Loki’s Successor System

Chapter 183: The Tests [Part 3]

Kai lunged at Jin. Closing in, he ducked as Jin slashed his dagger. Back bent low, he slashed—but Jin was gone. Suddenly, he felt a kick to his back. He used the force from the impact to perform an expeditious flip in the air, landing on his feet again. He spun around and slashed. 

Jin raised his dagger. The blades crashed into each other, leaving a visible spark. And then these different blades began to ram against each other. The weilders used their might to impose pressure upon each other’s blades. Only one would succumb. 

Kai pushed with two blades, Jin pushed with a single dagger. The blades were still in a sword bind, locked together.

Shirtless since Kaylie took his shirt off to heal his abdominal wound, Jin smirked. “You know, I can just make this a fair sword fight since we both use melee weapons. But I’m too lazy—I just wanna defeat you as fast as possible so that I can get my reward and move on to the Wizard. I am rewarded for taking out human—if only this were the case for Voids,” he sighed. “Oh well. Once I’m finished with the Wizard, I’ll receive my reward and finally go eat something. This isn’t personal or anything but you just have to die.” Jin pushed harder. 

Kai furrowed his brows, clenching his teeth. “Why would I just allow you to roam about this village freely? I couldn’t trust you less near our people, you demon.”

Jin gasped in mock-shock. Their swords were still locked together. Jin released a hand from his pushing dagger, and placed it on his chest. “Deeply offended.”

Jin suddenly vanished, leaving Kai doubling over and  exerting all the force he was using in the sword bind. Kai quickly retreated, walking backward, alarmed. Where was Jin? 

He quickly spun around, and slashed at the person behind him. The blade went straight for Jin’s face. It swooped at him; inching closer quickly. When it was a hair’s length away from his face—a mask appeared, taking the hit. Kai’s blade crashed into the hard material of the mask, and recoiled.

Kai didn’t waste opportunity. Grunting, he quickly swung at Jin with his other blade, this time going for the neck. Jin sidestepped to the left, the blade missing his face by an inch and darting to the right. 

Kai was left opened. Jin raised his blade. But suddenly Kai jumped and kicked him to the chest. Jin went pitching from the impact. Kai fell to his side.

Jin was knocked to the ground. And he didn’t get up using his hands and legs. As soon as his back hit the surface; he was on his feet again. He was beginning to get used to teleportation. He looked for Kai. Kai was gone. He looked up and saw Kai—like a silhouette, the sun behind him—in the air, swinging down at him.

Jin took a step backward. He didn’t have enough time to teleport. This boy was fast. Kai’s blade swooped down at Jin. Jin was able to lean back, the blade slashing at his head. It missed his face by a few inches.

Jin teleported away. Kai’s blade crashed against the earth surface and recoiled. Why was he missing so much? The Wizard was watching—he had to do his best to impress him. He deliberately turned around to face Jin.

Jin—shirtless—stood with his hands clutched to the dagger at his side; the mask on his face. Suddenly, there was a huge split between the mask. It faulted and broke in half, falling to the floor. When the mask fell, it revealed Jin’s eyes, burning green. 

A green, glowing ring appeared around his neck. The  ring did not touch him at all, hovering in a fixed position. 

A countdown had interrupted him, and that was why Kai had gotten that first blow. 

[You can now be easily detected by Successors]

Kai grinned, looking Jin and the destroyed mask in a disdainful way. 

Jin approached Kai, walking menacingly. He whipped out his dagger. “Don’t get cocky.”

“That’s what I forgot to say when you talked your mouth full before we started fighting,” Kai put back. “Talk is just talk, talker.”

“I’m not gonna take it easy on you anymore!” Jin dashed at Kai.

“O, geez thanks. I thought you technically said that some three minutes ago!” Kai dashed at Jin.

Getting close, Kai was the first to slash sidewardly. Mid-sprint, Jin ducked. In that crouched down position, he quickly raised his blade, ready to swing downward. Kai thought he knew what was coming, he raised his blade overhead to block. 

Jin was right in front of Kai, his blade in the air. He swung downward at his Kai. Midsts the motion of the  traveling blade, Jin teleported behind Kai. The blade kept its motion, splitting Kai’s back.

Kai winced  and groaned, spinning around and slashing at Jin. Jin was gone. He missed, getting only air. He quickly retreated, looking back and front. He was getting annoyed of this teleportation ability. 

He suddenly noticed that the area grew darker. But no. It didn’t grow darker. There was a shadow—a shadow cast by someone above him. He quickly rolled. Jin came bolting down, his blade cutting the surface of the wall on which they fought. Kai slashed at Jin when he landed. 

Jin blocked. Kai slashed with his other blade. Jin blocked again, tilting his blade almost as if to catch the attacker’s blade like unwanted particles caught by a handheld strainer. Kai took a step back, slashing at Jin again. Jin stepped forward, blocking the attack. 

There was clashing, slashing and clattering. All of this could be heard from where the Wizard lingered in the air. This Wizard appeared to be standing in the air, spectating the spar. He nodded. Kai had grown tremendously in strength since he’d last seen him in action. The Wizard’s soft smile fell. But was Kai capable of taking down the boy with all that dark energy even getting to his heart, brain and soul? 

Things were beginning to get interesting. 

Kai thrust both his blades at Jin, and quickly pivoted on his feet, turning around midway through the attack, and performing yet another at Jin. Jin got slashed to his stomach from the time he reappeared. 

Jin groaned. But he didn’t waste time—Kai left open after that attack. He quickly slashed at Kai’s head. Kai blocked with his second blade. Jin hammered his dagger into Kai’s defending blade relentlessly. Kai slashed at him. He dashed backward.

Kai stood straight and darted toward Jin. He thrust his first blade. Jin sidestepped. He spun and slashed his second blade. Jin teleported, and reappeared right next to him, elbowing him to his nose. 

Kai staggered, but caught balance again. He quickly kicked Jin to the stomach where he got cut previously. Jin groaned, but quickly retaliated. He dashed toward Kai again—too close for anyone to slash at each other. He punched. Kai moved his head, dodging. He punched again. Kai dodged once more. He kneed Kai to his stomach. Kai doubled over. Jin used the next knee; kneeing Kai to his head this time. 

Kai staggered backward, going far enough for him to use his blade. But he didn’t use his blades. He quickly dashed forward, ran kicked Jin to the chest with both his legs, back flipped, dodging one Jin’s slashes midair; and landed to his feet again. 

Jin went pitching off the wide, tall wall. He would have fell to his death if he didn’t do something. The wind sighed through his hair, rippling as he fell.  With narrowed eyes, Jin fell with his hands jammed in his pockets, spinning crazily in the air as he plummeted. He drew close to the ground of the village. Closer. Closer. His head was about to hit the ground, when suddenly he vanished. 

Looking off the edge, Kai gasped as he felt something push him. Jin pushed him. He lurched at the edge. But then he performed a cartwheel on his knuckles, flipping away from the edge.

Jin dashed toward him, and slashed. Kai blocked. The colliding blades sparked. Jin retracted his blade. Kai slashed with his second blade. Jin blocked. Suddenly, Jin started slashing barbarically, hammering his blade into Kai’s defense. 

Upon every collision, there was a spark. 

Kai clenched his teeth, trying his best to keep his two swords in front of him, taking the shape of an ‘x’.  Jin wasn’t relenting for nothing. Kai cursed. His defense was growing weaker. “Getting desperate because you can’t win, Jin?”

Jin suddenly stopped hammering his blade into Kai’s defense. He smirked, his eyes suddenly glowing a violent green. The dagger now had that same violent glow.

[Weapon special attack (Poisioning) upon next blow]

“I see your blade is powered up!” Kai shouted, getting ready to defend.

Jin teleported and reappeared behind Kai. Kai spun around. Jin slashed. Kai raised his blade, blocking. Jin teleported and reappeared behind Kai again. Kai spun around and raised his blade. Jin slashed. The blades sparked. 

Kai kicked Jin to his chest. The air was knocked out of Jin.  He wheezed as he went pitching away. And before he could hit the ground, he teleported to his feet again, spun and hurled his dagger at Kai with all his might.

Kai moved his head to the left. The dagger bolted past, the sharp edge cutting a part of his cheek. Blood trickled down the small cut. Kai furrowed his brows.

“You missed,” he said.

Jin closed his hand, his dagger reappearing in it. He smirked. “Did I?” He started sprinting toward Kai.

Kai’s eyes widened. His skin started to become green. All of his motion came to halt. He was left wide opened.