Chapter 101 - Ninety-Seven

What Cain did not know is that, when I tried to call my fire army before I had to cut my magic from the two rascals that liked to suck it dry out of me; and because of that they were teleported right back to my side, quickly aware of the situation at hand, only waiting for the opportunity to attack give me an opening to escape his grasp.

That's why, when the conversation went down south, the two were right beside him and jumped out from the shadows, Darkjaw going for his back while Deadbite attacked from the front.

I back off from his range of attack, already depleted of my magic by having those two rascals working full time, plus the fact that I did not have a lot of mana to begin with; even more now because I tried to call the fire army which uses a lot of it only even though it was denied.

I use the opportunity to quickly enter my shadow and hide under the tree, any vision contact blocked by my stealth and the veil of darkness, adding to the fact that he would not be able to find me either.

I quickly think about the situation and if I should rush back to Isa and to Leonel; even more after he hinted what his intention was and his next plans; but a look over the situation makes me realize that if I don't end this right now things will only escalate out of control or, as they say, if I don't cut the weed from the start it will take over the garden.

So it would be best to just end him.

And I would love to vent some pin-up anger at him too as a bonus.

A crooked fangs smile raises my lip up as I go back to my hound form to preserve more energy and to better fight against him.

However, when I look back at him he doesn't seem amused with our attack, or rather, he seems rather bored and somewhat out of patient, as if dealing with a disobedient child, almost annoyed even.

And he sights, even though Darkjaw was bitting on his leg, and Deadbite had a knife sunk on his back.

"This is how you want to play then… very well, I shall indulge you in this dance for a while, but know this… I always get what I want, in the end."

At that a strong force, like pure magic, emanated out of him as if a force-field exploded and the two Rascals were simply disintegrated while the force pushes forward harder, bringing the leaves back with branches and stone, cracking the structure of the constructions around.

I wasn't worried about those two, after all they would be ok as long as I lived, but what worried me the most was what Cain was up to.

I stay alert, and yet… he does not attack me, instead he reaches out for his own face. At first I could not discern what he was doing as his fingers pressed down on his skin with strength.

Then I understood it.

He was pulling the skin off!

Petrified about what I was looking at I watch as the skin on his face comes out like wax, as if he was taking off a mask, a mask pretty much glued to his face, but that somehow was his face.

It was underrated to say that I was horrified yet amused with the scene that played in front of me.

I could not make out what was underneath the wax as he pulled out, only seeing the pieces of skin that fell down and how pulling at his skin started to feel like it consisted of a weird mixture of flesh, goo and wax, all into a slimy substance that gave way to his fingers as he carved his nails into his own flesh.

Thankfully I could not see well otherwise I may only phantom how his eyes and teeth looked like as he pulled their cover out, and seconds later I couldn't see anything anymore as the pieces of skin that fell down before start to crumble and disintegrate into smaller and smaller pieces as they became smoke and cover my vision of Cain.

Strangely enough it did not produce a lot of smoke, but the white fleeing substance seemed to be attracted by Cain, becoming very dense around him, enough that even his silhouette disappeared amidst the smoke.

I stay alert, waiting for him to attack, ambush me,  trying to figure out what he was up to, but my curiosity takes the best of me when it takes far too long for me to see anything.

So I peek with my third eye.

And the only I see a wild river of energy slashing out and about, like an immense bomb ready to explode, and it was so bright and full that it was like looking at the sun; and blinding as much, I could hardly make out his shape against the energy circulating in and around him, as if he had too much inside him to be contained by his fleshy body.

When the smoke starts to fade away, however, what I find standing in his place isn't the soft face and blond looks of a boy, but a sharp-eyed man with black eyes and a long black hair with an intricate silver hair crown in Chinese style holding part of it high up in a long curved ponytail, giving him an even more powerful image, completed with embroiled clothes with long sleeves and cloth with lines in silver.

…

…Who the hell is he?

What a fancy and exaggerated person, there was even silver fur over one shoulder falling onto the back, plus garments on the wrists, belts and boots made of plates of silver, and strangely enough beyond all that what gave him the most arrogant look is his sharp upturned eyebrows.

"My name is Mao Zexian, I'm the Roaring Dragon! Come forth Terror! Fight me head-on!" He says, unsheathing two swords at the same time, making an arch in front of him as they were on opposite sides for a better draw.

What? What is going on? Is that another person? Did Cain change places with someone? Maybe teleportation?

And yet, when I take a good sniff of the air… I receive the same smell from before.

That's him, Cain, in flesh and bones… right?

Then why is he so different? And changing his name even…

At that he jumps, fl.u.s.tering his clothes like the feathers of a raven, but instead of a small, normal jump, it was like gravity did not work on him, and for a moment I thought he could even fly, having his long legs stretched out in the air.

Out of nowhere, with a shushing sound, something flies my way, making me dodge to the side, still inside my shadow.

When I look back at him I can see that Mao Zexian, the man he claimed to be, had a wide silver sword in one side, and a small, glassy dagger in the other, holding it back like he was about to throw it.

I had only a second to wonder where the second sword had gone too when he throws the dagger.

This time he hit where I'm, but I dodge quickly to the side, teleporting to another shadow for at least this place had an abundance of them with so many trees around, and once I start to wonder how he intended to hit me with such small blade as I was hidden inside a shadow the glass dagger shimmers and suddenly there is lightning coming from the transparent blade, like thousands of snakes lunging chaotically in all directions, circling around as if trying to find some prey.

A shushing sound passes close to my ear, and when I look over I realize what it was with a grave expression; his other sword had just flown over my head and almost hit me!

How the hell does he know where am I? Can he see me? That's impossible! But even worst is to think that he is only attacking by mere instinct for it had been almost too precise and accurate!

That would be impossible …right?

And yet, once Mao Zexian comes down and I can have a look over the man once more I realize what he was; someone from a rare and strong breed, the type of creature whispered in the alleys and not seen by most, respected and feared by many, bordering the divine.

A cultivator.

This fight may have just got a lot harder.

And that brought a full fangs smile to my black lips.