CHAPTER 36: HIGHLANDER

"Is that all?" the man asked. His voice was flat and empty. There was no anger in his eyes, no satisfaction. Just a profound boredom.

"What the—!"

Eunice’s words were cut off. She didn’t even have time to blink.

A fist slammed into her gut. It felt like being hit by a battering ram. All the air exploded from her lungs in a single, silent gasp.

A wave of intense pain shot through her entire body.

The world became a blur of spinning black and gray as she was sent flying backward, tumbling through the air like a broken doll.

For a terrifying moment, she was weightless and in a freefall toward the ground.

Shit! It’s gonna be bad if I hit the ground like this!

She moved her arms and legs, trying to get into a stable position and bracing herself for the impact.

It was gonna be hard and she would probably break some bones but there was nothing she could do about it at this point.

However, suddenly the violent spinning stopped and the feeling of falling was just... gone.

She felt something solid and firm wrap around her, holding her into a tight embrace.

A familiar scent filled her nose as she felt the soft brush of silver hair against her cheeks.

A moment later a solid THUD echoed as two armored boots hit the ground. The force of the landing was intense but it was absorbed by the person holding her.

She was lowered to the ground gently, her feet gently making contact with the ground below.

Eunice turned her head to look behind herself and saw that Luna was there with her one arm still wrapped protectively around her.

The expression on her face was different. It wasn’t the usual relaxed face of the girl who looked like she took it easy in life.

It was a face completely devoid of all expression, with her red eyes staring past Eunice and at the man in the silver armor.

"L-Luna?" Eunice said.

Hearing her words Luna snapped back to reality, her expression reverting back to her original self. But still a hint of regret was clearly visible in her eyes.

A sort of regret you’d see in the eyes of a drunk man lying on the corner of a street.

"I’m sorry, I could not come here faster," Luna said, her voice low.

"Is that a highlander?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Eunice replied.

"I see," Luna mumbled, releasing Luna from her embrace and taking a step forward. "You can rest now. I’ll take it from here," she said, drawing out her sword with her eyes locked at the highlander that levitated in the air.

"Be careful though, there seems to be an invisible sheild around him," Eunice explained.

"Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind," Luna said, before kicking off the ground and dashing toward the highlander.

Right when she was about to reach him she jumps upward, attaining the height at which the highlander was within seconds before closing in on him.

She swung her sword only for it to clash into the invisible barrier that Eunice had told her around it. She tried pushing her sword in but it didn’t bulege an inch.

She was about to let it go and let herself fall toward the ground to launch another attack before the highlander suddenly grabbed her right arm.

"Luna Revoltstar, I take it? I’ve heard your name before," he said.

"Oh? I guess I really must be causing you all a lot of trouble then," Luna replied, trying to free herself from his grip.

"No, not quite. You are more annoying than anything, trying to think you can lead a revolution and delusions like that," he said.

Luna didn’t reply to him and instead using the arm he was holding as support she rotated her body, landing a kick on his waist.

That too, however, was stopped by the invisble shield around him.

"Tch!" she cussed out in frustration.

"You seem to want to play a lot. Fine, I was gonna leave since I’m such a busy person but fine, I’ll play along with your little game," the man remarked.

His hand moved in a blur and Luna was shot downwards like a rock at a terrifying speed. She was just a silver streak heading for a crash.

But even as she fell, she twisted her body in the air and just before she would have slammed into the glassy floor of the crater, she righted herself.

She hit the ground hard, landing on her feet with a loud THUD

.

The impact sent a spiderweb of cracks through the blackened rock beneath her, but she was safe. She stood on her feet completely unharmed

Above, the highlander watched. The flicker of amusement in his eyes faded only to be replaced once again by that empty, profound boredom.

With a slow, lazy grace, he floated down with his silver boots touching the glassy ground without a single sound.

He stood there just looking at her, as if waiting.

He didn’t have to wait long though.

Luna didn’t hesitate neither did she didn’t pause to catch her breath.

With a furious scream she exploded from her spot, a silver blur charging across the crater floor.

Her sword was aimed right at his throat for a single and perfect thrust meant to end the fight.

The man didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch.

He just raised his hand.

Luna’s sword stopped dead, inches from his neck. The tip of her blade sharp enough to cut through steel, was pressed firmly against the palm of his bare hand.

It hadn’t even broken the skin.

He looked at the sword then at her, and let out another quiet, bored sigh.

***

Away from the Luna and the man in the silver armor lay Allen on the ground, still unconious.

Luna’s sword stopped dead, inches from his neck. The tip of her blade sharp enough to cut through steel, was pressed firmly against the palm of his bare hand.

It hadn’t even broken the skin.

He looked at the sword then at her, and let out another quiet, bored sigh.

***

Away from the Luna and the man in the silver armor lay Allen on the ground, still unconious.