-Vol 5: A New Life-

-Entering Stalemate-

Boom!!

With a loud explosion, Kenshin and Joy were thrown away in two different directions. At the same time, the kid was also pushed back by several steps from the power of the explosion. The explosion was actually the result of their collective WILs clashing against each other. Both Joy and Kenshin were clashing against this kid for the past some time now, and they were only using their WILs to fight. They both had already discovered that unless they use WIL, they can't even get close to the kid, let alone deal some damage to him.

Not to mention Joy, even Kenshin found it hard to fight a battle like this, despite his unexhausting WIL. It was because his method of using was way more crude and simple in comparison to the kid. It was as if, despite holding a magic sword, he only knows how to stab and parry with it. On the other hand, the kid from Sylph race was a master of WIL combat, and he was easily thrashing the two. But one couldn’t say that Kenshin and Joy were completely losing in this combat, they were gradually learning the finer ways to use their WIL. The experience was the best teacher, and they both were experiencing with their own body and gradually learning to use their WILs better.

Joy backflipped and landed gracefully on the ground. Clenching his fist, he coated it with WIL which had also reached into the stage of Intent. Kenshin wasn’t that much surprised to find Joy’s Intent was a huge gauntlet made of glittering gold. Besides, his skill was easily compatible with the WIL, enhancing its overall performance and even restoration of it. While it didn’t have any offensive abilities, Joy’s [Boost] was actually one of the best when it comes to aiding or support. Even Kenshin sometime coveted it and tried to copy it, but he stopped himself in the end. Joy was a veteran user of this skill, and he didn’t know it earlier, but after having his first awakening, he discovered that every Skill had special magic radiation while it used, even passive ones had them. A powerful hunter could sense these fluctuations and can easily deduce what skill their opponent was going to use and guard against it accordingly.

After discovering this, Kenshin completely stopped copying or using the skills of his allies. Even so, he wouldn’t miss it if it was a really good skill. For example, he had eyes on Aoi’s Divine Skill, even if he couldn’t succeed, there was nothing wrong from trying once or twice, or every time they were closer. He might one day succeed. Even if he couldn’t use it near his allies, he rarely would stay with them.

“Joy, Boost here” Kenshin called. He had seen Joy using his [Boost] to make his Intent powerful and increased his WIL, he wanted to see if it had any effect on him, if yes, then how much?

“Coming!” Joy flashed towards Kenshin and touched his shoulder. Instantly his body enveloped in a green aura, which transferred to Kenshin’s body. Suddenly Kenshin felt like he had taken some steroids. His Intent, which had reached ist Manifestation stage, suddenly exploded as it increased in amount and even strength.

‘So the increment was percentage base.’ Kenshin concluded after receiving Joy’s boost. After that, they both again closed onto the kid. Kenshin swiped his legs at the kid’s legs, while Joy countered with a punch. But the kid from Sylph race was just too powerful and skillful with his usage of WIL, he effortlessly avoided Kenshin’s leg swipe and blocked Joy’s boosted Intent with his index finger. At the same time, he ignited everything around him in a feary red flame. Just from the look of it, Kenshin knew he should avoid it. Grabbing onto Joy’s collar, he jumped back to avoid the flames. Kenshin wasn’t just retreating, he used his Flame skill and hid [Starfall Dominion] within, sending it flying at the kid.

With a snort, the kid conjured a shield made of concentrated WIL and blocked the incoming fire, but was surprised when he saw a bunch of shooting stars phased through his shield and penetrated his head.

“Gruh!!” he screamed in pain and hunched over. A Divine skill was dangerous because it was absolute and cant be defended no matter what. If it were set to destroy and cause damage, then it would cause damage. The kid from Sylph race was an old monster, who was alive for countless years even before the earth cooled down from its boiling gaseous state. He had seen many unique things in his life, and things like Divine Skills weren't anything new to him. He used his WIL and controlled his body to evade the stars. Since he was in a position where he couldn’t evade physically on his own.

The glittering stars missed him by a hair length distance. Seeing this, Kenshin couldn’t help but stare dumbfoundedly. He couldn’t believe there would be someone who could evade the fast-moving stars, he even concealed it with his fire skill just to be sure.

Kenshin was well aware of his skill’ shortcoming. It could only travel in a linear path. Once fired, its trajectory couldn’t be changed no matter what, the skill couldn’t be canceled but couldn’t be changed. Initially, it had given a huge headache, but since the skill was extremely fast, he wasn’t too worried about it as no one till now could evade it. But the actions of this kid surprised Kenshin, but he recovered almost instantly and used [Exploding Domian] around him and the kid.

Not giving any time to prepare, he detonated the oxygen as well as everything inorganic surrounding them. The whole hotel rocked and trembled as the huge explosion wiped away what left of the hotel’s floor. Due to the explosion, both Kenshin and Joy fell down, at the same time they saw the kid from Sylph race covered in a transparent dome. But he wasn’t left unscathed. His clothes were on tatters while patches of black could be seen on his body and face. He was completely unprepared for the Kenshin’s counter-attack.

“You bastard!! How dare you play tricks with me!!” the sylph kid growled as his eyes shrouded in red, he was thoroughly enraged. But the kid didn’t lose his composure, he knew his condition well. He had been sealed in a dungeon for who long how many years, that was designed to drain his Spiritual Energy, the thing Sylph race calls to WIL, as well as his vitality and strength. He only freed from his confines not long ago, and his strength was yet to even reach 10% of his initial. What little WIL he had recovered, he used all of them in summoning the [Black Loon], the tiger which destroyed the whole city and killed many hunters, for his protection.

If not for all this, he wouldn’t have been biting the dust in the hands of these low leveled creatures. But as angry as he was, he didn’t want to lose his composure here and possibly push himself to jeopardy. He knew he couldn’t fight with these two, especially with the man with various skills, as he was now. He could only stall for time, long enough for his pet to come back after finishing off its target.

He was so optimistic about [Black Loon] because not only it was strong, there was another interesting thing about that race. They couldn’t die unless a certain type of weapon were used. The old sylph with kids body knew very well that for a plant that just entered into the ranks of the elite, having such a metal would be close to impossible. With an invincible body, no wonder it could flatten a whole city in a few hours.

Among all his summon list, Black Loon wasn’t exactly strongest, but it was invincible in the lower realms. It was why he had summoned it to aid him until he regained his full power. After that, only the sylph could tear open dimensional holes and go back to where he belongs. But for that to happen, he first had to survive the assault of the two humans in front of him.

“Joy, let's finish him quickly. He is stalling for time, waiting for that tiger to come back.” Kenshin was constantly observing the kid. Also, he wasn’t some noob fighter. He had already been to many situations and many battels be it against humans, monsters or transcendent monsters. Keeping track of his enemies intentions was what he had learned over time, it was a pretty valuable lesson. Sometimes this exact thing could save one from falling into deadly traps.

Seeing the kid dilly-dallying, while not showing his earlier arrogance as much, Kenshin figured out his intentions almost instantly. Do not forget that Kenshin’s INT and WIS had long since surpassed normal human standards.

“Hmph!” the kid snorted seeing his cover was blown. But he wasn’t that much worried, he could hold his own against Kenshin and Joy long enough for his pet to come back, this much the kid had confidence in.

Kenshin ran in front of Joy and stood near him, he narrowed his eyes and said, “We won’t be fighting him close quarters anymore. It's useless anyway. You just stand here and support me.” Joy nodded, saying, “Okay.”

Kenshin slapped his hands together as two transparent barriers and a circle of purple fire instantly formed around him and the kid, sealing all exit. The barriers belonged to [opposites] and [Exploding Domain] while the purple fire was [Destructive Energy Manipulation]. After sealing all exit for the kid, he decided to spam all his AoE and high damage dealing skills one after another with the help of Joy and a whole lot of MP potion. He was sure, sooner or later, the kid would run out of WIL or Spiritual Energy as he had called it. Of course, he wasn’t planning to kill him, Kenshin knew it was impossible. He was stalling time for Aoi and her group to finish off the tiger and come and help them deal with the kid.

Right now, both side entered a stalemate, while waiting for their backup to quickly come and aid them.