“That bastard has been holding back this howl time!” Brand raged in his mind over the throbbing of his right arm.

He nearly burst out of the rock and ice coving him, but held back his anger. By now, Cull’s mana would be throttling in earnest, making his previous attack bone-breaking if he didn’t prepare.

Brand looked inward at the complex web of magic that made up his aura. With meticulous care, he rearranged his fortress aura pulling power from every other protection but physical force. If a fireball were to hit him now, it would cook his skin in an instance, but Cull never bothered with such spells. Even if he did, his cast time would be painfully slow if not under the effects of Striker’s Onslaught; that was just the kind of magic user he was.

Still, no matter how much Brand altered his aura, kinetic force was just a form of energy he couldn’t handle. Only a fraction of its power could be converted, leaving his Ironsides to take the brunt of the attack; a painful strategy but the only one he had.

Brand emerged from the rubble with his forearm bruised and his aura now taking on a purple hue. Cull waited for him patiently, his aura now fully engaged. He flexed his power for just a moment, forming a depression that widened past Brand and caused him to stumble.

Not one sliver of mana went to waste leaving the air almost free of magic. Whether it be the skill of whoever augmented him or Cull’s own discipline, the striker’s mage craft was a tightly packed work of perfection; like a sword that could cut through any shield.

Cull started forward at a leisurely pace. “I got the details on how you killed that paladin. You used one of your tricks to steal his breath.” His tone was a bit condescending as if what Brand had accomplished didn’t amount to much.

“I still killed him dead,” Brand said, walking to meet Cull at the same pace.

“But that trick won’t work on me or most apex cultivators I know.” Cull shook his head like a disappointed teacher. “Your mage craft is something special. It makes you one of the strongest strikers, maybe somewhere in the top ten. Against just about any mage, you’d probably win. Even Katarina would have problems fighting you, and she's a god’s damned monster. But against an Apex cultivator, you fall short.”

Cull dashed forward with his fist up, but this time, Brand was ready. He conjured a spear and thrust it towards his former teacher missing as Cull pivoted around it throwing out two quick jabs as he did. Brand was able to dodge them both but a third came twice as fast landing squarely in his stomach. He didn't fly back this time thanks to his aura that grew noticeably larger from the impact, but still coughed up a lung full of air.

Despite the pain, Brand struck out with a conjured dagger he never used against his teacher in hopes of catching him off guard. Cull didn’t hesitate in the least letting the blade stab into his palm cutting no deeper than a paper cut. He then punched Brand across the face digging a ditch into the ground with his body.

“See,” Cull said, pointing to the cut on his hand that had already healed by his passive recovery augments. “This is the greatest weakness of your mage craft. Against real cultivators, tricks won’t save you.”

Cull’s aura visibly shrank as he activated a simple spell that increased his already terrifying strength. “Greater Strength.”

His aura glowed a bit brighter while his muscles tensed. Brand would never use such a spell. It would burn through most of his mana that would be better spent on maintaining his throttling speed, but for Cull, it made a world of difference.

Before Brand could make it to his feet, Cull rushed in faster than before, spinning around Brand and grabbing him from behind by the waist. “You’ve got the speed of a sixth gate rouge!” Cull lifted Brand over his head slamming his back into the ground with an impressive display of flexibility. “But you’re slower than me!” In a blur that Brand could hardly perceive, Cull released him to deliver a kick that sent him crashing against the cliff face once again.

“You’re definitely as tough as an eighth gate defender thanks to that Ironsides spell,” Cull said, continuing his lecture. “But you're not tough enough to shrug off my attacks.” Brand lashed out, but his fist was swatted aside like that of a child. “And your strength is around a sixth gate brute strength build thanks to that ridiculous throttle speed, but it can’t come close to mine.”

“Can we just fight without this being some fucking lesson!?” Brand shouted.

“If you’d listened to me and cultivated,” Cull began punctuating his words with his fist. “You! Might! Stand! A! Chance!”

“Shut up!” Brand bellowed casting a mage light as blinding as the sun. He conjured an ax and swung at the same time hoping to catch Cull off guard.

Cull simply chopped at the weapon with his bare hand breaking it with ease then backhanded Brand, sending him tearing through stone until landing in a heap. “You couldn’t harm that paladin, could you? Those weapons of yours cut through magic like butter but augmented flush.”

“Is like tempered steel,” Brand finished for him.

“Exactly. You can’t shock me, poison me, burn me, freeze me, fuck with my mana circulation,” Cull looked at his knuckles that were quickly healing from the invisible blades Brand was using for thorn damage. “And I’m damned hard to cut. The strength to injure me can only be found through cultivation, something you refuse to do.”

Brand coughed out a mouth full of blood before speaking. “I’m not taking your build Cull.”

“Why not?” Cull complained. “With your mage craft and my build, literally no one could defeat you.”

Brand slowly got back to his feet, pain now following every motion. “That defender build has not been improved upon in what, over a century at least. I’m not augmenting myself with that outdated piece of crap until I find real improvements. As a thaumaturge, I’ll create my own augments, and they’ll be better than yours.” Brand brought his fist up, now brimming with mana gathered from the beating he’d taken. “Now get over here so I can kick your ass!”

Cull obliged casting another buff on himself before moving, but this one was unique to his race. “Lycanthrope.”

He grew a head taller with red fur growing all across his body. His teeth sharpened into fangs as his jaw slightly elongated. His muscles were now larger than before making it seem as if Brand were a child, but that didn’t stop him from attacking.

Brand charged looking for the opening he desperately needed. He thrust a spear at Cull that disappeared in a spray of broken pieces with a swipe of his hand. Cull then grabbed Brand by the throat lifting him into the air. He released him a moment later to avoid an ax aimed for his head, but smashed Brand's face into the ground by grabbing hold of his hair an instant later.

Brand managed to flip himself over, but couldn’t avoid Cull punches that rained down without end. Each one sent cracks radiating through the ground and a sound reminiscent of explosions through the mountain range. Brand absorbed as many as he could on his arms, but more than a few broke past his defense sending his mind swinging. Still, he bought his time taking in the little mana he could from each blow.

“Just a bit more!” Brand though. “I’ll only get one chance! If this doesn’t work-”

Cull fury fist broke through Brand’s guard, landing a blow that darkened his vision. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to attack now or be dragged back to Vellia after being knocked out by his own patients.

“Striker’s Onslaught!” Brand screamed in his mind.

His already throttling mana sped up several times while any limit placed on his body was released. With the power earned through the painful beating, he struck out aimlessly striking Cull somewhere on his torso.

The beast kin was sent flying upwards quickly becoming a dot in Brand’s vision, but at the edge of his mind panic erupted. “Did I just see what I think I saw? No! No fucking way!”

Just before Brand’s attack landed, Cull's mana flared. It was the same effect that happened when Striker’s Onslaught was cast. Brand desperately hoped he was seeing things, that he’d been hit too many times in the head and that Cull would crash into the ground with too many broken ribs to fight.

“Meteor Impact!” came Cull’s bellowing voice from above.

“No,” Brand said in a disbelieving whisper. “He wouldn’t use that spell. That dumbass will kill everyone here!” That’s when Brand realized his fight with Cull had moved them away from the downed strikers.

Brand tried to run for his life and stumbled. With his mana pool now empty, his passive throttling was gone making his body heavier than ever. Still, he moved, running drunkenly through the pain and exhaustion.

Cull fell from the sky with a fist glowing a fiery red like a falling star. When he struck the ground, it exploded as if by the fist of an angry god.

From miles away, it seemed like a dent had been punched into the mountain. Nearer the impact, some might think the red light that colored the sky had returned by the thunderous sound it created. For Brand, it was like death fell from the sky.

The force of the impact knocked him off his feet and had him skidding across the ground. Without mana to maintain his Ironsides, wounds appeared across his body. Although, by the time Brand came to a stop, he only felt burning in his arm that dangled broken and useless. He was now back where the fight hand started joining the other strikers on the frozen ground.

A hand wrapped around his throat lifting him into the air. He didn’t even see it coming due to his magical perception not being active, but he already knew it could be no other than Cull.

“Most strikers think of the onslaught as some final move that wins the day,” Cull said, slipping back into his role as a teacher. “But it affects any spell, like Bark Skin, the simple spell I overpowered right as your final attack landed.”

With him so close, the runes on Brand’s skin began absorbing Cull’s mana. As the seconds went by, the flow of magic grew faster. Soon, he’d have enough to start the fight anew. “With a broken arm,” Brand thought and doubtfully wondered if any of this was worth the pain he was in.

The draw on Cull’s mana abruptly cut off as the man laughed. “I wondered if that would work. If I silence myself, you can’t steal my magic.” Cull struck Brand in the stomach. “Let this be a lesson, Brandy.” Brand kicked him in the side, but it was like trying to injure a large tree when he was still mundane. “Oh come on.” Cull smacked Brand across the face. “Just give up you stupid kid.”

Brand flailed around for a time but stopped as he tired himself out. “One day you-” Brand had to take breaks to catch his breath and fight his way through the pain. “I’m, going, to kick your ass.”

“I have no doubt,” Cull said, almost looking forward to the day in question.

“Phantom!” shouted an angry female voice.

Brand and Cull both turned their heads seeing a woman charging at them. It was Thora with a sword in hand as if, well Brand wasn't sure. It wasn’t like she could possibly fight in the state she was in. Even if she was once again a true avatar, Cull could probably still put up a fight. As a low ranked cultivator, her attacks would be as effective as a gentle breeze.

Thora swung at Cull’s head but fell short when he caught the blade between two fingers and broke it like a twig. He dropped Brand and grabbed her arm in a grip that might as well be made of steel.

“Who the fuck are you and who the fuck is Phantom?” Cull asked. He looked to Brand. “I’m guessing that’s you.”

Thora, still not realizing how outmatched she was, punched Cull’s face. She released an angry scream coming away from the assault with at least one broken finger. That at least convinced her not to attack again.

“Leave her out of this!” Brand shouted an idea coming to his mind. He reaches for Thora longingly as if wanting to protect a lover.

Cull pushed her to the ground and didn't stop Brand when he crawled over to her. “Who is she?" He asked again.

“None of your busyness!” Thora growled.

“She’s with me,” Brand said, trying his best to conceal his excitement. “And she’s no threat as you can see. She doesn't even have enough mana to help with my injuries.”

Cull made the mistake of believing Brand’s lie after looking Thora over with mage sight. It was true she had very little mana available, but her entire body was mana that couldn't be seen with mana infused eyes. Brand had to gather it for days to make her construct permanent. She couldn’t use the mana that made up her body like someone couldn’t drink their blood for nourishment, but in this case, Brand was a vampire that would happily feed off her.

“Sorry about this,” Brand said then used the little mana he took from Cull to work a spell on Thora.

She didn't have time to feel her body get deconstructed. She simply poofed out of existence thanks to Brand already being familiar with her enneagram and added a massive amount of mana to his well of power.

“What!” Cull exclaimed, realizing too late that he’d been tricked,

“Striker’s Onslaught!”

Brand tattoos glowed red with his aura releasing a wave of force that pushed Cull back several feet. “I’ve only got seconds,” Brand said, shaking the air around him with power. “Let’s see how long you last! One!”

********

Cull just managed to raise his arms as Brand’s punch landed, What he wasn't able to do was cast Striker’s Onslaught to defend himself. Twice a day was his limit and with the use of Meteor Strike, he hardly had magic left for a mage light. The lack of power led to his arm breaking as if made of stale bread just before he was sent flying down the mountain; his roots all severed.

When he finally came to a stop, Cull stood with more pain racking his body than he’d felt in decades and looked at his mangled limb dummly. “Did, did I blackout?” He looked around not understanding what had happened. “Where am I. How did I get here?”

Before the striker’s mind cleared fully, Brand appeared next to him. “Two!”

Cull heard the word but didn't have time to think or react. The kick to his head came too fast to dodge, to see, to even perceive. All he knew was that for some reason he was in pain and flying. One of his eyes wasn't working, crushed by the impact, but with the other, he saw something red flying above him. It closed the distance in a flash shouting something he couldn't hear.

“Three!”

A fist sent Cull back to the earth, sending ancient flying by the crater he created with his body’s landing. His instincts told him to get up, that something was after him, but his legs wouldn't move. He couldn’t even feel them unlike the rest of him that was racked with pain.

The rest of the pain began to quickly wash away as the-. “Oh, Its Brand,” Cull thought with the vestiges conscious he had before fading into darkness.

*****

“Why are we bothering to help them?” Thora complained for the tenth time. When Brand didn't answer, she grew more petulant probably because she didn't have a body and was stuck talking through smartly done magics connected to her soul stone. “Phantom. Phantom. Phantom!”

It’s Brand,” Brand said. He was now sure she could be trusted so the oath didn't rear it ugly head to stop him from speaking the truth. “That’s my name, my real name. And I’m helping them because they’re not exactly my friends right now, but we work together. I can’t let any of them die.”

Brand tossed the last of the strikers into the spell circle he’d drawn in a cave he found. All their wounds had been healed except for Cull’s whose spine was still damaged. A good healer would have him walking within a few weeks, but Brand didn't have time to deal with him. Whatever was left of their mana after being healed had been drained and it wasn’t nearly enough for such a complicated procedure. Thankfully, there was enough to keep him warm until he left these mountains.

“So are they criminals too?” Thora asked.

“Yes,” Brand said honestly but left it at that. He began pouring mana into his spell circle until it activated. He made sure it drew mana from those within its boundary and checked many other fine details before speaking. “Can you keep quiet for a while?”

“No!” Thora said indignantly. “Why should I even listen to you?”

“How about rent for hitching a ride in my body!”

“I already paid when you ate me, again! I see how your mage craft works now! Without me, you’d be powerless!”

Brand rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. “This is the thanks I get for letting you talk while in there.”

“Well thank you for letting me talk, Master Phantom. How could I ever repay you?” Thora said sarcastically. “Oh wait! How about saving you! Will that suffice!”

“How about I promise to make you a body again.”

Thora scoffed. “You were going to do that anyway.”

They argued like that for the next several minutes until Thora seemed to tire of it and relented. “Fine then. Just do what you need to do so we can be on our way.”

“Our way huh,” Brand thought.

He then sent a pulse of mana through the spell circle he had the strikers in. They all immediately woke, all but Cull tried to move, but ran into the mana shield Brand had erected around them.

“What’s going-” the one that used her hair in combat started but stopped as she noticed Cull laying on the ground. “You lost?”

Cull groaned and lifted himself up with his hands to rest against the shield imprisoning him. “I’m never going to live this down.” He then looked himself over noticing one of his eyes was missing and an arm was a misshapen mess but at least he wasn't in pain. “How the hells did you get so strong? Striker’s Onslaught has its limits.”

“Not when I use it,” Brand explained. “There’s no risk of me breaking under my own strength.”

“Ironsides,” Cull realized. “Ok, so what’s the plan now Brandy?”

“It's Brand,” he said in a grumble. “And now I leave you here behind this ward for a week. It will take that long to degrade and breaking it is impossible from the inside, not when you're powering it. But before I take my leave, there’s one thing I need to know.” Brand inched closer to the ward, his voice becoming dark. “How did you find me?”

“How did you find me,” Cull repeated in a girlish tone. “Was that supposed to be threatening.”

“Will you stop playing around!” said the striker capable of creating a mana zone.

“Shut it!” Brand and Cull said at the same time.

Brand chuckled. “Look, you can be in here for a week or a month, your choice.”

Cull gestured toward the complaining strike. “His focus can track any mana he has a sample of. He’s not the only one we have with that ability so killing him won't help.”

“Wasn’t planning to,” Brand said as he hoisted one of Cull’s travel packs over his shoulder. “I was just curious.”

Brand walked from the cave with more than enough mana to make it off the frozen dragon tooth mountains. The strikers would be able to find him soon enough no matter what he did. That didn't change much. He planned to be found soon enough anyway.

“So,” Thora said. “Where to now?”

Brand smiled. “We’re heading to North Bastion. There’s a king that needs killing.”