Guard City

Boom!

" Ooop-"

' Shit!' Levi thought as his body flipped through the air.

" Ackk!" He slammed into a sturdy tree, his body bending around it.

" Uhhh!" Beads of sweat dripped from his face as propped himself up.

' Forget my legs...If I don't get this down, my whole body will be done for!' He thought.

" Hmm hum hmm~" Adam dragged a stick through the dirt as he hummed.

" Give it your best!" He smiled at Levi.

'...Ok, so, the problem here is the shattering impact when my feet hit the ground.' He thought.

' For the cloud commandment, one of the places qi would be put to use would be the feet.' He sat down in thought.

' With every step, a flow of qi through the legs would leave through the soles of the feet.'

' Before they touch the ground, this qi would cushion the impact, allowing for smooth running.' Levi paused.

' But the whole point here...is to not use qi or blood energy for these kinds of things.' He clicked his tongue.

' Think! What can be used as a replacement?...' He closed his eyes.

'...Timing!' His eyes opened in realization.

' As long as my timing is good, I should be able to use the roll of my feet to replace the use of qi!' A light flickered in his eyes.

' But...even then...' He frowned.

' To do this, I need to be able to place my heel on the ground in such a way that I won't break my ankles!'

' Which means that I have to control the movements of my legs precisely...Aghh!' He ruffled his head.

" Screw it... I think people would refuse to try this kind of thing from fear of losing the use of their legs, but..." He paused.

" In any case, practicing will let me know which parts of my feet will be strained the most. Then I just need to strengthen these places respectively..." He mumbled.

" Fuuu..." He breathed out.

' Alright!' He thought.

He could feel the muscles in his legs and back tightening as he shot off.

Boom!

His steps still exuded much power.

" Whoa-Shit!" He shouted as his body flipped through the air multiple times.

' This is going to hurt!' He thought.

" Uhh!" He groaned as he bounced on the ground.

' Sigh.' He mentally sighed.

In the distance.

" Again, I guess." Levi got up.

" Surround it this time!"

" Ok!"

" Mantis cleave!"

" You're doing things on your own again!!"

" Humph! Who needs your help for just this?!"

" You! It was your fault it got away in the first place!!"

"...Huh?"

" What is it now?"

" Look..."

" What?...Hey! What the hell are you doing?! Get off of it!"

Different voices sounded.

" Huh? Why?" Adam asked.

' Hmm?'

' People?' Levi thought.

"..." He fell and slid on his face.

" Sigh." He simply sighed before getting up.

" Hurry and get off of it!" A young male voice rang out.

" H-Hey, that's dangerous! Get off!" Another one shouted.

" Actually, no. Although mutated beasts, these gleaming tortoises are not dangerous, or harmful at all for that matter." A composed voice echoed.

" Shhh! Shut up! Why would you tell him about that?!"

" Humph! Since you won't piss off, then die with this thing!" One shouted.

" Life cleaving mantis shot!" A large broadsword slashed down.

Vivivivi!

A glowing green light gleamed.

" Ugh!" The large sword was knocked back.

" Huh?" Levi arrived at the scene.

Before him was a group of people.

One on his back beside a large sword.

Another, smaller one, wearing black robes while clutching a book with both hands.

A girl with a blonde ponytail. She held a beautiful silver sword, while her body was adorned with parts of silver armor.

The last was a girl with long, straight black hair.

She wore a sleeveless robe that had pointed shoulders.

" See what kinda shit doing your own thing causes!" She looked back at Levi before shouting to the broadsword user.

" Oh! Come up!" Adam shouted with a smile.

" 'Come up' my foot! What the hell is that thing?! And why are you riding it?!" Levi shouted.

Adam sat comfortably on the back of a giant tortoise.

"...Dunno!" Adam said after a pause.

"..." Levi refused to retort.

" Hey! He is someone you know, right? Get him to get off! Otherwise, don't blame us for the consequences!" The girl in black shouted to Levi.

" No no no no no, you must have misunderstood! I don't know that fo-Ahem, that person! I will be on my way then." Levi said as he turned.

" Don't-" Before she could finish, the only part of Levi still there was his loud steps.

" Hahaha! Come on, let's go too!" Adam pointed forward.

The tortoise continued on its way.

" Don't act like you are telling it what to do! It was already going in that direction!" The girl in black shouted.

"...That is your only issue?" The boy holding the book asked.

" Shut up, you!" She shouted in a huff.

" Dammit! The pearl under its shell can be used to make a protective charm! Why did I have to be paired up with these idiots?!" She said under her breath.

...

Late evening.

" Huff! Huff!" Levi breathed heavily as he came to a stop.

' It's a shame I can't practice without getting tired.' He thought.

" Heeeeey!" A shout sounded from the distance.

" Hm?" Levi looked back.

" Haha!" Adam waved.

"...What happened to those guys who were chasing you?" Levi asked.

" Them? They got tired and gave up! They kept attacking, but a glowing light knocked them all away. It was entertaining, though." Adam said.

He had to consciously turn his head since the tortoise didn't stop.

" You should stop screwing with people. It will come back to bite you in the ass one day." Levi said.

" What's going to bite me?" Adam asked.

"...When are you going to get off of that thing?" Levi asked as he walked.

" Get off? Why?" Adam asked.

" 'Cause it will draw unnecessary attention to me!" Levi said.

" Why though? I'm the one riding it?" Adam said uncertainly.

" Aghhh! Forget it, ok?!" Levi ruffled his head before screaming, as if in pain.

" Ok! Hum ha hum." Adam hummed.

" Sigh, will I leave this place with my sanity intact? Am I even sane? Was I ever sane?" Levi mumbled as he walked.

" Hmm? You're tired, right? C'mon up." Adam extended his arm.

" Hmm." Levi absent-mindedly grabbed on.

" Whoa!" Adam leaned to the side.

Thump!

" Why am I not surprised..." Levi gazed at the night sky with tired eyes.

" Hurry and get off." He said.

...

Morning.

Boom!

' Ok, with this step...'

' The first to touch the ground...my heel!'

' Then, with my ankle, roll my foot!' Levi thought.

Snap!

' Oh shit...' He felt something break.

His body leaned forward as he began falling.

A red, water-like qi seeped out from his other leg.

He moved this leg swiftly, causing it to cut through the dirt while stopping his fall.

' I'm sick of falling...' He thought.

"...I need to heal my foot." He looked down.

"..." He stood silently.

' Come!' He shouted in his head.

The trees around him rustled.

Multiple unknown objects flew towards him swiftly.

' Stop.'

Donk!

One of them slammed into his forehead.

"...I only wanted a few birds. What the hell is this..." He mumbled as he looked around.

Around him floated birds, squirrels, and mice. Even some bugs.

They trembled silently.

"...Still can't manipulate blood as good as I would like to be able to." He mumbled.

"...In any case, I should be able to heal myself with their blood. I'll eat the birds and get rid of the rest afterward." He said.

Blood seeped from the bodies of the bigger creatures, as the bugs floated silently.

All balls of blood were then split into two sets of blood, big and small.

Puft!

Blood flames incinerated the smaller blobs instantly.

"..."

The blood then shot towards Levi, splashing as they slammed into his body.

All of the blood seeped into his body swiftly.

" Now, to eat." Levi said.

" Hmmm ha hmm." Humming sounded from the distance.

"..." Levi silently contemplated something.

" Oh! Something to eat! Something to eat!" Adam sang from the back of the tortoise.

"..." Levi glanced up at him.

A few minutes later.

" Is it done yet?" Adam asked.

" No." Levi said.

He lay on his side, propping up his head with his arm on the back of the tortoise.

In front of him were 3 plucked birds, floating above fire made using his qi.

" Is it done?" Adam asked.

" Not yet." Levi said.

" Is it-" Adam was interrupted.

" No! It's not bloody done yet! Are you a child!?" Levi shouted.

" Um...You shouldn't shout..." Adam said.

" Screw that! Shut-" Before Levi could finish, a glowing green light slammed into him, sending him flying from the tortoise's back.

" Hahaha! I told you!" Adam laughed while clutching his stomach.

"...Dammit! You aren't getting any!" Levi shouted.

" Come now, don't behave like a child." Adam said deadpan.

" You're the child here, goddammit!" Levi shouted.

...

A few minutes later.

" Huff! Huff!" Levi leaned against a tree.

" Again!" He shouted.

' I already strengthened the joints and tendons in my feet and ankles.' He thought.

' All that is left now, is the timing.' He breathed out.

' The...timing!' His foot slammed into the ground as he shot off.

' 3...2...' He counted down.

'...1...'

' Now!' His foot touched down.

Before he had time to think, his body had advanced further than ever with that one step.

His robes fluttered in the wind as his hair became undone.

While moving at that speed, the world seemed still.

The greenery, the earth, the sky, they all seemed different to him somehow.

Crack!

'...Got caught in the moment.' Levi's face paled as he took his next step.

A loud crack rang out as his body flipped through the air, before bouncing and rolling on the ground.

" Hey, you alright there, son?" A shout sounded.

" Hmm?" Levi glanced to the side.

"...Where the hell..." He squinted.

He found himself in a clearing without trees.

" Rice fields?" He mumbled.

" Are you sure you're okay, youngster?" The man asked.

" Ah...Yes, thank you for your concern. Could you...Er, tell me where I am, perhaps?" Levi asked while scratching his head.

" Hmm?" The man paused.

" Um, if it isn't too much trouble, is there a city near here?" Levi asked again.

" Yes, if you go that way, you will arrive at a city after a while." The man pointed.

" Thank you very m-" His hair blew into his face.

" Oh no! My hair tie!" He only then realized that his hair had become undone.

"..." The man watched as Levi ran back the way he came.

"...haha, what a clumsy kid." He chuckled.

" His appearance was quite scary, golden eyes and long, unkempt red hair, but he might just be a clumsy kid!" He said smilingly.

" Old man! Going to pick wild fruits again?!" A shout sounded from one of the rice fields.

" Mhmm!" The man nodded.

" Don't work yourself too hard, might hurt yourself in your old age! Gyahaha! Be careful of mutated beasts!" A man shouted from the distance.

" It'll be fine!" The man adjusted the strap of the large basket on his back.

" Can't be too careful! If you get mauled, don't worry! I'll take care of that daughter of yours for ya!" The rice planter shouted.

" Keep dreaming!" The old man shouted with a grin.

...

" Where is it?" Levi looked into a bush.

' That hair tie?' He scanned the ground.

"..." He frantically searched.

" heeey!" A shout sounded.

' Not now.' Levi glanced at Adam.

He continued to search.

" Hmm? What're you doing?" Adam asked.

" Looking for something, move." Levi pushed him to the side.

" This?" Adam dangled a piece of red cloth before Levi.

"...Phew, thanks." Levi sighed in relief.

" ?" Adam tilted his head, confused.

" Is it very important?" He asked.

"...I don't receive gifts very often." Levi said after a pause.

" Is that so? Let's go then!" Adam smiled.

"...Where is that thing you were riding?" Levi dusted himself off.

" Hmm? It turned at an intersection in the path! So I had to get off." Adam said.

" Oh." Levi gathered his hair.

" Now that I have to walk again, I am tired! Carry me on your back!" Adam grabbed Levi's shoulders from behind.

" Get lost! Can't I tie my hair in peace!?" Levi shouted.

" You wouldn't be able to do that if not for me, so carry me as payback!" Adam shouted.

" You would have died of starvation if it wasn't for me, so no! Let go!" Levi glared back at Adam while holding his hair, with the hair tie between his lips.

...

Late evening.

" Huff...Finally...Huff...here..." Adam panted, exhausted.

He leaned on his stick.

The sky darkened as the patch of orange on the horizon slowly vanished.

Before them stood a large wall, built with gritty, black stone blocks.

" How do you know this is the right city?" Levi asked.

"..." A grim expression found it's way to Adam's face as he looked at Levi.

"..." Levi trembled.

"...Aren't you tired too?" Adam asked, confused.

"..." Levi forcefully held back his laughter, causing his face to turn red.

" C-C'mon, let's go in." He said, before stiffly walking towards the gate.

...

"..." Levi looked around while walking.

Bright lanterns lined the streets, illuminating the night.

Many people walked the streets.

Restaurants and other buildings were brightly lit as people went to and from them.

" Whoa! Even though it's night, they're all so active!" Adam said, still propping on his stick.

" Let's go find a place to stay." Levi said.

" Whaaaat? But I'm hungryyyy. Let's get something to eat. Get me something to eat!" Adam whined.

" Sigh. Fine, alright? Just behave while we look." Levi said as they walked.

" Okaaay!" Adam said happily.

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