Serina's Troubles (3)

As Serina breathed a sigh of relief, Fatty, back to his plump self, pointed at the young man while those watching were just starting to realize that he was the tall and handsome man.

"How could you, a proud warrior, use tricks to reduce me to this state?!"

"What? I've done no such-"

"Silence! Take my fist!"

After cutting off the young man, in an almost comedic fashion, Fatty crouched till his body looked like a round ball and then bounced at the young man. When they watched him crouch, laughter rang out from the crowd but his speed was nothing to scoff at. Before the young man could even prepare a proper barrier, Fatty slammed into him, forcing him to cough a mouthful of blood.

'Damn it! Why do I have to do this?'

Even as he saw the young man being blown away, Fatty grimaced over the fact that he had to depend on this method. The body modification spell that Shui showed him wasn't just for him to get a fit body. It was actually supposed to allow him to freely control his body's structure. While not to the extent of Mutation Control, he would hold complete control over his muscle and fat. However, at his current level of mastery he could only use it to transform from his normal state and it was hard to do so repeatedly.

"I'll definitely make you pay for ruining my handsome face!"

"Again, that's not my fault!"

While Fatty's war hammer flew into his hand, the young man wiped the blood from his lip and gathered wind around his fists. He sent a straight right punch at Fatty, and with the punch came a long spiral of wind that tried to devour Fatty. In response, Fatty slammed his hammerhead against the wind. Even though he had given a few surprises, everyone thought Fatty would lose this confrontation, but they were wrong. After Fatty's biceps suddenly expanded, he knocked away the breeze and pounced at the young man who was completely stunned by this unexpected reversal.

"You're mine!"

Fatty went in to deal the final blow, but he was blasted by a lightning spell that came out of nowhere.

"All fighting shall cease."

A group of disciples with black badges came onto the scene.

"It's the disciplinary squad!"

Within Strom Sky Manor, there was a department that existed to punish those who broke the rules. While there were elders who would manage the official side of it, most of the time, they would leave the patrol to exceptional disciples that were handpicked. These disciples made up the Disciplinary Squad and while there weren't many bad rumours about them, there was one that made some like them and others hate them.

The ones that interrupted the battle between the young man and Fatty were a group of four men. The leader walked with pride brimming from his body and glanced at those in the area with contempt before continuing towards the young man with a smile.

"Are you okay, Rodney?"

"Yes. Thanks, Jacob."

As Jacob shook the hand of the young man, Rodney, everyone could tell what this signified.

'As I thought.'

'As usual.'

'Corrupt bastards.'

Many spectators who came for a good show scoffed since the result was already determined. Even if Fatty could beat the young man, he no longer had the opportunity to do so.

While everyone was focused on the disciplinary squad members that arrived, Serina was looking for Fatty after he got hit by that sudden spell.

'I have to warn him.'

Knowing him, he would jump right back into the fight if he could, but it wouldn't be a fair fight anymore. When a recently made pile of dirt entered her eyes, it suddenly broke apart and revealed Fatty's figure.

"Wai-!"

"Who was it?!"

Instead of listening to Serina, Fatty shouted in anger and quickly stomped his way over to Rodney and Jacob's group. Once Fatty revealed himself, two of the four men from the disciplinary squad went up to face him.

"Stop right there. You shall be brought before the elders to pay for the crime of fighting your fellow disciple without permission in an unapproved area."

"Fighting without permission? Then what about him?!" Fatty exclaimed in disbelief.

Jacob replied, "This young man is just a victim forced to defend himself."

"That's horse dung and you know it!"

Fatty was the one who threw the first punch, but that could be ignored since Jacob's group didn't actually care. While many of those in the audience agreed with Fatty, none of them expressed it. Even if the Disciplinary Squad were basically corrupt officials, they held power that most couldn't go up against. While only Jacob was in the late Soul Realm, the other three were still in mid Soul Realm. Therefore, none of them were easy opponents for Fatty.

As the two men approached him with oppressive auras, Fatty exclaimed once more despite knowing it wouldn't be of any use.

"Damn it! This is so unfair!"

However, he heard an unexpected reply.

"That's right. Even though they were fighting without permission, I don't believe the rules allow for the victim to be excluded from questioning."

Everyone turned their eyes to the source of the reply. Before anyone had noticed Shui was next to Serina with a calm expression. Even Serina was surprised, but she was also happy to see him.

"Shui!" Fatty and Serina exclaimed.

Jacob noticed how Fatty looked at Shui with high expectation and so he squinted his eyes at the newcomer.

"This has nothing to do with you, so I suggest you leave."

While trying to pressure Shui with his seventh level of the Soul Realm aura, Jacob took a step toward him. He expected some response from Shui, but though his aura should have made him feel threatened, it was as if he couldn't feel the slightest pressure.

"No, though I have little interest in playing judge or jury, just as you support your friend, I must stand on the side of mine."

"Hmph, you dare stand against the Disciplinary Squad."

"I'm not standing against the Disciplinary Squad. I'm standing against you and your friends. So, would like to continue this play or shall we go our separate ways?"

"You seem to think that everything will be as you wish. It seems I must correct that."

Jacob raised his hand and summoned a sword of lightning that was twice as tall as he was and flung it at Shui. Shui's cultivation was hard to decipher so he started with this to test him. Evading the spell would have been simple for Shui, but as Serina was next to him, he protected both of them with his barrier. At this scene, Jacob's expression became grave. He found it strange that he didn't recognize Shui even though he was so capable, but he couldn't allow himself to show weakness.

"Since you've made your attempt, I shall now make mine."

With a casual wave of his hand, Shui summoned dozens of water orbs that hovered above him and then froze into countless ice spikes. Each spike was no longer than his hand, but there were enough to fill Jacob's view of the sky. Jacob quickly created a barrier to defend against the incoming onslaught, but even after Shui sent the ice spikes at him, they stopped a thin distance away from the barrier. Jacob was confused at first, but the following transformation poured fear into his heart. The ice spikes clung together and formed several layers of nets that were nailed to the ground and froze the surface of his barrier.

Shui's spell wasn't very powerful but it was so complex that it surely touched the limit of tier 3 spells, but for him it was just a casual move. Jacob relied on his nature energy to combat the quickly lowering temperature, but there was nothing else he could do because once he took down the barrier, the ice nets would surely freeze him before he could use another spell.

"Damn you! Get him!"