Brigante Ark - Chapter 162

There was a time when he thought everything would go smoother at his end. He had experienced the most intense training that would likely few people had gone through and most likely there are only a few children who had gone through harsh treatment just like him. Comparing now, Alastor thought what could have been if he made another choice, a choice that won’t put his life on the line such as facing an Arbiter, or this situation he is in.

He heard a loud crash.

Alastor’s eyes gradually retain their light. The first thing he saw is the back of two men and another one who’s seemingly preoccupied with chanting magic. More importantly, what is that thing glowing on the surface?

He looked at them again, everything is hazy, but he caught a glimpse that something big threw one of them. The other man sought the opportunity and went in.

‘This guy is insane!’ One of them shouted.

“Al! Is that you?! Wake up!”

The moment he heard the familiar voice, Alastor musters his strength to push himself up. Easy and steady. He raised his head, torn by pain. The man whizzed past in front of him and a loud crash against the wall. He heard a loud grunt.

Abel dive in, his fist swoop on his right, and successfully hit Timber on his face. Another swoop in on his left and for the final cut, Abel dive-bomb on Timber, throwing off his balance.

Benny who was caught by surprise by Timber’s attack quickly stood and leaped over with exerting strength on his arms, dragging themselves outside of the pyramid.

Timber gritted his teeth stopping Benny from any further attempts in delaying his tracks.

“I have enough of this!”

His hands joined into a fist and hammered Benny’s behind.

The flaring back had him lose a grip, but not close on getting lost his grip.

Timber soon conveyed his frustration through his knees and hammered Benny on both sides. In that instance, Benny loses his grip, and lie on the ground motionless.

Seeing Abel coming out from the hole Benny had dragged him into, he motions forward.

“You insignificant buffoons… not only do you attack our sacred ground, but you attempt to use our sacred relic for your own selfish and destructive motives. You’re going to pay for it. That, I promise you.”

Timber fixed his penetrating eyes on the intruder.

“Just to be honest, it didn’t cross my mind that one day we would be able to raid an entire tribunal hunters’ summer camp, let alone stand up against one of the leaders from your infamous coven of tribunal hunter. You know, I’ve heard that were so keen on your beliefs such as maintaining the balance of nature and the coexistence of men and monsters, but I never saw you lot intruding human’s illegal businesses, rather, you chose to stay on behind the lines letting us humans demonetized from your precious mother nature.”

As Timber bend over, Abel prepared himself, but he wasn’t expecting that he would’ve been slapped by the tremendous gap between their skills.

Timber flung over with his kneecap on Abel’s face. The case is clear as a crystal, in speed, he was outclassed by the leader of Tribunal Hunters.

“Boy, you sure know where to hit nerves,” Timber said quietly. “Stay there and die.”

Jett could see Timber is heading inside the pyramid. He looks puzzled. It was in his anticipation that he would be brutal, less frantic, and decisive. But he couldn’t see those elements he was looking for. And yet here he is, gawking over the horizon, never bothered how close he is to stop their plan.

He drew a breath and picked up a trunk of wood. Muttering some spells, the trunk shattered and divided, forming into spears imbued by wind magic.

Jett stood, unmoving. His eyes weighed and aimed Timber’s position. At his command, the bolts fired away.

Two steps away from inside, Timber felt a sharp object piercing through the wind. If he were a normal human, he would probably be unable to hear the sharp object nor able to feel the whistle of the wind.

Looking over the sky, the dusk is fast approaching. Withdrawing his eyes from the sky, he witnessed over the wall the overlapping shadows against the sun. Before doing so, Timber took a deep breath.

Right on time, he ducked. A bolt went past inside. Without looking at the proper places of the remaining bolts, Timber swiftly shifted his movements and positions, doubling his speed as the bolts came past through him. For the finale, he caught the last bolt with his bare hand.

He remained vigilant. Timber could hear odd sounds of whiskers, and he is sure it didn’t cause by the wind as it is still as a rock.

Something black whizzed behind him. As his eyes follows the trail, it only caught the bodies of Abel and Benny, thrown back inside. There was in fact a man, caught between the light of the lunar and the sunset before passing on.

Timber hold, steady. Calm and his eyes are closed. Felt the rumbling clouds that gathered, and the slight drizzled of rain enticing his senses by its cold grip.

Then after, cuts, sharp as a blade penetrated deep in his flesh. He ignored the wound, only to focus on the sharp movements of the enemy.

Now that the calm light rain had passed, scuds of leaves twisting in a cutting wind had made it difficult for him to keep on the enemy. Moments after, he felt the speed decreases. That was the moment he was after.

Timber turned his boots around and leaped over his left. His fist clads with thick wind magic dive to the enemy. In Jett’s view, he managed to block the heavy attack with his blade.

Unseemingly impossible, the voluptuous wind crackles and sparks some sort of green energy snapping with loud spurs in short outburst.

Overwhelmed in strength, Jett stepped back, one foot at a time. He felt Jett’s footloose, it could mean that his strength is wearing off, but it could be the latter, it could he’s preparing in an attempt to shake him off.

Like a flame from a candle, he flicked away. Jett sprung and turned back. Timber hastily motion forward.

At those four seconds of his life, it felt that he spent most of his time on this fight. The rushing wind flushed over his big, bod body. The leaves dances as they willowy flew away.

Jett paces and pushes his feet on the ground. He whirled with his blade following the momentum, but not quickly enough. Timber blocked the blade with his wind barrier magic.

Before Jett can pull himself away from him, Timber’s fist swoops into his chest. Even though he didn’t receive the overall damage of it, he felt his clavicle cracks a little. Moving away is a wise move on his part. Had he received the full blow of Timber’s attack, he would be dying on his feet right now.

In a contest between the two’s speed, Jett already proved to be troublesome than Timber. In the previous of their match, Timber easily quelled him with his raw strength and caught him off guard by his nimbleness. But compared now, his agility had decreased as a sacrifice to supplement his attack and defense. It is safe to assume that the Timber’s goal is to end this fight in one hit.

They stopped for a moment, but Timber had seen worst and unreluctantly put his guard down, and Jett had only his respite for seconds before increasing his agility once more. His blade and his fist cross their path onto one another, banging and clanging. Sparks and howling wind vociferated from the clashing between the two.

Timber’s defense is good, but not as effective as Jett’s. Better than his mana-consuming jabs, Jett has more reserved mana and stamina than Timber. His strenuous concentration will be his downfall. But he already knew that risk and even now persist in doing so.

As the last clang of his blade bounced off in Timber’s skin, Jett felt the last drop of his mana clad as armor. A moment that he is waiting for.

Timber was staggered back by the sweep of Jett’s leg. He had barely mana to conjure a wind barrier. Despite being in his 40’s, it felt like he had spent most of his strength in a very short time. And he’s afraid that this might be his end.

Though valiant Timber moves, the younger and muscular Jett proved to be as efficient and skillful as he is.

For the last minute, Timber could only evade the incoming attacks. His breathing is becoming ragged.

“You’re getting tired old man. A good night’s sleep might suit you.”

“Asshole.” Timber silently replied.

“Just do yourself a favor and stand there and die!” Hollered Jett. “You’re too old, and an old coot deserves a rest.”

Timber who’s done being mocked, pulled out his blade, parrying and clashing against his, but, so far, Timber is the one who is receiving much more damage than Jett.

There’s a slight of regret in his thoughts. He shouldn’t have spent so much mana on such an exhausting spell, perhaps he could have held the line at least for the backup arrives.

No time to think. Jett’s blade nearly cut off his chin. Blows of attacks rained, but too many to fend off.

Timber was taken aback by Jett’s attack. He braced himself and unreluctantly swing his blade the moment Jett was out of his vision.

Then after, something sharp flashed, quick and silent. He shuddered and touch his neck.. It was red and liquid.