The Dream Shifter

Chapter 32

The room was large enough for the two of them to give chase, but never to run away or hide. It was not that big to provide safety for Yuki. He managed to evade the next series of swings from Ayumi, but not without having his clothes cut up more. Where ever he went blood dripped from his arms into the snowfield following him as he fled through the room. Yet he was running out of strength in his legs. Each of her strikes was coming closer to him and he could not keep up the pace much longer. A sign of his failing was when he tripped up his feet falling into the snow forced to roll out of the way.

He scrambled to his feet unable to use his arms and nearly fell again in the process. 'I can't get hit again…' Yuki mustered up strength in his legs to hold together long enough to get him away managing to avoid getting slashed in the back. He came to rest against the wall of the room breathing heavily from fatigue. He tried to keep his eyes up watching Ayumi, who was still not giving him rest or a chance to recover. There was not a moment for him to pause with Ayumi coming at him thrusting her sword at him, but he could not move in time taking the blade in his ribs. Yuki coughed up blood feeling the copper metallic taste in his mouth that drew up fear to his mind.

Ayumi retracted her blade and spun around connecting her leg with his shoulder dropping him to the ground. She held her weapon at her side walking towards him seeing the twisting uncontrollable fear in his eyes. 'Still not yet…either he's stubborn or still doesn't think I'll kill him somewhere deep inside…' The snow advanced on Yuki as she came closer to him drawing the dark aura behind her. '…he must use it soon or this will kill him…'

Yuki rolled over in the snow unable to get up off his back feeling the fatigue in the body reaching his limit. '…am I going to die here? I want to save myself, but I don't know-how! Please…' He pushed against his weakened arms pressing even more blood from them as he felt waves of pain snapping over his body. Yuki could sit up to see Ayumi still pressing on, but unable to do anything.

'…should be soon…just a little more…' Ayumi raised her sword behind her letting it hide behind her back as a sheath for it materialized from the particles in the air taking hold of the sword for her. She clasped her hands together creating a spark of light that surrounded her hands drawing on sudden bits of energy in the air. The energy gathered together as her hands separated forming into an orb of blue energy. Light from the energy painted the snow and Ayumi pale blue as she manipulated it in her hands. She pulled her hands back with the sphere becoming larger than her hands. The energy reached critical mass for her and she grabbed it in her hands pulling it back to her before thrusting it forward providing the necessary momentum to reach the target, Yuki.

For Yuki, there was a mix of awe and fear at the sight of Ayumi charging up an energy attack (gathering up is more accurate). The amount of emotional brew he might have had disappeared quickly when his brain processed that it was coming after him. '…got to move…not enough time…' He had barely got to his feet when the energy sphere hit him in his stomach exploding on impact. The force of the energy cut in arcs of lacerations along with his clothes and skin. Blood sprayed up from the explosion coating the snow. Yuki was sent backward from the force hitting the wood floor and sliding along its polished surface. "Ugh…I…" Yuki could not feel his body anymore. His clothes were in pieces barely hanging together by pieces of threads left with numerous rips. 'I can't move…Ayumi's going to…'

Ayumi leaped into the air coming towards him drawing up the snow around him to keep him in place. She grabbed her sheathed sword from her back pulling it free preparing for her final strike. 'This is it…'

'This is it... she's going to kill me now… All because I can't use my power…' Yuki closed his eyes recalling images of the maid, samurai, and fairy that he had made without thinking. Their existence frustrated him knowing that he had the power and was using it. He was simply unable to reach it. It was there for him to use, but he did not understand it. 'I came here to learn how to use it. I need this if I'm to protect myself and my family. I need to know! I can't die yet!' Yuki screamed in despair to the ceiling.

A reaction had occurred in Yuki sending out waves from his body nearly instantly changing the entire room into grass and rocks. All around Yuki's body large rocks came around him protecting him from Ayumi's attack leaving her to step back. '…finally…' She came to a landing on the ground finding that the majority of her field was completely overtaken by the raw power of Yuki. The walls of the room, even the idea of it being a room, were gone left with nothing, but a field of grass and rocks. "I guess I'll have to find a way to strengthen the array. He's far more powerful than a standard anti-Meso Prosecho array can restrain. I guess this is to be expected of the King's Power." She approached the rocks that protected Yuki from attacks and passed through them forcing her field through his own. "The lesson is over. You need to turn it off." In the back of her mind, she was calculating the widespread effects that this could be having on the neighborhood.

Yuki was breathing heavily looking like a scared child desperate to defend himself and keep away anyone that threatened his peace. "Stay away!" His mind was actively working on its own throwing up rocks to halt Ayumi's march to Yuki. There was panic racing through him finding that none of it was working against her. "Don't come any closer!" She continued towards him, though it seemed to be getting harder for her to press through the layers of rocks.

Ayumi narrowed her eyes from the strain that was being put on her to forcibly enter his defenses. The barriers were unskilled, but that was made up of sheer amounts of power. 'I need to reach him to stop this. I can't believe how much natural talent he has. I can barely…I might need to…' She had hit the last of the barriers and the closest to him. It was proving to be nearly impossible for her but pressed her hand into the rock with it glowing brightly fighting her presence. 'Even focusing all my strength around me to increase the density is barely enough.'

"Leave me alone! I don't want to be hurt anymore!" Yuki's mind continued to pump into his field acting as his steward to his life. He could not move his body or fight what was happening to him. The world was blank to him.