Chapter 21 : Inversion Impulse

Darkness.

“Hm.”

It seemed that Tommy right now was in a state parallel to, if not equivalent to dreaming. Black space in every part of his vision, any and all forms of stimuli had been robbed of him. There was no smell, no sight to behold, and worst of all, no sense of touch to be held in any measure. He wondered if this was what a particle felt like. An insignificant piece of existence, Tommy envisioned the darkness of outer space, and him floating in it.

What was this place he had found himself in?

Was this purgatory? Maybe some after-life? Or was this just the due process in which everyone was subjected to upon death?

None of them seemed likely. As far as he knew, the Gods had been dead since aeons, and their domains along with it.

The most likely place he had found himself in was a dream. A peaceful and pleasant one at that. Though Tommy did find it strange. It was so empty, so devoid of anything. Yet, the longer he felt himself move adrift, the more he became accustomed to it. Like the time following the departure of a friend, the painfulness of the situation grew slimmer and slimmer.

It wasn’t of him to feel that way, but he didn’t mind.

Protuberant then, was the yell that came after.

“GET BACK HERE!”

Piercing, annoying, and extremely loud, there was a sound.

Though first set off by its existence, Tommy then began to contemplate why it was there in the first place.

Huh, odd. If he was dreaming though, why was it then that he heard the voice of Harux? If information served correctly, the nocturnal visions one had were directly associated with what they thought about... But if so, why was his dream filled with snippets of Harux groaning and yelling so loudly? Surely, he did not secretly possess some subconscious longing for the monkey that had threatened to, and could very well be in the midst of mauling him right?

No, he doubted that was the case. And plus, the sounds that came were far too realistic. Unbothered by the surrealistic mold of dreams, the sounds that came were as if they came from a film.

Then it came, a tiny snippet of light at the end of the infinite darkness, blinding at first, it resembled the shining of a projector in a theatre. For whatever reason, Tommy took it that this was where the answers would lie, and he was right. Through the vision of the beast, he was granted a full view of his impending demise.

Speed and strength in full gear, what was shown exactly was its frontal vision, bouncing up and down as it paved its way towards his own limp body. Funny, he didn’t suppose most people saw their deaths from a third-person perspective.

Hm, no smells or other senses though, unfortunate.

He tried to be positive about it, if anything, at least the last few months of his life with Jaiga was a lot of fun.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY FROM A DUEL WITH ME?”

At full blast, the war cry of Harux pierced his ears… Again. What was this mongrel thinking?

Wait, it couldn’t be. While difficult to make out what precisely was happening, he suspected he had been given his answer. For at the very end, within the light that was presented, he saw the subtle tremble of the monster’s vision.

Could it be?

Was Harux trying to save him?

“HRAGH!” The familiar Elvish boy yelled. Untainted by desperation or fear, it was a yell that came from his natural reaction to fighting. The base emotion known as joy.

On the back of the beast, Harux’s sword Elehanthel had plunged itself into the monster’s flesh. Serving as a point of balance, he desperately clung on to it with his left hand, while his right took out a dagger. The thrashing of the beast in full force, his arms threatened to give way.

Therefore, Harux came to his natural conclusion. If he could not stay on it, then there was no need. He would just kill the creature.

Both sides in a deadlock, with only one move being the deciding factor, Harux took initiative.

With a heave and a leap, he began the execution of his finishing blow.

Balance and adroitness hand in hand, he ran across the creature’s back on all fours.

The true essence of his nature, a beast, revealed itself. It wasn’t a fight anymore, it was a hunt. A natural right of his body and soul, the boy has reached a state of enlightenment.

Go destroy the stone. His instinct told his body.

A small insignificant rock of black, he saw it engulfed in the pocket of the creature's neck.

One quick glance at Lucius suggested he understood the nature of his plans, and with the light in his gauntlet shining, knew what had to be done. A phantasmal piece of life, it was the point of life of the creature, the true origin of its power.

Naturally, if he shatters it, then its life would end with it.

There is no need to think any more, the imperative of death was given.

9.34 seconds. In a conventional world, that would be the record.

The culmination of years of effort, genetics, and perseverance, it would be a testament to mind and body. To Harux, this was a trip to the barbeque.

The space between him and the gem was 11 meters. At his speed, he would reach it in little over a second. While this calculation excludes external variables like wind, terrain or projectiles, it is good enough for him. The fact of his speed registered in his mind, Harux ran.

Like an arrow towards a bull’s eye, he sped across the back of the beast. Each step taking him higher and higher, he rose in elevation as he ran towards its head.

Arms and legs rushed through the air. Desiring to crush him, there was nothing Harux could do. Be it to slash, use magic, or jump off, all options had been barred. A case that seems to be his end, is in fact a victory.

Inside this battle of course, was another variable.

Another beam of light shot out. The product of Lucius, it makes a hole the size of a hand in the creature's limb. The damage it created is enough to break the rhythm of the beast's attacks. Even if only for a second an opening can be seized.

Harux aligned his blade with the incoming arm. Elves are a warrior race. Warriors that have long submerged themselves in combat for all of history, Harux is no different. If Harux is true to his ability and precision, even a giant arm is no more than a piece of inedible meat.

Focused on the incoming flesh, he slashed. A halfway cut that is unable to properly sever, is the most his body allowed.

Harux and Lucius were now united through tactics.

With each and every limb that came towards him, they repeated the same tactic. Though it lasts for only a few seconds, it is more than enough time to close half the distance. The creature, as if lamenting its fate, shook his body.

It doesn’t know what or how the creatures live, but it knows that it will die. Limbs which had once fallen to the side now surged. New found life breathing through every piece of sinew and flesh, it is the demon's final bid for survival. Obstinate to the very end, its new found tenacity proved a surprise.

Some breadth of life still present, in a stroke of passion, the monster twisted.

Deteriorated as the limbs were, they nonetheless aimed for the nearby tree. If it could not hit the Elf with its own body, then it would rely on the body of earth. Hastened by knowledge of its impending deto, root and trunk were all pulled out. In nothing short of a couple of breaths, it swung.

Move. Dodging with perfect efficiency, Harux jumped. Thus, the tree which was aimed for him, now flung toward the crowd. Whether intentional or not, a weapon of murder now flew towards the innocent civilians. Unable to process the instantaneous development of the situation, they looked upon the object of their demise with apathy.