Arc 2 - Chapter 32: Jerry vs Jason

“sighs … Another one bites the dust.”

Swaying his head left and right, his smug grin faded like salt in the ocean. Turning his head towards his followers, the corners of his lips reached down to his jaw, and focused his narrowed eyes at them.

Whilst he rubbed his chin with his right hand.

‘I could kill him right here and now, but I did that with Maverick a week prior. Come to think of it … I haven’t used Jason in a long while …’

He had his eyes pinned at the tallest follower in the group, a man who was shaded in a gray hoodie. Nudging his finger up and down, he kept his body straight, and cleared his throat.

“Jason, I want you to beat this man to an inch of his life. You always wanted to showcase your strength, no?”

Making Jason walk toward him, he moved his hands from out his pockets, whilst loudening the room with his boots. Reaching Lazaros, he stood right beside him, and turned his head toward Jerry who continued to showcase his defensive stance.

A bead of sweat rolled from the youth’s chin, yet he stood with a head lifted high. As for Lazaros…

Seeing that his followers were still huddled up, Lazaros blocked the view between Jerry and Jason. Moistening his lips, he pinned his eyes mostly on Kenichi.

“As for all of you, hold back The Dark Angels whatever way you can.”

“Hold back? Hold back for what?” Questioned Ryan.

“It’ll all be explained. But right now, just do as I ask.”

Ryan, Gemma, and Mia looked at one another, as their eyes furrowed with worriness rather than confusion. Looking at the dimly lit city, as well as the orange smoke from above, Ryan let off a huffed breath before extending both of his arms.

His legs turning into rubber, he jumped up with enough force to spring himself out of the building. Using the ground, he walked cartoonishly, or rather like an animal as he replaced his arms with legs.

Walking near Gemma, Pedro and her both looked at the cartoonish display of his curse. Chuckling out grins, Pedro and Gemma began to mold themselves into the air, as both their curses weren’t solid based.

With Gemma turning into mist, and Pedro becoming one with the oxygen, only his lower body was invisible. Sundering upward, they soared as they followed Ryan’s path.

As for Mia…

‘Curse my curse.’

She sprinted towards the city with just her legs.

As she pushed away exit doors, they swayed open, leaving the edges to slam against the walls. Kenichi, who saw the teenage lich sprint with all her might, chucked out a single breath.

‘Guess I have no other choice … again …’

But two black hooded figures stayed behind, with both of them peering at Jerry and Jason.

A big smile formed on Lazaros’ face, once the corners of his lips reached the bottom of his ears. Placing his right hand onto his stomach, he turned to look at the two women, while devilishly smiling.

‘And I’ll save the best part for last.’

Pointing his finger at the two hooded women, both of them jostled fearfully at his stare. Snapping his finger, the sound trickled and reverberated against the old rustic walls.

“You two, bring me some popcorn and a can of soda. While you’re at it, bring me a metal stool and some napkins; a lot of napkins.”

Both women ran into the darkness, and had their breaths hurried and haggard rather than controlled.

Gripping his boots on the cold rustic floor, Jerry pulled his sword into position, and kept his palm firm on the grip. Calm and steady, and letting his body loosen like a feather, he felt like his muscles had no knots to hold him back.

All the while Jason extended both of his hands, and faced his palms directly at the ceiling.

“This is where the fun begins!”

________________________________________________________________________

He pushed the floor with his right heel, and lifted his body off the ground.

Barreling towards the man, he tucked in his sword, and had the butt of the grip stuck in his armpit. Shrinking his irises like how a cat-human would, and feeling the air smack against his face, he clenched all of his teeth. But Jason didn’t move.

‘He’s not doing anything … yet!’

Reaching in front of him, Jerry thrusted his sword forward, and felt his shoulder blades bulge. Veins littering across his skin, he grit his teeth and bloodied his gums. Because once the blade reached—

Another blade hid inside his sword.

Like the flick of a switch, the hidden blade had sliced or scraped a piece of Jason’s jacket. Creating a tear on the fabric, Jerry pushed up a grin, and found the young man taken by surprise.

“You think my sword is just for show?!”

Grabbing the helm of his sword, he slid his feet across the metallic floor, as his soles accumulated rust. Glaring his bloodhound eyes into Jason, he felt his teeth chip from strain.

Too late to turn back, Jason leaped forward, and tried to avoid the sudden slash of air. Barely avoiding in the knick of time, Jerry knew he saw sweat trickling down his right temple.

‘He’s faster than me …’

Honing the blade, being bonded with it, he let it slice through the wind like a sharpened gust. Still maintaining his smug grin, he pushed his body off the ground, and found himself flying over him.

While keeping his reddened eyes, he landed like how a cat-human would. Not even swifting off dust, it was like he honed himself for stealth rather than strength. But at long last, Jerry knew he had to finish this.

Instead of striking in front of him, he leaped toward his right. Thrusting his sword, he had his aim directed at Jason’s liver, which was millimeters from caressing his jacket.

‘I got to make this count!’

Barely keeping up with Jerry’s moves, it was clear the man didn’t have a fast reaction time—

‘W-What…’

An all black hand gripped his.

Looking to be the hand of a human, its fingers dug deep into his knuckles and bones. Gasping for air, he tried to pull back his hand, but it only made the pain ever so worse. Opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, he tried to yell, but only groaned gasps barraged his throat.

‘It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!’

Pulsating his muscles, the grip that the all-black hand had was suddenly let go. Collapsing to the ground, he hit the rustic floor with the back of his head.

Placing his hands into his pockets, Jason turned his attention onto the all-black creature.

It took the form of a human, but black air steamed from its body. Looking like a ghost, it was as if the black air was a gas, but it didn’t smell like anything. The vapors being released around the edges, it enacted that of flames, but with no heat. Almost as if the air was fake, or imaginary.

Because it was all black, it blended in with the shadows, all except for its white dotted eyes. Staring at Jerry, who had his back caressing the cold metal ground, it had its hands resting on its thighs.

“I’ll wrap up this fight in an instant.”

Jason began to walk backward, and kept his glued eyes at Jerry. Feeling his sneakers press softly against the metal, the air around him began to grow cold, once he finished his backwalking.

And tilting his head down, he narrowed his eyes, and bargained his throat cold.

—“Legion Twilight.”—

From all directions, a collection of black vapor began to emit.

Turning his head rapidly, he felt the grip on his sword weaken, as his palm conjoined with excess sweat. From the darkened floor, a slow rise of shadows burdened the room, as they took the form of humans clastined as ghosts. Black vapor steaming from their bodies, their all-white eyes glued deep into the depths of his soul, which put him to see … nothing.

Not a reflection was emitted. Trying to find strength within his sword, he shook the metal of his blade ever so viciously.

Once he was surrounded by a dozen of them.

‘You’re kidding …’

His breathing hardened, and his fingertips cracked the metal of the grip.

Taking a few steps back, Jason extended his right hand out, and pointed his finger directly at the quaking elf. And with a voice cold as glacier snow, he silenced the room with his words.

“Attack.”

Dozens of those creatures, all clad in black, sprinted their way toward him at the speed of steamers. Turning his widened eyes to a glare, Jerry pulled back his sword. And seeing the first of the creatures coming in close, its arms and hands extended outward.

‘If they can grab me, then the same physics should apply.’

Thrusting his sword forward, it fastened toward the humanoid ghostly creature. With the blade reaching the edge of its body, he felt every muscle pulsate from his back and shoulders.

—The blade went through, but…—

The creature had its hands on Jerry. Holding the sharp blade, no tar or blood escaped from its palm.

‘Wait what…?’

Turning his head, the rest of the pack began to ambush him. Their legs already off the ground, they leaped through the air and landed themselves on top of him. Grabbing each body part, from his toes to his head, he was unable to even move his arms or legs.

‘Shit, what can I do!?’

He felt the coldness of their hands, which led Jerry to grind his molars painfully. The number of creatures gripping his jacket, pants, and even his boots, it felt like they might rip them off.

Still holding his sword, he tried to push, but the creatures already gripped the helm of his wrist. Fully trapped and bounded, they straightened his body so that he stood with flat boots.

“I thought he was going to give me a run for my money. Guess I was wrong…”

Looking towards the light green-haired man, Jason saw him lounging in a metal chair, while having a popcorn bucket on his left hand. And on both of his sides, one of the black hooded women held a Mr. Pepper in her hands, while the other carried a box of napkins.

With a frown on his face, he let out a pout that slightly puffed up his cheeks.

“I was expecting a much greater fight…”

“Sorry sir.”

“No worries son, I think you're just too powerful for the likes of him. Nothing wrong with that”

Getting up from his stool, he placed one of his hands inside his pocket. Yanking out a handkerchief, he cleaned out whatever butter that stuck to his skin, and barraged the white cloth with yellow. Putting the handkerchief back to his pocket, he turned his attention onto Jason,

Locking both of his hands together, he arched his back while raising his arms into the air. As a simple crack barraged his spine, and stretching his muscles along with his bones, he felt light like a chicken’s feather.

“Beat up that elf to an inch of his life. Can your shadows do that?”

Jason clenched his fists, and stuck out his knuckles like sore thumbs. Pushing his lips to frown, his Adam’s apple began to quiver against his throat. Looking straight at Lazaros, Jason nodded at him with darkened eyes, as his voice shook.

“Understood…”

Extending his right hand out, he pointed his finger at the elf who tried to fight back. Trying to move his arms, his legs, he pushed all his muscles to full use; but to no avail …

All Jason did was command.

“Beat him … but don’t kill him…”

He felt like iron had struck his cheek.

Slow and painfully, he felt his body be caressed with blood, but nothing poured out. Straining his eyes red, feeling his muscles go hot from the excess hits, he was just receiving—

‘Ah! S-S-Shit!’

A requiem of punches.

Looking up toward the ceiling, he bit the insides of his cheeks to direct the pain. As if iron had saturated his gums, the taste of his tongue mingled with metal as blood was drawn. Wanting to look towards a higher power, his vision blurred.

Hot iron, scalding metal, as if they made their way into his bones. His breath stalled in his throat, he couldn’t push the air inward or outward … which left him unable to take breath.

‘Sidney…’

His legs faltered under the pain, and landed on the cold rustic floor with his shins. With one of the creatures grabbing his hair, as its fingers narrowly ripped off his scalp, they began their second assault on…

His face.

Having nothing to defend himself, Jerry muffled out a low yell from the innards of his throat. Inaudible, he sounded like he was submerged underwater … no … his throat was stalled with his own blood.

‘Sidney.’

Bones pierced inside his skin. Blood splattering onto the floor, even his own eyes and ears began to let loose cardinal liquid. Using all of his collective strength, he raised his right hand up toward the heavens.

Even though it was shattered from within.

‘Sidney!’

His face devoured in his cardinal liquid, his vision deafened, his hearing blurred, while tinnitus blanketed his senses. Seconds turning to minutes, minutes turning into hours … who knew … who knew how long he sustained that beating.