The Dream Shifter

Chapter 277

 Struggling with the water, Saki could not free her arm in time. She spun around the stream of water tying her. It had enough flexibility to allow her limited range of movement, as she discovered. The projectiles flew past her, harmlessly. Saki glared back at Kallias. 'I need to come up with something!'

'Her ability to move is quite remarkable. Things certainly won't be dull, however…' Motioning with his finger, several more orbs gathered to fire one Saki.

Fighting the stream still, she bent down to spin out of the area and work on breaking free. '…got to get free!' While the water spheres blew past her, Saki used her strength to rip free from the water's hold. The bonds that held the water together sprayed over the field. It left her wrist dripping in water.

'Strength and speed, I have to test her toughness…' Kallias sliced his hand through the ring. The divide split the water, but slowly shifted to different heights. Once at their desired height the ends of the water grew out. They followed along the same arc becoming two rings around him. He then snapped his finger creating up a dozen orbs. "A little escalation is needed…"

Saki narrowed her features to brace for the next attack. She cursed herself for being unable to do anything. He already stopped her every time before. Nothing could be done to prevent him. She had to deal with his whims until she figured out a way out of her situation. 'The numbers shouldn't be much of a problem. He directs them all with his hand, so I just have to watch and I'll know when to move.'

A flick from his finger signaled the new rounds to release from his hold. They sped over at Saki. She started to move, but suddenly found her legs not responding to her. 'What!? When did he?' Water wrapped around her legs forcing her to accept the incoming pellets. However, Saki was unwilling to accept it and fell backwards letting the water bindings hold her balance. She saw the spheres streak over her barely missing her.

Sighing a little, she started to rip her legs free from Kallias' field. 'He's still just playing with me!' However, while her attention was on her legs, her eyes caught something moving out of the corner of her range. It only took a moment for her reflexes to focus and determine it. 'More?!' Saki glanced back at Kallias to read the scene. 'No, the angle's wrong…these are the same one! He's directing them around!' Struggling with the water around her legs, Saki only managed to free one leg. 'I can't…'

No time remained for Saki in the terrible position she found herself. Her eyes widened a little in surprise to be completely caught off guard by Kallias. She fought to turn her around in such an awkward position, but could only manage a slight change before the water crashed into her. The few that missed splashed in the field digging up tall impact waves.

Saki felt like lead balls fell atop her, not water. They were dense and did not fall apart at impact. They dug into her body before collapsing. She thought she had been punched from the force. It pushed her on her back, soaking in the water of Kallias' field. '…hurts…'

'She lost again,' mocked a child.

'How many times does this make,' questioned another little kid.

'Twenty-seven times.'

'She'll never beat him.'

'She's just a girl.'

'She's too cocky. She really should learn her place!'

Biting through the sting, Saki ripped her other leg free from the water. She forced the memories into the back of her mind. 'This is not the time for it.' Saki stood up wiping off the water from her face.

Examining the results, Kallias narrowed his eyes a little. He found it very interesting. It was definitely going to be enough for him. 'You gave me quite the opponent, Vangelis! I'll have to thank you after this is all over.' Kallias subconsciously found himself grinning a little at the prospect of fighting Saki. 'I want to see more! Give me more!'

He ran his hand through the water ring again. It quickly turned into four rings. The next action was easily seen. A motion from his hand spawned over thirty of his little spheres. "Let's play some more!"

Gritting her teeth, Saki opened her vision to try to pay attention to everything. She disappeared and reappeared a few meters away the moment she caught sight of water coming after her. Her dripping legs were ready for him. "I'm not a toy that'll play for you!" Saki dodged another attempt.

Grinning at Saki's struggling, Kallias gave the motion for the water orbs to leave for their target. "That's what will make this fun! I wouldn't want it any other way!"

"Damnit…" she muttered. More tricks came in from the field, while the thirty lead balls shot at her. Knowing his methods better, Saki kept ahead of the field. However, dodging thirty targets made things more difficult for her. It became worse after she avoided them the first time. They all turned around in different directions to refocus on her.

She was given little time to react. Her mind was forced to pay attention to the field and the projectiles. It made her eyes dart around trying to keep everything in view for her. 'I've got to keep moving!' Saki settled for the only solution that kept her out the range. Her feet carried her around the field into the blind side of Kallias.

His open back taunted her for a strike. 'I've got to find a way through his water! It doesn't matter if I keep failing! I'll figure him out eventually!' Saki charged in hoping to get through his defenses, but her fist met the same water. It halted her progress. Her fist could not even penetrate a millimeter through the water. Water sprayed over her arms dripping thicker than before onto her. 'Why can't I get through!? It's like hitting a steel wall!'

"I thought you were learning from your mistakes," goaded Kallias. He already had the spheres turning around coming for Saki. "Please don't become boring now."

"Bastard!" Saki growled, annoyed with his voice. Her eyes turned to her sides noticing the balls aimed at her. In the matter of a second, she had to make a decision. She had to answer her question. She wanted to stay and keep trying. She needed to escape.

Saki demanded an answer.

Stubbornness won out over survival. She kept pushed her hand against the water to make any sort of impact. She had to know she could do something against him.

The first ball rammed into her back, but she remained on her feet. It barely even made her budge. The next did little more to change her. She still stood after a third blasted her from all sides. Her hand remained pressed up against the water determined not to give up. Ten more rained down on her shaking her body. The last rounds came in trying to knock her to her knees.

Saki kept on her feet the entire time. Her fist shook up against the water still unable to penetrate any deeper. Water continued to drip down her body from the blasts, but she remained firm.

The Atlantean turned around to face Saki directly. He looked no more concerned about her proximity than any other time. "Such recklessness is going to make this less interesting."

"I don't care what you think! I will break your water!"

A bit of a smirk came across his face watching Saki struggling. "Your resolve is nice, but it is clear from watching you that you don't have any real experience in a fight."

"I don't care about those things!"

"Oh, but without experience you'll just end up losing. You can't solve everything quickly. You've got to enjoy it and soak in it!"

Saki pressed her fist harder against the water, but found nothing. She made no progress. "I'm not like you! I'll never be like you!"

"Then you'll never win!" Suddenly, a swiping attack came at Saki knocking her off her feet. Kallias quickly followed up with a blast of water that sent her flying away. A snap up his fingers ordered up another round of water spheres, already in flight.

Saki flew backwards through the air unable to get any control. "Damn!" Her back slammed into the barrier forcing her down into the corner. She struggled to get back to her feet feeling a little short of breathe from the last hit. Unfortunately, as her eyes opened to focus back on Kallias she saw his next attack. She could only put her arms up for defense as they already began to strike.

'She's down again!'

'She never learns.'

'A girl can't win, not against him!'

'It's pathetic.'

'She should just quit already.'

'It's pointless!'

After the round of dozens balls slammed into her Saki began to move again. Water draped over her body almost clinging to her. She rocked back up to her feet looking a little unstable. The look in her eyes remained unchanged. A narrowed thin look of determination filled her eyes. 'It's never pointless!'

Suddenly, a swiping attack came at Saki knocking her off her feet. Kallias quickly followed up with a blast of water that sent her flying away. A snap up his fingers ordered up another round of water spheres, already in flight.

Saki flew backwards through the air unable to get any control. "Damn!" Her back slammed into the barrier forcing her down into the corner. She struggled to get back to her feet feeling a little short of breathe from the last hit. Unfortunately, as her eyes opened to focus back on Kallias, she saw his next attack. She could only put her arms up for defense as they already began to strike.

After the round of dozens of balls slammed into her, Saki began to move again. Water draped over her body almost clinging to her. She rocked back up to her feet looking a little unstable. The look in her eyes remained unchanged. A narrowed thin look of determination filled her eyes. 'It's never pointless!'

Grinning a little, he took enjoyment in the fight. 'This is nothing like a sparring match or even hunting down MPs. I want to see more!' He beckoned at Saki insisting that she come at him again. 'Come again! Don't stop now!' It meant very little to him anymore the method of her attacks. He wanted something else to happen. 'This is the first time I haven't been bored in years!' Kallias appeared as though he drank the sweetest most satisfying wine, a once in a lifetime sip that could never be forgotten. It was like pure ecstasy.

'I'll figure you out!' Breaking from the wall, Saki burst forward disappearing from Kallias' sight. Water divided from where Saki ran, but she quickly turned it into a circle around Kallias. 'Let's see you figure me out now!'

A half meter tall tide roared up around Kallias from all sides. He already tried a few trips on her, but they all failed. His eyes flipped around at the continuous wall of water surrounding him. It was even and constant without a breaking. 'Hiding yourself in a circle, so I can't follow your movements. That's quite clever, but you have to attack eventually. When you do…'

The seconds strained out as no change came from Saki. She kept delaying the moment to strike. 'He's not doing anything. He's waiting on me, but I can move faster than his eyes. He can't predict where I'll come out, but I don't feel confident about it. Why?' While she maintained her speed, Saki watched Kallias. Her eyes searched out for any hints. Reading him did little good for her. It was not her strength. 'I don't have a choice…'

Decisions had to be made. Saki knew it. A split moment was all it took. She acted.

The tidal wave of water changed too fast for Kallias to even notice until it already ended. Water exploded next to him. A massive ripple tore through the barrier that sprayed water across Kallias' face from more than sixty meters away.

After it all finished, Kallias turned himself to stare over at Saki. "So that's where you decided to attack from. It's rather pointless to think that just because I can't see I can't fight you." He lifted his hand to produce more of the orbs. Dozens rained down on Saki from her unresponsive body.

At the end of the assault, Saki turned up her head to glare back at Kallias. Her body ached from the water, but they were nothing more than bruises. Flickers of what happened to her played through her mind. The last second water stopped her and slid her away from him. 'It happened too fast! He can't be able to react to my movements! What is he doing?' Saki pushed herself back up to her feet. 'It doesn't matter. He can't hurt me with his attacks.'

"I'm glad you keep standing up. I want to keep enjoying this!"

Frustrated with the situation, Saki clinched her teeth. Her body struggled with her mind. She wanted to punch him so hard. "I'm not standing up for you."

"So long as you are, the reason doesn't matter!" Kallias summoned up several more orbs for Saki.