The battlefield was still shrouded in a thick fog of dust. The clinking of swords could still be heard.
And within the dust, the bandit, with an open wound stretching from his pelvis to his right shoulder, gasped as he tried to locate Samo.
"What happened?" he wondered. "I could hear his heavy breathing just moments ago. Is he dead? Or did he run away?"
Lost, he looked desperately at the faint silhouettes around him, but all he could see was the dust cloud.
"I have to do something about this dust. I'm too injured to stay here," he muttered. "Damn it, if it weren't for that Aura surge, I wouldn't have had to use this…"
Then he raised both arms and began to make circular movements. The Aura surrounding him started to detach from his body. From his hands, gusts of wind could be seen.
The dust began to move away from him, clearing his surroundings.
"Alright, it's working."
As the dust dispersed, he saw more of the destruction caused by Samo's attack. The ground torn into a crater — he felt relieved to have used his Aura as protection, otherwise, the slash would've resulted in dismemberment.
"Where are you?" he searched, arms still raised.
Then he saw it: a green flash coming his way. An excruciating pain erupted from his liver, in the same place as the wound.
"Argh!" the bandit felt the impact. For a brief moment, before the figure vanished, he saw Samo's red hair. But now, instead of a black Aura, a light green one emanated from his body.
Samo vanished into the dissipating dust.
The man fell to his knees, hands clutching the site of impact. He gasped in agony as blood trickled from the corners of his lips.
"What speed is this?" he muttered. "And what is this… green Aura?"
He tried to follow the blur that circled him.
"Damn monster, where did he come from? Was he inside the broken carriage?" he thought. "At this rate… I'm going to die."
Then the bandit heard something around him. He tried to locate the source but failed.
"iteruM šaroM ... is neraveN," is what he heard.
A hand grabbed his neck. What he saw and felt was clear: he was lifted and slammed back into the ground with such force that he blacked out. The impact stirred up dust once again.
The figure standing behind him was none other than Samo — or so it seemed. His eyes glowed a serpentine green, and the Aura that once shimmered black now matched the color of his eyes.
".ošud ojovt emazverp acinthte jaN," said the boy, lifting his leg. Aiming at the bandit's head on the ground, he delivered a fatal blow.
But...
Clank.
"You're an interesting creature," a hoarse voice emerged from the mist. Red leather began to appear as the dust settled.
"This is the first time I've seen someone possess two Auras," then he fully revealed himself: the man who had stood atop the rock now faced Samo eye to eye. Wearing loose black pants and a red leather chestplate that covered only half his torso. His chin and mouth were hidden by a golden cloth; his brown eyes emanated serenity, and his hair was tied into a ponytail.
He held a guandao, blocking the strike to his companion's head.
"Before we kill each other, my name is Rhakan, the Jawless." He brought his bare arm to his chest and bowed slightly as he introduced himself. "May I know your name?" he asked. But all he could hear was the clashing of swords in the distance and the slow disintegration of his ally's body, where Samo's Aura touched it.
"Well, I guess that's a no." He smiled. "Then, if you'll excuse me."
He raised his weapon, prompting Samo to step back and lower his leg. "This man on the ground is still of use to me."
[POV: Samo]
Where am I? Everything is... dark.
I only remember looking at my reflection in the blade before everything faded.
It's cold.
Ah… I remember this feeling. I'm in Irly, but why is everything dark? I can't open my eyes.
"You'll be fine, don't worry," a voice beside me said — my own voice. "After all, Green is the one who worries most about you."
Green? Is that one of the Hydra's heads?
"Why can't I open my eyes?" I asked.
"You can't because you're not allowed," it replied. "We've always seen the outside world through your eyes, but you're not ready to see Irly through ours."
I see. "So if I'm here, then Green is controlling my body?"
For a moment, silence filled the space.
"Exactly," answered the Hydra.
What's left for me to do in this dark and cold place?
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
[]
Back on the battlefield, Rhakan thrust his weapon at Samo, who dodged with ease. As he sidestepped, the young man moved closer to the bandit. Just as he was about to grab his neck, Samo was struck in the chin by a punch that stunned him for mere milliseconds — enough time for Rhakan to kick him away.
"You're quite the ferocious one, snake eyes," said the man as Samo got up. "Aiming straight for my throat? Trying to end it before we even enjoy the fight?"
The bandit raised his guandao with one hand, spun it, then suddenly slammed the weapon's base into the ground. The impact forced Samo to step back.
"If that's how it is," Rhakan began to gradually release his golden Aura, "then I'll have to take you seriously."
Now enveloped by the golden cloud, he charged at Samo. The weapon's shaft brushed past the young man's eyes — a distraction or perhaps a distance test.
Then the blade advanced toward his slit pupils. With precision, Samo stepped back just enough to dodge the edge as it passed in front of him.
Samo then pulled his left arm back as if drawing something. Without Rhakan noticing, the guandao followed the young man's movement — invisible threads wrapped around the blade.
Reluctant to release his weapon, the bandit lost balance, falling to his knees before his foe.
That's when a blast echoed to his left. Samo's rigid fingers struck against his Aura, nearly hitting his temple. Barely, thanks to his golden protection, he dodged and released the weapon.
Rhakan pulled back, watching Samo fling the weapon far away. Blood dripped from his temple.
"This kid isn't playing," he thought. "No one ever comes here — and when they do, this monster shows up."
"Fu..." Rhakan sighed, focusing a massive amount of Aura in his hands. "Die!"
He launched it at Samo; the golden energy turned into searing flames that appeared to engulf the boy.
The bandit kept firing fireballs, creating a thick cloud of smoke.
He stopped, panting. "Did I do any damage?" Then he saw a shadow emerge from the smoke, approaching to strike his stomach.
Rhakan caught Samo's fist mid-air and kneed him in the face. The knees came again and again as he held the boy's arm in place.
After several blows, Samo blocked Rhakan's knee with his free hand. His face was bloodied from the strikes, but that didn't stop him: his fingers began crushing the man's joint.
"Argh!" the bandit cried. He immediately lifted Samo by the arm and smashed him repeatedly against the ground.
Rhakan's golden Aura ignited, engulfing Samo's green mist in a cloak of fire.
"Even if the flames don't burn him, I can wear him out," he thought, continuing to slam him down.
He stopped, lifting the unconscious boy by the arm.
"You're a damned nuisance to the end."
Samo's hair hid his injured face, but his serpent-green eyes still shimmered. A smile curled his lips.
"Still has strength to smile, freak."
Rhakan prepared to rip his heart out, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a green thread pass behind his neck. Samo pulled. The bandit didn't react in time.
The guandao, still wrapped in threads, came flying back — both Rhakan's and Samo's raised arms were severed. The young man dropped to the ground. The bandit, however...
"Ah!" he cried, grabbing his bloody stump.
Samo stood again. Unlike the bandit, his severed arm didn't bleed; on the contrary, it slowly regenerated.
"I can't stay here," muttered the man, watching Samo rise. "That boy isn't human." He stood and fled.
Moments later, Samo was already on his feet, calmly following the enemy's blood trail. It was only a matter of time before blood loss took its toll.
In the distance, Rhakan ran, exhausted. His golden Aura kept him upright, but it was the only barrier against death.
Despite his efforts, he could no longer run. The Jawless one collapsed. Dragging himself, he still tried to escape.
As Samo approached, his footsteps grew deafening. Cold sweat ran down the bandit's face. He stared at the approaching youth and stopped crawling.
"Won't let go of your prey, huh, demon?" he muttered. "The great Rhakan, to die like this? Executed by a snake-child... What a disgrace."
The man closed his eyes, seeing the red silhouette approaching one last time.
Samo paused for a moment over the prostrate body.
Then the boy stepped on his face, crushing it into the dirt.
"Now he's called Rhakan, the Faceless." he mocked, in a voice inhuman and razor-sharp. "One more to go..."
The boy returned to the ambush site. The setting sun bathed the scene of carnage in crimson light. In the distance, cadets regrouped — they seemed to have subdued the remaining bandits.
He searched the spot where the other had fallen unconscious, but only found footprints skirting the rock. Samo followed the trail.
Far away, the monk ran aimlessly through the trees. The faint twilight barely lit the canopy.
"I made it… escaped..." he gasped. "Who would've thought a lunatic like that would show up here? What will happen to Rhakan's men now?"
Suddenly, the forest fell silent: the cicadas ceased, the wind halted.
"This silence... Bad… a bad omen..." Then he felt it on his back — that crushing Aura. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the serpent eyes and green cloak. A chill ran down his spine.
"Found you, prey." Samo declared. With both hands, he pierced the man's back. Blood gushed from his mouth.
"Now... DIE!" the boy shouted. As he spread his arms, the bandit's body split in two, disintegrating under Samo's Aura.
In that moment, Green smiled. Her Aura vanished, and Samo's eyes darkened.