Chapter 134: Still Too Weak

Time to Hunt[11]

Chapter 134: Still Too Weak

Dorian’s fist swept past Noctis’s face.

A moment slower, and it would have shattered his jaw. Even the rush of air made his cheek sting. As he stepped back, he caught sight of the second attack. He bent his knees and threw himself to the right.

Dorian’s fist buried itself in the floor where he’d just been standing.

The crack of breaking stone echoed through the laboratory. Part of the floor caved in, cracks spreading from beneath Noctis’s feet toward the capsules. Fragments flew in every direction. He raised an arm to shield his face, but a few chunks of stone still struck his shoulder.

The metal framework beneath the floor was visible at the bottom of the crater. A little more force, and the blow might have punched straight through to the level below.

Dorian pulled his fist out of the broken stone.

Noctis’s gaze drifted to the crater before he could stop himself.

Normally, he would have taken that opening and struck before Dorian could recover. But the destruction the monster had caused with physical strength alone had distracted him for a moment.

By the time he realized his mistake, Dorian was already advancing.

Noctis turned Umbrella into a sword and activated Azure Flame. Blue fire rose along the weapon, wrapping around its edge.

He twisted at the waist and swung at Dorian’s neck with all his strength.

The blade never reached him.

A transparent barrier appeared between them, stopping the attack.

Blue flames spread across its surface, lighting up the area. Noctis gritted his teeth and pressed harder. The tip of his sword trembled, the muscles around his wrist straining. Still, not a single crack appeared.

Then he saw Dorian’s shoulder move.

Sensing the danger, he pulled his sword back and leaped aside.

Dorian’s fist struck the capsule behind him.

The thick glass shattered as easily as a drinking glass. Liquid spilled across the floor, and the metal frame buckled in the middle under the force of the blow.

Dorian kept coming, ignoring the flying glass and the liquid pooling beneath his feet.

This time, Noctis swung upward.

Dorian met the blade with his bare fist.

A metallic clang rang out.

The impact knocked Noctis’s sword upward. Numbness spread from his arm to his shoulder, making him lose control of the weapon for a moment.

He still didn’t retreat.

The instant he regained his balance, he swung again, aiming for Dorian’s side.

Another barrier appeared in his path.

Noctis changed the angle of his attack and brought the sword down toward Dorian’s leg. But instead of stepping back, Dorian raised his knee and knocked the blade off course.

Then he threw a punch.

Noctis saw it coming at the last possible moment.

He whipped Umbrella in front of him and turned it into a broad shield.

The shield formed just as the fist struck.

BOOM!

Noctis’s feet left the floor.

Sharp pain shot from deep in his shoulder, through his elbow, and down to his fingertips. The blow was so powerful that it felt as though his bones had slammed together behind the shield.

He flew backward.

When his feet touched down, he dug his heels into the floor, trying to stop. But he kept sliding. Stone broke apart beneath his boots, and he only managed to steady himself by dropping to one knee.

He looked up to see Dorian raising his arm again.

Noctis aimed his left palm at him.

Azure Flame burst from between his fingers.

As the blue fire rushed toward Dorian’s face, another transparent barrier rose in front of him. The flames struck its surface and scattered to either side. Not a single spark made it through.

Noctis didn’t wait to see the result.

He threw himself aside and ducked behind a nearby capsule.

A moment later, a heavy crash sounded behind him. The capsule’s glass shattered, showering his back and shoulders with sharp fragments.

Noctis gritted his teeth and kept moving.

His breathing was getting faster.

The potion’s power was still coursing through his body. He could feel the extra strength in his muscles and move at speeds that would normally have been beyond him. Controlling Umbrella had never been easier, either.

Yet even with all that, holding off Dorian’s attacks took every bit of strength and focus he had.

Dorian wasn’t even breathing harder.

It was as if he were going through a routine training session instead of fighting someone to the death.

The thought made Noctis clench his jaw.

He reached the end of the row of capsules and stepped into the open, only to find Dorian in front of him again.

Noctis feinted right, then shifted his weight onto his left foot and changed direction.

Dorian’s fist passed over his shoulder.

As Noctis ducked beneath the blow, he gripped Umbrella with both hands.

And saw an opening.

Dorian’s chest was completely exposed.

Noctis planted his rear foot firmly against the floor. He drove with his legs, channeling all that strength through his waist and into his arms as he thrust the sword forward.

Azure Flame gathered around the blade.

The blue fire grew so bright that everything around it seemed to fade for a moment.

But just before the sword reached its target, that damned barrier appeared again.

This time, Noctis didn’t pull back.

An angry growl rose in his throat as he drove the blade forward with everything he had.

His arm muscles strained. The floor cracked beneath his feet.

And finally...

A thin crack appeared in the middle of the transparent surface.

Noctis’s eyes widened.

The crack branched out, spreading rapidly across the entire barrier.

CRACK!

The barrier shattered with a sharp snap.

The sword was through.

Only a handspan remained between its edge and Dorian’s chest.

But Dorian turned sideways at the last moment.

Instead of laying his chest open, the blade caught him with a diagonal slash.

Fabric tore.

Blood spurted from the wound.

Hope flickered in Noctis’s eyes.

He’d finally managed to hurt him.

But that relief lasted only a moment.

Dorian’s other fist was already moving.

Noctis saw the blow.

He couldn’t dodge it.

The fist drove straight into his stomach.

BOOM!

All the air left his lungs at once.

His feet lifted off the floor, blood spraying from his mouth. For that first instant, he didn’t even feel pain. It was as if a massive rock had been lodged in the middle of his body, crushing his organs beneath its weight.

The pain came as he flew backward.

And it was unbearable.

Noctis hit the floor like a sack.

He rolled onto his shoulder, then slammed down on his back. After skidding several meters, he finally came to a stop facedown.

He opened his mouth.

No air came in.

His stomach muscles spasmed, his lungs desperately struggling for breath.

He pressed a trembling hand against the floor and tried to push himself up.

His elbow gave out.

His cheek struck the hard floor again.

’Even with the potion...’

The thought lodged in his mind.

He knew he was stronger. He could feel the energy running through his muscles. He’d even managed to shatter Dorian’s barrier.

But he’d needed to put every bit of strength he had into a single attack.

Dorian had answered with one punch.

And that one punch had been enough to leave him like this.

*Am I still this weak?*

The thought only fed his anger.

At last, air began to enter his lungs in short, ragged breaths.

Coughing, Noctis lifted his head.

Dorian stood in front of him.

The massive man had already closed the distance.

Noctis tried to move.

This time, he wasn’t fast enough.

Dorian’s next blow sent him flying off the floor.

Noctis hurtled backward and slammed back-first into the capsule behind him.

The glass burst with a deafening crash.

Cold liquid poured over him as he collided with the body inside. But he was still moving.

He smashed through the back of the capsule and came out the other side.

He fell to the floor amid the broken glass.

He tried to cough up the blood gathering in his throat. But he couldn’t draw a breath, and he was forced to swallow some of it again.

His ears were ringing.

His vision had blurred.

Even so, he could hear approaching footsteps.

Dorian was coming.

With one last effort, Noctis thrust Umbrella forward.

The weapon changed shape, and a thick wall rose in front of him.

Behind it, Noctis pushed himself onto his knees and turned Umbrella back into a sword.

He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.

Even tightening his grip on the hilt made his fingers ache.

But he knew he’d die the moment he let go.

Dorian’s fist struck the wall.

The defense buckled inward.

Then shattered.

Noctis tried to raise his sword.

Dorian was faster.

His kick struck Noctis directly in the wrist.

Noctis’s arm flew sideways, wrenching his shoulder painfully. His guard was wide open.

Dorian took the opening.

He brought his fist down on Noctis’s head.

BOOM!

White light burst across Noctis’s vision.

The sound of his head hitting the floor mingled with the crack of breaking stone.

One side of his face sank into the small crater, dust filling his mouth.

For a while, he couldn’t see anything.

The sounds grew distant.

The noise of the laboratory. Breaking glass. Metal crashing down...

All of it gave way to a dull ringing in his ears.

Noctis couldn’t even hear himself breathe.

Then he felt thick fingers close around his horn.

With his head caught in that firm grip, only one thought ran through his mind.

’How did I end up like this?’