Chapter 85: First Fight (1)

Chapter 85

A slash was speeding towards Asher’s head with decent speed.

Quickly, the boy was forced to jump to the side just in time.

The slash crashed into the asphalt ground again.

The Shade didn’t stop. It spun around and gave chase with a diagonal slash.

Asher wasn’t quick enough, but he was still able to spin around in order to dodge.

However, the blade caught his shoulder and tore through— sending crimson droplets splattering through the air.

"Ack...." Asher grunted in pain as he staggered backward.

Holding his shoulder, he panted while piercing the Shade with a furious glare.

The Shadow lifted its bladed arm and pointed it at the boy.

Blood dripped from the blade onto the ground like water dripping onto a counter, the faint sound echoing through the stillness of the street.

And once again, it dashed towards the boy.

"Haa....haaa..." Asher panted— carefully steadying his breathing as he shifted into a strange stance.

Within a few moments, a slash from above descended towards the boy.

He weaved beneath the attack by the skin of his teeth.

The air rushed past him.

However, he was immediately punished with a heavy punch to his midsection.

"Ack...."

Saliva burst from the boy’s mouth as his body went flying backward.

Bang!

He crashed into the steel of a streetlight— bending it from the sheer force of the impact.

His spinal cord screamed with excruciating pain.

’Come on. Come on, damn it! Why? Why? Why?!’

The boy couldn’t move for a moment.

His head was pounding heavily while his eyes threatened to close shut.

Huffing, he clenched his fist angrily as he shot daggers with his eyes into the distance.

’Why? Why? Why? I just fucking came out from a damn trial and I’m faced with this? Is this your damned welcome for me?!’

His anger began to increase with each passing second as he unconsciously clenched his left hand, where the foggy glove lay.

’No, no. I-I-I....’

The Shade had now moved again.

It towered above the boy with its bladed arm lifted high above its head.

’I...I....’

Swoosh!

The blade was hurled down.

Bang—!

It crashed into the ground with heavy momentum, causing chunks of asphalt to be kicked up immediately.

Dust blew into the air with heavy force.

The Shade paused, staring at the destroyed ground with a low growl emanating from somewhere within its shadowy body.

Then,

A heartbeat later—

"I’m not going to fucking DIE TODAY!" Asher bellowed from directly behind the Shade.

And with anger rising from the depths of his heart, he swung his left hand forward with all his force.

Before the Shade could react in time, the fist crashed into the Shadow’s back, blasting it away with a deafening bang.

The Shade crashed into the steel streetlight and finally split the metal in half, its body tumbling across the ground.

It dug its blade into the ground and instantly drew itself to a grinding halt.

Asher could be seen huffing and panting while holding his side, pain flaring throughout his entire body.

Then, something happened.

"...."

’Huh?’

Asher could feel movement around his left hand.

And under his stunned gaze, the black fog began twisting and moving furiously.

It twisted for a few seconds until—

’Wha—?!’

A midnight-black knife appeared in the boy’s left hand.

And the black glove from earlier was nowhere to be seen.

The knife itself was ordinary.

It didn’t look special at all, and if Asher hadn’t watched the fog change into the knife, he would have dismissed it immediately.

’What is this? Where did it—’

Before he could think properly, the Shade had already appeared before him with a thrust aimed directly at the boy’s midsection.

Switching the knife from his left to his right hand, Asher quickly brought it down in front of him.

The Shadow blade slammed into the steel of the knife, causing his arms to vibrate and tremble from the force of the blow.

Asher slid backward.

His teeth gritted as he struggled to withstand the force.

The Shade bolted forward again with a slash from above.

Asher lifted the knife into position and parried the strike away by the sheer skin of his teeth.

It was terribly close.

And in the process, the blade nicked his cheek, causing blood to roll down his face.

"Haaa....haaaa...."

Asher panted as he spun on his heels just in time to avoid a kick.

He could feel it.

He was a tad bit faster than before.

Something was different within him.

But he had no time to analyse that as a punch came speeding towards his midsection.

Asher gnashed his teeth hard and planted his feet firmly on the ground in stubborn determination.

BAM!

The punch crashed into his stomach with the force of a bodybuilder.

Saliva tore forcefully from his mouth as he skidded a few inches backward.

His body was hunched forward, therefore lessening the impact by a bit.

’I don’t know what’s going on or why I’m suddenly moving like this,’

Grabbing hold of the hand planted against his abdomen, Asher lifted his knife— a cold look flashing across his eyes.

"But all I know is that I will make the Shadow God pay for all my troubles, including all his lackeys. Aaaaaah!" Asher screamed into the night sky as he brought the knife down.

The black blade bit into the Shadow’s arm.

With a furious shout, Asher dragged it upward, causing the shadowy skin to peel apart beneath the blade.

His senses flared.

Quickly looking down, he saw a kick speeding towards his groin.

’Pathetic cheater.’

Asher pulled out his knife and swung it downward.

Within a moment, impact was felt.

But it wasn’t him who was in pain.

It was the Shadow.

The knife ripped through its shadowy leg, and a strange fog could be seen oozing from the wound.

Maybe the Shadow’s equivalent of blood. Asher had no idea at all.

Not allowing it to move him, he pushed forward.

Albeit, before he could close in on the Shadow, its bladed arm descended upon him from above— rushing straight towards his head.

While Asher was still desperately trying to halt his charge, his eyes widened in horror at the descending blade that now cast a dark shadow over him.

’Ah. Fuck.’