Chapter 829 Powerless
Izraz's bow showed Khan respect, but he couldn't see past the initial offense. That customary greeting couldn't have value when Izraz spoke about testing the rumors around Khan.
"[Test]?" Khan repeated, surprised his anger could intensify any further.
The environment reacted to Khan's mood. The spears above him shone brighter as their surface grew unstable. The company wanted to step back at the sight, but no one moved. The threat of being burned alive couldn't make those proud warriors retreat.
"[I like your anger, Blue Shaman]," Izraz exclaimed. "[It will finally bring me some entertainment]."
The word "[entertainment]" echoed in Khan's brain, triggering an instinctive reaction. His mind shut off the pain radiated from his legs as he darted forward. Izraz followed Khan's sprint, ready to intercept it, but something suddenly slammed on his nape.
The Thilku turned only to catch a glimpse of Khan's afterimage. Khan had already sprinted again, reappearing on the alien's blind side to deliver a kick on his torso.
Izraz turned again, but the same exchange happened. Khan wasn't only uncatchable. The Thilku saw him solely when he wanted to be seen. Khan seemed to be toying with the alien, but the reality was far different.
Khan wasn't holding back. His kicks carried the full mastery of the Lightning-Demon style enhanced with Maban's technique. He also released mana after each attack, sending destabilizing energy inside Izraz. That was the best his body could achieve, but the Thilku easily endured it.
Moreover, Izraz didn't rely on special techniques or spells. His flesh was tough enough to endure Khan's best kicks without suffering heavy damage.
Of course, Khan's injury slightly lowered his physical might, but that outcome remained strange. He was one level below Izraz, but his many advantages should have closed that gap. Yet, the Thilku disagreed.
The scene felt completely different from the outside. The company occasionally caught glimpses of Khan running circles around their leader under the hovering array of spears. Izraz looked powerless and helpless, but the situation was about to change.
Izraz stopped trying to catch Khan and straightened his back, uncaring of the attacks landing on him. He endured Khan's relentless assault while mana gathered in his lungs. A deafening war cry escaped his mouth, releasing the accumulated energy and generating a spherical shockwave.
The invisible shockwave was no mere discharge of power. It was dense, resembling an expanding wall that pushed everything away. Even the metal floor bent and caved in under its pressure.
The spell didn't take Khan by surprise but forced him to retreat anyway. He shot in the air, flying above his array of spears. Those glowing weapons quickly pointed at Izraz before shooting downward.
The spears met the expanding shockwave and detonated, creating a scorching and blinding pillar that threatened to reach the nearby Thilku. The company instinctively retreated, encircling the area and lifting their weapons. They wouldn't fire them but had to be ready for the eventual order.
The vast pillar prevented Khan from sensing Izraz, but his hunches told him the attack wouldn't do much. The alien's shockwave had been a powerful defensive spell, and Khan's chaos couldn't pierce it unaffected.
Khan's destructive mana burned brightly but slowly dispersed. Scorched and melted metal became visible as the pillar retreated. The floor had become a mess, but a small area had remained safe from the glowing spears.
Bent and caved-in metal suddenly replaced the melted one, featuring a huge figure at its center. Izraz proudly stood among the destruction created by the two spells, showcasing his fine state.
Little had reached the Thilku. Izraz's military uniform and cape had a few holes and burns, but his body was uninjured. His defensive ability was impeccable.
Khan didn't talk, but his aura gave his position away. Izraz lifted his head, showing his canines at Khan. He looked amused, and his expression challenged Khan to attack again.
The air around Khan grew sharp as the Divine Reaper's theories filled his mind. The symphony morphed and transformed, facilitating the martial arts's advanced proficiency level. Even the cursed knife's bloodlust reacted to the change, expanding its presence inside Khan's brain.
Nevertheless, Khan didn't act upon those violent urges. He had deadlier attacks, but his pride had joined the fray. He would make Izraz understand his mistake without going all-out.
"[A former soldier]," Khan said as his eyes lit up. "[One of the finest warriors produced by the Empire. Conditioned skin and muscles resulting from specific training methods. Element related to your lungs, hinting at voice, air, or will]."
Izraz kept smirking, but his expression changed tone. A different vibe invaded it. His previous arrogance had mostly been performative, aiming to trigger an emotional reaction from Khan. However, it showed genuine excitement now.
"[Voice]," Izraz revealed. "[You are correct on my body. I followed a specific training method since birth, obtaining above-average muscles]."
'Above average, my as-,' Khan thought. Izraz had sold himself short out of pride for his species since he couldn't describe his fellow Thilku as weak. Yet, his body clearly was a few levels above the average alien.
"[Your Lord]," Khan continued. "[I suppose you are talking about Lord Rsi]."
Izraz's smile vanished. He didn't care that Khan had hit the mark, but seriousness still filled his aura.
"[Mind your next words, human]," Izraz warned. "[No one who insulted My Lord has lived to tell the story]."
"[Lord Rsi placed you here]," Khan concluded. He suspected it couldn't have been Lord Exr's work. Still, it felt strange for Lord Rsi to award lordship to a lower-level warrior.
"[Your xenophobia got in the way of your promotion]," Khan continued. "[How insignificant]."
"[There's no xenophobia in me]," Izraz commented. "[The Thilku are the best species. The Empire doesn't need alliances with weaklings]."
"[Fear not]," Khan said. "[You won't die at the hands of a weakling]."
"[Draw your knife, Blue Shaman]," Izraz challenged. "[You won't kill me with kicks]."
"[No]," Khan admitted, "[But they will teach you your place]."
Khan disappeared from his position, teleporting before Izraz. His foot was already on the alien's abdomen, and the push that followed flung him away.
The alien's feet left the destroyed floor. Khan's push had lifted him, but he was ready to counterattack. However, he couldn't see Khan anymore.
An unstoppable wall slammed on Izraz's lower back, halting his momentum and flinging him upward. Khan had reappeared behind him and had kicked him into the air, removing any chance he could regain his foothold.
Khan reappeared under Izraz, his leg stretched to deliver another push. The alien flew higher, putting many meters between the floor and him. Khan was cutting off his hopes of regaining a stable foothold, but that didn't discourage him.
Izraz sent mana to his lungs and opened his mouth to release another battle cry. A spherical shockwave expanded from his body, pushing anything in his surroundings away. More energy also accumulated, preparing another spell, but something interrupted it.
The invisible membrane flickered, growing unclear as a vertical opening spread inside it. Purple-red light filled the area as Khan crossed it. Raging waves of his mana already surrounded him, and they slipped into the gap while he crossed it.
The shockwave's insides turned into a mess of violent and destructive energy, forcing Izraz to close his eyes. Those organs were too weak for Khan's mana, making him helpless against the imminent attack.
A heavy blow landed on Izraz's abdomen, sending its strength past his skin and into his insides. He lost control of the accumulated mana, interrupting his following spell. Moreover, the attack sent him even higher into the air, leaving him at Khan's mercy.
'Flow,' Khan thought as the symphony grew louder in his ears. His body followed that invisible song, delivering precise attacks at the best possible timing.
Izraz tried to summon the shockwave, but a kick promptly landed at the center of his chest, dispersing his mana again. The attack didn't hurt but continued pushing the alien higher. Also, it targeted his energy, rendering him powerless.
Khan's element showed its disruptive properties during his relentless assault. His speed and ability to fly prevented physical counterattacks, and his mana stopped spells. Izraz wasn't suffering injuries, but his pride did.
Izraz waited for his chance during the relentless assault. He endured every blow, calculating Khan's reaction timing and more. He knew he would find a viable window, and the moment eventually arrived.
Khan pushed Izraz higher with more strength than before. The alien's body had gotten used to the disruptive element by then, allowing him to accumulate the necessary mana for his spell. The Thilku opened his mouth, shouting a battle cry, but something landed on his shoulder in the meantime.
"Shatter," A voice resounded above the Thilku, making him look toward its source. Khan calmly stood on his shoulder, watching the shockwave falling apart. He had defeated the defensive spell with a mere word, and his ankle bent to push Izraz downward.
Irzaz could only watch Khan get farther and farther away. His body free-fell while Khan inspected the scene. Izraz knew Khan could fly after him, delivering more attacks, but his simple hovering inflicted more damage. Staying still showed the Thilku how easily Khan could take control of the battle.