The Prince of Demons

Lux

I was a bit sore from my impact with Ikol when we collided after he started mimicking the hyper speed <Technique> to try and learn it for himself. It didn't slow me down as I made sure we moved towards Elijiah, accounting for the time lost thanks to Vndrglz. Onilin, Zagzin, and Vndrglz all were struggling to keep up with us as Ikol and I kept our normal competitive pace of when we'd race or slam into each other in the fields by Hoggdin's cave. Every once in a while, I activated the <Technique> again to try and practice it some more as I was starting to be able to get several bounds in before my control began to slip. Miril was able to maintain it for countless miles without breaking a sweat, and her stop didn't make even a small plume of dust kick up. I replayed that run of hers, trying to remember whatever details I could to see if something new stuck out to me. Unfortunately, nothing overly seemed to stand out compared to the rest of her hyper speed run of when she carried me for our private chat. My ability to weave in and out of it to augment some of my attacks was gradually improving, but not as fast as I would have liked. I want to be able to do it at will like she could.

We kept the increased pace because Onilin was getting too nosy for my liking again; she was so nosy at times and that was starting to get annoying to me. She seriously loved to snoop or probe into my life like it was some dramatic play. I was curious what the other Kings were like as my only reference was Miril, but I wasn't going to ask Onilin as then I might be obligated to answer more of her questions. They can't all be like Miril. I wanted a better test of how effective Miril's torture was due to the fact Onilin didn't feel like she was the best test anymore. Maybe originally, but Miril's lessons are paying off more than I realized. I would never, ever tell her that fact even if it cost me my life. I began practicing the <Technique> yet again, feeling the tunnel form around me. I began bounding along as the world slipped around me, making several massive leaps as for once I felt actually in control because I think I was finally getting the feel for it; this was definitely my best attempt so far as my legs felt solid beneath me. I kept the speed going, realizing ahead of me was water. Before I could slow down, I sprinted across the water without losing control of my speed or motion. I can run on water?! That's awesome!

Wait, I needed to get back to my team. What was the word Onilin said again? <Pack>? I needed to remember that for future interactions, though I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. I kept sprinting across the water, not wanting to try and change directions while not on typically solid ground. After a few more bounds I was on solid ground, pivoting around and sprinting back across the water. My hips. Oh my hips were screaming at me from the pivoting kick to return back from where I came. I think they were still attached to my body from the sheer pain radiating from them. Need to heal them back. I grit my teeth as I kept the speed up, moving rapidly back towards Ikol. Running across the water would likely never get old as the sensation was awesome. This wasn't like <Air Step> where I made platforms of <Mana> to run on but moving at a speed where I simply didn't sink. I really want to know how this works. My body was sore as I kept running at hyper speed, with my control struggling from both healing and maintaining the speed. Several moments later, I could see Ikol finally which I felt some relief from. Wait, where were the others? I stopped the speed with my front paws.

Who was this? They looked like Ikol, but the overall muscle was less, they were slightly taller, and their eyes weren't the right shade of purple. From a distance they were close, but now that I was near them I could see the differences better. Instead of Ikol's bright, shining amethyst eyes this being had a more purplish gray colored eyes. There were a few other small differences, but the resemblance was a bit uncanny. As this wasn't ikol, I rapidly began restoring my <Mana> and healing my body to be ready to fight them. The not Ikol turned to look at me, turning their head side to side a bit, seeming disinterested. Were they on a <Journey>? Who was this? Why did they look so much like Ikol? Was this one of Ikol's siblings? If that was true, were they closer to Miril or their dad? I've never met his dad, but I imagine Ikol takes after him. The not Ikol yawned as they went to walk passed me without an interest in the world.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to place the Ikol look alike.

"On a <Journey>, so forl off." He shot back. His voice was slightly deeper than Ikol's, and just something about how he spoke irked me. The way he emphasized his words or his tone felt condescending.

"So am I, so I'll ask you again, who are you?" I asked. He looked at me, glaring intensely as he now slowly turned to face me.

"Do not act stupid. It should be obvious who I am." He snarled while looking irritated at me.

"You resemble Ikol is about it. I do not know who you are." I snapped as my body was still rapidly recovering. Almost there. When I compared him to Ikol, his anger was palpable.

"Do not compare me to that idiot! I am nothing like that moron! Forling disgrace doesn't deserve to even breathe if I had it my way." He growled. I felt my irritation rising at the Ikol looking alike.

"You all seem to dislike him so much just because he is not the smartest being alive. Does it bug you that he's stronger than you?" I taunted. His eyes were igniting with <Mana> as I clearly got under his fur.

"He might have more muscle, but I am definitely the more powerful of the two of us." He retorted as his voice was icy.

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"Well, I guess I'll be on my way as I do not like dealing with small fry." I added on. He took a deep breath as he composed himself.

"I am Ufr, son of King Miril." Ufr introduced himself. This is one of Ikol's older brothers.

"Really? And Ikol is the one looked down on?" I mocked, bracing for the upcoming fight.

"So, Lux, you want to fight that badly?" Ufr snapped at me.

"What makes you think I am Lux? I am not sure you could connect any dots like that." I continued, trying to anger him as much as possible. From his face I could tell I was succeeding at getting Ufr seething.

"The girl that has been hanging around without that waste of space that shares my parents is Lux. Nearly every one of us agrees Ikol is a worthless moron, so the only one who would defend him is you, Lux." Ufr growled at me as he was stretching.

"Such a good family." I taunted him. My body was healed, and my <Mana> was fully restored.

"I will give you the fight you so desperately want. Why someone as weak as you would pick a fight with me is a bit peculiar, but I will gladly oblige." Ufr retorted as flexed his paws a bit.

His face was undeniably angry, but he definitely seemed to focus, which was not what I wanted. Ufr might be angry, but he can control himself. Just how strong was Ufr? I had the sneaking suspicion that Ufr was going to be a fierce opponent as he stretched; I mentally prepared for the duel ahead of me. He and I glared at each other as both of us waited for some sort of signal to start our bout. Ufr's <Mana> was flowing wrathfully around him, looking at me utterly incensed. Can I get him angry enough to matter? I was confident my taunting got to Ufr, it just didn't get the result I was after. I guess not all beings blindly let their emotions blind them. Our standoff continued for several moments, both of us glaring at the other.

"Lux!" Ikol chimed in the distance, as he began moving towards us with Onilin, Zagzin, and Vndrglz visibly behind him.

That was the signal we needed to begin. Ufr rapidly demonstrated he was a cut above everyone else our age as he rushed me; he dashed at me, launching his paw to stab me in the eye while three of his tails to tried to impale me. I pivoted around, seeing he manifested two more tails to attempt to catch my dodge. He fights similarly to Miril. I deflected the two tails as Ufr already was trying to bury his back legs into my chest. He's fast and adjusts rapidly. I quickly coated my claws and tail tips with <Channel Disruptor>, trying to stab them anywhere I'd connect. I noticed Ufr engaged his halos, so my tails bounced off him as I felt several <Light Lasers> were launched at me from behind by Ufr; Lords above Ufr was aggressive.

I swatted the lances away as I cast <Burning Star> at Ufr, using <Light Burst> to make some distance between us. Ufr cast a small barrage of <Light Lasers>, wrapping his tail around one to ride it towards me, kicking off the air as he resumed his assault. Ufr suddenly burst forward, closing the gap in the blink of an eye when he suddenly accelerated in the middle of the air. I felt his rapid movement coming, so I used <Light Blade> to make a sword that I coated with <Channel Disruptor> mixed with <Aqueous Formation>, striking where he was about to be. Ufr pivoted around the blade of my attack by the thinnest margin, using his claws and tails to attack from opposite sides.

As he closed in on me, I engaged my <Runes> and halos to twist into a kick, being the first of us to cleanly connect. Ufr felt vastly more solid than Vndrglz as his <Mana Reinforcement> made his fur feel like armor; his body felt oddly heavy too from the impact while he already went to grab my leg, so I kicked off while attacking with my tails to create distance again. Ufr met my tails with his, kicking off the air to follow me. I made the tunnel with my <Mana>, throwing a spear at Ufr's head. If he was surprised, it didn't show as he finally made a <Light Blade> of his own to deflect my spear away with. Ufr began glowing brightly as his fur stood on end, manifesting multiple small beams around him to bombard me with. I made a <Prismatic Ward> around myself to bend the attack back towards him, but Ufr already adjusted his path to get near me. Relentless. I used my tails to get him to dodge before pivoting into a headbutt.

Ufr predicted that, meeting my headbutt with his own. Do hard heads run in the family? The damage was minimal but killed the momentum of both of us. Ufr went to grapple me, but his gab was slower than Ikol's. I twisted around to grab his extended arm, spinning my body to throw him to the ground. As I threw Ufr, he snaked a tail up, trying to stab me again. I used my tail to deflect his as he cast another <Laser Array> at me. With my off hand, I made a spear coated with <Channel Disruptor>, thrusting it at the back leg still in reach. Ufr spiraled around the attack, turning to face me as he fell. He made several spears of his own, returning fire. Ufr is so forling persistent. His fighting style was also painfully reminiscent of Miril's which was not helping. I cast <Burning Star> to hunt him with in addition to destroying his <Spell> before kicking off the air to descend after Ufr. We exchanged a rapid flurry of claws in the air, battling for the superior position. Neither of us were cleanly connecting as we deflected and protected ourselves from any real damage from each other. The two of us slammed into the ground, glaring at each other as we both mentally refined our strategies.

After a moment, the two of us immediately charged each other. I slid under Ufr, grappling my paws around Ufr, lifting him up, and attempting to slam him into the ground. Ufr impaled two of his tails into the ground to stop the slam as he used another to attempt to stab me yet again . It forced me to deflect with my own tail while Ufr finished preparing his next set of <Spells>. Did he seriously never relent? Ufr seemed to believe going on the defense was against his religion with how he fought. Miril is the same way, why am I surprised? I used <Laser Array> to pierce all of his <Spells>, destroying them with mine again. Ufr seemed irritated by that turn of events, pausing his assault to glare at me. I needed to shift the tide in my favor, but I was struggling to think of something to exploit or use against him. Currently we are sizing each other up; I don't think Ufr is taking this all that seriously yet. He still radiated the same waves of anger and annoyance the entire time.

"Fine bezka, I will take this seriously." Ufr snarled as he began enlarging himself, growing to what was likely his actual size. I matched him, preparing for our duel to truly begin.