Spiritbound [Spirit Magic, Military, Progression] (Book 1 Complete)

It was an attack that was deemed unstoppable to the common folk. A single strike that could collapse buildings and tear the ground asunder. One that was created solely with the purpose of dismantling whatever lay in its path. That was the intent within Igneel's strike. The silver knight of the Empire.

But faced with such a destructive force, Tucker had to take a stand. The stars within his body shined within the sea of emotions that overflowed from his heart and soul. A desire burned inside of him. A desire to protect his comrades. It didn't matter if his body broke down from the strain. He couldn't afford to hold anything back.

A howling wind defying Igneel's merciless attack rushed to Tucker's blade and formed another layer of force. With everything he had, Tucker slowly exhaled, calming his racing heart. A moment of tranquillity took control of his mind, and with one smooth, decisive strike, he brought his sword down.

The emerald aura and spirit essence intertwined with one another, forming an aura slash that pushed beyond the boundaries of what aura users could muster. A power that fused the two natures of the energies together. Tucker didn't know the true extent of his capabilities. Throughout his entire life, he lived following his family's strict traditions, for that was the life of a bastard within the Welford household. But after becoming a watchman, his life changed.

There was more to life than traditions. The values and beliefs set by others were nothing more than expectations placed on him by those who were undeserving. His ego became a shackle that hindered his growth. It took him far too long to realize that, and now that he did, everything became clear.

It was like standing in a grass field that never ended. One where the wind could freely blow without any obstacles and flow beyond the horizon. A silence filled the area as Tucker's cloak swayed in the wind. His eyes remained focused on Igneel's attack as his slash of energy raced forward. The emerald aura wrapped in a vortex of gust met the blinding slash in a roaring clash of principles, where one aimed to destroy and another to protect.

Luka shielded himself with his arms, struggling to keep his eyes open as the two forces met in a crucial battle to gain ground. He couldn't let himself stay still and rose from where he knelt. But what could he even do? It was already too late to support his captain, and his hands were still trembling. He knew Tucker needed him and, at the moment that mattered most, he was useless.

The fierce gale that rushed forth and the crackle of energy that entered his ears left Luka motionless. But soon, a realization dawned on him. Igneel's attack didn't require him to remain in place. The knight could still freely move. So if he were in the silver knight's position, he would seize the opportunity to strike. Luka raised his broken blade and channeled his spirit essence, reforming the sword's body with stone and then wrapping it in aura.

It wasn't durable enough to last the battle, but good enough to block a few hits at most. And as Luka finished his preparations, he saw a shadow flash through Tucker's left flank. The line of silver that swept through the haze aimed at Tucker's neck. Sparks of aura collided, and fragments of broken stones danced in the air.

Luka's arm throbbed in pain, but Igneel didn't retreat. He stepped forward and drove the entire weight of his body onto the watchman. His stance was slowly crumbling beneath the knight's strike, yet he needed to endure. Just long enough for Tucker to fend off the attack.

The two opponents locked swords, and cracks formed on Luka's blade. He knew the makeshift stone wasn't good enough to replace his sword. However, it was the only chance he had to fight. His hands clenched onto the hilt of his broken weapon, and before Igneel could drive him back any further, something caught his attention.

A spike of earth rushed out from the side and struck Igneel's aura defenses with such an unbelievable force that it left Luka speechless. At first, Igneel thought it was another one of the watchmen's antics, but after seeing the startled expression of the earth contractor. He knew that wasn't the case.

Luka stood in a daze. He stared at the base of the spike. A four-legged creature emerged—its body covered in coarse brown fur, with two oval patches of white framing its eyes like a mask. Its tiny paws left marks in the dirt as it scrambled to get to Luka, and for the first time in a while, he felt his heart ache. His companion, Daisy, hadn't manifested in the world since John died. It felt surreal, but witnessing it firsthand, Luka knew Daisy had returned to help him.

The wind died down, and the aura slash vanished into the sky. There wasn't a single trace of the attack left. Luka felt his wound burn as the blood on his shoulder dripped down the side of his body. His expression paled, and a sizzling sound entered his ears. He glanced to the side and watched as Tucker poured a vial of crimson onto the wound. Once the vial was empty, his friend tossed it to the side and glared at Igneel.

Tucker knew that a battle of attrition was no longer an option. They had burned through most of their reserves, and from the silver knight's composure, it became clear that he could still fight. The knight's armor had several long blade marks and dents on the runic engravings. Their tactics were working. However, the only issue was whether Luka could keep up.

Tucker watched as Igneel slowly opened and closed his hand. Even for a knight like Igneel, fatigue would eventually build up. His eyes focused on the silver knight. "Luka, can you still fight?"

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"Yeah, but what should we do?" Luka stood beside Tucker and raised his sword. "My blade isn't exactly capable of enduring his strikes anymore."

Tucker glanced at Luka's sword that was formed of stone. He couldn't rely on his friend's attack, and constantly worrying about Luka's survival wouldn't help. That meant there was only one option left. "Go and get help."

Luka stared at Tucker. "What?"

"You heard what I said. Get out of here and get someone from the Thirtieth platoon."

"I can't abandon you—"

"You're not abandoning me, you're getting reinforcements." Tucker cut off Luka mid-sentence. "And we both know you're not in a state to help right now."

Luka clenched his jaw and reluctantly nodded. "Alright, I'll be back soon, so just hold him back."

As Luka left the area, he took one final glance back at his friend. He had failed Tucker, and now he couldn't do anything except find someone else to save him. The guilt hammered in his chest, but the least he could do was no longer be a burden.

Tucker listened to the sound of footsteps fading from their location. Now, only the silver knight and the watchman remained in the ruins of the collapsed buildings. The two focused on each other through the falling ashes. Charred beams jutted out from the crumbling stone, blackened by fire and wrapped by heat. The scent of smoke lingered heavily in the air, refusing to fade from the warm breeze.

"I thought you watchmen were all cowards. I didn't expect you to sacrifice yourself to save your friend," said Igneel.

"I wouldn't do this if I didn't think there was a chance I would live," Tucker replied.

"Regardless, it's a commendable feat." Igneel pointed his sword at Tucker. "I expected you both to run like last time, but to see you stand your ground in the face of adversity is beyond admirable."

"Sadly, it's under these circumstances." Tucker took a deep breath and steadied his breathing. Compared to Igneel, his physical state was slightly worse. His entire body was sore and the throbbing pain in his hands was a constant reminder of how powerful Igneel's strikes were.

The tattered cape on his shoulder swayed in the wind. Tucker didn't have the time to think about his next moves. It was far too complicated and against an opponent like Igneel, a battle of tactics was pointless. Everything they tried worked against them.

Now, it was a battle purely on instincts.

They charged forth, meeting each other in the heart of the crumbling structure as their swords clashed. Igneel felt the vibrations flow through his sword as the wind roared against him. A pressure rippled outward as dust and ash exploded around them. His opponent's blade was covered in aura and spirit essence, manifesting the power of a windstorm that refused to yield.

Each strike they exchanged caused a fierce flash of energy that lit the surroundings in green and white. Iron and steel rang out like a melody as their blades met. Tucker's boot scraped against the cracked stone as he stepped back. With a tight spin, he unleashed a flurry of crescent wind slashes at Igneel. But each one was cut down by similar slashes of white.

Igneel pressed forward, thrusting his blade in a series of precise jabs. Each one inching closer to Tucker's core. The first one was deflected to the left, then the next to the right. The watchman's parries were quick but tight. Yet the exchange didn't stop there. Sparks flew as Tucker's blade trailed along the edge of Igneel's sword. It hummed through the air, but before Tucker could find his mark, the knight twisted his blade, barely redirecting the slash away.

A large gash etched itself on Igneel's gauntlet, and a smile appeared on his face. He had dueled many opponents throughout his life, but none were as precise as Tucker. There wasn't a shred of hesitation in his movements. Even as their backs were towards each other, both of them immediately spun on their heels leaving behind a trail of ash. Their swords met with a sharp clash as the metallic sound echoed in the broken city.

Embers floated between them like fireflies, and somewhere a bell tolled for the lives lost. Across the entire fortress, men were fighting till their last breaths, and the wind carried the voice of death, but between the two, there were no words. Only a firm resolve to defeat their opponent.

Tucker could see Igneel's movements. His eyes focused not on the knight's swords, but on the muscles controlling them. For that was where the real motion started. With a deep breath, he firmly planted his foot, leaning into his next strike, and caught Igneel's blade against his crossguard. Their faces were inches apart and, despite Tucker's trembling form. His gaze remained calm.

He slowly exhaled, shifting his foot back while letting Igneel's momentum carry him forward. Tucker retreated several steps as the knight swung his blade in a wide arc. The attack sliced through the ends of Tucker's cloak. His blade was still close to the ground, and using every ounce of strength Tucker could muster. He twisted his sword, swinging upwards and barely scratching the top of Igneel's visor.

Even though the strike should have pushed Igneel back, his sheer confidence and stance kept him in place. The knight didn't hesitate. Instead, he brought his sword back down in a swift arc. The edge of his blade grazed the front of Tucker's leg, and right before the white vapor could ignite. The watchman leaped forward, driving his aura-clad knee into the knight's chest.

A flash of violet shined once more from the runic engravings. Both of them felt their bodies get pushed away from each other, and as Igneel stood up. He dug into the protection engravings with his steel gauntlets. Tucker stood there in silence and waited for Igneel to finish. Once Igneel had removed the engravings, he looked at Tucker and said, "These things will only get in the way of our fight."

Tucker smirked and took off the iron shin guard that had been sliced through. Blood seeped from the wound, and the stinging sensation made him flinch. Yet not a single cry of pain escaped his lips. Tucker's eyes shifted to the knight. "I thought you were a ruthless man."

Igneel laughed wholeheartedly before meeting Tucker's gaze. "Don't be mistaken watchman. My vendetta is with your kingdom, not with the men who are fighting for it."

The words echoed in Tucker's mind. "Then why go through all this bloodshed when your quarrel is with the ones running the nation?"

"It's just the way it is," Igneel replied. "Besides, I'm not the only one in the Avalon Empire who seeks revenge. Many of us do."

"And this is how you'll do it? By killing those who weren't even born during that era?"

"It's all a part of the strategist's plan." Igneel raised his guard once more. "We're just following orders."

"Haven't you ever questioned those orders?"

The knight shook his head. "Good soldiers follow orders."

Hearing those words caused Tucker's expression to darken. There wasn't a point in continuing their conversation, and a pain filled his heart. He felt a series of emotions from rage to sadness, but at the very end, a numbness took over. Tucker couldn't afford to converse with the enemy because if he did. He knew it would be all the more difficult to win.