POV: Rai Shinsei
As we gauged each other's strength through small exchanges, I eventually kicked up the notch and dashed towards him with a spinning high kick towards his jaw, but despite my sudden shift in speed catching him off-guard, he blocked my kick with his forearm as he tried to counter with a cross punch towards my face, however, I caught his fist with my hand as I twisted my body upwards into the air and countered with an acrobatic kick into the back of his head, causing him to stumble forward as I landed onto the ground.
"I knew there was something off about you." Sloth remarked as he cracked his neck with a sigh.
As our eyes locked, Sloth dashed towards me with several punches towards my head as I swiftly weaved through every punch until I tried to land a spinning back kick into his abdomen in the midst, but to my surprise, Sloth caught my foot and pulled me towards him with the intention of striking my face, however, I twisted my foot free from his grasp as I countered with a hook kick into his chin before following up with a spinning high kick into his jaw.
Disoriented from the unsettling sensation of his brain rattling against his skull, Sloth stumbled backwards as I closed the distance between us with a single step, hovering my fingers over his chest as I ended our exchange with a one-inch punch, seizing his breath as the impact sent him sliding backwards across the ground.
"Who are you? Your combat skills are beyond my own, but you're just a teenager. What kind of life could you have possibly lived for you to gain this much experience in combat?" Sloth questioned with a pained expression as I remained silent and dashed towards him with a spinning double high kick towards his temple and chin, however, Sloth was able to block both of my kicks as he tried to smash his fist into my abdomen while I was vulnerable mid-air, but to his surprise, I blocked his fist with both of my hands as I used the momentum from the impact to space myself away, sliding backwards across the ground as our eyes locked once more.
POV: Sloth
I fought many heroes and even killed some in my lifetime.
Some were so weak that it was laughable and then there were some whose strength made me question my very own existence, but this boy…
This boy is different.
Without my Aspect, I don't stand a chance against him, which is absurd.
His raw power doesn't make any sense for someone his age, noble or not and the worst of it all, his combat prowess exceeds my own, despite my years of experience in combat!
"I'm just a mere boy and yet, you're scared?" The boy asked with a condescending grin, intending to provoke me with mockery as he dashed towards me with a feint into a spinning high kick towards my head, but to his dismay, I activated my Aspect, releasing my Aspectual Force in the midst as weaved under his kick and landed a forceful uppercut into his abdomen, causing him to cough up saliva as I followed with a cross punch into his face, sending him tumbling backwards across the ground as I adjusted my tie.
"I'm not sure why you haven't activated your Aspect yet, but unlike Pride, I'll do anything to survive." I replied as the boy quickly jumped to the ground and dashed towards me with a feint into a spinning side kick towards my ribcage, but as I blocked his kick with my forearm, the boy used the sturdiness of my body to spin himself upwards with his leg with the intention of landing an acrobatic ax kick into my head as my eyes widened in astonishment from his actions.
This boy.
As the boy's foot approached my head, I caught it with my hand and tried to pull him towards me, but to my surprise, the boy twisted his foot free from my grasp once again as he spun his body and tried to counter with a back kick towards my head, despite falling towards the ground in the midst, however, I was barely able to weave his leg as I stepped forward and striked my fist into his jaw, sending the boy crashing into the earth as he tumbled backwards within the rubble.
He minimized the damage from my punch by turning his head away at the last second, but something is off.
My physical prowess is enhanced from my Aspectand yet, not only is this boy able to match my strength, he's even able to anticipate my attacks.
It's as if he perceives time differently!
As the boy picked himself up from the rubble, I rushed towards him with the aim of keeping him on the ground as I tried to strike his face, but despite my advantageous position, the boy had foreseen my every move through his meticulous calculations as he weaved my arm and smashed his fist into liver with an uppercut, seizing my breath as I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip in an attempt to ease the agonizing pain coursing through my organ and amidst my suffering, the boy grabbed my head and smashed his knee into my face.
As my eyes watered and blood gushed from out of my nose, I tried to regain tempo with a sharp right hook towards the boy's head, despite being disoriented, however, my swing went wide as the boy spun his body under my arm and landed a back heel kick into my chin, knocking me unconscious for a second as I awoke kneeling before the boy while my brain screamed in displeasure from rattling against my skull.
This has gone on long enough.
The boy clenched his fist tightly as he prepared to knock me unconscious with an overhand punch, but to his dismay, I quickly regained my senses and dodged his attack by jumping backwards as I tried to land a spinning back kick into his abdomen, however, the boy blocked my kick in the nick of time with his forearms crossed as the impact sent him sliding backwards across the ground.
"I'm ending this fight. I don't know what the hell you are, but your existence sickens me." I said in vexation as I glared directly into the boy's eyes and used my Aspect, hypnotizing the boy as the color of his eyes changed to a fluorescent purple hue.
"It's a shame. Your talent for combat is beyond exceptional for your age, but to survive in this world, what you need isn't talent, but overwhelming power." I remarked as I pulled out my box of cigarettes from inside my trench coat and placed a cigarette inside my mouth.
"Only those who possess such power are allowed the right to rule this world." I added, lighting my cigarette as I stared at the boy, who was silent as his body remained still, waiting for my command.
It's over.
"Unsheathe your sword and aim it towards your heart." I ordered as the boy slowly unsheathed his sword from its scabbard and aimed it towards his heart.
"Now pierce your heart." I commanded as the boy gripped the handle of his sword tightly, but to my surprise, the boy stabbed his thigh instead, neutralizing my hypnosis as he glared at me coldly while his eyes returned to their natural color.
He injured himself to break free from my hypnosis.
"You really are desperate-"
"You said only the strong are allowed to rule this world? Who gave you the right to decide that?" The boy asked as he pulled out his sword from his thigh, flinging off the excess blood from the blade of his sword as he began walking towards me with a demeanor that exuded confidence.
"Nobody has the right to rule this world. Everyone deserves to be free, regardless of their power, although, I doubt a pathetic being such as yourself who takes away the lives of the innocent for the mere thrill of it would ever understand." The boy added with anger laced in his tone as I finished smoking my cigarette before flicking it to the side.
"Do you think the weak are given a choice? Their fate was decided the moment they were born into this world. Your wishful thinking means nothing in the face of overwhelming power." I replied harshly as the boy stood no further than a few meters away from me, our eyes locked as we rejected each other's ideals.
"You're right. That's why I'm going to take this wishful thinking of mine and make it into a REALITY!" The boy exclaimed, closing the distance between us at an unbelievable pace as he slashed my chest cleanly, causing me to wince in pain as blood splattered in the air from my wound.
How is he even faster than before with an injured leg?!
As his sudden increase in speed baffled me, I tried to space myself away from him, however, the boy refused to give me any space as the moment I tried to flee, he threw his sword directly towards my eyes, blocking my vision momentarily as weaved my head and caught his sword by its handle, but anxiety loomed upon me as the boy was nowhere to be found within my sights, prompting me to scan the area until I noticed he was below me.
What-
In the moment I discovered him, the boy landed a sharp uppercut into my chin, knocking me unconscious once again as the boy's sword fell from my hand and into his own, where he then pierced through my abdomen and twisted his sword with a vicious motion as I regained my consciousness through the unpleasant sensation of pain, spewing out blood from his sword disassembling my inner organs.
As the cold steel of his blade agitated my organs, I clicked my tongue in frustration and tried to grab him by lunging forward, however, he avoided my grasp with a swift back step, ripping out his sword from my abdomen in the midst as he landed a reverse side kick into my face, sending me stumbling backwards across the ground until I eventually fell as I began to lose my composure from the boy's unnatural prowess for combat.
You have to be kidding me.
The boy doesn't even have his Aspectactivated and yet, I'm unable to anticipate his movements at all?!
No, I won't partake in this foolishness any longer!
I'll hypnotize him and end this fight now!
As the boy rushed towards me while I picked myself up from the ground, I glared directly into the boy's eyes with the intention of hypnotizing him, but to my dismay, the boy's willpower instantly shattered my hypnosis as an alarming sharp pain coursed within my chest, causing me to cough up blood as I suffered side-effects from the rebound of my own Aspect.
Huh?
I assumed his willpower was weak since he forcibly injured himself to break free from my hypnosis, but I couldn't have been more wrong!
If he could have freed himself whenever he wanted, then why would he go through the unnecessary trouble to injure himself?!
Nothing about this boy makes any sense!
As the boy approached me, I quickly raised my guard out of desperation, bracing myself for his incoming attack until I felt the blade of his sword scrape across the bones within my forearms, causing me to howl in pain as I staggered backwards, unable to hold my guard any longer as the boy approached me with a single decisive step and smashed his fist into my jaw, sending me crashing backwards into the earth below as the boy stood over me with a cold gaze.
"This isn't a fight you can win. Tell me where you're hiding the children you kidnapped." The boy demanded as he held the tip of his sword at my neck, his vibrant, yet cold blue eyes piercing through my skull as death was certain if I were to move even an inch, but despite the imminent threat before me, I was left bewildered by his vague words.
Children?
What is this boy on about?
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." I replied truthfully and obediently, disregarding my own pride for the sake of my own survival as there was a moment of silence until the boy sighed.
"I see." The boy said as I felt an oppressing wave of bloodlust directed towards me, prompting a spine-chilling sensation as cold sweat began to build up across my skin and in the instant I felt the tip of his sword draw blood from my neck, I glared into the boy's eyes, hypnotizing him for a mere second until he shattered my hypnosis with his own willpower as I coughed up blood from the rebound of my hypnosis failing, but despite suffering from the side-effects of my Aspect, I was able to space myself away the boy as he rushed towards me while I racked my brain in hopes to find a solution that leads to my own survival.
No matter how much I try to think about it, nothing makes sense about this damn boy!
Even if his prowess for combat is exceptional, he shouldn't be able to move faster than I can see, nonetheless overpower me in a contest of raw strength when I have the advantage of being empowered from my Aspect.
The boy's existence was truly mystifying.
Every action he made was nearly incomprehensible as he approached me with the intention of slicing through my torso, however, I dodged his attack with a quick side-step as I then smashed my fist into his jaw, sending him stumbling backwards as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion while I winced in pain from using one of my injured arms, but my pain quickly subsided as my mind became clear from reaching a sudden, yet unnerving realization.
I was arrogant.
What if this boy forced his body to naturally adapt to the power of his own Aspect, resulting in his overall attributes increasing exponentially?
There's a critical state that all Aspectors are cautious of.
The Exhaust Limit.
Once an Aspector expels every ounce of energy residing within their body, they reach their exhaust limit and in that moment, their body suffers mild backlash and the Aspector is unable to activate their Aspectuntil they recover their energy naturally over time, but in rare cases, an Aspector can surpass their exhaust limit, manifesting energy at the expense of harming their body further.
Just as straining your muscles leads to muscle growth, the same could be said for your Aspect.
It's not common for somebody at his age because of the rigorous training it requires, paired with the intolerable pain from the severe backlash that comes with it, but despite all adversities, with an unwavering will, you're able to enhance your physical attributes tremendously.
If that's the case, then that explains his absurd raw power and reflexes, but if he's this strong without his Aspect…
How strong is this boy with his Aspect?