Defend the Poor

It was as silent as a theater here. The only sounds in the area were the trembling voices of nearby people. Most people sat against the walls of the homes. Their kids were clinging to them closely.

In the middle of the group stood the commanding fighter, Garuda the "Sun Soldier" commander; their leader. Tem kept her eyes fixed on Garuda like everyone else. She was aware of the height discrepancy. It appeared as though a giant had suddenly appeared in the street, a vengeful behemoth with a hunger for blood.

His primary objective in coming was to locate Yumiko. Except for Yumiko, no one was aware of the reason for his quest for her. She and he shared a special connection in secret, a concept that not everyone could fathom.

His dark eyes were looking down at Yumiko with menace. He straightened his musculature. She had no choice but to show signs of fear rather than attempt to hide. She was so scared by it that she took a few steps back from the group while still trembling in her fists.

Tem regarded her from the front, then glanced back in her direction. Yumiko was unable to conceal her dread in any way. Without Yumiko going with him, it was clear that the man in front of them was a dangerous one whose killings had just started.

"You wouldn't happen to be that girl's defenders, would you?"

"How convenient. Hiding behind others. That is so lame. Instead of standing her ground, she lacks confidence. She's a terrible symbol for what the 'Sun Soldiers' are capable of."

"She's weak. She's scared. A proper coward whose life is nothing but a misfortune."

"You braindead people should get out of my way before things get dirty. I've come here for the girl, I've got no other business with helpless souls such as yourselves."

Despite Garuda's threats to the others. Tem's crewmates stood in the way of him getting to Yumiko. They looked serious, yet the sweat was hiding their faces. Garuda's conveyed violence was only barely perceptible to them. His comments were sufficient to disprove the horror the man before them could instill in them for an entire millennium.

He moved forward, then cast a glance Tem's way. She hated him, he saw her like an ant. Despite what Garuda said, she wouldn't allow him to pass. She was the only point of defense, along with Ralphie, Kou. Garuda's lone challenge was a seemingly trivial one based on the available evidence. Garuda exhibited neither sympathy nor fear.

"Tend to explain yourselves. Why a bunch of weaklings try to protect a useless girl, who has no meaning in life?"

"Move out of the way before things get messy."

Still, not a single foot was moved. Then Kou and Ralphie received Tem's commands. She gave them orders to move back and protect the nearby residents in case things went wrong. They were tasked with standing up for Yumiko, her family, and the general populace.

They agreed on the captain's orders and hastily retreated. They abandoned Tem, who Garuda continued to look down upon. She didn't have a distinctive appearance, yet her presence was perceived. Garuda noted that it had a hidden power.

Garuda waited patiently nonetheless. He gave her a little window of time to get out of the way before using force if necessary.

"Sorry big guy, but I'm not letting you get close to Yumiko."

The eyes of Garuda expanded. He was impatient, and it showed in his toned arms. They trembled in rage and fury. He showed Tem a red light flare that her eyes saw. She noticed a dramatic pulse through the ground. Although the houses weren't destroyed, it was like an earthquake. It was similar to a shock wave that propagated throughout the earth's core; a feeling that demonstrated his power's unvarnished might.

The pulsation astounded the crowd. They were completely immobile and frozen to the ground. Adults were terrified from head to toe. They slipped into a coma on the ground, unable to bear the horror they had just endured.

Kou and Ralphie both began to show signs of anxiety. They were aware that their captain would face up against a foe whose power could topple mountains. Tem's might was incomparably weak in comparison to Garuda. She had a body that was more flexible and less muscled than that of other.

Tem was convinced that the man in front of her was the real deal. She was awestruck, but her feelings were masked by her grim expression. She remained steadfast and denied even then.

"Very fell, rat. If you're so eager to die by my hands, then the only way around your stubborn face is force."

"I will crush your slender bones, then massacre this place, until I get my hands on that girl. You will regret the decision of being in my way, then succumb to the so-called grave."

"I hope your friends stick around for your funeral."

No more explanation was given. By the end of the conversation, all that was left to be seen was the strange power of Garuda. He was the first to launch an assault of any kind. His right arm was moved far behind his back. It had taken the shape of a fist and was emitted a yellow energy between the joints.

Without holding back, he sent a circular pulse through the vicinity that split the buildings' walls. He focused all of his strength onto his fist's point and swung forward without hesitancy.

At Tem's diminutive height, his arm shot through the air. She quickly dove, then pushed herself backward. She sprang into the air to get away from Garuda's mighty punch.

His fist crashed into the earth like a boulder. The impact of that blow caused the ground to vibrate. Due to its power, the dust was lifted through the air and bent into a wind and dust maelstrom. Through the floor, there was a carnage caused by the attack. An earthquake that was felt on all sides of the center hole. It surged into the structures, razing them to the ground.

Its whole force was palpable. It slammed against Tem's flying body after being hurled into the air like a blast wave. She was so overcome by its power that she lost her composure when she was in the air.

She dropped to the ground with her back first. She observed that several lives were in jeopardy. They would be utterly annihilated by the attacks in one strike.

Her eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. She felt nervous because the crash was too much for the survivors to take and since it endangered their lives.

She was convinced that she could not change places. They had to fight in the center of the homeless quarter. She let the majority of the people race past her, behind, her arms were folded in front of her chest.

Yumiko felt nervous as she witnessed her close friend fighting. She got scared. She feared witnessing the taking of Tem's life. Slowly, she grabbed for her swords. She was ready to take action, only to be stopped my Ralphie's head shake.

Tem's eyes latched onto Garuda as soon as the throng moved away from their altercation. She let out a breath and lowered her right arm to her hip. It set itself ablaze, erupting in scorching orange flames. Knowing that it wouldn't be enough, they blazed up to her shoulders, darted behind her, and rose in the stratosphere.

Its heat was intensified by her flames. The flares erupted into a whirl of blue and spread extensively from bottom to top. The fire's brightness and the surrounding area's warmth cast a blue hue across the landscape. Her body was practically covered in the light, which gave the area of its heat a blue aspect.

Yumiko's thoughts became spellbound as she learned more about Tem's skills. She encountered a power she was clueless even existed. The flames, which were spreading fire over the area, began to grow larger.

She took a step forward and quickly extended her arm. She made a point with her palm toward Garuda's body before letting out a fire burst that hovered and lasted as long as a dragon's fire breath.

It wreaked destruction all around it. The flames became larger as they traveled farther. Garuda flinched at her sudden power and reached for the cutlass he carried behind him. He increased it with his own strength and cut it downward with one arm.

Metal penetrated the fire's body. It struck the ground violently, sending up another enormous shockwave. It caused the air to change into a scorching whirlwind. The flames were stopped in the sight by its power, which blew them out of the road.

The impact destroyed the floor, leaving a hole that reached almost to Tem. The earth was divided by a large earthquake. Taking advantage of the momentum, she knelt down. She sparked blue flames from her ankles, encircling her foot completely. They grew backward into a firestorm that propelled her forward. She darted out across floor at the speed of a bullet with unfathomable velocity.

She shot through the air, raising her arm. Around her torso, flames started to flare up. Alongside of her moving body, they blazed. Her speed wasn't even close to average, and it felt like an inferno was literally surrounding her entire body.

In the span of about two seconds, she moved in front of Garuda. She was leaving behind her a quick body of fire that resembled the rocket's propellant. She spun around in the air while setting her left leg on fire. She then stretched the same foot forward and kicked ahead.

Tem's ruthless speed impacted the musculature of Garuda. Garuda was able to withstand the shock, sent through his body, that was caused by the pressure.

The ground was stamped by his feet. Before being pushed too far, he was forced to slip back a few yards and come to a stop.

Tem's heavy breathing from the attack was the first thing he noticed as he watched her hit the ground. She was still getting used to the amount of pressure she could exert during a fight. She anticipated that her femininity wouldn't limit her too much. Anyhow, it did. And after just one powerful onslaught, she started to get fatigued and pant.

But all she required was the will to defend the people.

To be continued...