Chapter 83-Noah vs Smokey, Part Two

The battle between Smokey and I continues. Although now, Smokey incorporates his fierce sword skills into his attacks.

In the blink of an eye, Smokey appears before me, and swings his sword outwards.

"Woah!" I cry as I leap backwards, just narrowly avoiding my blood being drawn by Smokey's steel.

"Water Charge, Level Three-!" I shout as I resume my Charge Stance upon landing back on my feet.

"-Rapids Claw!" I shout as I swing a hand outwards, firing off a blade of water from each finger, which flies towards Smokey.

Just as my Rapids Claw tears into Smokey, he changes his body into smoke. And so, my blades of water fly through Smokey, unphased, and instead carve up the surrounding area.

"Dammit…"

In the blink of an eye, Smokey reappears before me, and thrusts his sword towards my stomach.

"Shit!" I cry as I attempt to jump backwards, but before I can, I'm skewered on Smokey's steel.

My eyes widen as I spit up a glob of blood against Smokey's sword.

"You were wise to keep your distance, Water Charger," Smokey compliments, "I couldn't get in close enough to you to deal my one-hit K.O. technique until now."

I don't say anything.

Instead, I simply shoot both hands up, latching onto Smokey's shoulders.

"Wha-what?" Smokey flinches, "You still have enough strength to fight?!"

Weakly, I tilt my head back, and then, with a roar I launch my head forwards and smash my forehead into Smokey's nose with all my might, sending Smokey tumbling backwards and causing his sword to tear upwards up to his chest before being ripped outwards.

I let out a yelp of pain before dropping to the ground on one knee, clutching the bleeding gash.

Meanwhile, Smokey stands back up, gingerly clutching his broken-nose.

"Why didn't you turn into smoke?"

"I couldn't E-Charge fast enough."

"But the pace of this entire fight has been dependent on Smokey's E-Charging speed…" I whisper to myself.

My eyes then widen.

"Smokey never E-Charges without using whatever ability that Devil Eye underneath his eyepatch is. Maybe…he can't use it while touching me…?"

Smokey aims his sword at me, just as medium-blue sparks of energy begin to burst and swirl around his body.

But then…the sparks of energy fade a second later, and Smokey's sword-wielding hand and forearm blast off of Smokey's body, creating a line of smoke connecting Smokey's forearm and shoulder.

"What?!" I cry, "Smokey can separate parts of his body by turning them into smoke?!"

"Let's see you dodge my sword in this state, Water Charge…" Smokey taunts.

As Smokey's sword flies towards me, I attempt to stand up to dodge.

But before I can, blood squirts from my wound as a wave of pain takes over my entire body, forcing me to crash back to the ground.

Powerless to do anything as Smokey's sword continues flying towards me, I clench my eyes tightly in suspense and bear my body for pain.

A moment later, I feel Smokey's sword pierce through my body, but…it feels…different, somehow. It feels cold, like there's a hole in my stomach, and like Smokey's sword flew through my body with no give.

Upon hearing Smokey cry out: "WHAT," I slowly open my eyes then look down, only to see that the part of my body that Smokey pierced…had turned water.

My eyes widen.

"No…way…"

"Welcome to the club, Water Charger," Smokey compliments, "You've now reached the pinnacle of E-Chargers."

In the blink of an eye, Smokey disappears.

I smirk as I turn around, watching as Smokey plucks his sword out of the stony wall it pierced.

"Let's see your sword do anything against my new body!" I taunt as I resume my Charge Stance.

"Water Charge, Level Five: Liquid Armor!"

In the blink of an eye, Smokey appears before me again.

Clutching it tightly with both hands, Smokey swings his sword towards me.

However, I do nothing to defend as Smokey's sword effortlessly passes through me, as if I was made of butter. Well…WATER.

"Impressive," Smokey compliments, "The ability to turn your body into an element while maintaining your human form is something that only the upper echelon of the upper echelon of Water Chargers can manage."

"Can you do that?" I smirk as I launch a fist towards Smokey's gut.

My first pass went through Smokey's stomach, as if nothing was there.

"So you can."

We are BOTH the upper echelon of E-Chargers," Smokey comments as he holds a hand out to me, "Do you know what the only way to counter E-Chargers who can transform into their element is?"

"Um…no."

"It's if their element is superefective against theirs."

A boiling hot blast of smoke then escapes Smokey's pores, causing me to howl in pain asI crash to the ground, my water body begins to be scaled by Smokey's heat.

With my body now re-materialized, Smokey launches a leg forwards and lands a powerful kick to my jaw, sending me flying backwards.

"Dammit…" I grunt as I push myself back up to my feet, "Why is my water body so COLD?"

My eyes then widen as a lightbulb goes off over my head.

"That's it!"

Smokey aims a hand towards me again, firing off a second blast of boiling-hot steam.

In response, I slap either side of my face, then resume my Charge Stance.

"Come on, Noah, GET MAD!" I shout, "This guy…kidnapped Old-Man F and I then killed two people in front of me…he's a bastard!"

"Water Charge, Level Five: Liquid Armor!" I then shout as I turn my body into water. Steadily, steam begins to flutter off my body, and I notice Smokey raise an eyebrow at this.

At last, Smoke's steam blasts into me and my watery-body.

A moment later, Smokey's steam dissipates, leaving me unscathed.

"Interesting…" Smokey mutters, "So you turned into water hot enough that my boiling steam can't burn you…?"

"Yup!" I proudly boast, "And all I had to do was get a little angry!"

"How sappy," Smokey sneers, "So the temperature of your water…depends on your EMOTIONS?"

Smokey snickers.

"It's as if YOUR abilities were specifically designed to counter mine…"

"Call it whatever you want," I smirk as I crack my knuckles, "But now…nitehr your sword OR your smoke can hurt me!"