Chapter 10 : Upside Down

“Celia Wait!”

She didn't. Despite Haru’s warnings, she didn't want to waste even a single moment, lunging straight into the heat of battle. She knew she had to deal with this threat as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Apologies, my prince but I need to assess his strengths and weaknesses as quickly as possible.

Lightning crackled through her body, wind lifting her feet off the ground as she dove her sword down towards the clown's chest.

Clash!

Thunder struck the back of the clown's hand, Yohei simply dismissing it with a wave, redirecting its momentum as Celia twisted and turned mid-air. Looking for angels and opportunities as she slashed away — only to be pivoted and deflected.

This jester is strong. Deflecting my attacks as if my thunder is simply a toy.

She swiped away, their trail of battle furthering deeper into the alleyway.

Yohei stayed in defence, watching her keenly with a smirk. “Iiiissss thatttt the best you have to offer…!?”

She shifted, teeth cracking, thunder dissipated in an instant. “Ohhh? Willing to surrender are we…?” She didn't even acknowledge his words, turning on her heel and shifting her stance low.

“I will never surrender as long as my prince stands behind me, if you wish to defeat me. Make your move, jester!”

She taunted him, sword back in its holster.

“Fairrr enough.” Yohei shrugged and in less than an instant, closed the distance. His first barrelling towards her face in a downwards bend.

But she anticipated this. She drove her fist upwards into his open stomach — believing him folly enough to open himself to a deliberate attack — she struck hard, thunder and wind dancing off her knuckles.

BAM!

He flew through the air, his body spiralling into a twenty story skyrise office building. The sound of thunder reverberating across a mile radius.

“Damn, Celia! What the hell was that?” Haru asked, impressed.

He ran over to her side quickly, noticing her clutching her right arm in pain.

“You good?”

“I will be alright, my arm is only a bit sore. I'm not supposed to harness magic through my bones.” She winced, expression betraying the calmness of her voice.

“Yeah, well I doubt that guy is getting up from that. Let's get home and rest for no—”

Flame plumed from the office floor, windows shattered, multi-coloured fire lit the sky.

Standing on the edge, looking over from afar was Yohei. Not even a single scratch on him.

“Quite an impressive attack, I seem to have underestimated youuuu!” His voice, still distant, echoed down from his vantage point to the alleyway.

Haru couldn’t help but wonder. How the hell did he survive that! And how is his voice that damn loud!? Must be some sort of magic but damn he's OP.

Yohei brought far more questions than answers to Haru’s mind.

“Welllll thennnn… aren't you going to come up here and defeat me?” Yohei's taunting left no room for doubt. Either she was going to fight him up there, or he was going to come down and fight them there.

“Haru, stay down here. I will handle him.” Celia said that coldly, her mind clouded by the intent to defeat their opponent no matter the cost.

“Wai—” she was gone in the next instant. She jumped high, leaping from building to building, propelled by the wind.

“Dammit!” Haru ran, following behind as she leapt into battle. I have to help somehow!?

— — — — —

Yohei looked from afar, readying himself for the arrival of the half-elf knight. Knowingly intimidating her by creating the illusion of ‘fire’. In reality the office floor was completely unharmed, only the glass shattered by his physical might.

She has a lot of potential. Even if her punch was ineffective, her ability to read and anticipate my movements is quite… impressive…

He pondered deeply, his mind identifying if she was worth his attention.

“I wonder why she wishes to protect the boy though, is that boy her mast—” CRASH!

In his moment of thought, he had moved his attention away from her position and she had pivoted her direction. Entering through the floor below and crashing upwards, masking her presence for the perfect strike.

Slash!

Thunder swept downwards, ready to engulf the clown in blue and gold.

Ching!

The clown's body was cut in half, from the tip of his head to the bottom of his pelvis. Crimson red coated the floor, exploding outwards like fireworks.

She landed gracefully beside the body, sheathing her sword back again into its sheathe.

“Don’t underestimate me, clown.” Her voice was cold, agitated.

“Ahhhh, apologies for giving you such an impression, as that. Please forgive me.”

She looked upwards, and to her surprise, standing upside down on the ceiling was Yohei Kingston. His body was completely unharmed. His ‘corpse’ beside her, dissipating into thin-air.

Yohei bowed politely from above before jumping off the ceiling and landing gracefully onto the ground. Like a sloth finding its footing.

“Huh? How did you—” Her mind realised before she finished her sentence. Illusion Magic…

Her eyes confirmed it the second she looked around the room, no flame to be found.

“Wellll, it's actually light manipulation, but I suppose the semantics do not matter — the results are the same either way.” Yohei answered smugly.

Celia didn't waste even a moment for dialogue, rushing back into the fray as they exchanged fast close combat. Yohei blocking the thunder with the back of his fists, slowly waiting for an opening before finally finding one. Celia tuned her sword to the rhythm of the battle, lighting striking eastward.

But Yohei countered, tilting his head out the way and sinking his fist into her gut. A perfect one-inch punch.

Spit flew out of her mouth as she tumbled into the chairs and desks before crashing into the wall, a heavy grumble escaping the floor.

“Do you surrender?” Yohei asked, tilting his head to the side with playful curiosity.

Her answer was apparent. No.

She lifted herself up slowly, a bit of blood foaming from her mouth as she readied her blade for another attack.

I have to centre all my manna into this final strike!

The air reverberated with the iron will of a thunderstorm, fierce wind scuffling paper and sparks of electricity frying wires.

Yohei's brow lifted. “Iiii implore youuuu. Give me your best shot!” The magician exclaimed with pride.

Dozens of copies of him filled the room — shifting and changing positions — hiding his true form, but she was not going to be privy of falling to his tricks.

She lifted her sword to her shoulder, lightning and wind flaring together into a miniature, thunderous hurricane.

“DRAKOS MAFTIAS!!!”

Her declare echoed through the room. She curved the strike downwards, horizontally — ripping through the entire floor with utmost devastation.

Each clone disappearing in the wake of her righteous fury. Wind spiraled. Electric heat simmering. Concrete breaking. The entire building's windows shattered by the magical force.

From the outside, rain fell, responding to her call. The atmosphere changed suddenly into one of rain and hail.

But amidst the devastation, a hand reached out from beyond the raging storm. Yohei's hand, crossing the endless boundary of crushing wind, latched onto her face with a heavy weight.

— — — — —

“What the hell!”

Haru watched from below, nearing the office building from an alleyway below. Watching as a thunderstorm tore apart the entire building from the twentieth floor to the bottom floor.

He covered his eyes from the rushing winds. That was definitely Celia’s attack.

The wind slowly whistled away, the rain and hail, the battles remnants.

No way, he survived tha—

Haru’s eyes widened.

For the second time today, he had underestimated the man. As crashing down from the twentieth floor was Yohei and Celia. Celia fought back uselessly as Yohei grasped her by the jaw, prepared to slam her down to the ground.

CRASH!!!

Impact. The ground rumbled in agony, rubble rushing to the air as debris threatened to crush him.

Haru saw the debris about to collapse onto him like a landslide. His life flashed before his eyes, everything moving in slow motion as he began to meet his fate.

Until—

“Do you want to die?” A monotone, almost bored voice said from behind him, his collar gripped tightly as he was pulled away from his certain demise.

He looked behind him, confused. Wings!?

The same bright, white, fluorescent wings from earlier that dropped Yohei onto the battlefield, now saving his life.

He was lifted into the air in less than a moment, before slowly descending onto the ground, right outside of harm's way.

Haru turned to look at the tall, striking figure that saved his life. A handsome young man, maybe a few years older than him with fair skin, blue eyes and golden blonde hair. He wore… a onesie!?

“Uhhh, bro. Why are you looking at me like that…?” The young man’s voice dripped with apathy, betraying the look of curiosity on his face.

“You're wearing a onesie.”

“So…..”

“Why?”

“Uh… cause it's comfy.”

“.....” Haru looked at him dumbfounded.

“You could say—” the young man stopped mid-way to yawn.

“Say what?”

“I dunno know. Forgot.”

This guy was totally clueless.

Haru turned back towards the battlefield, there was no time to waste and he had to check if Celia was okay. But as he got closer to the battlefield, he realized it was too late.

Celia, unconscious, was being carried on Yohei's shoulder. Haru’s teeth grinded and Yohei looked at the boy with curiosity.

“Hmmm, it seems you are connected to all of this?”

“So what about it?”

“I sense your agitated tone. Do not worry, I shielded her from the brunt of the collision. Seeeee?”

Yohei did a 360°, showing Celia unharmed, despite the severity of the impact.

“What are you going to do with her now?”

“Give her back to you.”

“Huh?” Haru was visibly shocked.

Yohei nodded, confirming Haru’s disbelief. “Yes. I wish to give her back to you, but on oooonnnneeeee condition.”

Haru looked at him suspiciously. “And what's that?”

“Become my apprentice.”

Huh!!!???

For the nth time in the last day, Haru’s world had been turned upside down.