Chương 111: Lit Fuse II

Holding the jack of clubs, Evel's arm plunged onto Colton's shoulder. BAM! On impact, the weight increased again. Colton's knees buckled, but he caught himself before he collapsed, his gaze fiercely glued to Evel. His right arm swung in from the side, but Evel quickly threw two more cards — unenchanted ones — to slow the hand's momentum. Colton doubled down, making the bold decision of letting go of the copper rod and bringing his other arm swinging at Evel.

Evel parried the right hand that had been slowed by his cards, and Eth lightly nudged the left, sending it awry. He grabbed another enchanted card, the six of diamonds, and rammed it into Colton's extended arm. The arm would now continuously bleed.

"RAHH!" Colton roared. But not one of pain. He was doing something. ZZZT. Evel narrowed his eyes and jumped back. Sparks were dancing on Colton's skin, swallowing his entire body. His body was glowing with an unseen intensity.

"Afraid?" he mocked. Evel gritted his teeth. He enchanted the jack of clubs, focusing on extra smoke, and tossed it to Eth. The risk with using Eth so straightforwardly was that it'd be far too easy for the opponent to figure out what his ability did. Should Colton target Eth and destroy the hand, Evel would have absolutely zero chance of winning. But what did it matter if his opponent was dead? He grabbed three unenchanted cards off the bottom of the deck and launched them forward.

At the same time, Eth circled around the side. He didn't react to any of the shots, and one by one they sank into his body. His eyes were lowered, staring at the area around Evel's feet. His entire body was surrounded by strange sparks, and his copper hair was spiked straight upward. Evel narrowed his eyes. He grabbed two more, this time spending the Energy to enchant them.

His reserves were starting to get a little lower than he was comfortable with, but if Colton was allowing him to get free hits, he couldn't afford to let the opportunity go. Just as he raised his hands to flick the cards, Colton's eyes slammed wide. Shit. Colton kicked off the ground at an absurd speed, rapidly crossing the destroyed floor. A strange electrical effect buzzed around his feet as he took sharp and quick turns, easily dodging the two cards.

Evel braced his body as Colton's figure filled up his entire vision. BAM! His fist dug deep into Evel's gut, sending him soaring through the window, shattering the glass and sending his top hat flying away. He sharply gasped, desperate to reclaim the wind knocked out of his lungs. Sharp objects dug into his back, likely from the broken window. The pain was tolerable. If anything, the window helped him lighten the impact of his crash on the ground.

Scrambling to his feet, he readied his stance for the follow-up attack. Nothing came. Eth, holding the card, zoomed to Evel's side and hovered just behind him. He continued wheezing as he slowly stepped back. His eyes remained fixed on the broken window, but the figure he expected to emerge at lightning speed didn't show up. His breathing remained uneven as he continued backing up. A few seconds later, Colton reappeared. His was ragged, and his right shoulder was slumped down.

His entire body looked worn down, except his face, which carried an unshakable confidence. His right bracelet was still humming. Evel had yet to figure out what it did. But most pressing of all, he held his copper rod, bursting with electricity. Colton raised the rod again. Fuck. BOOOOOOOM!!!!!! He managed to barely dodge the strike by the skin of his teeth. Maybe it was because Colton was unable to aim with his shoulder injury, or maybe because Evel was fast enough.

Either way, he couldn't afford to get shot by the follow-up. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Jumping to his feet, Evel returned to a sprint and immediately jumped behind a broken building for cover. I hit him with the bleeding strike; I just have to stall! He dismissed Eth and grabbed onto the jack of clubs the illusory hand had been holding.

Just because Eth hadn't gotten a chance to use it as he expected didn't mean his Energy was wasted. He could still make use of it. TSSSHH. Hearing the sizzle, Evel looked over his shoulder. Colton was holding his copper rod up against his bleeding arm, cauterizing the wound. Wiping the blood off his lips, he focused back on his path as he ran, his face darkening. Extra bleeding effects weren't gonna work, and he was outgunned from afar with that terrifying copper rod.

When Evel created his cards, he'd imagined his fighting style would be focused on medium-range combat. He figured as long as he had his cards, he should be able to hold his own. But with Colton's explosive lightning bolts and his ability to deflect most of his cards, the medium or long-range battle became extremely difficult. The problem was that the short range was not that easy.

Assuming Evel was more skilled than Colton — which was already a massive assumption to make — his pursuer had the stature: he was stronger, faster and had a longer reach. In a straight-up one-versus-one brawl, unless Colton was already exhausted, it would be a very difficult battle for him to win. His strength was versatility. With the number of options his cards provided, there had to be a way out. He just had to find it! He went through his options one by one. Immediately, he ruled out the diamonds.

The bleed from the numbered cards was ineffective, and the short-term pain of the face value cards was useless if he had no Energy for a follow-up. For that exact reason, he dismissed the idea of using the face values of hearts. An adrenaline spike was useless without a follow-up. For the numbered clubs, the explosive glue, it was the same story. Is my best option just to continuously wear him down with regular cards? Colton ran close after him, his steps staggered as his breathing was ragged.

Evel wasn't faring much better.

"Gonna run forever?" Colton yelled, deep frustration in his voice. But it was the frustration of having to play a game you've already won until the very end. Not the frustration of possibly losing. He still doesn't see me as a threat. The copper rod in his hand continuously filled up with Energy, and soon sparks were already flying around it. So it doesn't have to fire two shots, just a maximum capacity of two.

Does it have to be fully empty before he can charge it up, or can he use the half charge to bring it to full? Either way, it was ready to shoot at least once. Keeping it in mind, he broke through the western slums and into the forest. Zigzagging between the trees, he used his superior nimbleness to create a bit more distance in the dense forest. He placed his hand in his breast pocket.

One problem he'd had was knowing which card he was pulling and when — if he accidentally pulled out the wrong card, it would be the death of him. But for a street magician like Evel, he simply memorized the locations of the cards by effect. In this case, the cards he was searching for happened to be near the top. They were, after all, the effect he expected to use the most: extra sharpness. His energy flooded the seven, eight, and nine of spades. Simultaneously, he let go of the jack of clubs from earlier.

The moment it hit the ground, a thick white smoke billowed outward, swallowing both his and Colton's vision. He fired two of the shots immediately at where he expected Colton to be, hoping the man wouldn't expect it. He heard a deep grunt coming from the other side — his cards had found their target. BOOOOM! A giant bolt of thunder was immediately returned, but Evel had repositioned the moment the final card had left his hand. He has one more shot. He quietly scaled a nearby tree and waited.

The heavy smoke began separating, and the distance he could see within it increased. He knew Colton's general location from his aura, but it was difficult to tell specifically where he was. It was probably the same the other way around. He kept waiting. The smoke dissipated enough that he could see a looming shadow behind it. Using Eth, he ruffled up the bushes right below him as the last wisps of smoke faded away. He deactivated his ability and tightly held the last card, the nine of spades.

A few seconds later, Colton's figure was revealed. He was cautiously approaching the bush, looking around in Evel's general direction. The two cards he'd thrown earlier were buried deep in his torso. They just missed vital organs, but nonetheless, they dug deep within his body. It was absurd that Colton was walking around without issue. He got closer, the rod bursting with Energy. And closer. Now! Evel launched the nine of spades with as much force as he could manage at Colton's right hand.

At the same time, he leaped. Upon hearing the sound of the branch, the copper-haired soldier looked up. By then, the sharp card pierced his right forearm, and his grip loosened. The copper rod fell out of his hand, and Evel's body plummeted down on him. He gritted his teeth. Evel crashed into Colton's upper body, and the two tumbled backward. Evel grabbed a regular metal card, swinging it down like a crude knife. Colton smacked his forearm. The card fell from his hand.

But he wasn't able to stop Evel's left fist from crashing into his face. BAM! Evel brought back his other arm and reeled it back. BAM! Colton's energy surged. Sparks danced around his hands. Evel kicked off his chest, jumping back. He twisted his body mid-air to sweep the forest floor for the violent weapon that had almost caused his demise multiple times. Upon landing, he sprang towards the copper rod. A vicious smile crept on his face. Colton would regret underestimating him.

Summoning Eth, he lifted the rod, feeling the Energy violently tearing through it. He hoisted the vibrating weapon, aiming dead center at its former master. Colton dropped to a wide stance and extended both arms. One locked forward, targeting the rod; the other snapped out to the side, palm facing Evel.

"RAHHH!" With a guttural roar, Colton forced his Energy to a desperate, absurd peak.

"Eat shit." Evel spat, adding a final bit of Energy to the weapon. The rod recoiled as a monstrous bolt of lightning escaped. At the exact same time, Colton unleashed two arcs of lightning from his palms. BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!! The bolt from his forward hand collided head-on with that of the copper rod. But the weapon was far too violent, and it quickly overwhelmed him with sheer power. The bolt blasted him square in the chest, sending him soaring backward. The other bolt, found Evel.

The strike tore into his body, flinging him through the air as all his muscles spasmed. The copper rod fell from his grip. His back slammed against a tree. Evel wheezed. His entire body was burning from within.