Everyone was out of the way now and it was just Garrion against the new comer.

  Cain still laying on the floor barely conscious raised his head up slowly. "He really came..."

  The new comer was non other than the leader of this team who set out to kill the teachers and Layla. The same individual who had spoken to them from a hidden place earlier and set this twisted game in place. Kai.

  Kai glanced back at the struggling Cain and the others. "I warned you guys not to underestimate them..."

  "Well... I'm not the one you have to answer to in the end."

  He returned his attention back to Garrion who was still frowning at him. "Be honest... Are you really him?"

  Garrion's eyebrows lifted slightly. Kai had asked him the same question earlier but he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

  "Fine..." Garrion's lips curved into a smile. "I'll answer your question if you answer mine."

  "What exactly is your aim here? What are you after?" Garrion queried.

  Kai remained silent for a while. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, Cain and the others who came with him vanished.

  He walked back a few feet before turning to look back at Garrion again. "How about I respond with another question?" A crooked smile appeared on his face. "Are you really worth getting any answer from me?"

  The tight expression on Garrion's face eased up. Although still on guard and recognizing the danger of Kai's presence, he had only been tense because Kai's appearance was sudden. But now he had adjusted.

  Based on Kai's response, he knew an answer was the last thing he would get from him. So although standing up straight, Garrion was currently preparing for a fight, one he wasn't sure he would win.

  Kai noticed a blue aura slowly forming around Garrion's fists. He twisted the knife in his hand, tilted his neck to the side until it popped. "That's more like it..."

  And then, he vanished.

  Garrion barely tracked his movements before a burst of pain ripped across his ribs, Kai’s knee buried into his side.

  He skidded back, coughing once, but his eyes stayed focused on Kai. "He's fast..."

  The instant Kai closed in again, Garrion’s fist shot forward and his knuckles grazed Kai’s cheek. A thin line of blood marked the side of Kai’s face.

  For the first time, Kai’s smile faltered. He had seen Garrion's attacks earlier and had gotten the idea that his attack wasn't something that damaged the physical body. But this was just a theory on his side, a theory he now confirmed.

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  “So it really is that kind of power…” he muttered. He twirled the knife in his hand and came in harder.

  Garrion blocked one strike with his forearm, only for Kai to drive a kick into his knee, forcing him down. Garrion retaliated with a hook that glowed bright blue but Kai ducked, twisting, and carved a line across Garrion’s shoulder with the knife.

  Blood sprayed. But Garrion ignored it. A deep cut from a knife was nothing to him.

  He grabbed Kai’s wrist, squeezing it. The blue aura wrapped around his fist seared into his skin. Kai’s arm twitched unnaturally, muscles spasming for a second as the destructive energy poured straight into his soul.

  While his face didn't reflect it, his body stopped suddenly from the shock of the pain.

  “You felt that, didn’t you?” Garrion looked at him, as he tightened his grip

  "Yeah sure…” Kai's knee snapped upward like an invisible hammer, smashing Garrion’s chin. "and I’ll give it back.”

  The knife flipped in Kai’s hand, slamming down in a reverse grip toward Garrion’s side. Garrion twisted at the last second, the blade sinking shallow instead of deep, but the impact still tore muscle.

  He was getting tired. Although he wasn't using his ability, he had been going all out, physically, from the start. Now engaging with an opponent as strong as Kai, his stamina was fading fast.

  Garrion managed to graze him once more making him shudder but Kai simply clenched his teeth and rammed his elbow into Garrion’s throat. "That is one hell of an annoying ability you have there."

  Garrion gagged, stumbling back, and Kai drove the knife into his thigh before ripping it free and leaping backwards.

  Blood poured out, stained the ground. Garrion dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.

  Kai tilted his head, watching him chest heave. “You’re durable. I’ll give you that.” He licked the blood off the edge of the knife “But you know that only means you're dragging out the inevitable.”

  He took a slow step forward and with a burst of speed, he was on Garrion again. And this time Garrion couldn’t keep up. First came a slash across the chest. Then a stab through the forearm. And a brutal kick to the ribs that sent him crashing into the ground.

  "You sure do talk a lot." Garrion spat blood, forcing himself up with shaking arms. His vision blurred, but he raised his glowing fist once more. “Is that really all you got?”

  He knew he was their last line of defense. If he was to fall here, then they were all doomed. As a result, he refused to show weakness even in the face of an enemy that was obviously stronger.

  But something else bothered Garrion. Even if he was tired, falling this easily left him in disbelief. There was something off. He felt like his body was shutting down from the inside.

  His head suddenly snapped up in shock. "Ahh shit!" He glanced at Kai's blade. He had notice Kai hadn't been aiming for vital spots and was only leaving shallow cuts on anywhere he could slash.

  And now that he thought about it, the only reason why one would do such was if they didn't need to cut deep in order to deal solid damage.

  "It's poisoned isn't it?" Garrion muttered loud enough for Kai to here. "A fucking strong one at that..."

  "A little bit too late to realize, don't you think?" Kai teased. "I'm disappointed though..."

  "You lied to me," He said, walking slowly towards Garrion. "You're not the one I'm looking for. He's not this weak."

  He stopped, standing before Garrion with his hand raised to strike him. "He's not here with you guys, is he?"

  Before Garrion could speak, Kai's hand began to descend and everything suddenly began to move in slow motion. He saw the knife being thrust towards him, but he couldn't react.

  This can't be the end. He couldn't die here. They were all depending on him to win. If he died here, what would happen to them?

  Garrion's mind continued to race but reality was already set in stone, and so was his fate. This was one fight he couldn't win.

  Suddenly, a massive wave of heat brushed their skin like a gust of wind. Kai froze mid strike, eyes wide as he looked around sharply.

  The atmosphere had so become hot some of the leaves on the ground were beginning to light up in flames.

  "It can't be..." Kai's voice was colored with disbelief. "Is—"

  Before he could finish, he felt a sudden rush of pain erupt in his abdomen, sending him flying backwards, his leg digging into the ground to stop his movements.

  He coughed out a burst of blood and his lips parted slightly to let out a sadistic laugh.

  "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."