Devastation

Bam!!

Percy's body lifted off the floor as he was flung backwards, his glazed eyes coming to. He had barely reacted on instinct, positioning his sword in front of him to block the attack. But even with that, he was sent flying almost five metres back.

He grunted as he landed heavily on his back, skidding backwards a bit more. His thoughts were a mess.

What happened? I thought I died!.....My hands are numb…

Percy pushed off the floor, rolling to a crouching position only for a huge shadow to block his view.

Bam!!

Another collision occurred. Percy grunted once more as he hit his back heavily on the floor, only then did he realise that the object on him was in fact not an object but a human body.

His strength must be ridiculous for him to be able to casually throw a body at me.

Percy pushed the body back in the direction it came from, rolling to the side and positioning his sword before him, ready to block any other incoming attacks.

His heart was thumping loudly in his chest and his brain was running at several neural miles per seconds, trying to predict how the mysterious youth was going to attack next.

But none of his predictions happened. This time, it was a hat that came flying in his face. The same hat he had previously put a hole through.

Shing!

Percy swung his sword immediately, splitting the hat into two equal parts, but the next second, what came before him was a leg covered in black pants and neat boots.

Shit!

Percy couldn't react in time, his hands were numb and he had just swung downwards. There was no way he could get his hand up in time to block the kick. So instead, he braced himself for impact.

Bam!!

Percy's head recoiled as blood spurted out of his nose. His body lifted off the ground, landing a few metres away.

Already prepared, the moment he landed, he used the force of the recoil to roll away, standing up and attacking immediately even without seeing where his opponent was.

Clang!

His attack was blocked by a black telescopic baton. Purple eyes clashed with amber eyes and for a moment there was a pause.

"You fight like a thug. Don't you have pride?" Percy spoke through gritted teeth.

The mysterious youth didn't reply, instead in one quick movement, he pulled his head back and headbutted Percy.

Surprised by the sudden movement, Percy was slow to react once more and a loud crack reverberated through the space. Percy staggered backwards, cursing under his breath but he was given no reprieve.

The mysterious youth had moved, somehow getting behind Percy. He grabbed Percy's loose collar and pulled, using the momentum of Percy's stagger to his advantage.

Percy's leg lifted of the ground due to the sheer force of the pull and he was smashed heavily into the ground.

Percy ignored the pain that wracked his body and immediately swung his sword with deadly precision, aiming to cut off the mysterious youth's hand but the latter reacted immediately.

He kicked Percy's wrist, diverting the attack, grabbed a handful of Percy's hair and pulled him up. Three blows followed, the baton landing heavily on Percy's shoulder, hip and knee joints.

Percy's mind was filled with curses and indignation as pain jolted through his body. He had no chance to collect his thoughts as hit after hit landed on him. His joints, muscles and even his head were all wrecked in pain. He stood no chance.

The mysterious youth kicked Percy in the guts and the latter flew back, landing on the floor.

"My pride? You think pride will let you survive? Do you know how many chances I had to kill you?"

Surprisingly, the youth didn't move to attack again, he instead remained in his position, waiting for Percy to get up.

"You….Bastard!" Percy struggled to say as he began to get up. Surprisingly, his sword was still firmly being held in his hand.

He spat out a mouth full of blood, his eyes were entirely focused on the mysterious youth. Now both of them had changed position, the mysterious youth now had his back to the first cargo while Percy had his back to the other youths.

In his weakened state, a lot of them had the urge to attack him but they thought better of it.

Percy stood in a slightly haggard position, both hands on his sword, his gaze focused on the mysterious youth.

"My name is Percy." He said, shocking a few people on the train. The speaking of one's name to their opponent meant acknowledgement. And for a proud noble like Percy to acknowledge someone else was like a lion bowing to another creature of the forest.

Yvonne and Marceline stared at the scene, the former was back to her calculating self, trying to predict her chances of winning if the mysterious youth decided to attack her. The latter had a slightly sad look and her eyes were watery, she felt sorry for Percy and wanted the fight to stop.

Percy didn't wait to hear what the mysterious youth had to say, he moved immediately, even faster than before.

Clang! Clang! Clang!!

Percy and the mysterious youth clashed, steel sword against steel baton. They moved through the cargo, clashing against wooden tables, chairs and a few humans. The cargo shook, it's battered body creaking as the two of them rampaged through it.

Chaos descended into the cargoes once more as lots of youths began hurrying out of the way of the two, trying to move to the other cargoes. It was like the ripping winds from outside had entered into the train.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as both parties became more engrossed in the fight. Percy's moves became more refined as he finally began implementing the true essence of the Warburn swordsmanship into his short sword. A feat that was shocking.

The Warburn family's swordsmanship was suitable for only one kind of weapon, a greatsword. It used the body and muscles to make strikes heavier and chained, making use of relentless attacks as the ultimate attack and defence simultaneously. A short sword was made for flexibility, not the strength induced methods of the Warburn family's swordsmanship. And yet, here was a youth of barely eighteen, altering a sword style that had been refined for almost five generations. It was a feat that would shock even nobles.

Both parties clashed; Percy, whose posture had been haggard moved with surprising fluidity. His movements were elegant and smooth, each move connecting to the next, attacking and defending at once.

The mysterious youth on the other hand was like a barbarian. His baton strikes were simple and crude but his movements were efficient. He made no extra movements, parrying, smashing and bludgeoning.

The tempo of the battle steadily increased, both parties reaching the limits of their body movements. Just when the fight was about to reach its climax, a loud screech resounded through the train.

Percy and the mysterious youth stopped their battle, the loud noise had pulled them out of their trance. Their breaths were haggard and their shirts were soaked in sweat. Neither had noticed earlier.

"That's enough. The goal has been achieved." A cheery voice resounded. Only then did Percy and the mysterious youth looked around them. Only then did they notice the devastation they had caused.