Chapter 270 - In Sight; The Finish Line

Using Apex to transform his physical form into that of his own almighty, near-divine flames, he was able to battle alongside Behemoth without any fear of being caught in the beast's ravaging attacks. Testing this concept, Fai watched as the fur-clad giant swung one of its fists where Avdima stood--only for that same enormous club of flesh to be deflected by the pale-skinned man's returning punch. 

He can combat Behemoth's raw power?! Hoh, testing my resolve already, are you? Fai smiled. 

Behemoth let out a low growl that came out of its confused core as it found itself nearly tumbling backward from such weight be sent flying back, after this, Avdima turned his attention to the fastly approaching Outlander--who moved with a speed that exceeded the limitations of his physical form as he inhabited energy itself. 

Even so--don't think just because you redirected a hit from Behemoth, that you can do the same to me! There is a reason I'm the one who commands that beast! He thought. 

It was like brisk flame flowing through the wind, Fai carried himself with his weightless form into a kick--stopping halfway before switching the momentum into a spear hand strike aimed at the Argonaut's exposed jugular. 

His fingertips, as sharp and ready as a knight's lance, came less than a cat's hair away from the parchment-colored skin of Avdima's before being abruptly swatted by the man's own hand in an incredibly fast movement. 

0.0000001...that was the amount of seconds afforded to the Argonaut of a similar age to the youthful Outlander to counter his spear hand. Even with that time as lengthy as a grain of rice is filling to a stomach, Avdima responded as if having more than enough space to react. 

Faster, he thought. 

Turning on the intensity of the flames he embodied, Fai minimized his thinking to prioritize sheer speed--following up with another strike just as quickly as his was deflected--using the momentum from Avdima's own slap of his hand to spin around into a kick, launching the heel of his feet towards the man's chin. 

Their eyes met; Avdima's irises followed the movement of Fai's kick as he leaned back to evade it--returning with his own blow as he threw his fist towards the fiery-bodied Outlander. 

Faster, he repeated. 

In this exchange that existed in the span of a fraction of a second, Fai found his instincts rocketing to levels never found before when pressed by such a daunting wall before him. 

By the time they parted, a dozen attacks were thrown between the two men, but none landed. There wasn't any time of reprieve for Avdima--not that he wanted any--as Behemoth followed through once more with a rampage of wild slams of its fists without any restraint, tools coated in utmost candor. 

The ground was caved in, thrown around, and split by the repeated downfall of such force, leaving many of the surrounding oak to fall to the surface of the forest as their roots were left with nothing to cling to. 

"No mercy, huh…?"

Avdima used his arms to guard against the storm of rubble as he hopped from spot to spot, evading the rampant strikes from up above that hardly seemed calculated. 

"I promised to take things more serious here...so don't blame me for what happens next."

The animosity that came with Avdima's works caused Fai to jump back while Behemoth didn't halt its wrath in the least; continuing its meteoric shower of blows before suddenly stopping at the suffocatingly potent aura of death emanating from the man who by all means should be nothing more than an ant to the beast. 

"Erebus: Age of Terror."

Letting his arm hang low, Avdima dragged his hand towards the space in front of him before slapping the winds--bringing with his hand a wave of bleak magenta and stygian energy, rising from the surrounding soil and rising into a slope that sought to engulf the mountain-rivaling beast. 

While Fai was able to move fast enough to move out of the zone of the spell's reach, Behemoth wasn't so fortunate. 

The tidal wave of all-encompassing, humming darkness reached a summit above the head of Behemoth--who likely for the first time, found itself overshadowed. As it met the form of the wide, burly beast of chaos, it wasn't a collision, but a feast for the darkness that swallowed Behemoth in its boundless inner-depth. There was no resistance that could be had; the moment the potent darkness made contact with Behemoth, it was entirely enveloped in its destructive hold before being able to react. 

Such a destructive spell didn't stop at just simply bringing the beast into its hold, washing over the quadrant of the treasured forest like the raging tides of the mighty sea. Landing atop the trees which stood for centuries, the ever-stretching, malicious darkness toppled the land in its path. 

"This is him being serious…? Just what did I get myself into?"

Fai couldn't help but chuckle as a way to perceive the magecraft before his eyes; the singular spell alone would be enough to be classified and remembered as a terrorizing natural disaster. 

"Be proud, you were strong."

The words weren't a faux, pitying compliment--to the man who valued those who could challenge his boundless strength, Avdima respected the inhuman beast. 

As the abyssal, roaring sea of shadows dissipated, no such beast was left in its wake as the entire section of the forest in that general direction had been cleaved away so cleanly like a razor running through a head of verdant hair. 

Taking out a Chaos-Monster in just a single attack is something that honestly would make my pants stink of piss if I didn't already know how big of a problem he was. It feels like anything I throw his way is subsided with an action twice as powerful--how infuriating, Fai thought. 

"...Unreal, you really are a piece of work man."

Ruffling his own disheveled locks, Fai approached the Argonaut who slowly turned to face the man, revealing that his right arm hung limp at his side. Without the presence of the salivating, stench-emanating beast, it was just the two of them in the grandiose forest that met its greatest trial on this rainy night. 

Besides that, his forearms are bloody and bruised...I guess even he couldn't defend against Behemoth's attacks unscathed, Fai thought. 

Before Avdima could catch his breath after his exchange with Behemoth, the ponytailed man brought himself directly in front of the Argonaut with unseen swiftness. 

Don't get me mistaken; I'm not just going to sit around and let you dismantle my partners like that! I was waiting, watching, studying you—it was for that reason Behemoth fought for me! Even a one-in-ten-million monster like yourself isn't protected from human anatomy! Fai thought. 

With his arms hanging limply, swollen and bruised, Avdima was helpless to the aggressive speed of his foe. 

In an instant, Fai used both his index fingers and thumbs like soul-piercing lances; spearing an array of specific spots across the Argonaut's body. 

I spent years perfecting this; not only the normal pressure points of a body, but the magical pressure points of a mage—it doesn't matter what kind of beast you are—you'll feel this, Fai thought. 

The barrage of precise, sharp jabs with his fingers was finished off with a blow to Avdima's neck, digging his thumb into his jugular as he could feel the warmth of the man who was as detached as a spirit, feeling his heartbeat through his neck before pulling away. 

Each hit was backed by his complete, unrestrained strength--thrown forth with full intent to kill. It wasn't enough--it was the fear of retaliation, of failing, that drew Fai back into another flurry of these lethal, harsh blows.

They were launched as fast as lightning, if not surpassing such lengths, hitting with a greater intensity than the wild element itself--throwing them against his chest, repeatedly striking that which his heart sat, beating so fervently. Ruthless; it was the one thing Fai could embody in that moment before finally pulling back before his foe could retaliate. 

It's an easy weakness of yours I've found, Avdima. That bored arrogance of yours--every attack you do, you truly believe it is enough to finish anything. It's that false certainty that causes you to hesitate! He thought. 

It was a sight not even the man who fought the bulwark Argonaut thought he'd see; Avdima fell to one knee as he spat out a mix of blood and saliva, huffing as it seemed his lungs didn't respond to him. 

Though, such vulnerability lasted only a few moments before the man found himself back to his feet, wiping the spots of crimson liquid from the edges of his lips. 

"Fai…"

Avdima spoke softly with a heavy breath, his arms trembling—a sign Fai knew clearly. 

As I thought; he's just as vulnerable to the weaknesses of us all. I hit over a dozen of his pressure points—physical and magical. It's a paralyzing, painful sensation that can't be overcome with sheer will—that is, if you're a normal person, Fai thought. 

"Mm?"

As Fai raised an inquisitive eyebrow without lowering his defense; Avdima held a pleased smile as he caressed his neck as if satisfied with the pain. 

"Amazing! I almost died! Ha-ha!"

Slapping his chest enough for it to be heard loud and clear, Avdima held an unnatural excitement. 

"You stopped my heart with those hits! If I didn't pump it manually with my magic, I'd be a goner!"

Avdima raised his hands as he laughed, his sclera showing wider than ever before—elated and filled with the ecstasy of near-death.. It was an unnerving sight to see for Fai.