The Dream Shifter

Chapter 233

'If you're going to be part of the team you need to adapt. You're useless to us as you are.'

She nodded silently to herself. The metal of her gauntlets warped from the punch that Seiji gave her. It managed to take the blow, but left an impression in them. "I need something stronger."

Seiji tilted his head a little. He barely picked up the words from her. He wanted to stop holding back. His talks with Yuki made him understand clear enough, that in spite of their powers, they were still humans with a frail body. Seiji understood his strength well enough to know what that would mean against her. He felt a little grateful for the poison she gave him since it gave him more control over his strength than he had before. In fights, he always used everything he had without holding back, but he could not fight in such a way any longer. It would be deadly.

'Just a useless child.'

A ripple in the ground poured out from Nerine's feet. The grass disappeared from the area creating a large circle of dried dirt that stretched for a twenty-meter radius around her. "This is the first time in more than a year that I've used my field."

Seiji grinned at the thought. He saw Nerine's expression. It became determinedly serious. The fight he wanted approached. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm looking forward to this."

"You may regret those words." Suddenly more than a dozen weaponized gauntlets dropped from the air and crashed into the earth. The thick guards on her arm disappeared. One of the weapons in the field disappeared and surfaced on her arms. The metal spun out with a life of its own covering up to her shoulders. Sharp blade like edges covered the outside surface while her armored like gloves glowed. "These were meant for fighting other MP users. Their destructive potential is nothing like the other weapons I've used."

A ripple in the ground poured out from Nerine's feet. The grass disappeared from the area creating a large circle of dried dirt that stretched for a twenty-meter radius around her. "This is the first time in more than a year that I've used my field."

Seiji grinned at the thought. He saw Nerine's expression. It became determinedly serious. The fight he wanted approached. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm looking forward to this."

"You may regret those words." Suddenly more than a dozen weaponized gauntlets dropped from the air and crashed into the earth. The thick guards on her arm disappeared. One of the weapons in the field disappeared and surfaced on her arms. The metal spun out with a life of its own covering up to her shoulders. Sharp blade like edges covered the outside surface while her armored like gloves glowed. "These were meant for fighting other MP users. Their destructive potential is nothing like the other weapons I've used."

All of her unnecessary weapons remained stored in the deeper parts of her mind. The style that she developed focused around martial arts. Her strength was fighting and defeating her opponent directly. Yet in her assignment to the border, she found none of the abilities that were her strengths in the academy to be of use. Those that praised her for talent and skill meant nothing outside of the walls. It forced her to adapt to a different need.

The need on the gate was capture through non-lethal and generally non-violent means. The academy did not specifically train her for violence or fighting. However, they also did not tell her otherwise. Her training was simply the usage and refinement of her abilities through whatever came natural to her.

'What? You're only thirteen? Well I guess the Captain of the Guard was just as young, maybe that's why she's assigned here.'

Nerine charged forward with her fists prepared. The metal that surrounded her arms moved with her body no longer restricting her movement. It became like liquid, yet kept the hardness. Her glow increased with intensity the closer that she came to Seiji. A white shine developed over the metal bringing light to the dark field. "You're going to want to dodge this," Nerine remarked. She saw that Seiji made no move to get away from her. He looked to be welcoming her attack.

Seiji grinned at her. He liked the sound of her words and the intensity of the attack. "I'll be the judge of that!" His hands rose up to meet her attack and take it head on. Seiji dug his feet in wanting to measure the strength that she brought to him. A worthy fight had to be struck fist to fist without retreat.

Hesitation swelled in her chest reacting sharply to her fists' desire. She switched weapons because she needed them. The doubt was only around to hold her back. 'I've got to strike with everything!' Nerine tightened up her arm and fist only a meter away from Seiji. She needed to knock him down. She needed to show him that she was not a child to walk past. She could stand on her own.

An explosion of wind and chunks of earth erupted from the epicenter of their clash. Only the light created from the two fists slammed together bloated out the destruction. The fighters disappeared from sight with the engulfing blast expanding quickly beyond them.

Nearly a minute passed before the vibrating calmed and the light started to fade. Expectations of figures within the center failed. It took most of the show to settle out to a thinly veiled cloud before Seiji and Nerine's body surfaced. Both of them laid on the ground prone several meters apart and unclear how recent they entered such positions.

Seiji pulled himself up first with a little smoke rising from his body. His hands looked a little beat up and red, but still strong. He wiped away the earth that found its way on top of him. Across from him, Nerine's movement alerted him. Another grin appeared on his face very pleased with the situation. His hands tightened into fists becoming eager. "That was a great punch!"

She had some expectations for the outcome. Unfortunately, they nearly completely failed to be realized. 'Damn, I was hoping for a little more out of that… I've got more left to use, but I figured I'd make more progress…' Her body felt sore as if she went several rounds in a boxing match. The sight of Seiji appearing nearly unchanged by the attack fueled her to stand. It channeled the pain away from her mind and focused everything on him.

The sight of Seiji wanting another go with her made her sigh a little. 'He's just waiting for another chance…'

"Let's keep that up! I actually felt your fist this time! I might actually be able to make use of more of my strength!" Seiji pounded his hands together starting to appear as if he wanted to go on the offensive.

'More strength? Just how strong is he supposed to be?' The thought made her a little unsettled. However, she knew that she had more weapons to rely on. She just needed to find a different approach for him.

'I guess she's just a child after all… Nothing special about her…'

Nerine charged forward still wielding her same weapons from last time. Dirt kicked up behind her suddenly as though blasted away by something. She struck out for Seiji, but this time he actually dodged out of her way. He moved around to counter her, but found himself back forced to dig in as a gale blew down on him.

The wind threatened to push Seiji over as he pressed his feet into the cracking earth of Nerine's field. He held up his arms trying to see through the winds. As quickly as the winds began, they faded away. However, a powerful forced slammed through Seiji's face sending him off his feet and spinning wildly out of control through the ground. The force of his body dug a trench into the earth until he finally came to a stop.

Standing with an extended arm out, Nerine revealed herself as the reason (not that it should be a surprise). She pulled her hand back and looked down at Seiji measuring out the distance he flew. The effect of her fist pleased her more than the last exchange. She managed to deal a severe blow to him she felt. "I told you that you would regret it."

"Not at all. I don't regret it!" echoed Seiji's voice from the distance. His darkened figure in the night surfaced from the trench.

Nerine slid her foot back to return to a defensive stance. "Can't be…he doesn't sound affected at all!"

'Who's the woman? What she's just a kid?'

Seiji began his march back into Nerine's field. Once he returned to her vision, he wiped away the stream of blood from his chin that started at his lip. Tears in his tunic showed what little damage he sustained, but it still managed to hold. "This is starting to feel like a great fight! I can't wait to see what else you can do!" He charged forward fists raised going on the offensive.