The Dream Shifter

Chapter 106

Yuki stared down at Kazuhiro's body feeling his own emotions raging out of control. They were causing his arms to begin to shake soon followed by his body. However, it was not fear that made him quiver so; anger was boiling in his blood. He had been calm before thinking that he could save everyone and defeat Demosthenes, but it was different now. 'He killed Kazuhiro… He killed my friend…' Yuki started to turn slowly away from them towards Demosthenes, his head tilted down with his dark blue hair hanging over his eyes blocking them for view. 'This was just supposed to be about me… How could he…' His body felt warm as though a fire was burning in his blood. 'I can't let this continue any longer…' The pounding in his heart was all he could hear through the echoes of Kazuhiro voice screaming out to him.

"Ayumi…Saki…" Yuki said softly through tremendous control that still was barely enough to keep the shaking from his voice. "Take them away from here please."

"Yuki! I'm not leaving you!" Saki screamed starting to run for him only to be stopped by Yuki.

His head tilted over his shoulder with only one eye connecting with her. Deep despair surrounded by an immense fury glowed in his light brown eye. It had frozen Saki in her step. "I'm sorry, Saki. I don't want anyone to see me like this."

The emotions that were being transferred through his eyes were choking off her voice. 'He's struggling…that's why I should be here!' However, her own body was not acting as she wished, still paralyzed. "You don't have to face this alone, Yuki! I know—"

"Please!" he shouted interrupting her quickly feeling the flames in his body getting fiercer. "I can't protect you like this…and I don't know…what'll happen right now. Ayumi…" Yuki appealed to her hoping that she would understand and grant his wish.

"I understand," she said calmly.

"Ayumi?!" questioned Saki turning around.

The snow field had suddenly activated for her and raising a wall around her perimeter shutting off Saki from Yuki. Dull pounded from Saki could be heard through the semi-opaque ice barrier as it began to move with Ayumi forcing the others to move. They were soon out of sight having gone straight through the school.

Yuki returned to face Demosthenes with waves of energy starting to pulse from his feet through the ground as an ill omen. Demosthenes had been patiently waiting the entire time just simply watching. It made Yuki feel even more enraged as though he was just an observer rather than one that had actually killed his friend. "…Demosthenes Alexander…"

"…Yuki Hayashi…"

"So it seems you're finally ready for our duel. Prove to me that you deserve the title of King!" His field had been up the entire time, but an intensity seemed to glow from it as a couple waves pulsed from his feet. He tightened his grip on the spear in his hands waiting for Yuki to summon his field.

A wind drew down to Yuki like a tornado seated atop him acting like a funnel on the clouds in the sky. It poured the clouds out into the ground rapidly to hit like an explosion. Pulsing waves issued forth stronger from Yuki's feet passing by Demosthenes and continuing beyond him. 'He's got a flair for the theatrical it seems, but his range…' The forced feed clouds hung like a fog creating an uneasy tension that concealed the raging torrent.

"No…" pierced Yuki's voice through the fog as it began to evaporate into the air. "This won't be a duel!" Yuki's face was narrowed in uncontrollable emotions once he was revealed through the dissipating clouds. The pulsing waves became thicker as they were being released from his feet as though they were clumping together. The slowly vibrating earth beneath them seemed to be responding to his fury that was barely being held in check by Yuki. "You killed Kazuhiro! You killed my friend! I won't let you think this is a duel anymore!" There were thin streams of tears in his eyes as he was shouting the words. Then as though his declaration had been the final lock on the cage of his heart the earth leapt into the air. A literal wave of earth, broken apart by the unnatural bending, rose from Yuki shooting out like a shockwave at blinding speeds. Everything it is wake was completely altered as the wave did not seem to stop. No buildings were left as far as the horizon could be seen just a vast field of tall grass and infrequently placed trees.

The old man had barely been able to defend himself from the release of the field. It had only been his own field strength that dampened it enough for him to brush it off as an illusion. He had no time to react, it had such speed. 'Such power…I can't see an end to his field…it's been a while since I've seen such power displayed…' Demosthenes reaffirmed his hold on his spear staring down Yuki.

"…Yuki…" Saki nearly whispered as she watched from what Ayumi had declared a safe distance. She was still keeping them from leaving, but allowed a clear barrier for them to be able to see.

Ayumi narrowed her eyes in concern as she analyzed the scene. 'His field is far larger than it's ever been… There's something wrong with this field…'

Yuki stood in the grass unarmed still wearing the white pants of a gi that hung loose on his legs. The white formal appearing robes over the upper part of his body were separated into layers. A longer sleeve form fitting undershirt extended out from the robes to a little past his elbow. Held over top was the second layer to the robes held loosely to his body with a thick obi around his waist up to his stomach. The third layer of clothes fell over top the two bound layers like a long vest-like coat. Laid out upon the silk material were pale organic designs stitched to produce a raised surface on the clothes.

Across the grass in a lower cut grass field stood Demosthenes with a couple spare weapons littered in his field. "You need a weapon for us to begin," he beckoned out to Yuki.

"For this fight I don't need a weapon!" retorted Yuki as he charged forward into a full sprint.

Demosthenes could see that Yuki was serious about take him on with only his fists and accepted his resolve. The spear sung through the air as he made a slicing swing once Yuki came in range, but Yuki evaded the attack by changing his movement. 'His reflexes are faster…' Another swing at Yuki was dodged as he was keeping him at a distance. A quick series of swings from the spear left them still unchanged. Yuki was avoiding any attempt gaining barely any ground in reaching him through the range of the spear. The spear's tactics were changed as an opening was found allowing him to thrust at Yuki.

There was a dull ring of the blade's metal at the spear came to an empty stop. It caught the old man off guard seeing Yuki stopped the tip of the spear with merely his palm. A faint wave echoed from his hand as it held back the spear at no more than a centimeter from piercing his skin. Their actions were paused there as Demosthenes gauged what had occurred.

The spear retreated back and took another swing down at Yuki with it being suddenly blocked by his crossed forearms. Once more the blade was held a short distance away from his skin never making contact. Demosthenes continued to test out Yuki's defenses never able to make it through to wound him. In the last thrust Yuki blocked the blade with his left hand coming in close to Demosthenes and gripped it bare. His right hand then rammed through the shaft of the spear slicing it in two as he spun around. Baring out the spear head, his left hand clasped the shaft at the end of the blade head rotating to run it into the old man's ribs.

Demosthenes staggered back a step taken aback by how swiftly he had been countered. He had been unable to make the spear disappear in time and now blood was slowly dripping from his wound. The pain was stabbing deep into his chest from spear as he ripped it free from his body. Even through the pain his mind was still trying to understand what Yuki was doing. "You…You blocked everything. How?"

Yuki adjusted himself to face the man still with rage filled eyes that had been staring at him the entire time. "It's nothing that a dead man needs to be concerned with…" He raised up his hand with his fingers aimed flat. A moment later the tensed muscles released burying the hand in the chest of Demosthenes. Yuki pulled his hand out trailing blood through the air with his fingers coated. There seemed to be a release in his features as Yuki stepped back.

The old man collapsed to his knees before falling over, shock still etched into his face. Yuki closed his eyes taking in the moment. His mind was still holding images of Kazuhiro, playing repeatedly for him during the fight. "I'm sorry, Kazuhiro…please forgive me…" A stream of tears fell down his shut eyes as he pulled his head back to face the sky.

Cold wind suddenly blew through the area pulling Yuki's eyes open. There was something inside him that was telling him something was wrong. It broke through his sorrowful emotions trying to clear his mind. Yuki alerted himself scanning the area seeing nothing, but a large circle of shortly cut grass embedded in his own. "What's with the grass here?" he said slowly realizing that it did not make any sense. He marched forward searching everywhere trying to understand what was going on.

"It would seem you've found your strength," a bodiless voice declared.

It only took Yuki a moment to recognize the voice as Demosthenes. He turned back towards the body, but it was no longer there. The body had disappeared completely. "Where are you?"

"Right here." The source of the voice became visible as though a mirage had been lifted from the area. It was the old man standing completely unharmed by any of the attacks from Yuki with a renewed spear in hand.

Yuki narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What are you immortal? I've seen you killed twice."

"Seen yes, but no I'm not immortal. I simply created a weak copy of myself to test your worthiness." He lowered his spear down into an attacking stance.

"Weak copy?"

"Yes, I'm the real one. So the real battle begins now!"