Temper Yourself Under The Heat Of Battle
With a tense silence hovering over the soldiers, Adam approached the Supreme Hero with his sword brandished. Lightning cracked around the blade, causing the hero to feel a bit intimidated.
("That power he displayed earlier. If I don't expel any mana, he won't be able to place pressure on me.") [Tearsman]
He grew wary of Adam's compression ability, believing it to be his strongest weapon.
"Be careful Adam, his spear and shield are no ordinary items." [Astos]
("I'm aware.") [Adam]
Adam and the hero circled each other, measuring each other's worth in combat.
"Nothing will happen if you guys just keep looking at each other." [Krino]
("If you say so.") [Adam]
Leaning forward, Adam made a sudden dash at Tearsman.
("He's attacking so openly?!") [Tearsman]
The hero raised his shield, taking the full force of Adam's sword. Lightning branched out as Krino connected, leaving burns in the ground surrounding them.
"He's holding his ground?!" [Krino]
The hero's large build allowed him to receive the attack without flinching.
"|Reflect|!" [Tearsman]
"Huh?" [Adam]
Adam felt great force burst out of the shield, blowing him back and leaving a numb feeling in his hands.
("It reflected my attack?!") [Adam]
There was the slight tingle of lightning lingering which gave signs that it was indeed from Adam's strike.
"That's a nice shield you have there, Tearsman." [Adam]
"Of course. A Supreme Hero has access to one or two divine weapons. Not to mention, this one is an especially powerful one." [Tearsman]
"And the spear isn't?" [Adam]
"You will learn." [Tearsman]
With that, Tearsman thrust his spear from a distance.
"|Ring|!" [Tearsman]
For a split second, there was nothing. Then, there was everything in the form of sound.
"Ngh!" [Adam]
An incredibly loud resembling an explosion entered Adam's ears, as well as a physical shockwave that followed. It caused his ears to ring and his sense to dull.
("What is-?!") [Adam]
Without giving Adam a second to react, Tearsman was upon him.
"Die you heathen." [Tearsman]
Grabbing Adam by the shoulder, Tearsman ran his spear through Adam's gut.
"Urgh!" [Adam]
"Ad-Astos!" [Felix]
Pain fired off through Adam's brain as cold steel entered his body. Though it was terrible, it snapped him out of his daze. Grabbing onto the spear's handle, Adam raised his head to meet Tearsman.
"I have no clue if you said anything, but I refuse." [Adam]
"It's not a choice you can make." [Tearsman]
The spear began to vibrate, causing Adam's vision to blur as his internal organs were shaken. Blood gushed out of the wound and the urge to vomit started to surface.
"You need to take the spear out, Adam!" [Krino]
"I'm…! Aware…!" [Adam]
Gritting his teeth, Adam tried to punch Tearsman. Unfortunately, it was easily blocked by his shield.
"|Reflect|." [Tearsman]
The force of the returned punch wasn't much, but it was enough to throw Adam off the spear.
("Success!") [Adam]
"Hmph." [Tearsman]
Staggering backwards, Adam righted himself.
"Fuya de medicis, heal." [Adam]
Expecting his wound to close, Adam was shocked to notice the wound still there.
"Huh?" [Adam]
Tearsman shook his head in disappointment.
"You're too green. No, foolish to be exact. It looks like you've experienced a few battles, but it looks like you've come out victorious through brawn and grit." [Tearsman]
"Save your breath. I don't want to listen to your lecture." [Adam]
"Of course you wouldn't. You're bleeding out, unable to heal, and running out of patience. Do you think that defeating me now will help?" [Tearsman]
In the eyes of those around them, Tearsman's views weren't incorrect. Before, the soldiers were unsure of which side to take. However, the sight of Adam coming to a disadvantage made them lean more to the hero's side.
("I have to help him.") [Felix]
As soon as Felix took a step forward, Adam raised a hand to stop him.
"...This is my fight." [Adam]
He put on a brave front knowing that any help here would bring problems in the future. This fight was supposed to be between heroes, and whoever was victorious would stand in a grander light.
("Felix wants loyal soldiers. Soldiers need something to believe in. I must be that something.") [Adam]
Like Askyros, Adam wanted to be the ideal. From the man's memory, the soldiers Askyros led believed him to be unstoppable. The one everyone looks to for support. The last wall to fall on. Their only hero.
"That man's spear is imbued with a spell that prevents the mending of the wounds it creates. Adam, you will die." [Astos]
("Don't you have some sort of way to dispel it?") [Adam]
"I do. It's just… It is a spell that requires time. Time you do not have." [Astos]
Adam closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
("I see…") [Adam]
"What are you doing? Have you given up?" [Tearsman]
Adam ignored the hero.
("Krino, can you let me control your lightning for a bit?") [Adam]
"...No problem." [Krino]
Opening his eyes and flexing hard enough to close the spear-wound shut, Adam summoned lightning to cauterize it.
"Agh!" [Adam]
He grit his teeth as the lightning seared his skin, melting his flesh to merge it so the wound was no longer visible.
"You- You're insane!" [Tearsman]
Adam's body relaxed as soon as he was sure to resume combat.
"And what exactly makes you say that?" [Adam]
Tearsman immediately put up his guard.
("This boy is deranged. I should have killed him when I had the chance.") [Tearsman]
"Soul Aggression." [Adam]
Energy surged from within, manifesting itself as lightning enveloping Adam in the form of armor. With such power that even changed his sword, Adam sheathed it in a scabbard forged from compressed lightning.
("This is… something unheard of! What kind of skill is this?!") [Tearsman]
Adam took a single step to appear before Tearsman, a boom of thunder following in his wake. A fist was raised, causing Tearsman to use his shield out of reflex.
"And you call me foolish." [Adam]
Instead of throwing a punch, Adam grabbed the shield and ripped it off the hero's arm.
"What?!" [Tearsman]
Grabbing Tearsman by the shoulder, Adam opened his palm facing the hero's stomach.
"Pressure Cannon." [Adam]
A blast of compressed air blew a hole into the hero's armor.
"Wa-Wait!" [Tearsman]
"Pressure Cannon." [Adam]
Another blast of air was fired off, striking Tearsman in the gut.
"Urgh!" [Tearsman]
He lurched over in pain, almost keeling over. However, Adam held him up.
"Pressure Cannon." [Adam]
"Gah!" [Tearsman]
The hero held back tears and the contents of his stomach as Adam unleashed another blast of air.
"Foolish, am I?" [Adam]
Another Pressure Cannon was sent.
"Green, am I?" [Adam]
Another Pressure Cannon was sent.
"Running out of patience, am I?!" [Adam]
Another, more powerful, Pressure Cannon was sent.
"Agh!" [Tearsman]
The pain was too much to endure. The area of his stomach was exposed, black and bruised. The very skin seemed to be torn. There were even small patches of blood oozing out from blunt force. Adam then released the hero, causing him to fall clutching his spear.
"Sure, I admit I've won my battles with brawn and grit. But for you to belittle my experiences? You act as if you're better. In the end, you'll still lose to my brawn and grit." [Adam]
Tearsman struggled to prop himself up, slowly dragging his spear closer.
"I…! I will not lose in mediocrity!" [Tearsman]
With a rush of energy, Tearsman thrust his spear.
"Hm." [Adam]
He stepped back as Tearsman picked himself up and pushed forward.
"I am a Supreme Hero! No one will look down on me!" [Tearsman]
Several more thrusts were unleashed, blindingly so. Adam continued to step back, leaving only enough room to evade.
"This fortress is mine! These soldiers are mine! Everything here is mine! How dare you try to take everything from me!" [Tearsman]
He then pulled back and took a unique stance. The spear was held overhead with the blade held high, so much so that it didn't even look like a combat stance.
"I will leave my name in history! My achievements will stick to my very name!" [Tearsman]
("Wait a minute, I think I've got an idea.") [Adam]
Adam then placed a hand on Krino.
"Oh, I understand it now." [Adam]
Compressing the surrounding air and sucking it into the lightning scabbard, Adam had come to his own conclusion.
"|Resounding Zenith|!" [Tearsman]
In the face of immense power packed into the hero's spear approaching quickly, Adam drew his sword.
"|Blinding Slash Arts: Single Point Draw|." [Adam]
WIth a flash of light, Tearsman's speartip went flying.
"Wha-?!" [Tearsman]
The hero froze as he found himself on the other end of Adam's sword.
"That will be all." [Adam]