The Dream Shifter

Chapter 258

Countless calculations ran through Chiharu's mind in the seconds she waited before covering up her stunned look with hardened determination. She started her charge through the ever-changing earth. 'He can't have my strength…' Her hand tightened around the hilt of her short sword. 'His field is reducing my speed and agility, but it should still be faster than a human's…' Nothing came to her.

Questions filled Chiharu's mind. Answers disappeared from sight. All her planning meant nothing.

"Charging again?" he remarked. "Having a weapon doesn't make you an adult." He flicked his fingers discharging several invisible blades in the direction of Chiharu.

She felt that she was getting more used to them. A couple of side steps kept her out of any danger. However, she confronted even more at different angles coming at her. The array was wide enough that a simple dodge was no longer enough for her. Her eyes glanced at the warping ground. Winding back her arm, she slammed into the earth.

A ripple bubbled up from the earth and churned up the surface. Earth stretched under pressure, but held tight not ripping. It rose from the force all around Chiharu acting as a shield. Impacts sounded off dully cutting into the distortion. The earth shattered a moment later and the blades broke through to Chiharu. She already had her arms up in defense.

Moments passed with loose dust hanging in the air in a thin veil. Chiharu's figure easily outlined through the sheet. She stepped out from the cover dropping her arms. Small droplets of blood fell from her fingertips.

The man narrowed his eyes a little, but did not look surprised or confused by her condition. "Making use of my field's properties to create a defense to dampen the attacks. You're pretty quick."

"And you're annoying," added Chiharu. She broke into a sprint for her enemy once more. He presented new targets to avoid, but they felt a little faster than before. She evaded them, but felt the narrow escape. 'He's getting serious…'

He released even more attacks on Chiharu as she got closer. "You only need to surrender. Even after all you've done, there is still time to turn back. Foreigners don't belong here." His stance altered slightly as Chiharu came even closer to her without signs of stopping.

Chiharu did not give him answer. She left her sword to respond. 'He's changed his stance, but I can still get an opening…I just need to put him down in a single strike!' Unfortunately, her blade never made it to him. As though replaying recent history, his hand clasped down on her forearm halting her blade centimeters from him.

She felt him going to repeat his previous move, but she fought his attempt. Her body shifted her weight and moved in closer to his space making it difficult to maneuver around her. Chiharu intertwined her legs with his in spite of their vast height and size difference. "I have my reasons for being here. I won't be surrendering!"

'She's still got strength to fight me? How powerful is this girl?' He danced around Chiharu's movements trying to improve his position. She forced him to block her kicks no longer satisfied with keeping things even. While she pushed him back a little, their situation largely remained a stalemate. "What reason would you have for being a foreign country?"

Secondary attacks failed to connect with him narrowing her expression. She fought with her emotions to keep them from overflowing out of control as before. Her arm still was tightly held down in spite of her efforts to free herself. "I'm not telling you!"

"You've got a stubborn streak," he commented. His hand pulled on Chiharu's arm as his managed to improve his position. A slip in the contest by Chiharu finished it off for her. 'Finally hit her…' He lifted up Chiharu and cast her aside into the back line of his field.

'Damnit…' she muttered to herself, as she recovered. Chiharu re-established her footing, but felt her legs complaining more to her. 'Is the ground getting worse again?' Her question remained unanswered as attacks from the old man kept her focused on dodging. 'They're even faster than before…I can barely dodge anymore… What's he doing?'

Chiharu narrowly dodge the last slice through the air with a couple of strains of her hair clipped. The disturbed air brushed against her face. Something about it felt stronger than before. Her eyes widened a little. Something was wrong. 'He's still got that lazy know-it-all look, but he's getting better… What's with him?'

Leaving behind her questions, Chiharu sprinted for him once more. She felt her last attack gave her a better understanding of him. She struggled with him unlike the first time. 'I'll get him this time!'

Fumiko watched the two fight, but felt things were turning worse for Chiharu. Her face turned to confusion in watching her. 'Why is she moving so slow? I know she's faster than this… What's wrong? It's not just the field…is it?' Through the fight, Chiharu seemed to be getting progressively slower in Fumiko's eyes. Before, it was hard for Fumiko to even see her, but in her present state, it almost seemed as if she was standing still. '…something's wrong…'

Another attack came for Chiharu at lightning speed. Her reflexes did nothing for her as her body felt oddly sluggish. The balance she maintained before slipped and she tripped into the earth. She coughed on the dirt that sucked into her mouth. 'What's wrong with my body?' Suddenly, Chiharu heard a pounding in her chest like it was a jackhammer on her. She clinched her hand against her feeling short of breath.

Chiharu's eyes widened not knowing when her body felt so exhausted. 'It doesn't make sense. I haven't been fighting for long… So why am I so…out of breath?! Why does it feel like I can't stand anymore?!' She looked up from the ground to see the old man's feet near her face. He stared down her at still no more attentive than before. His casual attitude annoyed her even more as though he did not see her as a threat.

The man raised his brow a little noting her glare. "You've got a good pair of eyes, but you should have finally begun to realize it. Right?"

"What are you talking about?" Chiharu ground her teeth together baring them at him a little. His always-right tone raked down her spine inciting her anger.

He knelt down towards her losing any sense of defense. It became even more apparently that he felt no sense of danger from her. "That all of your precious strength is gone. It's sapped away." He looked away towards the horizon. "It's bothersome fighting at my age. So I just let my opponents tire themselves out with my field. The unstable ground is only a distraction to the real ability of it. It drains away your strength and physical energy until you're too exhausted to fight anymore."

The middle-aged man stood up rubbing his neck as though he was tired. He looked down at Chiharu with eyes that for once looked serious. "It's over for you."

Chiharu's eyes widened not knowing when her body felt so exhausted. 'It doesn't make sense. I haven't been fighting for long… So why am I so…out of breath?! Why does it feel like I can't stand anymore?!' She looked up from the ground to see the old man's feet near her face. He stared down her at still no more attentive than before. His casual attitude annoyed her even more as though he did not see her as a threat.

The man raised his brow a little noting her glare. "You've got a good pair of eyes, but you should have finally begun to realize it. Right?"

"What are you talking about?" Chiharu ground her teeth together baring them at him a little. His always-right tone raked down her spine inciting her anger.

He knelt down towards her losing any sense of defense. It became even more apparently that he felt no sense of danger from her. "That all of your precious strength is gone. It's sapped away." He looked away towards the horizon. "It's bothersome fighting at my age. So I just let my opponents tire themselves out with my field. The unstable ground is only a distraction to the real ability of it. It drains away your strength and physical energy until you're too exhausted to fight anymore."

The middle-aged man stood up rubbing his neck as though he was tired. He looked down at Chiharu with eyes that for once looked serious. "It's over for you."

Chiharu ground her teeth together at his words. Her mind was clear enough to be aware of her body's state. 'Damn, it's a clever tactic and I didn't even see it coming…' She darted her eyes around for ideas. 'Can't let all this end now!'

Fumiko tried to get to her feet, but found them even weaker than before. His field sealed everything for her. However, she did not care. Chiharu was at risk and she needed to do something. 'I've got to protect her!' Her hands pressed against the slanted surface knocking herself over to her side. Whispered curses escaped her lips as she fought with her body to stand. Her will kept burning.