Free Web NovelChapter 151: Chapter 150 - The Calm Before the Storm(Part 3)
Point-of-View: Zoraiz Rafayet
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"Missed me again!" Grinned Fenris, as he evaded a rising kick from me and sprang up onto a branch, staring down at me with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, yeah? Then how about this!?" I snapped, as I unleashed my max output with the Reinforce technique, boosting my strength thirty times over as I slammed my fist onto the tree he was perched on, smashing through the wood and breaking the tree down.
"Wh-whoa!" Exclaimed Fenris in alarm, before leaping off the branch as the tree began to fall.
I gotcha now!
I maxed out my strength for a second again, leaping right up at him, driving my fist straight at him as I closed in on him in midair.
As my fist closed in on him, he suddenly placed his palms along my forearm and swung himself up and across, evading my punch before I felt his feet slam onto my back, sending me flying down and crashing onto a bush, wincing as I got all scratched up by the branches.
"Gotta say, the way you max out your output for a brief moment is pretty scary, but you kinda rush when you use that method, I’m guessing because you want to strike before it wears off. But unfortunately for you, that also makes your moves pretty easy to read," He grinned, as he helped me up, reverting to his normal state.
I was currently training with him, and he was still absolutely dominating me. I just couldn’t land a hit on him, the closest I got was when I grazed his face with my fist the first time I used that trick where I unleash my maximum output with a Physical Skill technique for a second or two.
The more we spar together, the more easily he’s predicting my moves. Even when I try something new, taking him by surprise has gotten increasingly difficult each and every time we spar.
Come to think of it, Aurora did mention that when they fought Lucifer together, Fenris seemed to be reading and predicting his moves better and better the longer the fight dragged on.
He’s incredibly observant and his fighting instincts are really sharp...but even at his full power, he couldn’t defeat Lucifer in the end. But the more times he faces an opponent, the better he gets against them.
When I use my maximum output, for that brief moment, I’m both stronger and faster than he is, but he predicts my speed and timing, and then reacts accordingly.
In other words, the more he fights someone, the less of a chance they have against him. And since he can heal himself too, a drawn out battle emphatically works in his favor.
"Well, if nothing else, you do make for a good training partner," I sighed wryly.
"Hm? Oh, thanks, I guess?" He responded in bemusement, before adding, "Gotta say, you’re really keeping me on my toes, you full powered attacks may be easy to read, but you keep coming up with new moves, so I can’t let my guard down. Really didn’t expect you to bring down that tree with just a punch!"
"I did consider ripping it up by the roots and swinging it down, but I probably would’ve run out of time with my maximum output, plus it’d have given you that extra split second to react and get away," I replied, as I dusted myself off.
"Yeah, probably...by the way, uh, would you say you know Aurora pretty well?" He suddenly asked me, kinda awkwardly.
Oh, boy. He’s been weirdly quiet about that after so enthusiastically declaring his love for her, I thought maybe he’d given up since she’d rejected him, but...
"I mean, I guess so? She’s probably closest to Alexis, if I had to guess," I responded with a shrug.
"Yeah, but I don’t know her that well, and I know you a lot better, so yeah," He grinned sheepishly.
"Alright, what do you want to know?" I asked him.
"Well, like...how to impress her and stuff?" He replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Honestly, I have no idea. None of us have really spoken to each other about what type of person we’re into or whatever. Mainly because none of us have had any romantic experience," I informed him in response.
I mean, I wouldn’t really count what happened in Argentina as romantic. Flings aren’t exactly the same as proper relationships.
"Oh, I see. Well, I’m in the same boat. Sort of. I’ve maybe had some fun with prostitutes, so yeah," He said with a sheepish grin.
"Wait, really? I thought you avoided people before this?" I responded in surprise. freewebnovel.cσ๓
"I mean, yeah, I did. But, like, I still had to interact with people when I had to buy stuff. I mostly ordered whatever I needed online, but there were times where I’d have to go to a convenience store when I needed something immediately, you know?
I used my Hynosis power to keep people from talking to me though. And well, I was lonely sometimes, and being a single guy, I was also, uh, you know...pent up. So I went online to find solutions to that problem, and visited some shady spas a few times," He admitted wryly.
"Oh, cool. Though, uh, you probably shouldn’t tell any of the girls about that."
"Of course I wouldn’t, I’m not stupid. Broadcasting the fact that I’ve experienced, uh, happy endings instead of genuine relationships, wouldn’t make me look very good," He replied with a laugh.
"Personally, I disagree, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that," Suddenly came a voice from behind us, startling us both.
"Wha-...!? Oh, it’s you," I sighed, as I spun around, to see X standing there.
The hair on the back of Fenris’s head was standing up, slowly going back down as he calmed down.
"Don’t sneak up like that, you almost gave me a heart attack," He grumbled, as he took in a deep breath.
"I like sneaking up and startling people though. Anyway, I was bored and feeling kinda restless, in waiting for Dieter to finish mastering Thought Communication, so I figured I’d come train with you guys, and I happened to overhear your conversation," She grinned in response.
"What did you mean anyway? Like, I don’t disagree, I definitely don’t think I did anything wrong, just...embarrassing, you know? As in, I couldn’t get laid normally, so I had to pay for it instead," Sighed Fenris, averting his gaze.
"So? I’ve done that too, you know. And, I mean, it’s better than, say, using your Hypnosis to coerce someone you’re attracted to into sleeping with you," She pointed out.
"Not gonna lie, that thought did cross my mind a few times, but yeah, I’m glad I never acted on it. That would’ve been an awful thing to do," He sighed wistfully.
"Yeah, that’s terrible," I nodded in agreement.
"Totally awful...well, depending on the person, I guess," Shrugged X in response.
"Uh, what?" I replied in bemusement.
"I mean, like...if they’re a known rapist or serial killer, then it’s cool," She stated with a shrug.
"I don’t know about that...still seems kinda over the line," Remarked Fenris with a frown.
"No, it’s like, they get a taste of their own medicine, so it’s cool," Argued X in response.
"Another way of looking at it is that you’re stooping to their level," I countered objectively.
"Oh, shit...that’s a good point, I didn’t think of it that way. Alright, what about killing them?" She inquired.
"I have no problem with that. I’ve actually killed people like that on a mission before," I recalled the incident in that church.
"Yeah, people like that deserve to die," Nodded Fenris in agreement.
"You know, I’ve killed a lot of people, including plenty of innocents. So, I wonder, am I among those people who deserve to die?" Remarked X, averting her gaze.
"Would you have done so if you hadn’t been under Eden’s control?" I asked her.
"I doubt it. I mean, why would I have ever gone on life-threatening missions if I wasn’t forced too? I was...kinda just letting out my frustrations, you know? Yeah, I know, that doesn’t make it better. I never really thought about it, but maybe I was just lashing out.
I was constantly being put down and treated like a tool, so in a fucked up way, maybe I was glad to find people I could treat like they were worth less than human, or more specifically, worth less than me, and weaker than me.
But after I was freed of my Condition and killed the Category 0 who’d been in charge of me...it feels like all that murderous intent and impulses have subsides. I do regret killing those people, but...I’d be lying if I said I felt any genuine remorse."
"In that case, I’d say you kinda get a pass. Based on what you said, you’re certainly not innocent, but I get that your circumstances drove you to it. So yeah, I’d say you just barely deserve a second chance," I remarked, after mulling over what she’d said.
"Huh...thanks, I think I needed to hear that," She replied with a smile, after initially looking surprised, before adding, "Alright, then, what do say we get some training in? I feel extra motivated now!"
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