Chapitre 44: Doubts about the future
"You're more interesting than I thought. Let's get more serious now.", said Effie after Ragna had managed to hit her for the first time.
'This is bad. I used my hidden ace and it didn't even do damage. The only thing it did was making her take me more serious !'
Just then, Ragna had felt something he only did against his most tough opponents. He knew that Effie wouldn't kill him but he still felt scared.
'Damn, so that is the gap that appears when you ascend from an awakened to an ascended. And she isn't even taking me fully serious. I bet if she really tried to kill me, I would've already been dead.'
He got into his fighting stance again, this time without a sword tho.
Ragna started fully focusing on Effie, wanting to react instantly if she even so dared to move. But to his displeasure, Ragna had underestimated what Effie meant with "getting a bit more serious", since he suddenly found his head getting smashed against the wall.
His vision was covered by her large palm as he was helt in place and punched repeatedly. Ragna gasped for air, his insides feeling like they were hit by cannonballs.
His didn't have much essence left, but the amount still allowed him to stop the bloodflow of Effie just once. So thinking that this was his last option, he stopped the flow in the arm which Effie was using to hold him, making him fall down.
He landed on the ground, before instantly rolling to the side, dodging a followup from Effie.
"YOU GORILLA ? WHY ARE YOU SO STRONG ?"
It seemed like Ragnas words of calling her a gorilla had hit a nerve since she seemed to just get even faster and stronger.
"I'm no gorilla !", Effies voice boomed through the training room.
Ragnas augmented legs carried him backwards, just barely avoiding her fist once more. Her fist landed on the ground, the force creating a small crater and making Ragna flinch.
'I'd be dead if that hit me. I should ask her to stop but - I don't want to lose just yet. I need to impress her a little bit more. I first need to find a way to to slow her down.'
Ragna exhaled sharply, putting his whole focus onto the woman in front of him. His reserves were low but just maybe it they would still be enough to use his innate ability just once more.
'Think ... what can I do ? I'm not strong enough to overpower her, not even close, but since it is just a spar she isn't taking me fully serious. Maybe i can use that as an advantage. She's fast, strong and experienced but maybe i can use my brain for something she doesn't expect, a trap.'
What Ragna had in mind was dangerous, really dangerous actually. If something went horribly wrong Effie could even die.
Ragna now wanted to act like he had tripped or something, just anything to lure her in and make her guard drop slightly. He would use that opportunity to get in a solid hit, maybe even two or three.
Both dashed forward, their forms blurring since their speeds reached superhuman heights. Ragna did the first strike, doing just a normal left jab, which she easily blocked. He the took a step forward and did a right hook. And now, his plan was already set in motion. He had deliberately left his left side slightly open, which Effie of course noticed.
She grinned and instantly countered, aiming her large fist at his jaw. But then her chest suddenly tightened. Inside her body her heart was cut off from all blood and oxygen, making her body feel heavy and weak. She gasped for air, her chest starting to hurt even more.
Ragna instantly made the bloodflow return, since he didn't do any research on how long a heart could work without any blood. But his action already gave him more time than he needed. He started augmenting his fist and punched as hard as he could but he only hit air, just like the bloodslash that followed.
Effies body worked automatically since she felt threatened, her primal senses taking over. Her fist smashed into Ragnas gut, using her whole strength to get rid of the human that threatened her just a moment ago.
Ragnas whole body shook and it felt like a hole was just punched through him.
He got thrown back, smashing into the wall, his body digging itself through the dirt around the underground training base. And even his armor started to crack, till it fully disappeared.
[Your Memory has been destroyed.]
He had never been in such agony, feeling like he was close to dying. Just one full force punch of her could do such damage.
Effie of course instantly calmed down and ran after Ragna, hoping that he wasn't dead yet.
She exhaled in relief, seeing that Ragna was just barely fine, the memory which released gas and very slowly healing him already summoned.
Effie crouched down beside Ragna, her expression one of worry and guilt.
"Are you okay, kid ? I'm sorry .. my body just suddenly started to move automatically."
Ragna smiled weakly, knowing that Effie was really sorry. And it was also kinda his fault for trying something that dangerous.
"It's alright. Just hurts a little bit."
Effie exhaled out of relief once more, being thankful that Ragna wasn't angry at her.
"Your last move was great, by the way.", she said while giving him a fistbump
***
Ragna had rested for two days straight, the pot of flesh active the whole time. He stayed over with Effie, spending a lot of time with her. She had given him anti sleeping pills, his awakened physique also making him able to get through multiple nights without sleep.
And by now he was already fully healed, his essence reserves also at their highest.
In that two days span he had learned a lot about Effie, about her time in the forgotten shore and a little bit about her friends. She stayed quiet about their powers tho. But what really surprised him was that the owner of this house, a guy called Sunless, was actually the master of Rain.
This meant that he would maybe see her sooner that he expected.
Ragna suddenly heard a ringing sound. It was a communicator, Effies communicator. He heard her talking to someone, since she was on a call. But after a while, their voices died down and Effie walked towards him.
"Ragna, there's someone who really wants to meet you. She'll be here in about 30 minutes."
"Someone wants to meet me ? Do i know her ?"
"No you don't, you both have never met."
'How does she know me then ? And why does she know I'm with Effie ? I don't think she has told anyone.'
"And who exactly is she ?"
"A friend of mine, Cassie. I told you about her."
***
While waiting Ragna thought about many scenarios that could realistically happen. If she was a friend of Effie it meant that she was definitely strong.
'Cassie, huh ? Effie told me that she met her in the forgotten shore and that she was very important for their survival, the most important. I wonder why she wants to meet me and what her powers are.'
After a while, he was bored about thinking up scenarios so he thought about other stuff. Of course, there was the redfur cloak.
It was his first every memory and his only armor type one too. And now, it was destroyed. The memory was pretty weak, especially considering what nightmare creatures he has already fought. But having it was better than having none and now he somehow needed to find a new one.
His thoughts were abruptly cut off as he heard the ring bell and seeing Effie walked towards him towards the front door to open it.
He waited for a minute in the living room while Effie and Cassie talked about something he didn't hear. And then, they walked towards the living room.
He looked up at Cassie and instantly felt warm. She was an otherworldly beauty. Her long blond hair flowed down her back and her stance was one of elegance. It was like there was an invisible aura around her.
But there was also one odd thing, the half mask she wore around her eyes.
"Good morning, you must be Ragna. ?", said Cassie in a calm and kind voice which made his heart skip a beat.
'Okay, calm down you stupid teenager !'
"Y-yes, I am, you're Cassia, am I right ? Why did you want to meet me."
"I should first start by telling you about my power. I'm a seer. I've already known about you before you had your first nightmare. There's something I really need to tell you."
'A seer ? This sounds bad..'
——-Authors Notes——-
Words: 1478
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, even tho it cut off pretty abruptly. But I still need to make up what Cassie is going to tell Ragna since i create my story very spontaneously. I already had some things planned for this but I'll still probably change them up slightly.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone