Chapter 23

Lycurgus stood on the contestant viewing platform with Taezu. His eyes focused and trained on the two combatants. He wondered if Azarios' raw power would be able to defeat the finesse and skill of Kilos.

"What do you know of his technique?" asked Taezu. Lycurgus took his eyes off the two combatants squaring off and looked at him.

He had a slight and slender build and looked to be only seventeen or eighteen. His light brown hair was twisted up and hung carelessly across his face, various shells adorning many of the locks of hair. He had a rattail that was tied off at the end with a piece of colorful fabric. His face was gentle with high cheekbones and soft brown eyes that gave him a child-like look. His golden-brown skin was flawless and shimmering in the sunlight as if he was an angelic being. He didn't belong here in this arena based on his looks.

Lycurgus looked at his unique bow, made of bone, but he couldn't tell from what animal. When he looked at the bow unbraced, he thought it looked like a wicked double-bladed weapon. He even noticed the grip was elongated more than normal. He regretted not seeing his fight and was hoping that he would have seen something against Nikanor. Now he just quietly hoped he didn't face him in the next round.

"All I know is that Azarios uses water, I'm not too familiar with him," Lycurgus answered.

Azarios and Kilos began trading slight blows, testing each other's range and speed to see who had the advantage. Even in the testing exchange Lycurgus could the vast gap in finesse between Kilos and Azarios. Kilos had an unmatched fluidity, every move precise and perfect.

Taezu looked away from the exchange and turned his brown eyes to Lycurgus, "I wasn't asking about the water boy. As far as I'm concerned, he's uninteresting and one-dimensional. No, I'm speaking about the man named Kilos." Taezu turned back towards the fight his eyes focusing and squinting on Kilos.

"I've never seen some make such perfect moves. Nothing is wasted, and no movement out of sync. It's a hundred percent conversion of energy."

Lycurgus turned his eyes back towards Kilos and watched him.

Kilos had just lunged forward with his shorter blade, easily getting through Azarios' defense, passing the blade right across his chest. If it had not been for the sheer quickness of Azarios the attack may have been fatal, instead, a slash was made across his chest. The pure flawlessness of kilos wasn't done there either.

Instead of simply pulling back and attacking again he made his retreat, his opponents retreat. Throwing out his free hand while simultaneously sweeping the blade back toward Azarios forcing him to leap back, placing him on the back heel. It was a simple yet beautiful maneuver.

"I have to admit Kilos has style, I'll give him that," Lycurgus said, but he wasn't completely sold on why Taezu seemed so intrigued. To his knowledge Kilos wasn't a major favorite in this tournament, in fact, if Lycurgus had to fight anyone, he would have wanted Kilos.

As he watched Kilos' movements though he began to see something that he found strange. Azarios was dodging just a fraction sooner than Kilos was moving. To point the where the fight just felt off.

"I thought you said his movements were perfect," Lycurgus said. "They are, it's so perfect that he's added a whole other layer to the attacks," Taezu responded.

Lycurgus raised an eyebrow "Are you sure he isn't just moving at a higher level of speed?" Taezu, eyes still focused on the exchange shook his head no.

Kilos lunged forward with another attack after Azarios dodged prematurely. It completely missed to the naked eye, but a slash appeared across Azarios cheek against all odds. Lycurgus stared baffled at what he was witnessing.

"Are you positive it isn't speed-related?" Lycurgus asked again. Before Taezu could respond however Azarios pivoted out of the reach of Kilos, but he still struck at him. Against all odds, the strike found its mark, but the distance between Kilos and Azarios remained the same.

Lycurgus focused his tarmata into his eyes trying to enhance them even further. He assumed he'd realize Kilos was simply enhancing his reach with a dense amount of tarmata to hide it from the naked eye. However, that's not what he saw at all.

"Wait is he making a full copy of himself?" Lycurgus asked in astonishment.

A smile played across Taezu's lips that gave off something wicked. "To be honest, I'm not sure. A full tarmatic manifestation of oneself." He shook his head with a slight chuckle "I've never heard of anything, even in the old records of the Dyad. I think Kilos is only using a small bit of his energy which is why the copies aren't manifesting to the naked eye."

"Either that or the speed in which these clones move is simply that fast." Lycurgus retorted.

Now that he knew what to look for, he could see it slightly, and Azarios became more impressive. The odd movements he was making, the early counters, and the blocks began to make sense. Azarios' speed and agility increased with each passing second as he began to dodge more effectively which spoke volumes. He began using his water as a buffer, almost as if he was developing a technique in mid-combat.

"Did Azarios already know of these copies?" Lycurgus asked. Taezu peeled his eyes away for a second to take a glance at Lycurgus before returning to the battle that was gaining traction.

"I think he understood that what Kilos did in the previous battle wasn't as simple as what I had said. Even I wasn't completely sold on what I said. Azarios must have understood innately that it was different from the simple infusion of tarmata." Lycurgus pondered Taezu's words as he watched the battle before asking, "What did he do?"

Taezu laughed, realizing how off he was in his analysis of the attack. "Kilos dashed forward as if to do a single slash, only for Kyril to be slashed a thousand times. At first, I thought it was a simple speed feat, or perhaps he made his blade as the wind, but reviewing the move in my mind the slashes appeared before he even dashed. The dash was simply to cover up that he sent his copies at him."

The copies were beginning to be easier to track by the water Azarios used to block, making his defense surer and more precise. Azarios even started countering the copies swiping and stabbing at them with his spear. Azarios' movements were starting to reach a fluidity that flowed seamlessly.

"Azarios is a natural," Lycurgus stated.

Taezu furred his brow "Yes, almost too natural. Unless…" Lycurgus made a face of confusion and looked at Taezu.

"Unless what?"

Taezu turned to him with that wicked smile that showed no teeth. "His natural potential is more geared towards spiritual progression than the other two states." Lycurgus, face wrought with confusion, said "What are you talking about?"

Taezu laughed "It's my own personal theory, but if it's true we are witnessing two different types of potential at full display. I thought of Azarios as nothing more than a physical brute, and that may still hold weight but his movements, the increasing power, and skill lead to a different conclusion."

The lines on Lycurgus' face eased slightly as he asked "Okay, so what are the three potentials? I'm guessing spiritual, physical, and what else?"

"What would you think it to be?" Taezu asked in response. Lycurgus turned his face back to the battle and thought.

Focusing on the battle he could see the copies much clearer as with each strike Kilos made, they shot out crashing into the waves Azarios was beginning to make. The entire ground of the arena was covered with water, though it wasn't deep at all, not even coming up to their ankles. Azarios was beginning to throw counters at Kilos who was now dodging the water attacks, throwing copies back that slashed at Azarios.

He thought more and more wondering what Kilo's potential was, but he could only deduce that of being physical. 'Physical, spiritual, and… and…' He looked at Taezu and said "Mental!"

Taezu responded with a nod yes accompanied by a smile.

"I have a theory that there are three fields of potential, and that one gravitates towards what is easiest to master and fulfill. Typically, that will either be physical or mental, but Azarios. His almost uncanny sixth sense and perception of things, his unnatural adaptability and growth, and that god-awful curse of controlling water. It leads me to believe his easiest potential to reach is a spiritual one. Meaning his hardest to master would be mental."

Lycurgus furred his brow in confusion "Why mental? I would suspect that it would be physical?"

Taezu looked at him "Oh it's not as simple as that. He's gifted with physical and spiritual gifts. In a way, he's nothing more than a beast of nature. It's more so the two areas that you lean in, which means you'll be weak in the third. Or you can just be supremely masterful in one and be deficient in the other two. It varies from person to person."

Lycurgus turned back and looked at Azarios. His movements and increasing ferocity reminded him of how his father fought. He had only seen glimpses of it in sparring sessions, but the thought of a ravenous beast had always come to mind. He wondered what his own potential was in when Taezu said, "Your potential lies in mental and spiritual, despite your intimidating stator."

Lycurgus chuckled "Read me like a book, huh?" Taezu didn't answer the question instead he went silent, attention fully on the battle as it raged on.

Kilos panted heavily as he stared at Azarios. The constant lapping of water against the waves of the arena, dulled his hearing adding weight to his senses. The spray of mist was the water splashed up in each one of Azarios' defenses was beginning to remove some of the clarity of his vision. He had been holding back, but it was now clear to him that not only had Azarios figured out his technique but that he also, seemingly managed to create his own in the process.

'He's a genius,' he thought as he regained his composure. 'But so am I,' he thought as he stepped into his fighting stance. His long dreads hung in his face and obscured his line of sight.

He had learned to utilize it to his advantage, he had learned to use every weakness, groan, tick, stiffness, and any other annoyance in his body to its full purpose. Now he wouldn't hold anything back, he would use everything he had learned about himself.

Before he attacked, he threw down his blade sticking it into the ground, he didn't need the tool. He was the tool. He punched and a copy blitzed toward Azarios. The increase in speed and power caught him off guard as the copy blasted through his wall of water, smashing into his chest.

Azarios grabbed the clone throwing the construct back with a torrent of water, Kilos dodged, spinning into another punch. This time a streamline of copies rushed out, all with his power placed behind them. Azarios blocked the first five and completely stopped the sixth.

"Try something new." Azarios taunted, as he dashed forward lunging with his spear.

A torrent of water blasted out covering the remaining distance, Kilos jumped up dodging. Azarios threw another torrent, then another, then another, as Kilos seemingly teleported between the gaps of each attack avoiding the water completely.

Kilos threw a copy at Azarios. Azarios attempted to block it, but instead of simply attacking the copy grabbed his spear wrenching it from his hand. Suddenly a copy burst forth, shouldering into Azarios chest, another appeared behind him punching him squarely in the jaw. Azarios spun whipping the water to his aid, blocking the next attack.

"How's that trick?" The copy said and Azarios realized it was Kilos. He gritted his teeth "You can trade places with your copies?" Azarios asked, but it was only answered with a sardonic smile from Kilos, who disappeared.

He reappeared behind, but Azarios blocked that attack. Suddenly a flurry of copies struck at Azarios, it took all his focus to block and counter each and every strike.

He finally caught one copy and threw it back at Kilos. Knowing he would swap places with that copy he chased after it. Kilos hand sprung away and began to be on the retreat throwing copies at Azarios who simply batted them away with waves of water.

The water was now up to their calves, and Kilos could feel his speed decreasing slowly. He stopped retreating and fulling countered Azarios assault, unleashing a volley of copies at full speed. The sheer force knocked Azarios off the assault and back aways.

Kilos jumped into the air and crossed his arms and multiple copies of him appeared in the air holding the same gesture. He uncrossed his arms, still in the air, and made a striking motion and all the copies followed suit. Each Kilos unleashed a torrent of copies at Azarios.

He quickly responded by surrounding himself in a shell of rapid rushing water blocking all the copies, before countering by unleashing the water, blowing away the copies of Kilos.

Rain began to fall in the arena, from the aftermath of the attack.

The remaining copies began to charge all attacking Azarios. He countered each and everyone, all vanishing with each counter, but the sheer number overpowered Azarios as they surrounded him and began to jump on him. Azarios spun and the water in the arena ripped around creating a vortex that destroyed all the copies.

Kilos released a full-power attack of a copy to get him to stop the vortex, Azarios blocked it, but the vortex ceased.

Both men stood there panting, water now up to their waists, as the rain began to slow.

Azarios stood in a fighting stance, then began spinning his arms back and as he did all the water receded back to where he was. Kilos realizing, he was charging up an attack to end the battle charged up his tarmata.

His brown eyes glowed a light blue as his remaining energy gathered into his body. He didn't like it, but he had to use an unfinished move. His energy swirled around him, and his long hair raised up as the energy flowed all around his body in an explosive rush.

Meanwhile, the water from the arena collected into a spinning wheel as tall as the walls of the arena. It was all or nothing. Whoever won this exchange would be the victor and both combatants knew this.

Azarios unleashed his attack first, Kilos responded by his unleashing a giant light blue avatar of energy that meant the torrent of water headfirst.

Their two attacks stalwart in the middle of the arena. Kilos' blue avatar holding back the water blast. It seemed Kilos' attack would win when Azarios began spinning his left hand trying to recycle the water back into the torrent. The rushing water drowned out the sound of the two's screams of struggle as they pushed their bodies to their limit.

Kilos' avatar began to flicker as it pushed closer and closer to Kilos' losing ground to the increasing power of Azarios torrent of water. Soon the avatar vanished completely, with only Kilos holding back the water.

He could the skin from his arms tear from his body as the force of the water blasted against his skin. The ground under his feet betrayed him tearing apart underneath him as he tried to take a step forward. A blade of water slapped against his face ripped away the skin on the right side. He fought with all his strength, the torrent growing in strength.

Kilos let out a scream as he tried to make a final push, Azarios ripped away and spun the water around. Returning a final blast of water. It blasted through Kilos' defense and hit him in the chest. Gouging him into the wall of the arena.

The force was too much as Kilos fell to his knees. The skin on his chest was torn asunder, left bloodied and red from where the blast hit him. His arms, rent of all skin, along with a ghastly scar on the right side of his face.

He fought with all his might and gave it all he could, only to be bested by a beast of nature.