Monsters and Nice Fights

Ian threw out his right hand, and a dense wave of yellow light burst from his palm. The light shot across the room, growing into a large cushion. It was surprising that his idea worked.

When Nadia’s weight hit the barrier, Ian pulled his arm back, absorbing as much of the impact as possible. Once she was stable on the cushion, he carefully guided the shield toward him. He lowered her gently onto her feet beside him.

The energy dissolved into a faint gust of wind and faded away.

He looked at his hands, feeling warmth spread through them. Drawing on my energy feels like getting a hug from my mom. The area around them began to heat up from the energy he was outputting, but to him it felt comfortable.

Nadia stepped closer, a calm expression on her face, sweat appearing on her brow.

“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You amaze me, Mr. Grumpypants. I thought you were normal, but to think you were an adept the entire time,” she said, her voice low.

Ian was stunned and didn’t know what to say. I wonder what an adept is.

Alucard cleared his throat loudly. “If you two lovebirds are done flirting, can we continue the fight, please? No need to rush; take as much time as you need.” Alucard’s amused voice cut through the tension between the two.

Ian jumped away from Nadia, his cheeks burning red. “W-we weren’t flirting,” he stammered, waving his hands.

“Thanks for waiting so patiently for us,” Nadia sneered, her lip curling back as she turned to face him.

“What can I say? I’m a gracious host,” Alucard said with a shrug.

Nadia didn’t answer and simply got into her stance. Alucard stepped forward and vanished. Ian blinked, and the vampire appeared between him and Nadia.

Ian leaned aside, barely dodging the grab to his head, while Nadia backflipped out of Alucard’s claws. The vampire’s leg snapped to Ian; the kick sounded like a gun as it sped through the air.

A yellow aura came to life around the young detective’s arms as he brought up his guard. The strike landed and sent him flying through the air. His back hit the ground with a heavy thud — sliding a few feet before coming to a stop. A sharp pain shot through his entire forearm; both of his arms went numb.

Before Ian could get his bearings, Nadia’s voice called out. “Move, Ian!” Alcuard’s foot was racing toward his face.

At the last second, Ian rolled to his right, dodging the downward strike that left a small crack in the dance floor. He pushed himself up and attempted a leg sweep, but Alucard easily jumped over it. Ian used the momentum from the spin to get himself back on his feet.

I can’t believe I can even see his speed now, Ian thought, slightly out of breath.

Alucard didn’t give him a chance to recover, already jumping in the air, fist outstretched. Ian willed the internal energy to shield his forearms once again and strengthen them as much as possible. Once the punch landed, a small shockwave exploded outwards from the two, shattering the ground beneath them.

The vampire pushed off the barrier, flipping in the air, and gently landed on the ground. The entire exchange took place within a couple of seconds.

Ian glanced down at his forearms and was shocked to see the shields still in place, with no pain in his arms. If anything, after that exchange, he felt a little more energetic. I didn’t expect these powers. Maybe not only can he shoot out energy, but he can absorb it. Though it’s just a guess for now.

Alcard’s deep, silky voice broke through his thoughts. “The fact that you matched my speed with me going thirty percent is an amazing feat. Not bad for a new adept.”

Ian felt uncomfortable with his stare. It was an intense and heavy look that made him squirm. Instead of replying, he gathered energy and shot forward. The yellow aura lit up as he ran at Alucard, this time wanting to take the fight to him.

He punched the air, launching a blast of energy. Alucard leaned out of the way, the strike hitting the wall behind. Gathering more energy, Ian began launching more energy blasts rapidly at the vampire. Alucard dodged the attacks so fast he was leaving behind afterimages despite not moving his body much.

“Don’t forget about me, you fucker!” Nadia’s voice rang out. Her leg lashed out as she spun, aiming to kick Alucard in the head.