CHAPTER 20: BALTHAZAR

Clap! Clap! Clap!

A slow clap echoed through the court yard, the sound bouncing off the walls and reverbing in echoes as the source got closer and closer.

My head snapped toward the crumbling stairwell and there he was— The Reaper, stepped out of the darkness like he owned the damn school.

The bone-white daggers hung loosely in his hands, casual but still very much menacing, each blade catching the faint light of the first rays of the sun.

"You came," he said with a calm voice, almost as if he was bored of waiting. "I thought you’d loose your nerve."

I tightened my grip on Cobra’s tongue, the dagger Dasheen gave me. My heart hammered, but I forced my feet to stay planted. "I don’t run from fights... Specially if I’m gonna gain something valuable from it."

He tilted his head, amused and in the blink of an eye he left his position and his figure blurred with his dagger slashing straight at my chest. I barely raised my blade in time. The clash send a jolt up my arms, causing my grip to tremble. His strength was suffocating just off this encounter.

I bounced backwards, gritting my teeth and adjusting my stance, trying to let instinct take over. He wasn’t just testing me with his blades, he was probing for weakness.

Another strike came, a sudden feint low before his other dagger cut high. I barely twisted aside, feeling the air split near my cheek. I heaved in panic shortly but I forced myself to remain calm, there was no way I expected this feat to be anything close to easy and for the fact that he didn’t slice me into pieces with his first attack is proof that I’m doing pretty good.

"Your technique is raw," he said, almost casually as if we weren’t trying to kill each other. "But you don’t hesitate. That tells me you want something badly. What is it? Why risk your life for my blades?"

He pressed forward again, forcing me back across the cracked tiles of the courtyard. Sparks flew here and there as our weapons flashed, and for a second I felt the Cobra’s tongue threaten to snap under the pressure.

I swallowed hard, my mind racing as usual in situations like this. Every move reminded me just how vast the gap between us was. His speed, his precision, it felt unfair, like trying to wrestle a storm into submission. But I couldn’t afford to freeze.

"I need them," I said, locking his gaze as our blades ground together. "More than you realize..."

He chuckled dangerously low and I could see the killing intent glow in his eyes.

"You need them?" He repeated, circling me now. "That’s not an answer, boy. Everyone wants power, but not everyone gambles their life against an A-Rank to take it. So tell me..." His next strike came without warning, a downward slash I barely deflected, the impact instantly numbed my arm because of the force. "What makes you so desperate?"

Sweat stung close to my eyes and my breath started coming faster than usual. I suddenly could feel my stamina drain faster than I wanted and that probably put me into over drive mode, spotting an opening in his form, releasing my blade from our grounding and slashed diagonally across his torso.

My attack ultimately missed as he bounced back in retreat.

"... I am Balthazar, tell me your name..." The man said with an evil smirk.

I stretched my feet across the tiles getting ready for the next clash that would happen after I give my response.

"Levi..."

The dagger in my hand clicked as I repositioned it with the pointy end facing my elbow.

"I see... Come at me Levi, come take your price..."

Whoosh, he blurred into thin air and emerged behind me in the blink of an eye. Without wasting any time he swung his blade, aiming directly for my exposed neck.

This Reaper was aiming to kill me, why was he so blood thirsty, that puzzled me a lot because Reapers are supposed to protect humans not kill them.

"Arrghhh!" I gasped as I managed to duck below, narrowly evading his deadly swing and his blade catching a few strands of my hair.

I spun on my heel and slashed my blade upwards, the clash rang again as both our steel screamed against eachother. Sparks burst between us, showering across the cracked tiles.

Balthazar grinned, pushing me back with the overwhelming weight of just his arms. "You’re sloppy with your wrist. Everytime you block, your elbow flares out. That’s how amateurs fight."

He shoved hard and I stumbled, barely regaining my footing before his next dagger swiped across my stomach. I dodged aside and the blade cut through my fabric and grazed my skin causing warm blood to trickle down with a sharp pain exploding across my nerves.

"Tch!" I hissed.

He didn’t even let me catch my breath, he attacked again somehow moving even faster.

His daggers blurred, one high, the other low, then a twist that almost disarmed me. My hand shook as the Cobra’s Tongue scraped his left blade. He moved like water flowing around every defense I raised.

My breathing grew even more uneven, I could notice each exhale was getting heavier than the last.

’Not gonna lie, I’m getting cooked...’ I thought to myself.

He wasn’t just getting faster, he was studying me, cataloging my every habit and twitch.

"I don’t care about your lectures," I growled with my teeth clenched. I forced my friend to move, slashing upward with a desperate arc.

Clang!

His daggers caught mine with an insulting ease.

"You should care," Balthazar murmured, pushing closer. "Technique is everything. You will run out of Arcane energy, speed slows. Technique is eternal."

With a flick, he sent my blade wide and smashed the pommel of his dagger against my shoulder. My vision blurred as I staggered back realizing that he definitely hit a high pressure blood point.

"Damn it!..."

I raised Cobra’s Tongue again, but my arms felt heavier causing me to mice much slower than I would like.

"You’re fighting like a cornered beast," he said. "Your instinct is admirable, it keeps you alive. But instinct alone never wins."

His next rush came too fast. I barely saw the movement before both daggers carved twin lines across my forearms. Pain seared from the wound and I dropped to a knee, clutching my weapon tighter.

He stood over me now, calm, almost disappointed. "You don’t understand blades, Levi. A weapon isn’t just an extension of you... It’s a mirror. And yours is screaming weakness."

Seeing him loom over me caused something to snap inside me. I don’t know if it was weakness or instinct, but if it wasn’t enough I’d have to out think him.

I forced myself upright, ignoring the burn in my muscles, forcing a grin despite the blood dripping off my arm.

"You talk to much," I spat, taking a few steps back. "All that preaching for someone who’s going to loose."

Balthazar’s eyes narrowed. "Hoh?"

I pushed every muscle fiber in my legs and lunged but not at him, I slashed low at the cracked tiles. Dust and shards burst upwards in a gritty cloud. He scoffed and stepped through it like I anticipated.

I spun, bracing my blade against the ground, and kicked the side of a crumbling column with all my strength. The weakened stone collapsed and a chunk of masonry slammed into Balthazar’s side mid step, throwing his balance off for the first time. His grin faded as I rammed into him shoulder first, twisting with every ounce of momentum.

Boom!

His body burst through the rotted wooden door of an abandoned classroom, splinters exploding in every direction.

Dust floated into the air as the faint rays of morning light cut through it like knives.

I staggered in the courtyard with my chest heaving and blood dripping from the fresh cut.

Inside the shattered doorway, Balthazar rose slowly from the rubble, his body rose against the ruined desks and broken chalkboard, then laughed low and dangerously.

"... Interesting."

I exhaled sharply, sweat and blood mixing in my skin. "Not bad for an amateur, huh?"

Balthazar walked slowly into the sunlight and onto the tiles dangling his blades playfully.

"Don’t get cocky now brat, I haven’t even showed you Awakened talent yet..."