A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing-Chapter 620 - - Layered intentions [2/2]

Erik's cryptic statement made Nobuntu frown for a moment, but that was all the time she had.

With a sudden roar, he lunged forward again, this time combining Ice Maker with Thundersnow Storm. A tempest of freezing lightning exploded outward, enveloping the immediate area in blinding fury as spikes of ice randomly jutted out from the frozen ground.

Nobuntu, refusing to be overwhelmed, lunged forward into the storm, her Blood affinity flaring dramatically around her. "Blood Reaper," she roared.

Blood erupted from her body in razor-sharp crescents, spinning around her form in a deadly vortex. The sanguine blades sliced through the icy projectiles and clashed fiercely against Erik's elemental storm. Both forces strained against each other in a fierce collision of power, completely upheaving the dirt beneath.

For a brief, charged moment, their eyes met. Surprisingly, there was little anger there. Nobuntu's gaze was stern and calculating, while Erik's was amused.

Yet, Erik growled, pushing harder with an explosive surge of thundersnow, shattering Nobuntu's blood blades into crimson droplets.

Capitalizing on the brief advantage, Erik flashed forward again with his hand encased in crackling electricity, aiming straight for Nobuntu's chest. Five powerful streaks of lightning barrelled towards the werepanther.

She barely evaded, pivoting gracefully, yet one claw grazed her shoulder, sending sparks and blood scattering into the air.

Nobuntu narrowed her eyes, but remained undeterred. She swiftly retaliated, her wounded arm dripping blood that quickly formed a formidable, serrated whip. "Scarlet Lash," she growled, whipping it viciously at Erik, forcing him into a defensive stance.

He countered instinctively with an icy-white magic circle, conjuring a thundersnow shield. The lightning-infused frost barrier absorbed the initial lash but cracked under the forceful impacts. Each blow resonated in their surroundings.

At the same time, he raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that four abilities?" he asked curiously, seemingly unconcerned with her impressive fighting skill. Although he was living proof that it wasn't impossible to have more abilities belonging to a single affinity than rank would suggest, it still shouldn't be common.

"You're one to talk," Nobuntu growled, her lash never stopping its assault. "Don't think I haven't been counting! Not only do you have at least three affinities, but you have both Arcanist spells and Runebound abilities for both! I guess the rumours really were true…"

"Guilty," Erik grinned, no longer concerned with keeping his secret. He'd already given up the secret during his battle with Lilith, and he now had the power to run away from, or even defeat, third rankers.

"Arrogant!" Nobuntu countered as her whip dissolved, and she pulled back her fist. With precision and speed, she used it to smash through the last remnants of Erik's barrier and find his jaw.

At the same time, the long, blade-like claws of blood once again grew on her other hand, which she immediately used to slice at him from the other side.

Erik snarled as he flew backwards a little and twisted in mid-air to avoid the bladed claws. After landing, he spat out some blood and grinned, seemingly unconcerned. "I see now! Those claws are actually a feature of your gauntlets! So you do have only three abilities."

A hint of surprise and respect passed through her eyes before she quickly frowned again sternly again. "Hmpf, that's right. I'll admit I'm impressed you figured that out so soon."

"You'll quickly find I'm just full of surprises," Erik chuckled, righting himself as he planted his hammer on the ground. It was actually Elora who figured it out, of course, but there was no reason to reveal that.

"Hmpf," Nobuntu snorted, seemingly annoyed by his attitude. Flourishing her claws, she quickly charged and continued the battle.

As their clash of claw and hammer, thundersnow and blood, increased in intensity, Erik quickly realized she was a little stronger than Ankhur. Or, at least, the Ankhur he fought back then. It's possible Naeku's father had been holding back a little to give Erik a good show.

Even so, it wasn't long before he started pushing her back. In the end, she was still weaker than Lilith. Erik may have never actually defeated Lilith, only survived long enough for his allies to finish their own battles and come to his aid, but that battle still set a standard in his mind that Nobuntu was failing to overcome.

"Gah!" Nobuntu snarled as a heavy hammer blow sent her flying backwards several paces while spitting blood. A little unstable, she staggered on her feet and wiped her mouth. "Isn't it a little unfair to have so many abilities? Mind telling me how you did that?"

"Hey, it's not that easy, you know!" Erik grinned as he swaggered closer. "You only have three choices to make, but I have almost a dozen now! Choice paralysis is a real thing, you know!"

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"Hmpf," Nobuntu snorted and spat a wad of blood on the ground, her arms raised. "Have you vented your rage yet, 'Emperor'?"

"Haha," an amused Erik chuckled as he stopped in his tracks and shrugged. "First of all, I'm not angry, just trying to teach you some respect. Second of all, are we still pretending that's what we're doing? I know you provoked me deliberately."

A flash went through Nobuntu's eyes. Suddenly, she lost her stern indignation and now looked at him with calm determination. Yet, she stayed in her fighting stance. "You really surprise me, Emperor Gunnulf. You are somehow an aggressive brute, skilled fighter, and a calculating, observant man, all at the same time."

"Hehe, let's pretend that's true for now," Erik chuckled to Nobuntu's confusion. "But let's get to the point!" he continued before launching another, slightly more subdued attack. "You wanted to use this opportunity to talk to me, away from other ears, correct?"

Nobuntu parried him more easily and appreciated his prudence. What he said was true, and if he had now stopped fighting to talk, that would have defeated the point.

"Yes," she stated unambiguously while launching her own attack. She suddenly seemed like a whole other person. "I have an item on me that records constantly, and if that wasn't enough, my son tends to get a little too talkative with that girl he thinks I don't know about. But here, in battle, my son can't hear me, and the recording gets scrambled by our fighting."

She fell silent for a moment, but their fighting continued while Erik waited patiently for Nobuntu to say what she wanted from him.

"I need your help to take down one of the other tribal leaders back in Azania…" she finally told him solemnly. "In return, me and my clan will join your empire, either officially or unofficially, and help you put Azania under your banner."