Jiji no. 8

Ice Dominion

“Holder, you better take care of yourself if you don’t want to get ridden out of the world.”

“Huh?” asked Holder as he look at Balel who was staring at their opponent, who, with all the confidence, had picked them as his opponent.

“This man is insanely powerful, I tell you,” Balel said. “It would be really difficult in your part knowing that you’re still not confident in fighting.”

“Ah, don’t worry of me,” said Holder, patting Balel on his armored shoulder. “You know, I have Jiji beside me.”

The blade of the sword that Holder holds suddenly shifted in black color, like of Jiji’s color when a slime, and then purred with joy: “WUUUU!” and then wriggled his body.

Balel laughed. “Alright then, that made me at least feeling less worried.”

The whole field was filled with battle cries. The war had started, and it was lead by the Soldiers of Agnosbadtt. Following the orders of Duthor and Benny, the soldiers courageously attacked the troops of Guion despite the fact that they are outnumbered and—supposedly—weaker in force than their opponents. But General Balfor had not brought only a hundred of five of the armies with just no reason. They were leading the fight in surprisingly, fascinating manner. In a span of a minute, there are almost a hundred soldiers in silver armor lying on the ground, wounded, bloodied, and was breathing hard for the sake of chasing their life who was now about to fly off. Some had already fled. Some had failed to chase their life and breaths.

Holder sharply looked at General Wu of orange colored cloth, and asked: “what was your reason why you’re attacking us?”

“Because we want it. We want the strongest kingdom in the Middle Continent to fall. That’s what humanity is, right? Pull down those who dominates the world.”

“Well you can’t, because Agnosbadtt is far more superior than your kingdom!”

General Wu laughed. “That, you do not need to tell me,” he said, “almost everyone knew it.”

“But then why are you still attacking?” Holder said. He raised Jiji that is formed as a Katana, and eyed him sharply as he ask.

“Because you may be strong, but you are not invincible. Someday, a flower in domineering bloom would fade… in time,” General Wu metaphorically said.

“But the fading wouldn’t happen today,” Balel interrupted.

“Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Because we’re just starting.”

And then the General attacked the two young men.

Holder and Balel jumped in each direction when they witnessed how the General Wu they are fighting, had summoned a wooden sword, and smashed it in between of them.

Lucky, however, because General Wu moved comparatively slower compared to how Balel and Holder moves. Holder’s eyes were at the moment used to the jaw-dropping speed of Balel. That is why, when the General moved—noting that he is slower than Balel—Holder had effortlessly evaded the attack.

However, the after effect of the attack was the one they did not expect. Holder thought that the General had only used his wooden sword to test them with their agility or speed or reflexes, so that he can think of better attacking tactics to use. But it seems that the General they were fighting—and perhaps the other General and Mysthresses too—has a completely different attacking scheme than them.

They want the opening scene grand and explosive.

Holder wasn’t expecting it, but from the space where the general sliced his wooden sword, ice erupted, formed and built a huge glaciers with sharp tip that is almost as dangerous as a knife. It quickly erupted from the slice of General Wu, and then travelled on the air, towards where Balel and Holder were situated, too fazed by the sudden powerful attack.

Balel wasn’t able to dodge again, because the glaciers were mountainous. However, he had summoned a tough shield on his arms, to prevent the sharp glacier to penetrate his body and kill him. Holder was more reflexive. Just the mountainous glacier was about to head towards him, he prepared his Jiji-Katana, and used it to deflect the glacier.

He hadn’t broke or deflected the sharp-formed glacier, of course, but he had used the impact on his sword to make his body be thrown away, and therefore land on a safer space where the glacier cannot meet.

One of the Soldier spotted him, and then quickly attacked with his barbaric-like broad sword. Holder managed to dodge it effortlessly. He swung his body three hundred sixty degrees, and the soldier blew a grunt as a roundhouse kick landed on his back.

“I’m sorry,” Holder said, feeling sorry to the man he had just kicked.

Above, he heard the sound of a peculiar popping sound—like a sizzle but in a cold manner. When he looked up, there he saw the General Wu they were fighting. He was holding his wooden sword above, raised flamboyantly as huge needles of ice started to form in the air.

And then it attacked them. Half of the formed needles of ice rained towards Holder, and half was at his opposite direction, at Balel’s side.

“Majic Dominion,” said General Wu, “Antartica.”

In an instant, the whole armies—both of Guion and Agnosbadtt’s—and the cries surrounding them had disappeared. The world was filled with utter silence as it shifted from a surrounding of hills and grasses, to plain, dead snow and ice sheeted on the ground. Holder frantically looked at the surrounding, confused of what had happened. And then he remembers the same thing that Balel did. The creation of the dominion space.

General Wu had won the dominion battle, and created the dominion space.

He noted that, and then felt threatened.

Because, if this happens, then that must mean that he is perhaps more powerful than Balel and him. Or even combined.

He placed the thought back of his mind first, and then minded the rain of needles that was coming towards him. In just a flick of minute, a lot of thing has been happening already. A dominion space declaration, and then these rains of needles.

“Jiji!” Holder shouted.

Jiji knew what Holder wants him to do. He has heard it on his mind. He wasn’t sure, however, if he can do it right, but he trusted his skills, and trusted the majic dusts inside Holder.

He grabbed power to his partner’s chest, and then from a simple shiny Katana, he exploded, and shifted into another form.

Holder saw how his world started to be filled with eerie darkness. It was at first, scary, because it felt like he was devoured by the black smoke similar to what Balel had done when they were having a training. But Holder reminded himself that it was Jiji who has bursted into being a black smoke. He bursted as a black smoke, similar to Balel’s skill. In short, Jiji mimicked the skill of Balel, and used it as an advantageous ability.

And it worked, thank gods.

Holder’s instinct that Jiji can mimic the skill of Balel, and use it to get rid of the attack of the General, was indeed a rightful thing they had considered.

As Jiji bursted into shadows, he devoured all the needles of ice and make it dissipated as if nothing happened, or as if the rain of ice has once again, evaporated in the air.

On the other side, Balel was unbothered by General Wu’s attack as he did not do anything about it, but stare. All of the needled ice were passing through him, as if he was just a clump of formed shadow.

“Interesting,” said General Wu. From floating above, he went down to the ground, and gave Balel and Holder an amused smile. “I never expect both of you are this skilled and powerful.”

“That is because you have underestimated me and Holder,” said Balel.

General Wu smirked at him, “I am still underestimating you, do not worry,” he said. “Not because I was fascinated by your power, that would also mean I am weaker than both of you. Let me clearly say this: you both young gentlemen will never be more powerful than me.”

“Really?” Holder asked. Jiji returned back being into a Katana. “Then care if we test it?” he added, and quickly, without hesitation, without any sense of fear to be trailed in his face and on his voice, he dashed towards him, and attacked.