could tell that they knew there was more to the story, but they didn't push the matter further. Instead, they expressed relief that Thomas and Latia were safe and that the assassin had been taken care of.

Latia's eyes went wide open when she heard Thomas lying to her father. She wanted to correct him and tell Leif the truth, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to betray Thomas's trust. Instead, she kept silent, her mind racing as she tried to process everything that had happened.

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