Running out of time

"An Enigma." Luck said factually as he watched the chain.

The chain that was otherwise unremarkable before now had a strange green aura around it.

Luck eyed the chain cautiously, the grip he had on his dagger subconsciously getting stronger. Once again that same uneasy feeling crept in.

'This is getting weird, what did I forget?'

He waved off his thoughts.

"So I got stuck fighting someone with an enigma, it looks like Luck is not on my side today."

"What is wrong kid?"

The man asked, his face was no longer as stoic as it was. He now had a glint of madness in his eyes.

"You should consider death a gift, this world is far more cruel than you could possibly understand."

He spoke as if Luck's death was already written in stone.

Luck had no doubt that death was in fact knocking on his door, but he was determined to undermine it.

Suddenly there was a surge of wind that scattered all the destroyed flowers into the air and with firm determination Luck struck first.

His aim was true but the bandit simply shoved his hand to the side and attempted to land a blow with the chain. Luck knew that no matter what he couldn't let the chain touch him in any way.

He quickly stepped back and then circled around the glowing chain wrapped fist to deliver a punch.

Just seconds away from the kick hitting its mark the hand wrapped in the chain suddenly moved as if independent of the bandits own will and blocked Luck's kick.

'A defensive technique?'

Luck didn't have much time to think, chain man as Luck had now dubbed him was already attacking, throwing a punch with the chained arm.

Luck saw the attack and as usual tried to side step the punch but suddenly the hand seemed to jerk then somehow fade and appear right next to his face.

It was impossible for him to dodge it.

The punch sent Luck flying backwards a few meters, he slowly got up slightly disoriented from the hit and wiped the blood that was now dripping down his nose.

'What the hell was that?!'

It felt as though he was hit by a large rock, he definitely didn't want to take another one of those blows but it wasn't exactly optional was it?

The bandit rushed forward somehow now far faster than before and then stomped downwards at Luck's head.

Moving quickly, Luck shuffled back hurriedly getting back to his feet and replied chain man's stump with a kick of his own and then his dagger came next but once again the man's hand moved by its own will completely shielding the bandit.

The two of them engaged, punches and kicks were flying from each direction, Luck being fueled by the firm determination to not die while the other was unwilling to lose to a literal child.

Slowly but surely Luck began to see the flaw in his technique, although the chained hand was capable of protecting its wielder from attacks at an incredible speed it was not entirely impenetrable.

Because in a sea of attacks the arm would begin to slow down a bit... but even armed with that information what could Luck do?

He was still fighting someone that was stronger and now faster than him, his weapon had been basically rendered useless against this man and his childish body was already utterly exhausted.

He would not last much longer and sooner than later his fatigue began to show.

His breath became shaky and his movement considerably slower than before. It wasn't long before he made a mistake.

It was now already dark and knowing that he was not going to last for much longer, Luck fought viciously, the dagger in his grasp glinting under the moonlight as it swung in the air in a ferocious series of swipes and stabs.

Each strike had a target and each stab a purpose but it did not matter how much effort he put into the fight, the man in front of him simply blocked every single attack with an indifferent look in his eyes.

He would have switched with Sarah or Jane who actually had a chance against him because they had already awakened their enigma but luck couldn't bring himself to request for their help, after all if they were able to handle whoever they were fighting they would have been by his side by now.

Them not being present meant that they probably had their hands full as well.

During the fight they had somehow moved a little distance from each other, Luck was now the farthest at the back while the others fought ahead of him.

He could see sparks of steel connecting with steel but couldn't look for too long because he himself had his own problems to deal with.

He was running out of breath.

'Damn it! Is this how it feels like to be a child?!

But before he could look away a gust of wind blew past him followed by a violent flash.

The sound of breaking bone followed shortly after.

Jane's arm was bent in an awkward angle in their leader's grasp. His whole body was now glistening. All of Sarah's wind attacks appeared to helplessly bounce off his skin as he tossed Jane to the ground.

Chari appeared to be doing better than the rest of them but Luck had no doubt, he was either already as exhausted as Luck currently was or would soon be.

They were in big trouble.

And then a strange blue line of text appeared right in front of him along with a strangely inhumane voice that only read out the first part:

[System Notification]

[New task Received]

Task Type: [INTERCEED]

'What the hell?'

As Luck tried to grasp what he had just read his mind momentarily wandered out of the battlefield and the bandit made him pay for it.

The chained fist charged forward, gaining momentum as it inched nearer and nearer.

Luck raised his fists to block but it felt as though large boulders were tied to his wrists.

It's not like there was any point in trying to block though, he doubted the chances of him tanking the blow.

If he was stronger or even faster he could have done something about the attack, with speed he could easily dodge and with strength he could simply overwhelm the man with pure force.

Sadly he was not at that level yet, he still had a long way to go.

The fist once again jerked, disappeared and planted itself in Luck's gut.

He coughed up blood. But the man wasn't done yet.

Heaving Luck into the air he delivered another blow with the chained hand towards his chest and then another blow rocked his head backwards and then another and another each attack strengthened by his pysia.

Luck was already too weak to do anything, every part of his body ached and he was losing blood as well. He wasn't even sure why he wasn't dead already.

Was it because as a descendant of the moon clan he had a tougher build than most? Or was it due to his determination to not die that somehow he was still alive?

Then the strange text came up again and the same inhumane voice read out only the first part 'System Notification.'

[System Notification]

Type: [Warning]

[Imminent death]

[Finding yourself in a fight against a far superior foe, Geralt of the chained people you are now in the face of overwhelming pressure.

Your body is slowly but surely breaking apart.]

'Geralt? Was that the name of the chain guy?'

Luck's thoughts were not as he would have wanted it to be, maybe it was as a result of several blows his head had received but he was finding it difficult to think straight.

[System Intervention…]

[Temporary skill unlock]

[Loading…]

[Second spirit technique active]