Chapter 259 - Amidst The Dark Rain

It was a simple thrust of his fist, an action any man could take at any moment, but the difference was felt by the black-haired, pale Argonaut as he defended against it with his bare arms. The impact didn't stop at just the body of Avdima, shattering the ground behind the man from the sheer force alone. 

All the same, Fai smiled wide as he sank into the sacred dance--a performance so rare, a precious thing to him that he held close to his heart. 

This guy--I can go all-out against him! My heart is beating so rapidly with excitement!...Avdima! Fai thought. 

Caressing his form, a subtle, but existing, golden aura ran along the edges of Fai's body as he continued throwing his fists in a variety of ways towards the defending Argonaut. Even while defending against the flurry of attacks, Avdima's eyes never left Fai himself, watching him carefully with those somber, inhuman, sable gems. 

Strange, it seems the Vessel of Melancholy was taken down by that familiar of his. As I thought; everyone they gave me for this mission was useless, Avdima thought. 

Each throw of a fist felt immaculate steel, being flung against the arms of the Argonaut with such ferocious, untampered force that the force traveled throughout every inch of his body. The next solid punch sent Avdima sliding back on his feet before his back collided against a tree, looking at his arms with his bored eyes as steam emanated from his forearms. 

"Starting to regret it? Meeting me in a dance of fists?"

Still hopping in place with seemingly boundless energy, Fai confidently smiled as his words seemed to egg his opponent on--as subtle as Avdima's reactions may be. 

"...I just don't understand."

"Hm?"

Avdima's words were so softly spoken that it was impossible to tell if he was angered or simply speaking calmly, brushing the fallen sediment of the tree off from his shoulders as he stood himself up straight. 

"How can you be so cocky when I haven't even so much as revealed my ability to you yet?"

Despite all of the attacks he endured on his arms, Avdima couldn't seem less phased as he spoke calmly. 

This guy; he's something else, Fai thought. 

"Show me then!"

"Make me use it."

In that fraction of a second, the Argonaut who wore his hair in two, spiky buns, was directly in front of Fai, rearing back a fist shrouded in dense, cold darkness. 

Being a practitioner of martial arts for most of his life, he could tell--Avdima's form was wild and unrefined as if simply throwing his fist at him without any semblance of style at all. Still, it was all he needed. 

The moment that fist covered in such abundant dark mana collided against Fai's raised guard, the impact sent a howl of energy through the field. 

Before Fai could even register the gnawing pain that was sent through the aching bone of his arm, his hair had been clenched tightly in that all-powerful hand of Avdima's. All he saw was that bored, pale face before being slammed down, face-first into the ground below with tremendous, unstoppable force. 

"I thought you'd at least be able to stimulate my boredom for just a bit, but you're hardly different from the rest. All talk and little bite; I guess that's the legacy of Fai Meng."

Kneeling in front of the face-down man, Avdima retained his grip on the man's hair, lifting him up from the caved-in portion of the soil. With a nose dripping with blood, it was an unexpected expression from the tan-skinned man--he simply smiled at Avdima as his eyes shot open. 

From that unorthodox position, being almost completely horizontal to the ground, Fai pressed the toes down against the ground as the most minute level of footing afforded to him before unleashing a vicious, unseen uppercut directly on the chin of the Argonaut. 

Though the force of the surprise uppercut didn't launch the man back, it gave Fai enough time to free himself from the iron-grip of Avdima, leaping to his feet as brushed the dirt from his face with a heavy-breathed smile. 

"I'll have you know--I'm just getting started here!"

Still squatting down, Avdima looked blankly at the ground before caressing his chin that received the harsh impact, rising slowly as he set his black irises on the boisterous opponent. 

"...That's good to know. I guess I'll indulge that confidence of yours a bit."

Placing his hands forward in an odd gesture, Avdima intertwined his index and middle fingers as a malevolent aura rose from his form. 

A spell? Fai thought. 

Waiting to hear an incantation, none came to Fai's ears as he was unprepared for the rapid burst of violent darkness that tunneled towards him, eating up the soil in its path before colliding against his body. 

Shit, shit, shit! He thought. 

There was no choice but to be swallowed by the dark assault, feeling it envelop him in a storm of rabid darkness that pelted against his skin, pulling on it, and grinding against it. He watched as the particles of transfigured darkness ran across his skin--it set into his body an unimaginable pain, but didn't seem focused on leaving him injured. 

This is...great magic. It came without any incantations...I really got stuck with a monster of an opponent, didn't I? Fai thought. 

Simultaneously, all across his body, the shadows worked in unison to torture his skin with only superficial damage. It was a herculean task in itself to attempt to think or focus in the painful storm of darkness, his entire body twitching and convulsing beneath the hold of the powerful torrent. 

Fighting against its hold only quickened the evaporation of his stamina, feeling his arms fall limp as the countless particles pressed against his body with ungodly pressure. The minuscule, countless swarms of darkness acted like locusts, gathering around him as the dark-filled airs filled his lungs with bitter, unbreathable air. 

It was excruciating; a pain that tested the resolve of a warrior. Digging his pores, pressing his flesh against his bone, and grinding relentlessly, he wanted to scream out--but even that act brought hesitation. 

"Dammit...all!"

With his eyes bloodshot from the fast-setting pain, Fai yelled out with such exertion, not caring if his vocal cords ripped in the process--all while unleashing an unprejudiced burst of flames from his body, allowing their radiant, crimson fury to free him from the hold of the suffocating darkness. 

It all happened within just a few seconds, but the result left his limbs throbbing and aching, his muscles feeling as if they had just been worked for a week straight as he huffed out, exuding his stress through heavy breaths. 

"...You're a real piece of work, aren't you?"

Fai asked in between huffs, lifting his arm that wished to remain limp as he wiped a layer of sweat from his chin, looking up with eyes that yearned to close. 

"If you fell to a single spell, I'd never forgive the disappointment you bestowed upon me." 

"Yeah, yeah...Let's get on with it." 

I can barely move. No, that's a lie...I can't move, heh. That's a hell of a spell--it wasn't meant to injure me, I think, but it drew me to complete exhaustion in such a short time, Fai thought. 

He could only watch as Avdima walked towards him with that dull look in his eyes, carrying fists packed with plentiful darkness and power behind him. Taking in a breath then releasing it; it was the only thing he was able to let his body do as sweat dripped from his body as bountiful as the rain. 

"Survive this one--if you can still move."

Avdima stopped in place as he brought his hands together once more, parting them to reveal a mass of growing, splendid darkness between his palms. Just staring at it, Fai felt its cold, indifferent nature--an energy utilized for nothing more than destruction. 

This is it, huh? The Great Fai Meng, a young, cocky bastard with nothing to his name...his end. Done in by two spells. Heh...I guess I might as well accept it, he thought. 

Forcing himself to stand tall despite his body's depletion of stamina, he trembled but nonetheless brought his stance proper; standing tall as he raised his chin, looking directly at the Argonaut with his resolved eyes. 

"Come. I'm ready, Avdima." 

Seeing that look in his exhausted, but prepared eyes, Avdima returned his gaze--amplifying the spell he manifested between his palms. 

"Fai Meng, though you may be an enemy of mine, I admire your strength and resolve. If you weren't an otherworlder then maybe…"

"Get on with it! Don't pity me now, Avdima!"

Using whatever strength he had left, Fai slapped his own chest harshly as he yelled out. It was the first time he saw vulnerability in the man who seemed detached from human emotion--but he'd be damned if that was the last look he received.