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Post by Jisui on Feb 19, 2016 3:02:55 GMT -5
"Did we ever pay for the damages? Or was that something that was just brushed under the rug for us?"
"Are you kidding me?" Tael shuddered slightly at the memory of ice and metal dancing across the hotel walls. "Who would even try to charge us after what Elesia did to that place? After what she almost did to me for spilling her drink?"
He had tried hard to maintain a serious composure, but the effects of good food and company overcame the king, and a mirthful grin slowly cracked his features. A slight chuckle soon escalated into bright laughter at the ridiculousness of the old memories. Tael had forgotten how much he had missed his old friend. Suna never failed to make people smile and laugh when they needed it most, and always lent a kind ear when people wanted to talk. Consequently however, he often worried that she didn't think enough about herself.
Tael gave a grateful nod of thanks towards Triste as she took the dishes, leaning back slightly on his chair and stretching in contentment of a satisfying meal. He knew however that they could not stay on pleasantries forever. One of them had to hit the topic after all. Glancing at the green-haired woman quietly as she spoke to him, the king calmly shifted his posture upwards and stared at the floating candle flames shifting above them.
"...I know how you feel, Suna." He began, pausing as if considering his next words. "Believe me, I do. But are you just going to keep this from her forever? Don't you think she deserves to know the truth?"
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 21, 2016 21:58:42 GMT -5
"Think about it, Tael." Suna replied. "She ventured all the way to a foreign kindgom, alone, to try and get me aid with a disease she knows nothing about. With only my past childhood tales as clues. Plainly said, Triste went on a wild goose chase. She didn't even know you were the king. On top of that, I know how determined and adventurous she is. She's a lot like you and I when younger."
Suna leaned forward, cupping her head in her hands and looking at her friend.
"If I told her the truth. If I told her what the cause of this disease is. What do you think she'll do? She won't just accept it and deal with the time I have left. No. She'll go out into the world and try to find a way to help. She'd go after whatever she could find related to the dead. That's extremely dangerous. And you know it would be inevitable until she encountered him. I won't have her doing something so dangerous, possibly suicidal, just to save my life. I was supposed to die twenty years ago, Tael. I've lived two decades longer than destined. Not many can say they've done that."
Suna's reasoning for keep the truth secret from her daughter stemmed mainly from a want to protect her. But there was also an underlying fear. Triste would undoubtedly blame her father for this. If she attacked him in a rage, it would be terrible. To have the two most precious people in her life fight one another, the mere thought of it was heartbreaking.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 23, 2016 0:27:11 GMT -5
Suna had a point, given what Tael knew about Triste. She had crossed countries just to track him down for the remote chance that he would be able to help her mother. The possibility of her leaving to go find a method to cure her was very real. And like Suna, Tael knew quite well the road of which it would lead her.
And no matter how he envisioned it, he could not think of a positive ending to that desperate path.
Triste was still young. Her reaction to the news would inevitably be similar to his so many years ago. Her mother's sickness. Her debilitating powers. A life spent without a father. She was the one of the most mature young woman Tael had ever met, but inevitably the negative feelings and circumstances churning about her would come to a head. And there was nobody she could blame but the easiest person to blame.
"..." Sighing, the king rubbed the back of his head before looking over at his old friend. Her reasoning made sense. Suna only wanted to protect her daughter after all. There was nothing wrong with that wish. But...
"...I get it. I won't push anymore about it, Suna. But... Triste is an intelligent young woman. No matter how much you try to shelter her from the truth, she'll find out one day or piece it all together."
Clasping his hands for a moment, Tael leaned forward and gave a concerned look to the green-haired woman. "You and I both know how bad it would be if she found out from anyone other than you. Just be careful."
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 23, 2016 23:34:29 GMT -5
"I know." Suna nodded in agreement. "I hope that later on in her life she will cope with this, that she'll accept my fate years after I'm gone and hopefully won't be so angry with her father. I hope she masters her abilities and finds a use for them that brings her some form of comfort or peace. That brings me to this."
The emerald haired woman stood up from her seat, grabbing her cane and making her way towards the king's side. She reached into the pocket on her dress and held out her hand, opening it and revealing a circular device slightly smaller than her palm. There were four small buttons on its front bend and it had a black casing along its edge.
"I leave this in your hands, Tael. It's a recording I made a few months ago. Within it I speak of all the details I knew at the time regarding my disease and the fate of Triste's father. I wanted to give this to someone I could trust and there is no one who I trust more than you in this world now. Please, take this and give it to my daughter when you believe the time is right after I'm gone. I won't be here physically to tell her but if she hears it from my voice and if you're there to console her, then I believe she'll manage."
It was a heavy burden and a lot to ask of a friend she just reunited with. But it was the truth to her. With Carl and Suzuki gone and Yarashii missing, Tael was truly one of the few remaining people on the planet that Suna had complete trust in. She knew he had great responsibilities with his kingdom, with his wife, and more. She knew she was being selfish with this request. But she has rarely asked much of others. Suna knew she would not be around to see the time when Triste began to be at peace with herself and find her place in the world, but she wanted to at least give her child the truth at that point. In case she was still bothered by her mother's death and her father's disappearance and had questions.
The sound of running water and dishes gently clinking against one another ended at this point.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 23, 2016 23:58:19 GMT -5
"Suna..." Tael's words fell short as he stared at the recording in Suna's palm. The king's expression became somewhat pained at what it represented, almost resenting the object in Suna's palm. So she had thought ahead this far... part of him was touched that she had entrusted such a task to him, and another part of him couldn't accept it.
The existence of the recording truly meant that Suna had accepted her fate. She had said as much earlier, but it was much more real when in tangible form. Even as her hand was outstretched to him, Tael's hand faltered as it reached out towards the recorder. Accepting the object meant accepting her death.
He could not do that. He had to save her. He would not accept that.
But... what if he failed?
Tael's eyes became heavy with emotion as he locked gazes with the emerald haired woman. If he failed... then Triste would be...
His hand moved forward. Gently, the king plucked the recorder out of Suna's hand and brought it close to him. He would accept this burden. It was something that he owed to both his old friends. Looking up, he exchanged a pained, but meaningful look at Suna, ocean blue eyes meeting emerald.
"I'll... I'll take care of it."
Unspoken were the words he knew she would understand anyway.
And her.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 24, 2016 21:41:56 GMT -5
Suna nodded a silent thanks to the king and smiled sweetly. She appreciated his acceptance with all her heart and would be eternally grateful. Triste returned to the room at this time, drying her hands on a cloth and looking at both her mother and their guest. She could feel the tension in the room and the entities within whispered to her, letting her know that the two had been talking about something serious. She couldn't find out exactly what from this though, it was little more than a simple feeling really.
For the moment, Triste decided to ignore it.
The trio soon moved to the living room and continued talking about various topics. Time continued on and soon yawns began to come forth from their mouths and it was decided they'd all turn in, with the king being given the rather spacious guest room with the bed large enough to accommodate three people and covered in two blankets, one made of a smooth thin material similar to silk and the other being comparable to a blanket-sized marshmallow. Suna changed into her sleepwear and slid beneath her covers, taking a long look at the picture and chain link on her nightstand before drifting to sleep.
Triste, on the other hand, sat awake in her bed for nearly an hour. A large bookshelf covered the north wall of her room, filled with books on various topics although more of the recent entries pertained to subjects dealing with spirits and the departed. A remnant from her younger days of desperately trying to gain an understanding and a means to coping with her abilities. Her floor had soft brown carpeting and a dim circular panel near the door. Likely a switch that turned on the magitech light built into her ceiling.
The young woman sighed quietly and hugged her knees. Her mind was filled with the events of the day and the revelation that her mother's sickness was likely incurable. It meant her mother's early death was inevitable. It was a feeling of dread and despair that she had been ignoring for hours, but her ability to do so was waning at this hour when the exhaustion of the day was catching up. She closed her eyes and her head went down onto her knees, her vision blackening from the lack of light. Memories of the good times with Suna flew through her mind like a slideshow.
A single whisper escaped her lips, audible to no one but her and the ethereal entities within her room.
"I don't want my mom to die."
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Makkura Household 3: 20 AM
It was unknown what dreams a king had. Least of all what this monarch in particular dreamed of. Were they dreams of younger, better, times? Fantasies of a bright future where he overcame his current challenges? Perhaps a nightmare of how things could go horribly wrong if he made the wrong decisions? It could have been any of them, for no one could truly control where their mind wandered when asleep. The most one could do is influence it, but it was never a guarantee.
Such idle thoughts and wondering mattered little though, as the tall man breathed deeply within his metal coffin of a helmet. Standing beside the king of Jin's bed, looking down at the slumbering ruler, was a man who was clearly not entirely human. A large oddly shaped helmet made of metal covered his head entirely, its years of use apparent in its various scratches and less than perfect condition. He wore a tattered robe, grey in color, and deep red baggy pants that stopped right above his bare feet, with a dull colored sash wrapped around his waist. His skin was similar to stone in color and his body was lean, showing a good amount of muscle but not enough that one would think he lacked speed. The eight foot tall creature barely made a sound, his breathing only capable of being heard in near silence and those with acute hearing.
He was conflicted. He had no problem mentally admitting that. The man before him was not entirely and enemy yet not an ally. His future actions could possibly benefit him and his allies or endanger them. To the inhuman man, such a risk was not worth it. He took the chainsaw off his back, deep black in color with glowing orange along the blade and upon certain spots of the handle. He did not rev it and instead simply held it above the sleeping king.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 25, 2016 4:07:01 GMT -5
Tael did not dream of the past nor the future. Instead, he dreamed of what could have been.
It was unusual for him, and he knew it. But it couldn't be helped. Meeting Triste and reuniting with Suna had brought forth so many memories that he could not help but ponder about a future that did not occur.
A future that contained a healthy Suna and her husband, with Triste right beside them. His own family would be there as well, small children keeping Triste busy as the other adults conversed of old times and adventures with each other. Tael did not like "what if's". He preferred to think of the present and future instead of what could have been. But even he could not deny that this was his ideal future.
It was a dream that he was hesitant to leave, even as his eyes snapped open in the presence of an intruder.
Even as a young prince, one of the things that he was taught was constant vigilance. There was no telling when a possible assassin would attempt to take his life. That training, along with his already formidable senses, made most assassination attempts on him futile. That being said, this one was good. The intruder's breathing was quite controlled.
In an instant, the king grabbed the heavy sheets covering him and threw them in the general direction of the intruder. Rolling to the other direction out of the bed, he skillfully used one of his hands to push against the ground as he fell, turning the roll into a graceful lunge towards the other end of the room. Sweeping his other leg out in the direction of his resting bow, Tael managed to knock his weapon into the air, where he smoothly caught it and aimed in the direction of his intruder in one fluid motion.
For a moment, Tael's eyes flashed an unnerving shade of gold as he took in the armored man's features. This man... this assassin wasn't normal.
"Hah... attacking me in my friend's home? You've got some guts." There was no humor in his normally carefree tone, and his ocean blue eyes seemed to almost glow with an unnatural coldness in the darkness of the room. Trying to take his life was one mistake. But involving Suna and Triste was a far worse one.
"Fool. I've lived too many battles to be killed in my sleep."
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 25, 2016 21:52:57 GMT -5
The assailant swung his right arm to the side, shredding through the heavy blanket and tossing it aside. But it had done what it needed to and had distracted him long enough for the king to reach his weapon. He wasn't upset by this turn of events though. In fact, this was better. To kill the king of Jin in his sleep, to end the life of the great Tael Whitemane in such a manner, was a complete waste and offered him none of the honor and respect he was deserving of.
"Good." The inhuman man responded, his voice deep and echoing from the confines of his metal helm. "A figure as great as you, your majesty, should not die in his sleep. But on his feet, standing bravely against his foe."
He became silent for a moment, as if considering his words and actions carefully. His left arm fell to his side, still holding his chainsaw but showing no intention to currently use it.
"My name is Howl Zoloheim. And you, King Whitemane, represent a grave risk to my people. You talk of peace between humans and nonhumans as if such a thing were possible. You are a stick attempting to hold back the raging waters of an inevitable war. You speak of peace between our kinds yet I've seen no major movements of your forces to strike down the genocidal Order of the Golden Cross. Then again, they hide their crimes behind their charity and church sermons. To have one nation declare war against such an organization...I imagine even you wouldn't want to deal with those political ramifications."
Howl grasped his chainsaw tightly again and revved it for a brief moment, turning away from the king and slashing the air. An orange tear within the air, within space itself, appeared before him and opened up, showing a doorway to an empty park. The inhuman man beckoned the king with a movement of his shoulder as he stepped into the tear.
"I have come to kill you, yes, but now that you're awake and ready we should take this elsewhere. I have no quarrel with the people of this home."
Park 3:30 AM
Howl stepped onto the deep blue grass, moving several feet away from the rift. The park was completely desolate during this time, the only sound being the wind blowing through the nearby trees and the crickets occupying the area. Two swing sets could be seen nearby with a small playground made of colorful plastic and wood sitting a few yards away. A large sandbox lay on the opposite side of the park, with a few benches in front of the sidewalk further out.
The tall inhuman man stood silently, awaiting his opponent to follow.
However, this area was not as deserted as he had assumed. Sitting atop the tallest tower of the playground, over twenty feet into the air, was a familiar young woman. This place was a familiar one to her and these early morning visits had become more regular in recent times. After all, what was the point of lying in bed unable to sleep with the heavy whispers of the departed in your ears? With the desperate thoughts of the inevitable death of a loved one looming over you?
Triste, dressed in her black cloak and purple scarf, watched Howl in silence, being as quiet as she possible could and moving further back behind the tower's pointed tip, concealing herself as best she could. Who was this man? His helmet was an obvious sign that he was not normal but it was not his appearance that unsettled her. No, it was the frantic murmurings and faint cries of the spirits in the area that picked up in volume and panic upon his arrival. There was something wrong with this man. There was blood upon his hands.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 26, 2016 0:24:16 GMT -5
"...Tch." Tael silently watched as the man disappeared into the portal, lowering his bow and standing up. What contradictory words. He had just tried to kill him in his sleep, but stated that it was best if Tael were to die on his feet. He attacked him in Suna's home, but apparently had no desire to drag Triste and Suna into this. On top of that, the armored man's words implied that the reason he was trying to kill Tael was because of his stance on peace between humans and nonhumans. Yet, he didn't appear to be a member of the Order of the Golden Cross either.
"Howl Zoloheim..." Testing out the name on his tongue, the king wondered what the tall inhuman assassin was playing at. Then he shook his head, looking at his clothing and weapons on the stand next to him. There was no time for any more thought.
Not even the thought that it was an obvious trap could deter him. The assassin was clever. Even if it was a trap, there was no other choice but to go forward. The risk that Suna and Triste could still be dragged into this was too high.
And he was never one to shy from conflict either.
The king stepped out of the portal, fully clothed and armed with his bow strapped to his back. Taking a few glances around the empty playground, his eyes rested on the tall figure of Howl several feet away from him.
Neither man made any move, tense air being filled with the sound of passing crickets and stray wind.
Tael didn't know what to think of the inhuman man. He was admittedly grateful that he chose to drag the fight out of the house and away from any bystanders. The fact remained however, that he was trying to kill him for reasons which Tael weren't even sure of. There were only a few ways this could end up.
"...I've got quite a few questions for you." The king finally muttered, breaking the silence which had blanketed them. "But it doesn't look like you're the type to answer them."
Smoothly, he removed his bow from his back but kept it lowered. Tael's eyes turned cold once again as he stared at the tall inhuman, keeping an eye on the slightest of movements.
"So, let's just get to the point. For taking us away from all the bystanders, I'll give you the chance to surrender. Just drop the weapon."
The air behind the king began to shimmer.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 27, 2016 10:34:14 GMT -5
The king was correct. Whatever questions he had, Howl likely wouldn't answer them. Now wasn't the time for that. Howl did appreciate the ask for a surrender, for it showed his opponent was not a bloodthirsty monster, but unfortunately he couldn't accept.
"Unfortunately." The inhuman man's grip tightened on his weapon. "I can't do that. Nor can I ask you to surrender either, for this can only end with your death, your majesty."
Without warning, Howl quickly jumped into the air and lunged towards Tael, swinging his chainsaw in a wide horizontal arc as he fell forward. His weapon was still inactive and he seemed to be using it as a normal bladed weapon at the moment. The air whistled loudly as he slashed, the force behind the blow was massive and it was in the king's best interest to avoid any contact with it at all.
"Before I end your life, show me the skill of the mighty King of Jin!"
Triste, meanwhile, continued to watch. She wanted to jump in, to help Tael, but she also had full confidence in him. His brief showing of his skill with his bow during their first meeting was the smallest inkling of his talents. In truth, she believed this inhuman man was way out of his league and the king would make quick work of him.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 27, 2016 20:01:19 GMT -5
Howl's slash came at a brutally fast speed with audible force as it ripped through the air towards Tael, but it still found only air instead of flesh. The king had instantly leaped backwards several feet upon seeing the slightest movement on Howl, boots sliding against the barren dirt of the playground as he came to a rest. Giving a humorless chuckle, the king gave a slight shrug while gathering a few arrows from his quiver. The air was still shimmering about him, reminiscent of a turbulent ocean. "Figures. Well.. this is easier for me too, I suppose." Many assailants and enemies he had encountered over the recent years had forgotten. Long ago, he was Carl Makkura's equal. The years had not dulled his strength, only refined it. One did not earn the crown by sitting on his laurels. Tael's eyes trained on Howl like a bird of prey. The air was becoming difficult to breathe in. Dry. As if the moisture in the air was evaporating. Behind the king, innumerable shapes began to form in the darkness, swirling and solidifying like... Liquid. Out of thin air, arrows of water were being formed in lines several meters around them. Without warning, they suddenly shot at Howl at different intervals, landing with such impact that they shattered earth and stone about him like artillery shells. A clean hit from them would be fatal for most any person. In front of Howl, Tael seemed to be muttering a spell over his physical arrows, keeping a close eye on the inhuman man while doing so.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 27, 2016 20:21:27 GMT -5
Howl said nothing as he watched the king's armory of liquid arrows appear around them. He was already impressed though, he had no problem admitting that much. The arrows then flew towards him at breakneck speeds, screaming as they cut through the air, tearing apart the earth and stone of the playground. The power behind a single arrow was enough to completely decimate any mortal human and low class demon.
But Howl Zoloheim was no low class demon. He didn't get where he was by being weak and defenseless. And although his foe was mighty, possibly the strongest he'd faced, he would not fall here. Not without giving the king a fight.
The inhuman man revved his chainsaw and its blade glowed orange. An arrow pierced his left shoulder and another struck his back but he ignored it. In one swift motion he spun his weapon around him, cutting the fabric of space itself and creating a rift that circled around him. Dozens of the water arrows fell into the rift and Howl revved his chainsaw again, swing in a horizontal arc in front of him and creating yet another rift. As soon as it opened the arrows that fell into the previous tear in space flew out towards their master.
He wasn't going to leave it at that though. Howl crouched, his chainsaw roaring as its blade spun, and burst into a sprint. Every step cracked the earth as he moved,using his volley of arrows as cover as he moved in on the king. He had to keep the distance between them to a minimum. King Whitemane was an archer, so distance was his ally. The inhuman man had to strip him of such an advantage as much as he could.
Triste's eyes widened at the sudden display of power from the king. She knew the king of Jin was a hero to many and bordered on being a legend but she had never expected him to have such power. To instantly cast an army of arrows made from his own arcane mastery of water was a testament to his abilities. What astounded her the most was how fast he had cast it. How quickly he had generated and released the mana. The spirits in the area observed the battle, quivering with excitement, joy, and fear.
The temptation to jump in an assist reared its head when Tael's own attack was turned back to him. But the daughter of Carl Makkura could feel the spell the king was casting. Could feel the mana within its inaudible words. This initial attack was likely just a distraction. In no way was it the coup de grace.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 27, 2016 20:51:55 GMT -5
Dimension magic. Tael figured as much when Howl had initially opened the portal, but he had to confirm it. It was annoying given his specialty, but the key seemed to lie in the chainsaw... he would have to keep an eye on it. He didn't want any more unwanted surprises.
Finishing the spell on his arrows, which were now glowing with a soft white light, the king calmly waved his other hand to disperse the volley of arrows coming his way into their base water form. Instead of forming them into arrows and having them redirected once again, they rapidly reformed and combined into a large wall of water in an attempt to deter the inhuman man's assault.
Without missing a beat, the king nocked three of the enchanted arrows he had been blessing earlier and brought his aim up to Howl. Without hesitating, he released the arrows in a streak of brilliant light.
The three arrows left an unusual stream of light connected to Tael's bow as they left, radiantly shining until they resembled streaks of light rather than arrows. When the arrows neared Howl, they suddenly split into three separate directions. Darting about as if they had a mind of their own, the arrows finally shot forward at the side of Howl's head, his chest and his right leg.
In a way, the king's fighting style was reminiscent of the manner he shot down the boar when first meeting Triste. Relentless as the assault was, it was also precise, calm and without hesitation.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 27, 2016 22:16:12 GMT -5
Howl spun around as he moved, his chainsaw tearing through the wall of water as he burst through it, his movement unaffected. He prepared to swing his weapon and create yet another rift to swallow up the incoming holy arrows. However, the three arrows then darted in different directions and he had to shift more of his focus to them, decreasing his charge towards the king. One arrow flew into his metal helm and shattered completely while another was grabbed by Howl's left hand in a swift motion and crushed in half. The third, however, was a successful strike and stabbed into his chest, forcing an audible grunt to sneak out from his mouth.
It wasn't a serious wound, but Howl had already been struck three times and he had yet to even reach the king. It didn't matter how durable or resistant to pain he was; he was in a losing battle.
The inhuman man stopped moving and took a deep breath. "Your majesty, you are indeed powerful. Far stronger than I had anticipated. It seems I can't afford to hold back against you."
In a single fluid movement he revved his chainsaw again, his body changing from its stone-like gray color to a pale orange, and swiped at the floor, creating a rift beneath his own feet, falling in, and disappearing from the battle.
A few moments of silence followed.
Suddenly Tael's ears were filled with the sound of a chainsaw's roar as a rift tore apart behind him with Howl charging out and swinging his weapon upward, aiming for his shoulder.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 28, 2016 2:53:58 GMT -5
"The battlefield isn't a place to hold back." The king quipped back, nocking an additional few arrows and preparing to unleash another salvo upon the inhuman man. His eyes widened however as Howl's skin color changed and he disappeared among his own rift.
"Tch..." He was careless. It made sense that the most practical use of Howl's dimension magic was teleportation. The question was where he would pop up.
Above? Left? Right? Or...
The sound of a chainsaw filled his ears.
Glancing backward, only Tael's years of experience and excellent instinct managed to save him from the ferocious blow Howl attempted to land him. Leaping backwards as quickly as he could, the king managed to narrowly avoid Howl's slash, his chainsaw nicking the clasp of his cape and setting it free from his shoulders.
Tael had underestimated this man. That had almost nicked him, and he had no wish to know if the next blow would land or not. With Howl's portal manipulation and relentless close ranged fighting style, the inhuman almost seemed to be a perfect match for Tael's abilities. It was a shame that he was used to fighting at a disadvantage.
In a similar maneuver to earlier, Tael grabbed the cape as it flew off his shoulders, throwing it over Howl in an attempt to slow his assault down. Leaning back, the king gracefully flipped backwards with his bow in hand in order to regain a few feet of space. He had to maintain distance from the inhuman man no matter what the means.
They key was in the chainsaw. He had to restrain Howl's movements somehow. And he had a generally good idea of how to do it.
"Heh... shame you never took out that arrow, isn't it?" With a slight smirk, the king pointed to the arrow embedded in Howl's chest before muttering something under his breath. Without warning, a blinding light radiated out from the arrow, instantly dispelling the darkness around them with a glare bright enough to force most people to avert their eyes.
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