Chapter 98 - The Monster

Akai took the first move, he burst forward as he raced across the ground with light steps. The air separated in front of him with each wide movement.

He shot across the room and clashed against the warrior with a powerful strike. His open palm collided with a solid fist and a pulse broke forth from between them.

The warrior's fist erupted into a ball of dark flames that spread across his entire body and consumed him. Its heat circled the room until an opposing flame forced it back. A pure red flame, one much smaller than the black fire.

A locked fight of red and black, they flowed against each other in a constant struggle. Akai's flames dwindled under the pressure but they weren't extinguished–they refused to be. He held on and kept them flaring.

A large swirl of flames grew around them, and the efforts of both their strengths were channelled into a powerful display before my eyes. Arga and I stepped back and our backs pressed against the wall trying to escape the growing heat.

"It's…too hot…!"

"There's no way this is normal right–how can anyone be this crazy strong!" Arga moaned.

It was an intense heat that put any other dragons to shame. At that moment, I felt the difference of what it meant to be human and a dragon. Zephier was standing right next to us but he didn't seem to mind the heat at all, for him it looked like a warm breeze. Literally! His hair only moved from the reverberations of their fight but not a drop of sweat in sight.

"This isn't right…he's losing." Dread overtook Zephier's face as he looked out on the battle.

"What do you mean, he's kicking that freaks ass!"

I nodded in agreement with Arga. Akai and the warrior clashed at the centre of the fire tornado with multiple collisions. Akai charged in with swift punches that landed blow-for-blow, only for him to hit back with slow wound up strikes. Akai dodged them easily and slipped through them to land more hits.

He moved so fast that it became hard for me to keep up with him. His opponent might as well have been standing still.

It seemed like Akai had him pinned, the so-called 'Fallen One' didn't stand a chance.

"You're wrong. Aki's…he's going to lose." Zephier repeated.

"What do you mean, he's totally winning–"

"Did he even flinch when you hit him?" Zephier barked at me. "You're not slow, so you must have hit him at least once right? Did that monster even flinch?" He added.

I cast my gaze out to the tornado of flames and my expression turned gloomy. 

He was right, that monster didn't even move an inch from my strongest attacks. I put everything I had behind them and nothing came of it…at best I was able to hold him back a bit.

"In our lands, there's a meaning to his name…he's considered a monster unable to feel pain. A monstrous dragon that we wouldn't want ever to return–or it could mean death! That's the meaning we gave to his name, to Asher. "

"He's not hurting him," I whispered with a dreaded expression.

"Not you too Rei!" 

Arga's irritated reaction aimed at me, she clearly didn't want to believe it was even a possibility but once she turned her attention back to their fight, she believed it too. Her lip quivered nervously as she tried to mask her doubt.

The tangled flames split open and a steaming figure broke out from its hold. He rolled back uncontrollably and tumbled across the ground. With the steam lifted I was able to make out who it was–it was Akai! His clothes were tattered and had small burn marks littered across his arms and face.

Zephier took a step forward to rush to his brother's side but a white shield blocked him from continuing. 

"No."

Zephier bit his lip and stood back with the rest of us in silence. The five of us were essentially baggage in that fight, unable to help but something the two of them needed to protect. I cursed my weakness after seeing that shield rise in front of Zephier. 

Akai stood up with a struggle but once he got himself standing, his posture returned. He wiped away something from his cheek and faced the burning tower he blew out of. 

"I'm not done yet. Not even close." He stated to himself energetically.

The flames split open once more and disappeared as Asher left its wake. He strolled out without any urgency, followed by a cape of flames that wrapped around his torso and arms. The fire that surrounded them moments ago had dwindled to a fraction of its size and hung around his shoulders like clothing.

As soon as Akai saw him, he humped back into the fray and shot forward. He held out his fist close to his waist. "Blaze burn!" With that powerful command, it erupted with a blood-stained flame and struck Asher in the face.

The two dragons were lost in the explosion and I was blind to the result. I waited and hoped that Asher would fly out the other end of all that smoke but nothing came of it. Asher wouldn't have died, not even to that. A monster like that wouldn't die so easily.

A hole in the smoke broke open with Akai pushed out of it. He had his arms crossed into a defensive guard against Asher's fire–it forced him back like a flaming spear and had no intention of stopping.

Akai's feet dug into the ground deeper with every moment and left two trails behind where his feet were. The crimson flames around his arms were the only thing between him and the dark fires.

"Even from this distance, I can feel it. How did a monster like that even get that strong…?"

Akai broke free and dispersed the flames with his arms. Without anything pushing him back, he finally stopped. His back arched and Akai let out deep huffs as he caught his breath again.

Asher walked leisurely from his end of the room, towards Akai. He carried a blank expression, one that held no excitement or energy.

"I never was good with speed, but that doesn't matter. Power always trumps gimmicks like that in the end." 

He held out his scale-wrapped claws to Akai and a ball of flames sprung from his palm. In little to no time, it built up into a large orb of malicious embers and fire. Akai held out his hands and summoned his own to combat it but…

"Ugh–my leg won't move!" 

Akai dropped to one knee and the flames that arose from his hands vanished into scattered bits of flares. His eyes rose to the hurled mass of flames headed his way and winced.

"How detestable," Akai whispered.

A blinding light flashed in front of him and shielded him from the flames. The ravenous fire headed for Akai crashed into a wall of white and gold light that vanished after contact. Not even an ember remained after the shield dropped.

"I'm sorry I stepped in but, you looked like you were in trouble. Should I not have?" Mister Ed asked.

"No, you came at just the right time. I was only able to hold out for a few minutes before you had to step in. I suppose I won't be able to handle him on my own after all–although we both knew that."

Mister Ed smiled. "Yeah, but I would have tried to as well if I were you."

"I suppose you would have. Well then, I believe we should get serious then." Akai's smile grew as Mister Ed helped him up.

"I suppose we should." He lowered his shield and transferred it over to his left hand. 

He removed the shield that hung against his back and tightened it to the right hand. The orb at its centre flashed a golden glow after being strapped in, then settled back into its regular white colour.

"We can't drop our guards here, not with him. After all, this is a monster, in every sense of the word."

Mister Ed stepped forward, with Akai at his side. The two set their sights on the monstrous presence creeping up from the centre of the room towards them.

"Let's go."