The Dream Shifter

Chapter 176

Amongst the bickering between Yuki and Seiji, Simonides held back for a while being cautious about the breakdown. However, the longer that they continued the more he decided that it might be his only opportunity. The way that his subordinate fell in a single almost blinding strike worried him. 'At least one of them isn't a normal researcher. Something is definitely a foul.' Keeping his sword ready, the Captain stalked forward to get the jump on Seiji. However, when he came into range to act everything rang loudly around him.

A fist held straight out from Seiji remained as the response. He looked down at the Captain he knocked to the street. "Don't interrupt me while I'm talking!"

"Hey, what you do that for?" Yuki darted over to the older man managing to somehow remain conscious after receiving a powerful hit from Seiji. A quick investigate of his condition made Yuki turn his head back up at Seiji. "He was mine! How could you take my opponent like that?! How am I supposed to fight him fairly after this?!"

"If he went down in a single punch then he isn't worth either of our time!"

"You're just upset that your fight didn't last long and you're taking it out on mine!"

"Why you…"

Simonides pushed himself away from them seeing them getting distracted with arguments again. He wished a little that he knew what they were arguing about. However, none of it mattered he knew. He had his pride as a soldier of the Atlantean army, but his duty to protect came first. 'Eusebios is the only one that'll be able to deal with him…' From his pouch at his side he retrieved a small item hidden well in his hand. His arm shook still from the damage that he took making it difficult for him to get it placed. Lightheadedness began to take him over as he knew time ran out. As his last act his finger pushed a button on the device shooting a bright light out of the top shooting into the sky. Simonides passed out a moment later dropping a small cylinder from his hand.

Once the light reached high enough into the air, it exploded created a ball of light seen across the field and in neighboring villages. Both of the arguing teens stopped their yelling long enough to look up at the light in the sky. A moment later they stared at each other.

"How'd the hell they get a flare if they're ancient Greeks?!" Seiji demanded of Yuki, as though he had all of the answers.

Yuki pushed Seiji off of him with the pause giving him back control of his emotions. He knelt down looking at the Captain. The cylinder he held rested in the dirt. Upon examination, Yuki found it to be far above the technological level that he had seen in the village. 'Seiji's right…this doesn't make any sense…'

A remark from Chiharu echoed in his mind as he started in a new line of thought. 'I wouldn't underestimate them. It's exactly because they appear this way that we should remain cautious. Unlike Ancient Greece they are surrounded by the modern age. The citizens might not have much knowledge of the world, but I doubt the leaders keep a blind eye to the outside.' Her words came back to him feeling like foreshadowing.

'She might be right about that.' The more he considered the thought the more questions came to him. Unfortunately, time did not grant him what he needed. Seiji wanted answers and began staring at him very closely. "Hey! Step back a little!"

"You've been quiet for too long!"

"It's been ten seconds!"

"More like a minute!"

"What you timing me now?" Yuki rolled the spent flare casing in his hand trying to figure some of it out. The strange thing he noted was that it lacked anything familiar to him in what he had seen in movies that used modern technology. It may have been a poor comparison, but he did not believe they stole the flare. 'If anything it looks to be more advanced…did they make it themselves?' Not having an answer for Seiji did not seem an option. All Yuki managed for him was a shrug. "I don't have any more of an idea than you. They do have all of the Kasou-ryoku users here. So maybe they made it through their powers or something."

"But isn't it all fake?"

"That's not—" A spear thrown between the two of them cut him off before he finished. In the next second the spear disappeared leaving Seiji confused. However, a familiar feeling settled in Yuki. 'Demosthenes! He's here!' Anticipating his enemy a ring of light burst out from Yuki's feet. Replacing his clothes his battle clothes appeared in response as grass filled the surface of the ground, but left the homes untouched.

Seiji hesitated for a moment not sure what happened to Yuki. "Nice threads! Got some for me?" He reached out for Yuki holding a joking smile. A deathly serious flash came from Yuki's eyes when he looked at him that made Seiji step back. It brought back chills for Seiji. "Hey, what's wrong man?"

Nothing stopped Yuki as he strode forward focused on the darkness out of the village where he spear came from. "This one's mine. Don't get in my way." Yuki did not even bother meeting Seiji with a gaze disappearing down the street to the end of the village.

'I haven't seen him like that since middle school… What's that all about?' Following him became impossible as four soldiers came out of alleyways already drawn with swords. Seiji smirked a little to himself looking pleased with the situation. "Four on one is getting better! But you'll need more than that for me!" He charged towards them disregarding their weapons with his fist raised in the air to strike.

Across the village the uneasy stalemate between Yumi and Philon dragged out. Neither of them tried to make any overt moves to attract attention. The doubt in Yumi made her hesitate. While Philon feared dealing with another MP user with powers he did not understand. Yori pulled himself up from the ground, but did not know his next move.

Yori came to the conclusion that escape remained their best option. He grabbed on to Yumi's shoulder to get her attention. "We need to leave while we have the chance."

'Escape?' Her focus diverted for only a moment away from the soldier and to her brother.

The mistake gave Philon the time to reach his sword and charged for the two of them. 'If I'm faster than their reaction I can get around their powers! A rogue MP user is too dangerous to have alive!' All of his fears bleed out of him as he sprinted for the siblings. Duty to protect drove his sword's blade no longer with the intention to capture. Rebellion meant death for one such as her.

Yumi caught the movements of the man out of the corner of her eye. Time slowed down for her as she thought of her brother and the man that tried to kill him charging once more with an even more deadly expression. She pushed Yori back knocking him out of the way as she turned to face the enemy. 'I will protect you this time, brother!' Doubt crumbling and poured molded into resolve and confidence. Yumi knew what she had to do.

A half star suddenly glowed brightly burning out from under her shirt. It enveloped her even as the young soldier charged blindly on with a sure thrust in his sword. They disappeared from Yori's sight only hearing a frightening clash like ripped flesh. "Yumi!?" He struggled to get back to his feet. However, as he rose a shockwave from the light sent him back as well as another figure out of the light. Coughing and biting through the pain he fought with himself to stand. He had to know who he just saw.

Another flash of light blew out before it faded away. Yori managed to make a few steps before he looked over to find Yumi hovering off the ground. Her eyes remained closed and a strange wind whipped around her playing violently with her clothes and hair. Faint echoes of light shimmered around her as remnants. Checking on the fallen figure, he saw Philon lying on the ground his hand bloodied and sword missing.

Yumi slowly opened her eyes carrying with her unusually serious narrowed features on her face. She lifted up her right palm showing a small chunk of metal that suddenly shrank as though under pressure from external forces. The metal compressed until it became a small ball no more the size of an average child's marble. "Your sword shall no longer hurt my brother," she declared. Her iron marble floated up higher from her palm as her arm stretched out towards Philon. The ball disappeared from her possession flashing through the air spraying blood up from the impact.

Philon screamed from the pain of his shoulder being broken by his own sword. He ground his teeth together as he pressed his hand against his wound. 'She's too strong for me…but if I don't do something…' His still good arm reached behind him pulling out a small dagger. Determination burned in his eyes knowing what he had to do.

A glance from Yumi at his dagger ripped it from his hand floating away from him. Like his other weapon she crushed it into a ball and returned it back through his other shoulder. She glared at him looking for him to back down. "…stubborn…" Yumi remarked before waving her arm at him. Philon flew across the alley crashing into one of the houses. A nearby rock ripped itself free from the earth and came to rest hovering in her hand. The rock filled out her palm completely. "Flee. This is your last chance," commanded Yumi with all of the lethal presence she had to break through the language barrier.

It did not take much for Philon to understand the chance that Yumi gave him. A bitter taste built in his mouth with the thought of retreat. Both of his arms had no use and the bleeding made him feel lightheaded. He ran out of options. "You'll regret sparing me!" Philon turned and sprinted away into the field to the planned rendezvous point.

Yumi exhaled with relief and dropped to the ground. All of the wind around her disappeared at the same time. She closed her eyes to catch herself and when she opened them the serious girl disappeared. "Yori! How hurt are you?" She rushed over to his side trying to look at his wounds.

No words came from his lips stuck in shock. 'What happened to Yumi? Was that really her?'

"Come out Demosthenes! I know you're here!" shouted Yuki still marching out of the village. When he reached the gate of Skoupa he scanned the area searching for a field. The further he went the less that he saw. However, the moonlight gave him enough to see by still. Meters away from him a dirt cracked arid land cut away into his grass field. His eyes narrowed as he prepared recognizing it as a field. "Not using a grass field this time?"

A shadowed figure stepped out of the night haze closing in to Yuki. The man wore a simple black shirt and loose pants with leather boots. However, he had a different air about him from the man that Yuki knew. "It would seem that you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Eusebios assigned to the South Gate Border Patrol for dealing with intruders such as yourself. However, for an enemy we seem to have something in common that we share."

Yuki glared at the man not pleased by the casual tone that he took with him. "What's that?"

"Demosthenes Alexander. I don't know how you know him, but he was my teacher!" Eusebios materialized a spear to his hand dropping into an attack stance. "I won't let you tarnish his noble name with your tongue!"