Chapter 22

Thorace's blade clashed with that sea of armour and swords, his trident trailing his every blow and battleboard acting as a shield, parrying the blows from every corner and unleashing volleys of beams upon the enemy. Mind, body, nerve and sinew now immersed within this turbulent sea of the heat of battle, lifted him into an elevated state of strength and will, that height of infinite will and Thorace willed !

That storm rose, wiping out the entire ranks of soldiers on that deck. rising high to the astral skies, it echoed in a turbulent rage of glory.

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Rising from the debris, his board lifting him into the air, being, sword and trident steaming, his sighs were smokey, resonating with the internal turbulence ensuing within his being. Bringing him downwards, his battleboard landed on the empty deck of a battlecarpet, where he watched the Mace unleash waves of destruction upon the Feudal Order's fleet.

"Decided to take a break huh !" A voice mocked. "I thought you would go on forever."

"And I can Zorg." Thorace replied the person standing behind him.

"You think just because you can deal with a bunch of weaklings it'll be easy to take us down." Said Dorvin.

"We're here to face you Thorace ! Who do you think you are anyway ?" Shev mocked.

"You're just that common urchin who never fitted in, and who achieve all you had by luck." Nord flared.

"Pure luck !" Shev yelled. "I come from a royal family and you were just a peasant when I was born, so you don't deserve to be who you are."

"So pitiable," Thorace grinned, "you all laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh because you all are the same. And tell me Zorg and Nord, since when did you become royalty ? Because you both were peasants just like me. And I can see that you've been really obedient lapdogs to your royal masters Shev and Dorvin."

"How dare you !" Zorg yelled. Charging at Thorace from behind, he thrusted his sword.

Thorace's battleboard plunged him into the air, somersaulting, he struck Zorg with his trident, the impact throwing his victim forward while his battleboard struck Zorg in the face sending him flying back at Thorace who sent a furious kick which struck Zorg in the chest, sending him crashing to the floor of the battlecarpet after sailing through the air.

"Remember", Zorg yelled, "I and Nord beat you up when we were younger."

"Not as true warriors", Thorace grinned shrewdly, "but unformed and spoilt billies. So if you dare", he lifted his trident pointing it towards the four pirates, "let's fight as men."

"He is challenging us to fight as men, when he is the coward." Shev mocked.

"And a traitor !" Added Dorvin.

"I didn't say I wasn't going to fight", Thorace replied, "did I ?"

"His high and mighty attitude makes me sick !" Zorg yelled.

"Let's just show him that he's no more than that kid he used to be." Nord sneered.

"Then I dare you", Thorace replied, "all of you."

Charging at Thorace, their swords cut through the air as the struck him from all corners, but Thorace's being frayed, leaving their blades to bury themselves into the armour of the battlecarpet's deck. That halo fell upon them from above, blowing up the entire battlecarpet, the explosion sent the four pirates falling onto the top of a plateau.

The four rose to see Thorace staring at them from the top of his battleboard, his eyes flaring, sword and trident glistening.

"I thought you all were just warming up", he said, "so I decided to give you all sometime to catch your breath."

"What makes you think that we were tired ?! The battle is just starting." Zorg fired.

"Precisely", Thorace repeated, "because that was what I said.". Charging at them with his battleboard, his blade and trident clashed with theirs.

All four struggled to find an opening, a gap to strike him down, but none could be found and none created, as Thorace was a cosmic whirlwind parrying their every blow and move perfectly, his board acting as a mobile shield, ramming itself upon them and launching him into the air, then slashing them from behind.

Ducking, Thorace dodged Zorg's blow and locked Dorvin's sword with the blades of his trident, he slid out of the way, sending Shev stumbling forward, his slashing blade digging deep into the earth, with Thorace's battleboard smashing an unsuspecting Nord from behind. Thorace swirled around striking all four with his trident, sending them falling to their backs.

"That was too quick", Thorace smiled, "you guys should level up, your fight skills are getting me bored."

"You think so, we'll see about that !" Dorvin yelled charging forward, his sword drawn, the others following him behind.

"Come with all you can." Thorace dared them.

His blade clashed with Dorvin's, who plunged a dagger at his ribs, but the handle of Thorace's trident swung for his wrist, striking at the dagger which flew into the air. Zorg's blade tore at Thorace's legs but the impact was parried by the armour pad on his knee, with a fierce blow from his trident, he sent Zorg crashing face first to the ground. Dorvin, Nord and Shev charged at Thorace but his motion frayed through the distance. Striking, he parried the blows from the trio, ramming them backwards and creating an opening in between, Thorace slashed at two with his sword and trident and his board knocked down the third. His battleboard parried Zorg's blow from behind, spinning around, he launched at his ribs, once again driving him to the ground.

All four rose from the earth, charging at Thorace again, their swords drawn and their eyes filled with fury, they slashed and stabbed at him, but his motion was sonic and stellar with their blades missing instead, striking the earth. A halo fell upon them from above, this time, they were smart enough to raise a forcefield to deflect the impact unknowingly leaving their backs exposed. Thorace unleashed another wave of flames from behind them, catching them off guard, they couldn't react in time and the fiery waves buried them within its surge.