72 Pillar

I stood my ground as a familiar dark energy surrounded me on all sides, raging like a river.

I held Madelyn's fist tightly, not daring to let go lest I get punched again. But believe it or not, at that moment, I wasn't focused on getting punched again, which seemed completely stupid, I know. I wasn't even focused on punching back or running away. No, at that moment, I was focused on the raging power flowing through me.

I brought up my left hand and looked down at it and the darkness surrounding it. The strength I felt was more than I had ever felt before, more than the strength I felt when I was fighting Zoganoth.

"Pay attention," Madelyn said, drawing my attention back towards her, as with one swift motion she broke free of my grasp, her arm creating a short-lived wind that pushed against me ever so slightly.

Madelyn only took a single step back, and that was when I noticed it, not that it was hard to notice. Madelyn's black aura erupted to life, almost like a volcano erupting with lava.

Sweat fell from my forehead and small tingles spread through my whole body as Madelyn's aura pushed against mine, and just to let you know, it was winning.

"And here I thought things were going to get easier," I said to myself.

I looked at Madelyn, who was right in front of me a few feet away. I rose my hands up, making sure to protect my face as much as possible.

I felt confident. I mean, now that I had gotten the power working, maybe, just maybe, I could beat her.

It was at this moment, when I was thinking such worrying things about myself, that right before my eyes, Madelyn's body became a blur. "Huh?" I said, confused as I looked down to see Madelyn crouched below me. "Shit." Was the only thing that I had time to think before I felt Madelyn's fist plow right into my stomach.

I could feel the breath leave my lungs as I was forced back from the impact. My feet left the ground as it felt like I was being launched upward. I didn't land gracefully; I landed on my back and went rolling like an oversized ball.

As I came to a complete stop lying on my face, I found myself not wanting to move. I could feel that my face and arms were covered in bruises and scrapes. I could taste blood from my lips as well, all from Madelyn's relentless attacks.

"Just stay down..." I thought to myself. "This has to end if I just stop." I thought, my eyes closed and my face deep into the sand.

I lay there with my eyes closed, feeling the pain, and hearing Madelyn's footsteps as she approached me, but as I lay there as still as possible, I could feel something else.

"My heart..." I thought to myself, as I could literally feel my heart beating faster, not from exhaustion, fear, or anger. It was excitement, which was strange. I mean, last time I checked, I wasn't a masochist. I liked a good fistfight every now and then, but I definitely hated pain.

"Now that I think about it..." I thought to myself, slowly lifting myself up. "I was feeling this way when I was fighting that demon," I said with a small chuckle.

Madelyn stopped walking toward me as she watched me slowly stand up on my feet.

I raised both of my hands with a smile on my face as I stared ahead.

Madelyn was slowly walking toward me, and I knew that I had to focus. If I lost track of her again, I was done for.

I didn't blink as I watched Madelyn make her move. Her walk turned into what seemed like a jump, as with one foot, she seemed to fly right towards me. I could see her racing at me like a bullet. She wasn't a blur to my eyes.

I quickly raised my arms, forming a small shield in front of my body. As her fist met my arms, a loud explosion of sand and wind erupted, separating the both of us.

I was just barely able to remain on my feet. I looked down at my arms, bruised and actually black. Yeah, they were probably broken, and yet still, I smiled.

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

The darkness around me, I could feel it getting stronger, more wild.

"Why don't you try to fight back?" Madelyn asked. "You won't get anywhere with just defending."

"Sorry," I said with a smirk. "I don't hit girls." I said.

Madelyn's eyes went dark as she looked down, her eyes hidden by her hair.

Suddenly, without warning, the air around Madelyn became intense, and her dark aura exploded with newfound power. The ground underneath my feet began to rumble ever so slightly, and the tiny sand particles mixed with tiny rocks began to rise in the air.

"You don't want to fight me because l'm a girl?" She asked, her voice low. "Well, that's fine," she said before disappearing in a flash.

The world in a quick second went still, and for some reason, I felt the need to turn around. I quickly turned my head and looked upward to see Madelyn a few feet above my head.

"Just be my punching bag!" She yelled out before kicking me right in the chin.

I was lifted off the ground and thrown high into the air, so high that I could see above the mansion.

"So much for being a gentleman.." I thought to myself. "What?!" I said out loud, looking up to see a black silhouette high above my head.

The dark figure began to descend towards me and take on an all too familiar form. "Madelyn." I thought as I looked into her face covered by waving strands of blond hair.

"Her eyes..." I thought. "Her eyes are black," I said.

Madelyn yelled out as she brought her right leg up high, she was ready to stomp my face in.

"Am I going to die?" I thought to myself as I watched that axe kick race right towards my head.

"Die?" I heard from deep within my mind, along with chilling laughter that made my skin go cold. "Where is the fun in that?"

A smile appeared on my face, a smile that I didn't seem to have any control over.

With a loud "BANG," Madelyn's leg pushed me towards the ground. The ground trembled, and sand rocks went flying into the air uncontrollably.

The sand soon began to settle, and the ground stopped shaking as I stood my ground, both of my arms holding back Madelyn's leg. My feet were in a crater, and my arms were shaking from the pain, and yet still, I smiled.

I stood my ground, my body almost burning from the power surging through me. I yelled out loud as I pushed Madelyn's legs back and sent her flying.

My fists were clenched as I was filled with a newfound desire.

"Yea.." I said with a small laugh. "It wouldn't be fun at all if I was to die too soon." I said, bringing my hands up, ready to attack the first thing that came too close.

***

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