Chapter 40-Flint vs Rocket

"Huff…huff…"

Flint continues panting as he runs away from the guards in black suits through the underground stronghold charging him from behind. Meanwhile, the white overhead lights continue flashing red, as the sirens continue blaring.

Flint continues running, until he hears a mechanical whir come from behind him, and Flint turns around, seeing that a metal wall had risen out of the floor, separating himself from the guards.

"It's good that the guards are no longer on my tail…" Flint begins to say. Flint then turns around to face the hallway before him, "But that means SOMETHING must be coming from the front…"

Footsteps then begin echoing through the hallway, causing Flint to flinch as he enters his Charge Stance.

The footsteps continue echoing, and then, a figure emerges through the darkness, a stoic man of average height, about five foot nine, who appears to be in his mid-twenties, around twenty-six, with narrow light-green eyes, slightly darker green hair, and is wearing a sleeveless black turtleneck under armor shirt, green kilt with a purple cloth belt, and golden armor, from gauntlets, to shoulder pads, to anklets, and knee pads.

"So you're one of the intruders, huh?" The man asks, "Let's see…so you're the old man which means you must be…Flint Grovel?"

Flint's eyes gloss over.

"Old man, huh…?" Flint asks as he stares at the ground.

Flint then peers back up, a crazed look washing over his eyes, I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S OLD!"

"SAND CHARGE, LEVEL TWO: SAND SPEAR!" Flint roars as he launches a flurry of kicks towards the man, firing off a spear of sand with each kick.

In response, the man holds a hand out to Flint, and bright green sparks of energy begin to burst and swirl around his body.

"So you're my E-Charger opponent this time, huh?" Flint smirks as his sand spears continue flying towards the man

"Air Charge, Level One…" the man begins to say.

Flint's eyes widen as his sand spears continue flying. "Air Charge…now THAT'S a strong one!"

"ASPHYXIATION!"

Swiftly, the man clenches his hand into a fist, and in response, Flint's eyes bulge out of his head as he begins frantically gasping for air. Flint then drops to the ground as he begins scratching at his neck, while Flint's spears of sand fall limply to the ground.

"My level one spell allows me to seal off the air around you, making it so that you can't breathe," the man explains, "And therefore, you don't have the strength to maintain the form of your spell."

Flint continues gasping for air as he struggles to stand back up to his feet, exiting the sealed-off portion of air, and gasping heavily for breath.

"That's a powerful level one spell," Flint pants, "Luckily for me, you can only cut off air in a small area at once, and it looks like you can't move the spot without deactivating the spell entirely."

"I'm impressed that you could move without oxygen," the man replies.

"Master Doku made me fight him in a field of poison gas," Flint smirks, "I can hold my breath for up to five minutes."

"I'm assuming that's with prep time," the man replies as he holds a hand out to Flint again, and just as before, bright green sparks of energy begin to burst and swirl around his body, "Not if the air around you has been suddenly cut off. Air Charge, Level One: Asphyxiation."

Just as before, Flint's eyes bulge out of his head as he drops to the ground, gasping for breath. But also just like before, Flint manages to push himself off of the ground again.

"You sure about that?" Flint pants as he glares at the man.

"Hmm…" the man replies as he reaches behind his back and draws a tall lance with a needle-shaped point and a swirling green handle, "Looks like I'll have to take this a bit more seriously."

"An E-Charger with a weapon, huh…?" Flint asks.

The man then holds his lance in the air, as bright green sparks of energy begin to burst and swirl around his body and lance.

"He changed his Charge Stance?!" Flint cries.

"Air Charge, Level Two: Atmospheric Cannon!" The man shouts as he thrusts his lance towards Flint.

"Shit!" Flint cries as he brings his arms up in a cross to block, however…nothing happens.

"H-huh…?" Flint asks as he lowers his arms.

But then…Flint's eyes widen as he doubles over. Flint feels something heavy smash into his chest with a powerful force…but he doesn't see the attack.

"What…just happened…?" Flint grunts as he clutches his chest, the wind having been knocked out of him.

"You can't see the air around you, no?" The man explains, "Therefore…my E-Charger of air is the E-Charge of invisibility itself."

"Just…who are you…?" Flint asks, "Air is such an incredibly rare element, since it's a genetic mutation of Wind."

"You can call me…ROCKET," the man answers.

Flint's eyes widen. "You mean…GAMBINO HIRED THE ASSASSIN'S TRIO?!"

"Yes," Rocket answers, "As we speak, my assassin allies are killing your friends, just as I'll kill you."

"Shit…" Flint grumbles to himself as he enters his Charge Stance, "Rocket is from a powerful trio of assassins. I know that I can take him, but as for Khione and Mary…I'm a bit scared…maybe I should conserve my strength in this fight so that I can help them out later…? Crap, but then I may not be able to win!"

Flint sighs.

"I'LL JUST HAVE TO GO ALL OUT HERE AND TRUST KHIONE AND MARY TO NOT GET THEMSELVES KILLED!"

"You should be worrying about not getting killed yourself," Rocket replies as he resumes his Charge Stance.

"SAND CHARGE, LEVEL TWO: SAND SPEAR!"

"AIR CHARGE, LEVEL TWO: ATMOSPHERIC CANNON!"

With a roar, Flint launches a flurry of kicks towards rocket, firing off a spear of sand with each kick, who, in response, thrusts his lance towards Flint.

Flint's Sand Spears continue flying towards Rocket, until they collide against an invisible force, and Flint's sand seeps to the ground.

"It looks like our spells canceled each other out," Flint grunts.

But then, a heavy weight smashes into Flint's chest, just as before, causing Flint's eyes to widen as he's sent flying backwards, his back slamming against the wall behind him.

"Ohhh…" Flint groans as he slides down the wall.

"My level two spell releases a sphere of condensed air from my lance," Rocket explains, "It's as strong as a cannonball."

"Good thing it's not stronger," Flint smirks as he resumes his Charge Stance.

"Sand Charge, Level Two: Sand Spear!" Flint shouts as he launches a flurry of kicks towards the rocket, firing of

f a spear of sand with each kick, just as before.

"Using the same trick again won't work," Rocket replies as he thrusts his lance towards Flint.

Just as before, Flint's Sand Spears continue flying towards Rocket, until they collide against an invisible force, and Flint's sand seeps to the ground.

Rocket's spell then continues flying towards Flint, but as Rocket's sphere of air blasts into Flint, Flint's body turns into sand then falls to the ground.

"I see…" Rocket mutters to himself.

A second mound of sand then rises out of the ground from the sand of Flint's previous sand spears which had fallen to the ground, which then takes the form of Flint.

"SAND CHARGE, LEVEL ONE: SAND CLONE!" Flint roars as he launches a powerful round-house kick towards Rocket.

In response, Rocket thrusts his lance towards Flint, which passes straight through Flint's sandy chest.

"Just testing something out…" Rocket says to himself.

"THAT WON'T WORK!" Flint roars as he continues swinging his foot towards Rocket.

In response, Rocket retracts his lance, then resumes his Charge Stance.

"Air Charge, Level One: Asphyxiation!" Rocket shouts, and right before Flint's round-house kick is about to smash into Rocket, Flint's eyes widen, before dropping to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Whether you're made of sand or not, it seems like your sand body still needs oxygen," Rocket explains.

Flint doesn't reply, he just continues gasping for air.

"You see…Gambino is a powerful man," Rocket explains as he begins pacing back and forth, "Gambinio knows EVERYTHING about your Water Charger hero, and thus, he knows everything about his allies, Team Noah. About Khione…Mary…and YOU, Flint Grovel! Ex-bandit of Twilight Wolf!"

Flint's eyes widen in shock.

Slowly…Flint begins pushing himself off of the ground in an attempt to break free from Rocket's sealed-off air pocket, but as he does so, Rocket moves his hand upwards, keeping Flint locked in his sealed-off area of air.

Flint's eyes widen even further.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes," Rocket says, "I lulled you into a false sense of security, thinking that once I've activated my level one spell, it's stationary, when in reality, I can move it at will!"

Flint's eyes gloss over as he limply falls to the ground.

"That's right, Flint Grovel!" Rocket boost, "I have researched each one of your spells to the point of nausea! I know ALL of your tricks!"

Slowly…Flint extends a weak hand to Rocket.

"I also know that you can E-Charge without your Charge Stance," Rocket smirks, "But not without chanting."

But then, what Rocket DOESN'T see, is that the sand laying on the ground behind him begins to rise into the air, and take shape.

A smirk spreads across Flint's lips.

Rocket's eyes widened as he spins around, facing down a GIANT golem of sand.

"Flint…is E-Charging without chanting…?" Rocket cries, "And this spell…I've never seen it before! Only astonishingly rare and powerful E-Chargers can use Level Five spells!"

Flint's giant sand golem then begins to swing a mighty fist towards Rocket.

In response, Rocket retains his Charge Stance as well.

"A-air Charge, Level Three-!" Rocket panics, "Oxygen Lance!"

The air around Rocket's lance begins to spiral as he thrusts it towards Flint's sand golem, but Rocket's spell is powerful to do anything as the sand golem slams its mighty fist into Rocket, causing the assassin to howl in pain as he's sent flying backwards, before slamming into the wall behind Flint.

Flint then drops to his hands and knees and begins gasping for breath.

"The spell has been undone, Rocket must be unconscious," Flint coughs.

Flint then stands up and turns around to face Rocket. "I'm at a bit of a disadvantage when there's no sand around," Flint pants, "That's why I spread my own sand around using those futile Sand Spears. And E-Charging without chanting OR a Charge Stance, huh…? I've gotten pretty good."

"Sand Charge, Level Five," Flint then smirks, "Sandcastle."