POV: Sloth
I swallowed dryly as I felt apprehensive from the mere thought of the potential destruction this boy could unleash if he were to use his Aspect.
In terms of combat, this boy is superior to me and that same boy has surpassed me without even using his Aspect.
If I don't kill this boy now…
In the moment of realization, I dashed towards the boy with the sole purpose of killing him, casting away my idle thoughts as I approached him with urgency.
I will die.
Arriving before him, I channeled my aura around my fist and tried to smash it into his face, but the boy's next action provoked the remaining fragile sense of pride I had left as he sheathed his sword amidst dodging my punch with a spin, carrying his momentum forward as he landed a spinning side kick precisely into my liver, sending vile warning throughout my body as I nearly succumbed to the urge of collapsing.
I can't fall now or else I'll die!
Enduring the excruciating pain, I continued to forward as I forced the boy into an exchange of hand-to-hand combat, but that proved to be a mistake as within seconds, the boy had dominated me as with every strike and kick he landed, weaving and countering any attack of mine with flawless efficiency.
Throughout the entirety of our fight, I've come to learn a devastating fact.
This boy has a talent beyond human comprehension.
Throughout my countless battles against heroes who are deemed as geniuses and veterans who excel solely in combat, I have never witnessed a human being who is able to adapt in real-time such as this boy standing before me.
Nothing works twice against him.
Unless it's a surprise attack or a move that he hasn't seen before, then there's an opportunity to land an attack, but even then, that opportunity isn't guaranteed as he possesses inhuman reflexes that seem more automatic than anything and unless I'm able to anticipate his next move, then all hope is lost as his brain is processing information at a rate that somebody like myself is unable to even fathom.
Maybe I was wrong.
On the verge of despairing, I forced myself forward as I clenched my fist tightly and with all of my aura, I channeled it solely into my fist as my display of endurance surprised the boy, which blessed me with an opportunity to kill this boy once and for all as I struck my fist into his jaw with every fiber of my being, but the sight that I was forced to bear witness to left me appalled as the boy barely budged an inch, despite giving it my all.
With your ambitious desire along with your unparalleled talent, maybe you can achieve your dream.
With such mastery over his own body, the boy was able to nearly nullify the impact of my punch completely by turning his head in the opposite direction with impeccable timing as well as using the earth beneath him as a personal cushion and with my fist resting against his jaw, the boy's eyes brimmed with determination as he clenched his fist tightly while my strength had continued to slip from my grasp.
I'm sorry, Wrath…
Discouraged and enervated, I accepted my fate amidst the boy smashing his fist into the side of my chin as my senses were left scrambled beyond comprehension, causing me to wobble sideways as if I was a drunkard until the boy awoken my senses through an agonizing combination of attacks, causing me to cough up blood upon him striking the area where he previously punctured an organ with his blade as my vision soon began to blur.
But this may be the end for me.
Through a last-minute act of a desperation, I lunged forward with hopes of grabbing the boy, but the boy had already anticipated my every move as he took a step back before displaying his years of experience with martial arts into my torso, striking every vital point with incredible precision until he ended his relentless onslaught a spinning back kick into my chest, sending me tumbling backwards through the boreal forest until I landed against a broken boulder.
Against the rock, I began coughing up blood mixed-phlegm as I tried to move a single muscle, but of course my battered body would refuse to fulfill my desire as the boy approached me with a lifeless gaze that was unfitting for his age.
"This is your last chance. Where are they?" The boy demanded with a sharp, unrelenting tone as his cold gaze fell upon me, arising an unnerving sensation within me as his eyes conveyed a frightening message.
I have the power to kill you in an instant.
"You're right. That's why I'm going to take this wishful thinking of mine and make it into a reality!"
It all makes sense now.
You're young, but that's no excuse as you're someone who has already experienced the cruelty of this world.
Those who bore witness to the truth are destined to change this world, regardless of how much of an impact they will have.
Cogs such as myself have no right to deny them of their success.
Whether fate allows you to become a hero who saves this world or a villain whose death is brought about by a stroke of bad luck, none of that matters as there is one thing that is certain.
You possess the same eyes as our leader and that fact alone makes you someone who has the potential to change this world.
Had I known you were someone like that prior to our fight, I would have avoided you, but I wonder…
"I'm sorry, but my answer from earlier was the truth." I answered coarsely, struggling to pull out my box of cigarettes from within my pocket, but to my disappointment, the box was empty as I sighed before the boy smashed his foot into my face, burying my head within the rock itself as my consciousness slipped away from me.
Will your ideals prevail in the face of violence itself?
It's a shame that I won't be able to see your dream come true…
Wrath.