CHAPTER 80: CURSE OF RAGE

Roger took a step back, as if what Raze had shown him had done enough to scare him. His footsteps echoed slowly across the ground. Everyone watched, holding their breath. Could the warning have actually worked?

But just when they all thought it worked and Roger was backing away, he pulled his sword from the ground. His expressionless face shifted into one of pure glee and sinister joy.

"Hahaha, do you really believe that I would back away due to a threat like that? You must be joking, kid," he bellowed. The air instantly became heavy and thick before anyone could say a word.

BANG!

Roger launched forward, his speed explosive. He pulled his massive sword back and went for a full swing right at Raze’s head.

"No one threatens me. Never!" he bellowed. Raze watched as the blade approached his head. His entire body froze, but his mind kicked into high gear. He channeled his Qi just before it hit, pulling his head back and dodging by a hair.

The moment he was out of the way, Gavin lunged forward, his foot planted hard into the ground. He thrust his sword as flames erupted around it, twisting like a vortex. Roger blocked—the tip of Gavin’s blade stabbed into the side of Roger’s sword, which he held with both hands, leaving a small crack in it.

"Roaaaaar!" Roger’s voice thundered as he swung again, the blade ripping through the air at Gavin. Gavin kicked back and dodged the attack. The blade hit the ground and caused an explosion, scattering debris in all directions.

Gavin had barely touched the ground when Roger came rushing through again. His explosive power was no joke—he was a train without brakes. His hands stretched out to grab Gavin by the neck, but before he could reach him, a flame arrow shot through the air and slammed into his side, knocking Roger back.

The attack left a wound on his side, burned deep inside, but he acted like there was nothing wrong, despite the smell of burnt flesh reaching his nose. He looked up and saw Ella with her hands stretched out. She had a grim expression on her face.

"The kid you knew before is no longer here. If you keep attacking, I’ll take you down," she spoke, her voice heavy with conviction as she slowly pulled out her ring and placed it on the middle finger of her right hand.

"You have always been one troublesome brat," Roger said. He gripped his sword with one hand and smiled. "But you should know where you stand and who you face."

"This talk has gone on for too long," Raze suddenly said, and before anyone could notice, he lunged forward, moving at a speed none of them could follow. It was at least three times his max speed.

He moved toward Roger. Roger saw him at the last moment and slashed immediately, but Raze leaped into the air, flipped, and descended with an overhead kick, slamming into the back of Roger’s head and sending him down to one knee. Everyone was stunned when this happened, their eyes wide in shock, their breaths heavy.

Raze landed and pushed back, landing on one leg and launching forward again. He spun and sent another kick right at Roger’s head, but this time Roger was ready. He lifted his sword, blocking the kick.

BAM!

The shockwave spread through the area. Roger’s eyes locked on Raze as he grabbed him by the leg as fast as he could. "Die!" He moved to snap the leg, but Raze wasted no time—he twisted his body and used his free leg, sending a kick right into the side of Roger’s head, a kick far more powerful than the last, knocking Roger back and onto the ground.

Raze landed on the ground and then leaped backward, standing with the others. Gavin looked at him with confusion.

"Where is this strength coming from?" he asked.

Raze looked at him and responded, "That’s not a topic for now. Let’s take him down. Ella, Riker, hold off the three behind as much as you can. When Gavin and I take down Roger, we’ll help you finish off."

The reason Raze was suddenly moving like this was due to the attack from Shadow last time. He was forced to use Qi in a new way, and it opened his mind to a new stream of possibilities.

When he used Qi to power his body before, he evenly distributed it, giving him balanced power. But that night, when he learned about fine-tuning his Qi and how it could help him not only gain strength but move more fluidly as a whole, he got an idea.

If he controlled more Qi to a part of his body, it would generally amp up the output of that part, right? The thought had only been something at the back of his mind, but as the situation became dire, he understood that he needed to try it here.

ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

While they were about to enact their plan, a thunderous roar split through the air, shaking the ground around them. Roger slowly got to his feet, his eyes burning with a red glow.

"Oh no," Ella muttered.

"What’s happening?" Riker asked.

"H-he’s using his curse," she stuttered.

"A curse?" Gavin asked. "His power is rising. How can that be a curse?"

"Some curses give strength, but it still remains a curse, and when triggered, it will take effect," she explained.

"Roger is believed to have taken the curse himself. No one knows where he got it, but it’s called the Curse of Rage. When it starts, the energy within him reaches new heights, but he looses himself in rage until it is quelled" Luka spoke. He had been silent this entire time and finally decided to speak.

Raze looked at Roger and used God’s Eyes. There was a raging energy around Roger, but it wasn’t pure mana or anything he knew. As he looked deeper, he saw strands of energy that looked similar to that of the infected.