"Christ. The place looks like shit." Nathan commented from behind a boulder nearby the control room.
The place was once a proper building, now it was a ship wreck. The walls, the building itself was mostly rubble.
Surprisingly for them, the equipment seemed to be fine. Nathan's eyes drifted to the drones taking off into the wider test area for the cadets.
'So that's how he was watching us. Also how he knew where exactly to aim for huh. Drones.' Nathan thought.
Oddly enough, he couldn't find anyone operating the drones. 'Did they leave it on auto pilot?' He wondered. After all, a drone needed someone to even activate it not to talk of steering, so it was odd for him that there was no one here.
"Well?" Natasha who was standing right behind him asked.
"Quiet let me fo—"
His words were interrupted when a blurry figure shot down from the sky, landing in front of them.
BOOM!!
Nathan instinctively spread his wings, shielding Natasha from the worst of the shockwave.
When the dust settled, a figure stood in the center of a massive crater, his golden hair gleaming like sunlight.
His piercing green eyes locked onto them, and a smirk played on his lips.
"Well, well," the elf said, his voice smooth, calm and collected. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I am Hindel, leader of this little expedition. Pleasure to meet you."
Nathan's grip tightened on his katana, his wings flexing slightly as he stepped forward. "Hindel, huh? So I'm guessing you're the one calling the shots here?"
Hindel chuckled as he begun spinning his golden spear in his hand.
"Indeed. And you're Nathaniel Hunt. You killed Jero, and even Daizel was unable to finish you off it seems. Though, I must say, our intel was woefully inaccurate. The aura I can feel emanating from you is at least a Class 2."
Nathan's eyes narrowed. "You don't say. Intel huh. Mind if I ask who gave the Intel?"
The smirk already forming on Hindel's face got even wider as he spun his spear. "You'll just have to pry it out of me...."
Without warning, Hindel lunged at them, as his spear blurred from the speed he was swinging at them.
"...Don't you think?!" He added mid-motion as his spear reached Nathan's neck.
BANG!
The spearhead was a hand's width from Nathan's throat when a thin line of blue-white light stitched the air.
An energy bullet struck the shaft just behind the blade.
The spear jerked sideways, its point slicing through empty air with a hiss, close enough that Nathan felt the wind of it against his skin.
Seeing the opening, his fingers tightened around the hilt of his katana, the suit's fibers drawing taut along his arms, and he swept the blade up over his head and brought it down in a single arc toward Hindel's exposed neck.
Hindel's body blurred.
The edge met nothing but afterimage. The man spun inside the swing like water slipping around a stone, and before Nathan could correct his stance, a heel slammed into his side.
The breath tore out of his lungs. Then the ground was gone.
The world smeared into grey and smoke as he sailed backward, until his boots struck the earth and carved twin furrows through the dirt for twelve, fifteen feet.
He dragged himself to a stop with one hand clawing the ground, the katana still held out in front of him.
Only then did the pain arrive, a deep, dull throb along his ribs that pulsed with every breath.
Across the gap, Hindel hadn't followed. He stood with the spear held before him, his gaze fixed on its bladed point.
Near the tip, so small it would have been invisible from any other angle, a tiny dent marred the metal, perfectly round, the exact shape of a bullet.
His eyes narrowed as he saw it. He then tilted his head as an energy bullet hurled past where his head was.
He turned his gaze to the direction they came from but...
Bright bolts of energy streaked toward him from said direction. Seeing the sight a smile formed on his face.
Moving with inhuman speed, he dodged and parried each shot effortlessly.
"Is that all you've got?" Hindel taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. "Come on, you'll have to do better than that to get any info from me."
Using his wings, Nathan launched himself from his position as he swung with both hands at his arms this time.
Hindel raised his spear, blocking it as sparks flew around them. Using his momentum, Hindel shoved Nathan backward before launching a swift kick, that sent him flying into a tree.
The trunk splintered under the impact, and Nathan groaned in pain, shaking off the pain as he pushed himself to his feet.
CLANG!
Hindel swung, deflecting another energy bullet. "This is getting tedi—" His words were interrupted as Natasha was right in front of him. Or rather under him.
'When did she? No matter at this distance, she can't aim her rifle.' Hindel concluded as he poured mana into his arm, aiming to knock her lights out.
Suddenly, a pistol materialized in her free hand which she used to take aim and...
BANG! BANG!
She fired twice. Hindel however was able to block it with his mana-infused arm. "Not bad little one."
Whoom!
He kicked her in the abdomen so hard, she could feel the air leave her lungs as she took flew into a tree.
BOOM!!
This time destroying it completely.
"I won't lie. That almost got me. You're hella strong as well huh." He commented as he walked towards her.
"That just highlights how much of a threat you'll become. I should probably put an end to you as well." He said, as he was about to lung at her.
Then he suddenly twisted his body as Nathan zoomed past him, nicking him in the hips drawing blood.
"Oi, oi." Hindel commented as he touched his bleeding hip. He then brought the blood to his lips and licked it.
He then retaliated with a flurry of spear strikes, each one faster and more precise than the last.
Nathan struggled to keep up, his katana clashing against the spear as he was forced to retreat.
Natasha continued to provide cover fire, but Hindel's movements were too unpredictable.
He closed the distance between them in an instant, his spear slashing toward her.
She barely managed to dodge, the weapon grazing her shoulder and leaving a shallow cut.
He suddenly shifted his stance, his spear glowing with a brilliant light. "Now let's see how you handle this."
A beam of pure light energy shot toward Nathan, who barely managed to dodge by using his wings to propel himself upward.
The beam struck the ground, leaving a smoldering crater in its wake.
Natasha then took advantage of the distraction, firing a barrage of energy blasts at Hindel.
He deflected most of them, but one grazed his arm, leaving a faint burn. His expression darkened, and he turned his attention to her.
"You know, you're starting to annoy me now," he said, his voice cold.
He rushed toward Natasha, his spear aimed at her chest.
Nathan immediately intercepted him, their weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, the ground cracking beneath their feet.
Hindel pushed Nathan back with a burst of mana, then delivered a series of rapid strikes, each one forcing Nathan to retreat.
Natasha joined the fight again, bringing out daggers as she aimed for Hindel's blind spots.
But the elf was way too fast and too strong for a non-closecombatant like her. He then disarmed her with a swift strike quite easily, before he kicked her to the ground.
Natasha groaned, clutching her side as she tried to stand.
Hindel walked toward them, his spear resting casually on his shoulder. "You two are really full of surprises," he said, his tone almost admiring. "But this is the end of the road."
Nathan spat out a mouthful of blood, his grip tightening on his katana. "Not… yet."
He launched himself at Hindel one last time, his wings flaring as he put everything into the attack.
Hindel met him head-on, their weapons clashing with a deafening roar. But it was clear Nathan was reaching his limit.
Hindel disarmed him with a swift twist of his spear, sending the katana flying.
He followed up with a brutal punch to Nathan's gut, the mana-enhanced strike knocking the air from his lungs.
Nathan collapsed to his knees near Natasha.
Natasha had tried to raise her rifle, but Hindel already being there, kicked it from her hands. He loomed over them, his spear pointed at Nathan's throat.
"You fought well," Hindel said, his voice almost gentle. "But this is the end."
Hindel then raised his spear to deliver the final blow when a sudden explosion rocked the area.
BOOM