Chapter 2: A Grim Change (IV)

Looking up, Kivdre smiled with a toothy grin before coughing another ghastly ball of vomit that was heavily tainted with a dark crimson hue. His hair amess.

"You…"

Me?

"You fucker, come back here. This is all your fault!"

Eh?

Running as if he had never been poisoned in the first place, a shard of stone raced out of his hand and aimed straight at me.

Dodging desperately, I leaned back just before the stone whizzed above me, inches between me and death himself. Clutching my sword type, I readied as I knew this was going to be an easy battle.

Whilst having a single azure butterfly floating softly and delicately behind me, resisting the summer winds.

Sometimes I wonder, why is this creature following me and yet at the same time, I can't seem to see why I should leave it. The inner connection between me and the creature was indisputably powerful and I have this subtle feeling.

A feeling and thought that still remains. "The butterfly is somehow connected to my power."

Simple memories of Kivdre beating me as a punching bag faded away as only focus and attentiveness remained. Careful, I watched his every movement as my sword upright, clasped by the two hands was aimed at him in a stance of my own.

"You trash how did you dodge it."

He was right, I did grow stronger and enough to withstand one of his attacks, but I felt that courage had a little more to do with it.

Calculating, I thought of his clothes. His clothes were ragged and tattered meaning that his desperation out of the forest was normal. He must have been lost from Leone and his other group.

Smirking I continue to deduct what happened next.

His greed and his will to prove that he was a loyal companion must have made him chase after me— and then get lost.

Well if that was the case then, he must have stumbled around for a few days, not finding food insight as the northern forests were massive. Water wasn't an issue as there were many merry streams and brooks that wound downhill the forest. He could have found stream downhill as other villages would be there. That would also explain how he found the lake which also leads him to the berries.

The dark cardinal berries were toxic and his hunger and his will for food overpowered his suspicion. His weariness for these berries disappeared at sight and the simple notion of consuming such fruit made his hunger flare. If he was hungry, then he must have also consumed quite a lot with only food on his mind which means that he should have been dead.

Coughing up another bout of vomit, his toothy grin faded from annoyance to anger.

"You come back here."

Running, it was still a surprise how Kivdre was still up and pumping. More shards of earth and material were shot out of his hands as I dodged two of them and deflected another one with my sword.

Closer, and closer, he threw a punch as he was only a few feet away from me. It was fast, blocking with my sword this time, I was launched inches back as my footing was shattered.

If 5 berries were enough to put me in such a terrible state, then eating at least a whole tree full of these berries (25), should bring his heinous life at a thread's mercy. In that case, if I leave him, he should be dead in less than half an hour.

There was no need to fight.

Drawing my sword back in its sheath, I ran uphill and away from the loose dirt and grime that fell with our step. Against the terrifying winds, I bolted forward, as I followed an unclear path that weaved in and out trees and fallen foliage.

The sun beaming strands of intense light through the trees, as I heard Kivdre yell out in annoyance.

"Where do you think you're going. Wait till I get my hands on you."

Looking back, I knew that it was a terrible mistake to turn around and look to see how far back he was— but I still did.

Only countless meters, his footing was off as his steps were uncoordinated and disturbingly off. However, his expression showed no notice of it as his brows furrowed with flaming rage.

That was where I also slammed into a wall.

Turning around, a wall-like structure made out completely out of concrete rock stood, with its broad shoulders upright. Stark-like crevices and cracks appeared out of his appearance, as his form or skill was not perfect.

Pulling out my blade, I grunted as I tried to slash the wall but the mark-like residue was too shallow to make any difference.

Ugh.

Turning around, was where also Kivdre in his bulky masculine form with outraged gaping muscles stood as a trail of blood followed him thin and through.

"How do you like my skill? Nowhere left to run huh"

Kivdre smirked whilst radiating flares of arrogance. Earth and gravel flew up like a vacuum-formed specifically for grime. The material flew towards his fist forming a clay-like gauntlet that excluded a bleak aura.

Raising, he threw one of them at me which I had to dodge. Blocking it would only leave me with broken bones as I would be sent flying into the terrain barricade.

A whoosh of wind followed by a powerful pressure wave flew by in a similar manner of my pumping exhilaration. He missed. The land that his fist landed on was now cracked with branches of crevices all erupting towards the perimeter.

His second fist forced me to move to leap towards the right. Using this opportunity, my blade slit his arm while leaping mid-air, as he cried out in anguish. Landing, I slid towards the right while tilting my blade horizontally and followed his attack by slitting his knee.

Crimson inks of blood spurted out as he groaned once a more before whirling around and throwing a fist. This time, I didn't even have to dodge the blow as it missed by countless feet.

"You, you, how are you dodging all of this," Kivdre yelled as his form, his composure and his pride began to bend.

I ignored him and leaped up once more, a powerful energy flowed through my mana channels, as I pushed more mana to my hands to increase my strength.

The battle between me and Kivdre continued on as neither one would give up.

Each blow or punch from Kivdre was unrelenting and blunt, equally as powerful and deadly suppose it landed. Slashing his thigh as I tried to aim for the femoral artery, but missed.

His gift allowed him to manipulate parts of the earth while each blow would become stronger and stronger until he hit his limit. Therefore the longer this lasted, the slimmer the chance at victory.

How are the holly berries not killing him?

Weaving in and out, I was still concerned about the toxins from the holly berries were being suppressed but the thought soon faded away when another fist tore apart the land. A flurry of obdurate dirt flew in the air as the battle continued on.

My blade tore through multiple bouts of skin, which drew more and more blood as his bride began to bend under my will. Bleeding, I smiled that the facade of a battle would soon be my first act of vengeance against him but not the last.

The sun boiled my skin as my bones smolder under the heat and the pressure to succeed.

More punches that missed and only flew through cold air became stronger and stronger. The missed opportunities for attacks grew with the equal proportion as the risks outgrew the benefits.

I understood that a single punch could end me. As a result, I needed to end the battle and fast— I need to use my last trump card.

Breathing in, I surveyed one last time at the destroyed terrain before activating the frost-effect sword— considering the risks.

Snow drifted and emerged from the abyss as they grew in size and grazed the edge of my sword. The temperature around the sword dropped significantly while glacial and wintry air only did more in my favor.

Floating particles of azure frost and mana began to emerge as it stifled sword with its icy breath. Breathing in and out, I drew the mana out my mana core as the temperate air became frigid and frosty.

I breathed in and out letting out a cold wintry breath that reeked of a new season.

My hands glowed with a deep azure blue as everything became wintry. The screeching winds occasionally rose up as a daunting atmosphere took flight. When the winds died, a tomb-like silence haunted the land.