The door in front of us shattered to pieces as our group barged in on the grand castle. The room was decorated with fancy furniture that were well kept. Before us was a man looking down at us as he stood atop the staircase. The darkness of the room covered his face but the occasional flash of lightning revealed bits and pieces such as his sharp fangs.
My mind flashed with memories of the monster that froze me in place, "You're the one from before!" I walked up the stairs, keeping my eyes glued on this… I don't even know what to call it.
"The hell are ya doing, kid?" Aoi shouted, moving forward to grab me but Vylan stopped him.
"I liked the look in his eyes."
Aoi gave Vylan a dumbfounded look before ultimately stepping down and watching me walk towards whoever this person was. As I moved closer, I could see the monster begin to grin, the lightning lighting up just enough of his face so I could see his fangs.
"You approach me so easily?" The monster's grin grew, allowing his razor sharp teeth to shine in the moonlight, "How interesting."
The monster clapped his hands together and the world around me changed. It was like standing on water with the moon off in the horizon bigger than it should have been. In front of me was the monster now fully visible. Wild brown hair, a sharp chin, and a well tailored suit with purple hughes. We were the only two in the area as we stared each other down while only being a few inches away.
"I can see now how you pushed Godrick and Takamori to their limits. Let's see if I too can feel that same rush!" The monster raised his arm, catching my attention but leaving my blindsight vulnerable for a strike from his other arm.
The impact sent me flying back, skipping against the water as I flew backwards. This whole world felt endless but such a large space made my heart race. I alone was dealing with this monster while everyone else was dealing with their own issues. I finally managed to land, my boots dragging against the water creating an elongated ripple effect.
"Rather sturdy it seems." The monster shook his hand that he struck me with.
"You're damn right I am. I've taken more beatings than I can count and lemme tell ya, that's one of the weaker hits I've dealt with." I gave a cocky grin, doing my best to stand still as if my internal organs weren't screaming out in pain.
"Pfft. You're a funny one. The name's Yovolk, kid. I'd ask you to remember it but you won't leave this place alive."
I raised Genki in an offensive stance, ready to launch myself forward using an explosion. Something felt off though, like if I charged forward right now I would meet a quick end. I needed to wait and see his moves and patterns before I tried to rush him. It would be best to play more defensive as of now.
I changed the way I held onto Genki, taking a defensive stance to block any attack coming from in front of me. As I stood there, Yovolk stood there amused by my change in tactics. The moon behind him casted a long shadow that nearly reached my feet. His lack of movements was unnerving to say the least.
"Smart of you to change tactics like that. Do you truly believe it'll be enough to save you?" Yovolk raised his chin so he could literally look down on me.
"I guess we'll have to see." I tightened my grip on Genki.
Yovolk lunged forward, thrusting his hand forward to stab me with his long nails. Thinking quickly, I took a step back and swung downward to push his hand down and away from me. Genki's blade slashed against the water, creating a medium sized splash that hid me away from Yovolk. Using the cover, I leaped backwards just in time to avoid Yovolk jumping through the water.
"Good intuition and reflexes!" Yovolk clenched his hand into a fist and thrusted it forward, sending the water droplets towards me at piercing speeds.
Although most droplets missed, one managed to scrape my face, making me wince in pain. I tried to step back but he lunged forward again and stomped on my foot to keep me in place. In the span of five seconds, I was met with a flurry of punches I had no way of dodging. After what felt like an eternity, Yovolk raised his foot and delivered one last punch that sent me flying which was followed by the sound of a clap.
"I suppose I've had my fun. Goodbye for now, human."
The world around me suddenly changed again, though this time it was a large courtyard with a statue located at the center. In front of it stood Godrick who looked over at me with widening eyes as I crashed into someone.
"Ow! The hell are you doing… John?!" Felix shouted, pushing me off of him.
"That's me." I said, lifting myself up, wiping the mud on my black pants.
"You two!" Godrick shouted in anger.
The two of us looked over at Godrick before exchanging looks with each other.
"Yo!" I raised my hand in a friendly manner.
"Don't 'Yo' me! I've been waiting to face you two again. Now, where's that spear user?" Godrick approached us, each step causing the mud beneath him to splash upward.
"Sorry but you've gotta deal with the two of us at full energy." I grinned, readying Genki.