The Dream Shifter

Chapter 108

The short grass field swiftly fell back to its normal size as the tension in the air suddenly jumped. Yuki dropped into a defense stance recognizing the killing intent in the man's eye. The break was over as the next wave of spears being thrown forced Yuki to move. He was not going to be caught in the same trap as before. Yuki kept moving forward, and always against the direction that Demosthenes was trying to lead him, to close in the distance while evading the spears. Once he reached the range of the wielded spear in Demosthenes' hands he was forced to keep dodging the trusts and swipes. He had doubled the thickness on his energy armor that was able to soften the blows that he was forced to parry with his arm. The spear's blade was still getting through, but it was left as only bruises rather than cutting him. 'I can't keep up with him anymore…I'm being overwhelmed… This isn't about power anymore, but experience…'

Yuki was knocked back by Demosthenes, but he quickly returned to his feet using some awkward footwork to get around behind the old man. He tried to make a strike as the spear came around behind him in rotation with the man's body to bring them face to face once more. 'I don't think even at my peak I could have stood against him. He's a trained soldier… He's so far out of my reach…' Their violent dance continued to play out in the expansive field of grass with fatigue quickly creeping up on Yuki with each of his failures.

A mistake by Yuki's legs left him in a vulnerable position. The spear wasted no time in taking the opportunity and pierced through the defensive layers of energy to dig into Yuki's side just below his ribs. Yuki eyes grew wide in the shock with his teeth grinding through the pain. His defenses were broken and he was stumbling backwards after the weapon had been removed. Yuki's chest took a long s***h from a follow up swing by the spear spraying blood through the air as he fell back. He collapsed to the ground panting heavily through the fatigue and sore muscles. 'Come on! Damn it! Move I refuse to let this be it! Not now!'

"This is over now!" Demosthenes brought up his spear lunging it down at Yuki's heart for the final blow, but he suddenly met resistance. "What?!" he exclaimed in surprise seeing Yuki's less injured hand up holding back his spear. He tried to push in through the invisible force holding him back, but there was more than a half a meter between it and Yuki's hand. "I see, you're focusing all of your armor into a single area, but that won't be enough!" The spear was beginning to make some progress in penetrating the energy slowly digging.

Across the field held to watch was Saki inside Ayumi's barrier. '…Yuki…' She had been forced to stay on the sidelines during the fight. It had left her palms raw from the stress. For her, inaction was the worst thing to happen to her. However, the fight had been going badly for Yuki recently making her muscles burn. She turned back towards Ayumi when she saw Yuki fall back cornered. "Ayumi! Let me go now!"

"I can't, none of us are able to take him on. We have to believe in Yuki!" The same cold empty green eyes were drawn into Ayumi's face.

"Don't you care that Yuki is going to die!?" Saki looked over at Yuki once more seeing that he was struggling. There was so much distance between them that she could not see it all clearly, but it only made the situation worse for her. "Ayumi!" She charged for Ayumi with her fists raised up, but was brought to a stop by a wall of ice blocking her path. "Let me go or I'll hit you so hard you'll be feeling it next week!"

"Anger isn't the answer. You'll just die!"

"I don't care! Yuki's out their alone being killed!" Saki became distracted when ice tendrils came up to grab her restraining her from moving. It only made Saki even angrier at the lengths that Ayumi was going to stop her. She broke the ice with her arms and turned back towards the barrier to try to get around again. However, her eyes caught the attention of Yuki with him coming into even greater danger. Saki ran to the barrier her fists raised up. "Let me out, Ayumi!" Her fists hit the clear barrier echoing through the enclosed space. She kept pounding against the barrier.

"It's useless. It's far too strong for you to break."

None of it matter to Saki. The only thing on her mind was getting out. She was not thinking anymore continuously pounding her fist against the barrier until it suddenly developed a c***k. Her fist rammed into it again increasing the c***k.

Ayumi was quickly alerted to the damage and sealed it up quickly. 'Impossible! No human could have the strength to break this!' However, it was not enough as Saki's fist rammed into the barrier once more creating an even larger c***k than before. Ayumi was not fast enough as Saki's next punch completely shattered the barrier to her utter shock.

"Yuki!" It was then in that instance that Saki suddenly disappeared from everyone's sight while they were all watching her.

The spear was breaking through the last of the layers and Yuki could no longer hold up his arm. It was the last of his strength that he had used to keep Demosthenes at bay. Yuki fought with his body to move, but it refused him. 'No!' Time began to move slowly as he watched his imminent death coming in on the tip of the spear.

However, a brief shadow was sharply cast over him followed by a loud crunch and thud. The spear was no longer coming at him. In fact, Demosthenes was nowhere to be seen. Yuki fought to focus his eyes on scanning the area until he saw that Saki was standing in front of him. "Saki?" he said slowly not believing it at first. Saki turned and helped him up to his feet. He tried to look around again for signs of the old man, but there was nothing. "Where is he?" His single mindedness would not let it go.

"I don't know. I searched, but I couldn't find him."

"It would seem… neither of us… is in a position to keep fighting," echoed Demosthenes voice from all around them. The sound of his voice carried disguised pain that was threatening him. "I shall retreat for today. Come and face me in our homeland… and prove to me that you're worthy to be our King." Afterwards, his voice could be heard no more. Silence fell over the grounds leaving Yuki and Saki to guess that he had departed.

"Huh?" questioned Yuki not clear on what had just happened. "What's going on? He retreated? But why, I didn't defeat him!?"

"What did you do, Saki?" asked Hiroshi coming up behind them. Everyone with them looked out of breath from running the distance to reach them, while Saki looked as she always had. Ayumi was even breathing heavy from the run, but still tried to conceal it.

Yuki looked at Hiroshi and then at Saki becoming even more confused. "What's he talking about, Saki?"

"…I don't know…" she said shrugging her shoulders at him. "I just remember trying to stop that man from killing you and…"

"Saki covered the distance from us to you in less than a second and literally sent the man flying with a single punch," Ayumi said filling in the details for everyone. However, there was a hint of disbelief in her voice as it seemed impossible. 'How did she break my barrier and then run that fast that I couldn't see her? It's not possible!'

Saki looked over at Ayumi and the others. "I don't remember any of that. I'm just relieved that Yuki is safe." Her heart had finally stopped pounding and her muscles could begin to relax. "But he needs you to heal him, Ayumi." She let him rest on the ground as Ayumi nodded silently. Once the work was done and Yuki was healed she looked around the school grounds.

"This isn't over yet…" said Yuki softly. In the distance, their ruined school stood lined with cracks and shattered windows. "Next time… I will defeat him… Demosthenes…" Along the first floor and foundation sat a small pile of debris from the created earthquake. The ground itself was whole as though it had never happened, but the building still stood as the reminder. Students were beginning to gather around with the threat over. They all had the look of awe and confusion.

"Need me to punch you in the head, Yuki?" Saki offered knowing that he could not turn off his powers.

Yuki shuck his head at her. "No, it's already off," he said. His school uniform was back on him, though with blood and rips left in them from his battle.

"What're you talking about? No, it's not. There's still grass everywhere even in the streets. See?"

"I'm certain it's off." Yuki stood up feeling better, but weak. He could see the school and the neighborhood of houses and small shops all around. However, wherever he looked there was grass everywhere. The sidewalk, the roads and the gardens all of it was covered like his field. Yet Yuki knew it could not be possible. 'Maybe I'm mistaken. I guess there's only one way to find out.' He turned towards Saki with uncertainty. "Whack me…"

"Yuki?" said Saki pulled back from searching the horizon. She forced herself to focus back on the immediate matter and tightened up her fist. It made all of the students around gasp and shout to try to stop her, but she was already in motion. Her fist connected with him and immediately stunned him removing any sort of concentration he could have. She looked around again, but found the grass was still present. "Ayumi?"

Ayumi was equally confused by it having an unusually concerned look on her face. She activated her field quickly to check something. 'It's not being affected by him.' The snow disappeared as she turned her gaze to Saki. "He's telling the truth. His power is not active. Don't know how to explain it, but he's somehow permanently altered the area with only his power."

"I thought it was just an illusion!"

"It is, but he's made it actually real."

"What?!"

"Hey everyone…there's a strange broadcast coming in on the radio," a male student said pulling down his headphones that were connected to something in his uniform pocket. "They're saying something's happened across Japan. That everything's been changed!" His words spread panic throughout the crowd as everyone began to whisper and talk between each other making wild speculation and guesses.

Yuki had come back around hearing what they were talking about and only becoming even more confused. He rose to his feet and looked around at his friends. "We need to find out what's going on!"

"Yeah, but how?" Hiroshi said.

"The news seems to know something."

"But the school's a wreck and I doubt anyone's going to let us in their house."

"We don't need to!" Yuki snapped his fingers and summoned a TV on the ground that was immediately broadcasting a news station.

There was about to be questions, but they were cut off by the reporter's voice reaching out to everyone. "…in Ibaraki Prefecture. We only have reports for the Kanto region still, but early signs indicate that the entire country of Japan is no longer as we know it. Strange animals and plants have appeared in numerous areas. It has been described as though every work of fiction, myth and dream has suddenly become reality in Japan!"