Chương 9: A warrior's Fall...
~Omniscient Pov~
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'She just had to be right...' Yohan mumbled internally about the fight earlier, and his the conversation he had with Ciest. He was annoyed at himself with his own immaturity, but he wasn't going to take that kind of treatment from anyone, especially if it was about his mother.
'But now what?' He sighed, feeling the weight of his foolishness hanging over him. Sure, he had proved himself out there, but at what cost? His name was already starting to circulate, and not for the reasons he'd prefer... People would start testing him, and not everyone was going to be like Hunter—some might be far more dangerous.
"Damn..." He mumbled.
'Still... I don't regret it,' he told himself. He had defended his pride, and more importantly, his mother's name. But as he thought about Ciest's warning, a small seed of doubt started to grow. 'She's right; maybe... I need to be more careful next time...'
He sighed again, however, looking up he realized that he was near his home, rather his own neighborhood, 'I've got a few hours befo-'
"RUNNNN!!!!!" Someone shouted from afar.
The shout came from down the street, echoing through the neighborhood. Yohan's mind raced, instinct kicking in as he snapped his head in the direction of the voice. A few people were even running towards him, panic written all over their faces...
'What the hell is going on?' He tensed, his mind quickly shifting from his internal struggle to whatever situation was unfolding in front of him. He had a few hours before his next obligation, but it looked like his day was about to get a whole lot more complicated...
His eyes scanned the area, trying to locate the source of the danger. Something was off—there was an air of tension he couldn't quite place, and the fear in the people running wasn't normal. Without thinking, Yohan began moving toward the commotion, curiosity and instinct pulling him in.
'Guess being careful is gonna have to wait.' Yohan sprinted toward the sound. The screams were getting louder, and they were coming from a street just a block away from his home. Whatever was happening, it was close—too close.
As he rounded the corner, he saw her—a woman frantically waving her arms, her face pale with terror. "PLEASE, HELP!!! PLEAASEEE!!!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with desperation. Her eyes darted around, searching for anyone who would listen.
Yohan's stomach twisted. What the hell's going on here? His pace quickened as he approached her, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. However, there wasn't anyone but countless pools of blood...
'My lord...' Yohan squirmed at the sight, but steeled himself quickly. That lay needed help and fast. Without wasting anymore time, he ran towards her; however, she was stuck under a rather large amount of rubble...
Without hesitation, Yohan knelt down next to the woman, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Ma'am, can you move your legs?!" he asked urgently, hoping to help her escape.
But before he could get an answer, the woman's voice cracked in terror. "R-RUN!!!"
Yohan blinked in confusion, the plea hitting him harder than expected. Run? From what? He barely had time to process before—
WHAM!
A heavy force crashed into him from the side, knocking him off his feet. The impact sent him skidding across the ground, pain flaring through his body. His mind raced, adrenaline kicking in as he rolled onto his side, gasping for breath.
"ARGHHH!!!!" Yohan felt his body get shifted from it's initial position totally.
He felt fuzzy, his body struggling to keep up... 'Urghh... W-What just hit me?' Yohan struggled to regain his focus, his muscles tensing as he tried to make sense of the situation... Soon his vision came back, and to his horror, it was a skrawl. A rather large one at that...
Standing before him was a Skrawl. And not just any Skrawl—A young adult to be exact...
The creature's grotesque, humanoid figure loomed over him, its powerful, thick limbs resembling those of a primate. Its grayish, leathery skin glistened in the light, tough enough to shrug off anything less than specialized ammunition, with a facial structure resembling a bare skull.
However, it was their bone like sickles that came from the back of their arms that made them lethal...
Yohan could even see the subtle movements of its muscles beneath its skin, coiled and ready to strike again. Worse still, he knew these things were notoriously fast—too fast for comfort—and their regenerative abilities, and their dense skeletal structure made them nearly impossible to put down without overwhelming force.
However, even if briefly it had crossed his mind; How did that creature even get here in the first place? It was too large to just come in unnoticed like it did... As if it was planned.
He brushed it off, still... Yohan couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, despite the dire situation. 'Of course, things needed to balance out...' It was almost like the world was telling him he'd been cruising along too smoothly, and now it was time for his reality check.
As the Skrawl inched closer, growling with an unsettling rumble, Yohan stood up slowly, wiping the dirt from his clothes. They might be fast, but with my eyes, even an adult can't escape me, he thought, his gaze locked on the creature. It wasn't backing down, and neither was he.
The problem was, he didn't have a weapon. And facing this thing without one? Not an option. I'll need something—anything—to see if this plan even works... or I'm screwed.
"GRLLL-RLLL..." The Skrawl's growling intensified, its body tensing like it was ready to pounce any minute...
Yohan's eyes scanned the surroundings desperately. Come on, there's gotta be something... His pulse quickened as he spotted a metal luster not far from where he had fallen. 'A pipe?' It looked dull, but it was vastly better than nothing. He just had to reach it before the Skrawl decided to charge him...
The Skrawl's growls grew louder, its hulking frame moving closer with each step, its eyes locked on Yohan like a predator ready to strike. Yohan's heart pounded, but his gaze stayed fixed on the metal pipe lying just a few feet away. I just need to reach it...
He took a slow breath, his body poised to move. The Skrawl lunged.
Without thinking, Yohan dashed forward, diving toward the pipe as the creature's massive arm swiped where he had just been standing.
'Damn it!' The dirt and debris exploded from the ground as the Skrawl missed him by inches, but Yohan's hand felt a familiar structure grace his palms. It was the hilt of a discarded sword instead. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but there it was—half-buried in the dirt, its blade still intact. Perfect.
He swung the sword upward just in time, the steel catching the Skrawl's next attack. The impact rattled his bones, but the blade held. Barely. The creature snarled, its raw strength pushing Yohan back, but he dug his feet into the ground, refusing to budge. The only reason why he was even standing was due to his lifting strength ability...
"Hmph!"
With a quick twist of his wrist, Yohan broke the deadlock, using energy to flow through the blade to make it tougher whilst using the momentum to swing at the Skrawl's exposed side. The technique was crude, but it did the job.
The blade had cut surprisingly deep, but the creature barely reacted, its thick skin absorbing much of the damage. Still, Yohan wasn't discouraged. He knew what he was up against—Skrawl's were very tough, but if he could keep up the pressure, he had a chance.
"GRAAWLLLLLL!!!!" It screamed.
The Skrawl in it's rage swung again, but Yohan was ready this time. He sidestepped the attack, the sword flowing through his hands like second nature. The techniques he'd practiced with Johnathon, the ones he'd studied in those videos, were coming in handy at the moment. He slashed at the creature's arm, aiming for its joints. A loud hiss escaped the Skrawl as the blade made contact again, this time drawing far more blood...
Yohan grimaced as he watched the wounds on the Skrawl heal almost instantly. Steam emanating from the creature's skin as the gashes closed up like they had never existed. That damned regeneration… Yohan ducked beneath another powerful swing, his mind rummaging. There had to be a way to slow it down, to make his attacks count.
He quickly scanned the creature's body, recalling everything he knew about Skrawls from his research and sparring. Regeneration like this came at a cost—Skrawls couldn't heal indefinitely. Their healing factor was fueled by energy reserves, and when those ran low, their regeneration slowed drastically. But how could he drain it fast enough?
However as if an epiphany had hit him, he noticed it's physical structure...
'The joints!' Yohan realized, his eyes narrowing. While the Skrawl's muscles and tough hide were hard to penetrate, the joints were far more vulnerable. The regeneration was slower in those spots because of the intricate network of muscles and bones working together. Not only that, but targeting areas that required more movement, like the elbows, knees, and neck, would force the Skrawl to waste energy healing vital spots.
He quickly tightened his grip on the sword, his wounds weren't light, even if he was recovering slowly. 'Alright, time to get risky...'
As the Skrawl lunged again, Yohan didn't retreat. Instead, he darted in closer, beneath its wide reach, aiming for the back of its knee. The blade sank in deeper, severing tendons and forcing the Skrawl to stumble. It roared in pain, its leg buckling... Yohan quickly pulled the sword free and rolled out of the way, avoiding the retaliatory swipe from its massive arm.
The creature's leg began to heal, but it was slower this time. Yohan could tell it was using more energy than before, 'It's working.'
The Skrawl came at him again, furious now, but Yohan kept his focus. He dodged its heavy blows, dancing around it, aiming for the other knee. Another precise strike, and the Skrawl's movements became even more sluggish. He grinned slightly, knowing that if he kept hitting the joints, he could buy himself enough time to wear it down.
Next, the arms. He slashed at its elbow, severing the muscles that controlled its massive fist. The Skrawl howled, its regeneration struggling to keep up with the damage Yohan was inflicting.
Gotcha, he thought, his confidence growing. The beast wasn't invincible after all.
The Skrawl roared in frustration, trying to regain its footing. Yohan didn't give it a moment to recover. He targeted the other arm, aiming for the shoulder joint. As he charged in, he ducked low, rolling beneath a desperate swipe and slicing upwards.
The blade connected with a sickening crunch, severing tendons and forcing the Skrawl to drop its arm to the ground. It let out a deafening howl, a mix of pain and rage that echoed through the street...
To halt its regeneration even further, Yohan used his Acid Manipulation, unleashing a stream of acid onto the Skrawl. The creature let out another agonizing scream as the corrosive liquid burned through its tough hide, slowing the rapid healing. Yohan winced, feeling the drain on his energy.
'I'm less than half away before my energy depletes totally...'
He gritted his teeth, knowing the cost of pushing his limits, but for Yohan, it was well worth it. The Skrawl was faltering, its body no longer able to regenerate fast enough to keep up with the assault. Yohan watched it stagger, trying to piece itself together but failing miserably.
'I can't let up now...'
He prepared for his next move, feeling his muscles burn and his breathing become more labored. Each second that passed, his energy reserves inched closer to depletion, Damn! I've got to finish this, fast.'
Yohan's muscles tightened as he pushed himself forward, his body aching from the exhaustion, but he couldn't afford to slow down now. The Skrawl staggered, trying to keep its balance as the acid continued eating away at its flesh. Its regeneration had almost completely stopped.
'Now's my chance!!!'
Yohan's grip tightened on the sword as he rushed forward, gathering the last bit of energy he had left. He aimed for the Skrawl's chest, where he knew its heart lay. The creature let out a low, guttural growl as it sensed the danger, but its movements were sluggish, its strength sapped from the constant barrage.
With a swift, determined thrust, Yohan drove the blade deep into the Skrawl's chest, piercing through its tough hide and embedding it in the creature's heart. The Skrawl convulsed violently, its body twitching in one final, desperate attempt to survive, but Yohan held firm, twisting the blade to ensure the kill.
"DIEEEE!!!!!" Yohan yelled.
The creature let out a final, pitiful screech before collapsing, its limbs going limp. Yohan stood over it, panting heavily as the adrenaline slowly began to fade. He could feel his legs wobbling beneath him, and his vision blurred as the toll of using Acid Manipulation caught up to him...
~
'I did it... but damn, I'm spent...' He looked down at the motionless body of the Skrawl, his chest heaving with exhaustion of his physical and mental energy... Yohan could barely keep his eyes open, but the victory was his. He had survived and killed it, even if just barely...
He didn't think he would be in this kind of pain, he quickly surmised that it was the adrenaline keeping him in the fight at the start. Draining his literal life energy was draining him even more.
However, before he could even collapse from the sheer exhaustion, something pulled at his conscience... The woman... he reminded himself, forcing his body to move from the wounds he had accumulated. His legs felt like lead, and every step was a struggle, but he pushed forward, dragging himself toward where she had been earlier..
"M-Ma'am..." he called out weakly, clutching his knees... Trying his best to spot her through the haze clouding his vision. He scanned the area, forcing himself to focus. He staggered toward her, his vision blurring as he dropped to his knees beside the debris that pinned her down.
He couldn't rest until he knew she was safe, 'J-Just a little longer,' he told himself, pushing his limits even further.
"I-I'm here!" He heard her yell, however... He turned towards the voice, but his situation got worse... He had forgotten that she was trapped. Breathing weakly, he gathered whatever remaining strength he had, "W-When I lift, pull yourself out... Can you you do that?" He was exhausted, and he knew he didn't have much stamina left...
"Y-Yes, I can!" She didn't know who this child was, but she could tell he was on his last rope of energy... With a deep breath, Yohan planted his hands under the rubble and began to lift. His muscles screamed in protest, his arms shaking as if they might give out any second. The weight was unbearable, and for a moment, he thought he wouldn't be able to do it. But then, with a guttural yell; he pushed even harder, using every ounce of strength he had left.
The rubble then shifted upwards...
"Go!" he yelled and gasped through gritted teeth, holding the debris just high enough for her to crawl out.
The woman scrambled, pulling herself free, and the second she was clear, Yohan collapsed to the ground, his energy completely drained. He lay there, breathing heavily, his body refusing to move another inch. But even as the world spun around him, a small, tired smile crossed his face...
'She's, safe...' He thought, looking over.
He looked back into the sky, tiredly 'Hehe... I really need to get better at managing my energy...' he thought as he slumped to the ground, blacking out completely...
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END
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