District 42-Chapter 277: Duty
Ivar’s mind had come back to that fight again. Even instinctively, he could keep on exchanging blows without problems with Tein.
He was piercing the air with his arrow, attacking with proficiency and speed. He could feel that his resistance was gone. After breaking through the max potential of the exoskeleton, his body was all harmed.
It was miraculous that he could still be standing on his feet and clashing with someone who didn’t have any harm anymore, except the blood loss due to his previous wounds that were already healed now.
Ivar, on the contrary, had his muscles and bones worn out, also as his body wounded by the Vanir of flames. Each second of that fight that passed, more and more blood he lost, and his internal harm worsened.
However, that excited expression on his face never changed. He was looking forward to that battle more than Tein, even. The Aesir wanted to fight someone as strong as him. He wanted to feel like the great warrior that he was by defeating his flames with his own hands.
Using just an arrow as a weapon, he was decided to take the better out of that fierce battle. His hands moved with such swiftness that the Vanir barely could follow with his eyes and got caught several times.
It was hard to believe that the Aesir wasn’t using an exoskeleton anymore. His strength did not match his prime in that battle but was enough to pressure his enemy. His blows were getting more accurate as well, which showed that Ivar wasn’t focusing on fight with his body. Instead, his mind was sharpening throughout their clashes, compensating for his lack of strength.
Tein, although more exhausted than in their previous exchange, dominated the battlefield with dreadful bursts of fire, nearly hitting the Aesir several times. Of course, dodge perfectly that continuous firing all the time wasn’t possible, so Ivar was accumulating low-degree burns all over his body.
The Vanir decided to use all his energy on that last assault, delivering attack after attack always when he found the opening to do so. He used the current difference of power between them to return the pressure to Ivar, never letting him breathe.
Tein’s power was based as well on time. The more his bandages burnt, the more gas they would release, increasing the fuel to the flames and making them stronger. If Ivar didn’t end that exchange quickly, he would receive a blow with the same power as before, and wouldn’t have the strength to fight back this time.
It was safe to assume that Tein was a time bomb. If nothing was done to stop him, he would explode.
’With my current lack of strength, it will be difficult to do any greater harm to him. Even if I do so, his flames will just heal the wound again. I need a decisive blow, but my chance is gone now that the exoskeleton broke. The only thing left for me is to try hard and get a lucky attack in, but I am not the type to rely myself on my luck!’
The Ridires and Frelsis were gathering around that area, watching anxiously the battle.
The criminals were watching it with amusement, seeing their leader unharmed and fighting nearly at full strength. The handicap of their enemy was clear, and in a short time, that fight would end.
Ivar’s comrades had their hearts hammering their chest intensely. They couldn’t make any sound as they watched an Aesir, the highest pilar of their hopes and strength, getting beaten by a Frelsi. Even after that amazing power he displayed, he wasn’t able to make any harm to the man. It was useless.
The sight of the Fenrir fighting until the last remnants of energy on his body were gone could be something impressive and inspiring, but at that moment it was just sad.
If it was any other Aesir, they would react differently. But it was Ivar. One of the strongest. Some even had their doubts if he, actually, was able to beat even the Boss. That man couldn’t be gone, because, if that happened, their highest pilar would fall. The power of the Frelsi would show to be too high for them to stand against.
There were people inside the city gathering farther away, still hiding among the remains of the destroyed buildings. They also knew very well how strong Ivar was. Seeing him struggling against Tein left them thinking if the other Aesirs were doing well in their battles if they were having any.
While pushing his body to its limits, Ivar thought the same. He was aware that he was a symbol for all those warriors. That’s why he couldn’t accept the gift of Tein when trying to heal his wounds, that’s why he kept moving his arms and his legs and never got rid of that fearless smile on his face.
In a world without freedom, without peace, and without mercy, he was trying to be a hero. The only hero, the first one.
He could seem like someone addicted to fighting, but it wasn’t the case. Ivar was addicted in help people. He was addicted to that feeling of saving someone, protect someone, be seen as an important warrior that motivated others. That’s why he always fought at his max potential, displaying all his might!
Tein launched at him another wall of fire. His flames were getting at their peak again and wiped out everything that was on its way.
Ivar flew behind, getting the full attack on his body. He passed out for some seconds, but woke up abruptly, already rising from the wreckage of a building that the wall of fire destroyed.
"Are you sure that you don’t want me to heal you?" Tein was serious again. His breath was unsteady, and some bruises on his body were healing quickly, not even having the time to bleed too much.
"Heal? What?" Ivar raised his head. "These cuts here? They don’t hurt at all. These burns on my body? I can still endure a whole sea of fire! My bones and muscles? I have much more to get out of them! I am not exhausted at all, I am just starting it!" Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he forced himself to get steadiness on his feet. He never let go of his arrow, always holding it firmly.
After those words, Tein chuckled. The flames around him were at their peak now. If he didn’t release all that heat, the bandages wouldn’t be able to hold on and his body would be carbonized.
"Don’t get me wrong here, Tein. I am not trying to sacrifice my life. I am not being stubborn just to look good or because I have pride. I WILL win, and not even Odin will take it from me!" He stomped the ground, flying toward Tein, who had his face calm right now.
The only thing that he could see in his eyes was a desperate person trying to do the impossible. Now that he was at full power, no one could stop him. Ivar on his max potential couldn’t, and it wasn’t now that he would do it.
"Goodbye. You were indeed a strong person. I feel like I will never have another fight like this again." He raised his hand towards Ivar, with his palm pointing at him. The flames surrounding him accumulated on its center, creating a small, but dense sphere.
Ivar kicked the ground with all his might, which in his current strength wouldn’t be enough to get him there. In the blink of an eye, however, Ivar appeared in front of Tein, his body going past the palm of the Vanir’s hand.
The Aesir’s leg was now soaked in blood, its bones and muscles had shattered.
’T-this guy was holding back all this while? He wasn’t using all his strength not to mess with his body! I need to retrieve!’ Tein was going to jump away. Now that Ivar had his leg broken, he wouldn’t be able to catch up.
"I won’t let you go!" Nonetheless, the Fenrir was already holding the wrist of his stretched hand, looking deeply into his enemy’s eyes.
"Idiot! You will be exploded with me and die! I can’t stop it anymore!"
Ivar giggled at that warning.
"My duty here as a hero isn’t to win this battle at all!" His strong grip on Tein’s wrist smashed his bones, making a loud crack sound. "My real duty here is to fulfill these people’s hearts with hope! My goal is to save all of them from any threat that comes, no matter how strong! That’s the type of hero..." He raised his hand, pointing the arrow he was holding towards the skies. "The type of hero that I am meant to be!"
That ball of fire released all its power at once, a huge explosion happened on that destroyed area again. The bodies of the two warriors couldn’t be seen at its center.
Nevertheless, something could be noticed. An arrow leaving that explosion and flying to the skies at a speed that the eyes barely could follow, breaking the speed of the sound, maybe even of the light. It pierced the air all the way until the dome covering the city.
When it struck the dome, the sound of glass breaking could be heard. Then, fissures appeared on it. The shockwaves of the explosion finished the destruction, making the dome shatter in front of everyone.
