Man vs Beast Pt. 1

Atlas POV

"Prince Saul. Nice to meet you. It's probably safe to assume that the warden is dead huh?"

This man… is weird. Something is wrong here.

"You're rather relaxed? Walking into your dead companion's house, sitting down with a stranger and conversing with no issues."

"What can I say? This is nothing new. All those who challenged me has died. Those around me always die and those who know me don't bother me anymore. You're the assassin that was caught earlier. I don't know how you escaped but you were caught. If you were caught then you weren't that good to begin with."

I see. He either has absolute confidence in himself or he is depending on the tall man to bail him out.

I sit up more to talk with the prince. I need to shake that confidence a bit.

"I guess you're right. I don't know anything about you. But I do know the important things so that's all that matters."

The prince raises an eyebrow.

"You killed your brother after the king fell ill. You sentenced your mother and last brother to house arrest and sold your own sister into slavery. You stole the throne prince. Don't act so tough. If you weren't the first prince, those backers of yours would of never approached you."

The prince didn't react. Looks like he is use to the taunts.

"You're a man child. You weren't given the crown and you threw a fit. Simple."

Still unbothered the prince just yawns and looks at me.

"What is your point? Did you want to fight? Did you want something else?"

"Let me tell you something else then. You killed your father, correct? He's most likely been dead for some time. Probably since his poisoning before you killed the second prince, right?"

Finally, I got a reaction out of the prince. He jolts up from his chair and glares at me.

"How do you know that?! Besides me, only one other person knows. Everyone else that knew was killed."

"Oh? Ruthless."

I point at my eyes.

"These eyes. I can see the dead and talk with them. But I can only see and talk with them if they died with regret. Isn't that interesting? Your father has been around since you killed him. That means he has seen you destroy your family and his kingdom."

The prince had a gleam in his eyes. He wipes them away but I saw. Tears of regret?

"Wow, this is the most emotion you've shown this entire time. Looks like your foolish father was killed by you. Tell me, how were you able to trick him? How was the great and powerful King Leo the Third, tricked by his own son?"

"I… I used his love for me… I ignored him for years. I pretended to meet with him… He didn't know but all the servants already turned on him. They poisoned his food while he and I were talking. He died in my arms."

The prince was lost in his own world now. He had his arms out. As if he was reaching for something.

"So even a tyrant like you still has some humanity left in you. That makes it all easier."

The prince focuses on me. Wondering what I will say next.

"I was original suppose to kill you. Abe had asked me to save the kingdom from you so I just thought killing you would fix it all. But after meeting your mother, it would be better if you just stepped down. Don't you feel bad for your mother?"

The prince sat back down and was massaging his forehead.

It seemed as if he was going to cry. I walk to his side and look down at him. But I see a smirk appear instead. He looks at me with the creepy smile and lifeless eyes.

"So what? Just because you know how father died, it doesn't mean that I will bow to you. I will kill you just like the rest of the others."

"Wait, I rather not kill you prince! Let's come to an understanding! I will help you if I must. Think of your mother!"

What happened to this guy? Just a second ago he was speaking like a normal person but now it's like someone took over.

"My mother? She tried to kill me as well. They all did. They got what was coming to them. They should be grateful to me. I allowed for them to live while only taking two of their lives."

"I saw how she was in-."

"SILENCE! You're only an outsider. Now move or I have to kill you as well."

Crap, I can't let him leave. I had hope that we could get through this without hurting each other.

I ready myself for the fight ahead.

"You're not going to move huh. It doesn't matter, I would have taken care of you after the coronation anyways."

Prince Saul throws a punch at me. Since I was already close to him, the punch quickly connected with me.

The punch was aimed at my face but I had just put my arms up just in time. Using some mana to add a layer of protection, my left arm took most of the hit.

The forced pushed me back and I crashed through the kitchen walls and ended up in the living area. I was slightly dizzy from the punch. The prince had already walked in and prepared to stomp on me.

I rolled out of the way and stood up.

"You're strong prince. I'm surprised. I heard from the castle servants that you were weak compared to your brother and King Leo."

"Those peasants just didn't understand. They don't know how strong I truly am."

"You got that right."

I attack first this time.

I throw a hard right swing at the prince. I even coat my mana around it a bit. The prince simply dodged it by stepping to his right and threw his own right punch back at the same time.

We hadn't been fighting using our Death's Aura. This is my chance.

I unleash 30% of my Aura. This caused the prince to freeze for just a moment. But that was all I needed.

I dodge to my left and got behind the prince. Raising both of my hands, I coat it with as much mana as possible and slam down on his back.

There was an auditable cracking noise and the prince let out a groan. I jump back just in case the prince counters while I have my guard down.

When the dust cleared, the warden's living room had become unrecognizable. Everything was pushed to the side by the force of the blow. In the center of the room was a crater that the prince was laying in. He was coughing up blood but he was still trying to force himself up.

Before I could say anything, the prince released 40% of his Death's Aura and focused it all on me. I quickly counter with my 40% as well.

"I'm not surprised that your Aura is at 40% as well. You're defiantly the strongest person that has faced me, Atlas."

"You're the strongest person I've faced so far as well. Most people die after a few punches but you just got up…"

I pause and think about what to say next. He's obviously not in the right mind. One moment he speaks normally the next he goes on an emotion driven rant.

Before I could say anything, the first prince had already coated himself in mana and rushed at me.

I coat myself in mana as well. Ceto and the others were ready to fire off spells when needed.

Within the second, we began exchanging blows. We were even in strength if I had to guess. If the prince landed a punch, then I would land a kick.

I gather some mana into my legs and release them as I kick. I do the same with my arms. I release more and more mana each time so that my attacks will feel heavier. Prince Saul, unsurprisingly was able to adjust. His kicks and punches also felt heavier.

They seem to be getting faster as well.

At this point, the house has fallen apart. We were now in the open, fighting on top of the rubble.

I can feel his mana. They've taken the shape of claws around his hands. Looks like he is getting more serious.

'Mud Armor.'

The dirt begins to cover up part of my body. It covers mainly my vitals but it also covers up other parts as well. It just works as an extra layer to protect me incase the battle gets more intense and I can't focus entirely on my mana armor.

'Here he comes.'

The prince and I once again embrace each other in battle.

I can feel the claws closing in on my neck. I twist my body awkwardly to avoid it but I end up slipping. Using my left hand, I aim it towards the ground.

'Air Burst.'

I shoot out a burst of air that allowed for me to push my body away from danger. I quickly get up from the ground and I then lift up my hand and create a gun jester with it.

'Water Bullet, Water Bullet, Water Bullet, Water Bullet.'

I begin shooting bullets made of water at the prince. They fly out fast enough to pierce through regular armor. If I add enough mana to it, it should be able to pierce through mana armor as well.

The prince is about 50 feet (15 meters) in front of me. He would need to be very fast to dodge them without getting injured. Instead, I feel the mana around his hand intensify and he begins slicing the water bullets.

1… 2… 4… 7… 11… The prince slices away all the bullets I shot at him. I have to give him props.

"Man, you are just too fast. But aren't you worried about the buildings around here? It looks like our fight is beginning to destroy more and more of the surrounding."

"You're fast as well. A human keeping up with a beastkin in battle. You're special. And don't worry about the area. The buildings can be replaced and there should be no one around at the moment."

So, I can go all out as well then if no one will get caught up in the battle. I form serval giant balls of fire above the two of us. I will have the air spirit intensify it once they are near the prince.

"You can use all four elements as well. Surprising. I've heard of the elf sage but I've never heard of a human sage. No wonder Abe trusted you in killing me."

Since he was just standing there, I began to hurl the fireballs at him.

The prince dodges them with ease and even began running at me. Within a blink of an eye, he was within striking distance from me. His claws closing in.

I have enough dirt on me to create an arm, so I did just that. The mud gathers on my chest and a third arm grows from there. It grabs onto the prince's hand and redirects it towards the ground instead. Using my right hand, I cast an air scythe, aimed to only incapacitate him while he was on the ground.

We were within arm's length at this point. So, the prince shouldn't be able to dodge this. Shouldn't. SHOULDN'T. That's the key word here, but he surprised me once again.

The mana around his left hand. It became denser and denser. It was like he had on a gauntlet made of the strongest metal.

Even with his right hand on the ground, he quickly swung his left hand up and swiped away the air scythe without looking. I had to move myself, if not then my head would have been taken off.

He then tried to sweep me off my feet. I jumped up to dodge it but then that's when I felt the mana gather in his right hand as well. It was even denser than his left hand.

'Shit, I don't know if I will survive that hit. Even with mana armor and with mud armor.'

Looks like I need to do more here to keep up with him.

'Golem Creation.'

Using the debris and earth from around the fallen buildings, I created the upper body of a golem. I have it grab onto the prince's hand with both of its own. I thought that I was safe but then I saw something I haven't seen yet.

Prince Saul looked at the golem and it shattered. What is going on here?! What is happening?!

I use air burst to create some distance and observe the prince from afar.

WHY IS HIS DEATH'S AURA RISING?!

40%... 42%... 45%... 49%... 50%!!!

"Sorry Atlas. If I realized that you were a sage then I would have been more serious from the start. Now please, try to stay alive long enough for me to play with you."

When he got up and looked at me, his eyes had changed. The whites of his eye and the iris had changed to a crimson red. There was no visible pupil but, in both eyes, where it should be, there was a black "X" instead.

It would seem that the prince had gone from beastkin to beast.