Chapter 2 - First Blood
The air in the market shifted, growing thick and oppressive as if the very atmosphere recoiled from what was coming.
The first Malignant stepped out from behind the stalls, knocking over a food cart as it moved. Wolf-shaped, but wrong. Patches of fur hung loose, showing bone and muscle underneath.
Magenta fractures pulsed along its body like infected veins, growing brighter with each labored breath. The stench hit next, rotting flesh mixed with something that burned the nostrils.
Villagers screamed and fled in every direction, leaving belongings scattered across the cobblestones. Market stalls overturned in the chaos, but amid the panic, Abell stood perfectly still.
"Finally," he thought, his heart pounding in rhythm with the golden blade materializing in his grip. "Another shot."
Behind him, Hugo watched with obvious interest, those star-shaped pupils tracking every detail.
"Let's see if he's improved," Keeko muttered, arms crossed as she observed her son's stance. Her voice carried the tension of someone who'd seen too many promising young fighters make fatal mistakes. "I hope he remembers what I taught him about patience."
Hugo chuckled, but his eyes never left Abell. "Have some faith. Kid looks confident enough."
"Confidence without wisdom gets you killed," she replied tersely.
A low growl rippled through the air, making Abell's muscles tense. The creature's ember-like eyes locked onto him, and then it charged. Claws scraped against stone, sending sparks flying with each thunderous stride.
Abell readied his luminous blade, but the beast was faster than he'd anticipated. With a violent swipe that whistled through the air, its claws tore through a nearby stall. If he'd hesitated even a second longer, it would've taken his head clean off.
The sheer force of the strike sent a gust of wind past him, scattering fruit and splintered wood across the cobblestones like shrapnel.
He twisted just in time, landing hard on his feet, gasping as his ribs protested the sudden movement. Going immediately on the offensive, he lunged forward, but the Malignant was already moving. It attacked again, forcing him to duck low as claws slashed through the air above his head and smashed into the cobblestone behind him, cracking it wide.
"Damn, where's the opening?" he thought, sweat already beading on his forehead.
The beast didn't let up. Each strike came faster and more vicious than the last, a relentless barrage that gave him no time to think, only react.
"Stay calm, Abell! Look for your counter!" Keeko shouted from the sidelines, her voice cutting through the chaos.
His heart pounded as every dodge was met with another attack. The Malignant gave him no room to breathe. Sweat dripped down his face as he looked for an opening, but the creature roared and reared back, claws spread wide for a killing blow.
No time left to think. He rolled aside desperately, and the ground exploded where he'd been standing. Debris flew in every direction, chunks of stone and dust filling the air, but he used the chaos as cover.
With a sharp pivot, he slashed at the Malignant's exposed hind leg, his blade cutting deep through corrupted flesh. The creature screeched, a sound like breaking glass, and stumbled as its balance gave way.
"Got you!"
He rushed forward and drove his sword into the creature's back. The blade hit the magenta core. The Malignant roared once, convulsed, then crumbled to ash.
Hugo watched in thoughtful silence, his expression unreadable. "Interesting," he murmured. "That Lux of his..."
Wiping sweat from his forehead, chest tight and ribs aching from the exertion, Abell thought the fight was over.
He was wrong.
Two more Malignants emerged from the shadows between abandoned stalls. These were identical wolf-like beasts with the same grotesque aura, but they moved differently. One was noticeably larger than the other, and unlike the first creature, they didn't charge blindly.
They flanked him.
The larger one lunged first, snapping at his sword arm with calculated precision. It was slower than the first Malignant, and he dodged the attack easily enough. But before he could capitalize with a counter-strike, the smaller one cut in from his blind side.
Pain flared across his ribs as claws raked through his shirt and found flesh. Blood soaked through the fabric immediately. Now he was caught between them, one ahead, one behind, both circling like experienced predators.
Gritting his teeth against the burning pain, he realized this was completely different from fighting a single opponent. "I need a plan. Fast."
From the sidelines, Keeko's fists clenched as she saw what was happening. "He's being too reactive," she muttered, watching her son let the Malignants control the fight. "They're dictating the pace now."
Hugo crossed his arms, a slight smile playing at his lips. "That's just how he fights, isn't it? Pure instinct, no hesitation."
"Instinct won't save him when he's outnumbered," she snapped, eyes locked on the developing battle. One Malignant would force a dodge while the other punished the movement. If Abell didn't break this pattern soon, he'd be torn apart. "He needs to change the dynamic."
"You worried?" Hugo asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Of course I'm worried. That's my son out there."
Abell's mind flashed back to his mother's countless lessons: Control your emotions. Keep a sound mind. Don't let them control the tempo.
"What do I do now?" he thought desperately, then his jaw set with determination. "Screw it. If I take a hit, I take a hit."
The Malignants charged in perfect coordination, their cores pulsing with wild energy, but this time he didn't move. Standing his ground, he waited as the larger beast struck first, claws flying toward his chest. Instead of dodging, he raised his luminous blade in a defensive guard.
CLANG!
The impact rattled up through his arms, the force pushing him back several steps, but something unexpected happened. The Malignant staggered, its body seeming to lock up for a crucial moment after the collision.
"What the hell?" He blinked in confusion, not understanding why his defensive move had affected the creature. "Something slowed it down."
Taking advantage of the opening, he spun sharply and slashed across the smaller Malignant's exposed flank. It howled in pain but immediately lunged again, only to meet his blade in a clean counter-attack that tore through corrupted flesh. The creature screeched once, then collapsed into ash.
"One down," he muttered, breathless and feeling his energy reserves approaching their limit.
The remaining Malignant roared in rage, its core flashing erratically as its movements became increasingly wild and desperate. Abell's blade pulsed in response, every instinct screaming at him to end this quickly before his Lux gave out entirely.
"Well... here goes nothing."
He took his stance again, bracing himself as the Malignant barreled forward with reckless fury, snarling and ready to tear him apart. The creature's claws extended, aiming for his throat—
THUD.
A sickening crash split the air as wood splintered and stone cracked. Abell's eyes darted sideways to see the Malignant's broken body slammed into the remains of a market stall, its form already beginning to dissolve. Its core flickered weakly, then died.
Standing where the creature had been, Keeko lowered her extended hand, looking thoroughly unimpressed with the entire situation.
She turned to her son, her voice sharp. "What was that, Abell? You trying to get yourself killed?!"
He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off.
"That plan was reckless! You left yourself wide open. I've told you countless times, use your brain, not just your instincts!" She kept going, unaware that villagers were slowly returning to the square, their eyes wide with relief and awe. "Your Lux would've run out if I hadn't stepped in."
But Abell wasn't really listening anymore. His side throbbed where the claws had found him, his arms felt like jelly from the sustained combat, but he'd taken down two Malignants on his own. Letting out a shaky breath, he couldn't help but smile just a little.
Keeko's scowl deepened as she noticed his expression. "Are you even listening to me, young man?!"
A slow, deliberate clap broke through the tension as Hugo stepped forward, his grin wide with genuine appreciation. "Impressive. No wonder you were keeping him hidden out here."
Keeko shot him a withering glare. "I wasn't hiding him from anyone. I came to Iridius to take care of my family, not to recruit for your organization."
She might have continued the argument, but the village elder rushed forward with obvious relief written across his weathered features.
"Thank you both! Your efforts have protected us all—we'll celebrate tonight in your honor!"
Keeko sighed, brushing hair from her face as her expression softened just a bit while looking at her son. "Always happy to help," she said.
Seeing his chance while she turned toward the elder, he took a step back. She reached for him but he was already gone.
"Thank you, old man," he thought gratefully.
Hugo watched the boy's retreat with amused interest. "He's got spirit," he said under his breath, just loud enough for Keeko to hear. "Rough around the edges, sure, but there's something there. Watching him develop might be... entertaining."
Keeko's expression darkened. She knew that tone. She'd heard it before, years ago, when recruiters had come looking for promising candidates.
"Hugo," she said quietly, her voice carrying a warning that had nothing to do with Malignants.