A Half Truth

"Eric, are you good?" Liz asks as soon as I return from my visit to Prisma.

"Yeah, it's nothing." I reply, hoping she'll get the hint and not pry any further. "Anyway, I got to a Dungeon on the border with a skill. It lets me enter a random Dungeon once a month and I used it with Innu and Luna. It took me to Ramia's Dungeon, but I assumed it was one nearby. When I left it, it spat me back out where I entered." I say, saying the truth except for the monthly limit.

"When did you get this skill?" Kallen asks.

"I got it from a quest." I answer and he seems to believe it.

"Well, that's all my questions." Lander says and I sigh, releaved.

"So are you ready to finish what you started at lunch, Eric?" Liz asks me.

"What do you mean?" I ask back.

"You said you learned new spells. But that they were attack spells. So you're going to fight your gramps again. That way you can let loose!" She answers and I sigh, while my gramps laughs.

"Come on Eric, let's go!" He says taking my arm and pulling me along. I follow as the others join us. We get back to the arena I fought Kallen in when I had my Mana Surge. The others go into the stands, where a few people had already gathered. My gramps and I enter the field, after putting our armor on. He takes notice of the dagger on the back of my hip. "Did you get yourself self a new blade?" He asks and I nod.

"Yeah, but this'll be the first time I use it." I answer and he smiles.

"Are you able to properly use that? No offense but a katana is very different from a dagger." He says and I shrug.

"No idea. But I manage my Katana just fine and I've never picked one up until after I became, or regained my Lyna side." I answer and he chuckles. A person dressed in white robes with a large green plus on his chest walks between us.

"Are you two ready?" He asks and I assume he's here to both start the match and heal us afterward. We each say yes and he counts us down. I draw my weapons and take out my horns, claws, and boots while casting Ancient Beastial Strength as he does so. Once he reaches zero I aim my dagger at my gramps and cast Hydra. I send the heads at him and see him look on in shock. I don't have them attack with their Elemental shots, since I want to conserve mana a bit. That and I don't want to destroy the arena. My gramps dodges the first head and kicks the second into the air. The third bites him and lifts him off the ground. I see him push the Hydra head's jaw apart and jump out. On his way down he kicks the other heads and kills it.

"That's an interesting new spell you got." My gramps says before charging at me. I don't know if it's because of my increased Agility, or if fighting the Werewolf and Dragon Hybrid with Prisma. But I'm able to see his superhuman speed. He's all blurry and hard to make out, but I can see it. I still can't hope to match it but it's progress. That quick thought gives me an idea. I cast Lightning Step and appear in front of him in an instant. I see his face in shock as he stops and throws his arms back. I cut across his chest with both my blades before jumping back.

-1915 Dmg

-1215 Dmg

I see a very small amount of blood come out of the cuts. That both makes me glad and mad.

"You've improved a great deal." He says while running his thumb along the cut and looking at his blood.

"You know me, I hate wasting time." I say and he smiles.

"I can tell, but what kind of weapon is that? It's as cold as ice, maybe colder."

"Yeah, no. I'm not gonna say until this fights over." I reply and he laughs.

"Then let's end this." He says before charging at me. He's faster this time, but I can still make out a fuzzy blur. I decide to try something risky and toss my Katana at him. I don't expect it to hit, I just want to distract him. As soon as I do, I rush him. I see him go for a punch and use my dagger to block, putting my free hand behind the flat end of my blade. As I hoped, his punch connects with my dagger's flat side. I feel my arms vibrate and shake under the ****. He pulls back and I repeat the block on his kick. His foot packs just as much of a punch and I nearly drop my dagger. He steps back and I do the same.

"What are you planning now?" He asks and I stick out my tongue. I use my dagger to Multicast Icicle Lance.

-402 Dmg

-402 Dmg

-402 Dmg

He doesn't dodge but they all hit his palms. Two on his left and one on his right. I'd like to believe he tried to catch them and failed, but he just most likely let them hit. Either way works since they each help me with my plan. He charges me and I block another blurry punch. I cast Draconic Ice using the dagger, glad that the dagger can use this spell that requires contact.

-805 Dmg

He pulls back and throws another punch with his other hand. I miss the block but cast Draconic Ice and Counter-Strike.

-715 Dmg

-805 Dmg

I smile as he starts shaking his hand back in forth. I take it as a sign that my spells are finally freezing him. he rushes me and I block another kick and punch before Blinking back.

"That's an interesting plan you came up with." He says, having figured out my plan is to freeze him.

"Did you expect anything else? I mean, when have any of my plans been boring?" I ask and he laughs harder than before. He nods before rushing me again. I block a punch but he kicks the ground after. A cloud of dust appears as he kicks it again and I jump back. I see him run out of the dust cloud, still blurry, as he continues to kick the ground. He continues this until the dust cloud surrounds me. I get a good idea, however, it will render all the work I've done to freeze him moot. I start casting Flame Pillar around myself.

-954 Dmg

I smile, glad that Counter-Strike works with ranged spells since I had honestly forgotten. I turn to where he had been and send and Ancient Beast Slash through the dust and fire. He jumps out of the fire right into the slash and swings his fist into it. He breaks three of the slashes before they reach him.

-1550 Dmg

I then cast Flaming Maw and a flaming mask chases him down. It leaves a trail of fire behind itself and he dodges it. It turns around and hits him in his exposed back.

-1750 Dmg

He falls onto his face and I cast Lightning Step. I appear in front of him and cast Devour, restoring my HP.

-3500 Dmg

+350 HP

I Blink back before he kicks me and I feel him grab my shoulder from behind.

"That was a good fight." He says as I jump in my skin.

"Dammit, how much were you holding back?" I ask in frustration, realizing he was holding back from how fast he just moved. He just laughs and I sigh before admitting defeat.