Chapter 32: Hope and Thunder.
Isaac's scream was a bit too late, as Duarte couldn't whip out any proper defensive measures. However, it was better than nothing. The young man had enough time to grab a necklace from his bag of holding. A Crystalline shield made up of octagons surrounded them, protecting them from the brunt of the technique. Even with that, they felt the shockwaves from the explosion.
Dustin and Isaac got immediately knocked out, blood dripping from their ears and noses. Duarte and Thunder got away almost unscathed, but their senses were a bit wonky. It took the man a moment to return to his senses and evaluating the danger they were in.
-Somebody is targeting us!- He looked everywhere, but couldn't see any assailant nearby, only the unconscious bodies of his brother and his friend. -I let my guard down, shit.-
"Minor art, Propulsion!" A pair of orange flames erupted from his feet, helping him redirect his fall towards the boys. When he grabbed them, he whistled.
"Screee!" Thunder answered with a screech and dived towards them, claws forward. Duarte was happy that his partner was ok, but his eyes widened in shock as he heard the wind howling.
"THUNDEEER!" Duarte screamed as blood splashed on his face. An arrow had pierced Thunder's abdomen, leaving a gaping hole where blood flowed like a fountain. It couldn't sustain flight anymore and began dropping at an alarming speed. "MIND ARTS! GREATER TELEKINESIS!"
It was not a technique he used regularly, so he failed at first due to the stress of the situation. He tried a second time and barely succeeded. The bird got enveloped in a bright orange sheen and stopped falling for a second. The problem is that Duarte wasn't a star engraving expert, and flying wasn't possible for him. Blood gushed from his eyes as he strained his spiritual power to hold on to the two techniques. Thankfully, it wasn't for too long. He managed to land with relative safety.
"Well, I must say that it was an impressive feat." A voice came from a couple of meters ahead. "Truly the work of a genius."
Duarte wiped the blood from his eyes and saw a man covered in shadows in front of him. He couldn't see his face, but he felt his peak Astral gate cultivation very clearly. The technique that struck them down was above that level, or the shield that his master gave him wouldn't have shattered like that.
"Well, enough chit-chat." The man unsheathed a pitch-black dagger. "I don't have time for this."
-Think Duarte, think!- Duarte screamed in his mind. He went through the technique that he mastered and stuff that he had packed, but none of that would help him. He exhausted all of his spiritual energy and even some of his lifeforce. -Is this the end?- He asked himself, feeling as if time slowed down. His brother, Thunder, Dustin were wounded behind him. If he didn't do something, they would undoubtedly die.
-It was a wild ride...- He wryly laughed in his mind, accepting that death was pretty much set in stone. He patted his partner's feathers one last time...and remembered something that he hasn't tried yet. He smirked and looked at the eyes of his assailant, knowing that if he failed, it was over.
"Goodbye, Duarte Leigh." The man lunged forward, aiming for his neck.
"Minor beasts codex, Transfigure." He whispered, operating the technique using his lifeforce once more.
The man felt his senses screaming that he was in mortal danger, so he jumped out of the way. A torrent of spiritual energy erupted from Duarte and Thunder, followed by a blinding light. The man shielded his eyes and used his spiritual sense to 'see' what happened.
Duarte was standing once more, blood flowing through his cheeks. A pair of neon blue wings extended behind him, his eyes turned sapphire blue, and feathers extended from his nape, simulating hairs. He didn't appreciate his appearance, though. He lunged forwards towards the man with his saber.
The impact made the man slide several meters before stopping. But before he could do anything in retaliation, a lightning bolt struck his chest, numbing his entire body. Duarte dashed forward and slashed with his saber, leaving a gashing wound on the man's chest.
"YOU LITTLE-!" The man screamed, fully unleashing his aura.
Behind him, the faint image of a skeleton holding a scythe appeared. Its eyes glowed with a frightening blue flame, and black robes covered its body. The man and the skeleton stabbed at Duarte, fully synchronized. Duarte didn't unleash his aura in retaliation, only deflected using his right wing.
A thunderous explosion took place, sending both of them back several meters. The man saw his arm, scorched like coal with several coils of lightning circling. Then he looked at Duarte. He was still with his weapon drawn, and only some of his feathers were affected by black energy. The man cursed under his breath and retreated in a puff of smoke.
Duarte stood there for a couple of seconds before finally collapsing to the ground. His "transformation" faded as he hit the grass, and his left arm turned into ash. Thunder cried in pain as his right eye, a good chunk of his right leg, and several of his feathers turned into ash too. But that didn't last long before silence returned once more.
---
Inside the Dahar mansion, things were peaceful on the outside. However, in the master chamber, a heated discussion took place.
"Utter trash!" A desk flew through the window, breaking parts of the wall as well. "I thought your services were 'Top-notch.'!" Alexander Dahar screamed to the man sitting on one of the chairs inside his study.
"Don't talk to me like that. We were merely working with you. We don't work FOR you." The man covered himself in black robes, and only a plain white mask that covered his face was visible. "You don't want to be an enemy of my cause."
Alexander looked like he wanted to say more but swallowed it back. He paced back and forth in the studio, trying to come up with a solution to the mess that happened. The assassination of Duarte and Isaac Leigh thoroughly failed, but not only that, it shone a light in possibly a secret manual that the Leigh family were cultivating.
The Mann family were moving irregularly and investing in strange industries like farming and textiles. Even more, their successor got close to Isaac to the point that he was training their new secret manual. By bothering himself to listen to Jason and his cousins, and forcing the truth of how they got beaten after lies on their part, some truth came out. However, it wasn't enough for the full picture.
If the Leigh family weren't on their guard before, they would after several failed assassination attempts. They didn't have political power equal to his family, but they weren't behind by a lot. The retaliation would come soon.
"Forget it." He sat back in his chair. "And forget about the money. You failed anyways."
"You are in a misunderstanding, Alexander." The man stood up and walked towards Alexander. His presence was equal to a crushing mountain, pounding like an earthquake inside his chest with every step he took. "You donated for our cause. This service is just a courtesy. Am i clear?"
"But-"
"Am I." The man grabbed Alexander's neck in a flash, faster than he could react. "Clear?"
Alexander could only nod, terrified about the strength of the man. That exchange let him know that this man was not to be messed with, and he should swallow his pride to remain alive. He chuckled and let Alexander fall to the floor, gasping for breath.
"Consider this matter over." The man took a couple of steps back and began disappearing like ash scattering on the wind. "We were planning to honor our agreement, but your attitude left a lot to be desired. Goodbye, Alexander Dahar."
Silence returned when the man was gone. Alexander took a moment to get up and dust off his clothes. He was enraged about the attitude that he showed, but he knew better. After sitting on his chair, he began thinking about what to do with their opponents. As well as prepare for their retaliation.
"We need to get our hands on that manual..." He bit his thumb, lost in thought. "This little squabble will bring more benefits than I anticipated. I should reward that useless son of mine for bringing them to my attention."
A butler entered the room carrying a tray full of tea. Alexander took a cup and enjoyed the flavor while looking through the hole in the wall.
"Have this fixed, Albert." He waved his hands dismissively. "And prepare to contact the bloodied."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Jaxer30
Jaxer30 I'm sorry for uploading this so late, i caught a cold last night :(
But here it is!
Don't write with fever, kids. It's not good for the body.
Also, my deepest respect for the legend that just left us. Rest in peace, Miura sensei :(
- Stay safe and have a good day!
Weekly Power Status
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