Zephyr

"Limit release!...

Mercurial Zephyr"

The air around Psyche began to crackle as he drew on the full extent of his soul. It began to swirl at breakneck speeds, coalescing into a layer of cutting wind over his whole body.

Psyche cracked his neck, jumping from aide to side. "Ready?"

He didn't wait for Abaddon's answer. With an abrupt push off he was gone, kicking up a cloud of dirt behind him.

He has momentarily disappeared from sight but Abaddon didn't falter, he didn't need to see him to dodge.

He stepped swiftly to the side, Psyche's fist narrowly missing him. Abaddon began to reach out to grab him but Psyche dashed back immediately.

Abaddon waved way some of the kicked up dust from his face, slightly annoyed. The boy was quite fast in this state. This limit release thing was quite the hassle, as always.

"Have you figured out how to use it yourself yet?" He asked Levi.

(What? No, of course I haven't, Levi replied. He wasn't even sure where to begin.)

Abaddon sighed, before turning his attention back to Psyche who was already thinking of another route of attack.

Psyche shook his head, why was he thinking. Fights were meant to be enjoyed. So he rushed back in again with a flurry of punches. Abaddon moved just as quick, blocking all of them with an open palm. Then after one more punch, he closed his fingers over Psyche's fist stopping him in place.

Psyche tried pulling back but he couldn't break free. Abaddon raised his free arm, fingers curling into a fist.

(Don't hurt him!, Levi insisted in the back of his head.)

Abaddon scoffed, stopping his fist mid punch. Psyche took advantage of the hesitation, increasing the size of the layer of wind around his body until the dragon's hand was no longer touching his. He retracted the arm and pointed it at Abaddon once more, but for a different kind of attack.

"Cutting gale!"

Abaddon was caught off guard. He winced as multiple slashes cut his skin, slashing through his clothes. Psyche wasn't carrying any weapons as far as he could tell, so it was the wind that had cut him.

He jumped back, wiping the blood from a cut on his cheek with his now torn up sleeve. 

(My clothes!, Levi exclaimed.)

"Oh, relax. You can get new ones." Abaddon answered. He kept his eyes on the knight. Some of his attacks could actually hurt him, what a pain. "You can just get new ones later."

Psyche looked pleased that his attack had managed to deal some damage. "I asked you to fight me, not just defend. Here I am, burning my soul out and you aren't even taking me seriously."

"I'm not the dragon you should be fighting if you want to see motivation," Abaddon commented, stifling a yawn. He'd take a long nap after this. "Might I suggest the Wrath? Though you'd have a hard time getting to meet with him."

Psyche opened his palm, coalescing air in it for a large attack. "My Virtue, Fickle Tempest, gets stronger the more frenzied I get. And this doesn't get my blood boiling in the slightest."

The wind funnel collecting in his palm had grown even bigger. It had even began to draw in clumps of earth from the ground. He flung it in Abaddon's direction. "Maybe this will make you take me more seriously."

Abaddon watched as the ball of tearing wind rushed towards him, gouging out the earth it moved over. He weighed his options, he could try dodging it but it was pulling in everything in its path with a commendable amount of force. 

He raised an outstretched arm in front of him, catching it head on. The cutting wind tore at the skin of his palm. He felt himself be pushed back a little by it, so he reluctantly added his second hand.

Psyche clenched his fist, making the coalesced wind explode right in the dragon's face. The explosion kicked up a large cloud of dust, obscuring Psyche's view. He dropped his arm, panting heavily. That attack had taken a lot out of him, but he was almost certain he had hit Abaddon head on. 

Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whipped his head around as the fingers dug into his shoulder. Abaddon had managed to get behind him without him noticing. He had gotten past the wind bomb, but not completely unscathed.

One side of his face was bloody and covered in cuts, he grinned wildly as he raised his clenched fist once more. And this time he ignored Levi's nagging. He was going to end this rather tiresome encounter right then.

Psyche didn't have enough energy to break free again. He watched wide eyed as the fist shot towards his face. He shut his eyes at the last second and braced for the hit.

He felt a rush off air pass over his face, it took him a few seconds to realize he hadn't been hit. He cracked his eyes open slowly to find an armored hand between his face and Abaddon's arm.

Abaddon's eyes were narrowed, slightly irked by the sudden interruption. He pulled back his arm and backed a few steps away.

Sir Andrius rotated his wrist, checking for injury. That hadn't been the dragon's full power but stopping it hadn't been as easy as he wished it had been. He sighed, glaring at Psyche.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

×

Psyche opened his mouth to answer but wasn't sure how to get himself out of this one. So he just ended up staring at the man.

Andrius bonked him on the head with his hand.

"Ow!" Psyche whined, rubbing his head.

Andrius pointed behind Psyche, an exasperated look on his face. "The capital was right behind you. If I hadn't intercepted that punch who knows how much damage it could have caused."

Psyche turned, still rubbing his head. The capital was visible from here. He had thought they were far enough away though.

"And set your limit back before you kill yourself." Andrius added. Then he turned his attention to Abaddon. "And as for you..."

But Abaddon had already switched back with Levi so he wouldn't have to deal with whatever this was.

"Sorry." Levi apologized, embarrassed.

Andrius shook his head. "Nevermind. I know this was almost certainly his stupid idea."

"Hey!" Psyche objected.

"Just... be a bit more careful about giving the dragon control. It hasn't done anything yet but it's interests could change on a whim."

It knew they wouldn't try banishing it back the the hells until all its soul fragments were reunited, and at the same time it wouldn't try causing any trouble without its full power. They were in a stalemate.

Abaddon didn't mind waiting. Unlike his six other siblings he wouldn't try anything unless his success was guaranteed. So he would stay docile until the knights helped him regain his power. And when that moment comes it would all be down to who would destroy the other first.

"What are you doing here, Sir Andrius?" Psyche asked, trying to change the subject.

"Don't try and change the subject, you're not getting off the hook that easily." Andrius dead-panned. But he answered anyway. "I was supposed to be meeting Yasuo right now. I'm accompanying him back to the Shinkoku kingdom."

Psyche perked up suddenly. "I heard there are tons of strong monsters in that region. Can I come with you?!"

Andrius shoved him away lightly, already regretting telling him. "Calm down. And don't you have any work to get done back at the Order of the Rose?"

Psyche deflated. "I-I'm done with all of it. Seriously."

Andrius wasn't buying it. "You should really work on your lying."

He gestured to Levi. "And you should head back to the city. And make sure to stay out of trouble while I'm gone, and by trouble I mean him. You are a temporary member of my Order after all."

After that he left, on his way to meet Yasuo. Psyche followed at his heels, trying to convince him to let him tag along.

"I didn't learn anything." Levi muttered to himself.

He sighed heavily, before starting his walk back to the capital. He needed to get new clothes.