Chapter 84: Purple Lighting
Ty, propelling towards the ground at a high rate, struggled to stabilize himself. His hand briefly skimmed the water's surface, causing ripples to fan out around him.
The turbulent water splashed wildly against the barrier walls, creating a chaotic dance of droplets in the air.
For a fleeting moment, Ty seemed to float, suspended in the air, before he locked his gaze onto the man on a nearby cliff.
The man, looking back, flashed a smile before taking off again. Underneath Ty, an eruption of energy kicked off as the flames from his feet turned a bright, intense blue.
With this burst of power, he zoomed through the water and then back upwards towards the rocks, his focus unyielding as he tracked down the elusive figure.
The scene was a blend of elemental fury and precise control, with Ty maneuvering through water and air, his pursuit relentless.
The vibrant blue of the flames contrasted starkly against the natural hues of the water and rocks, highlighting the intensity of the chase and the determination that fueled Ty's every move.
The wind, howling and relentless, whipped through Ty's hair as he soared upwards.
His skeletal frame, concealed beneath his human guise, felt an icy shudder from the cold gusts.
Ty was rapidly approaching the hillside where the cloaked man had disappeared.
"Perfect, now just to go higher," Ty thought, focusing on gaining altitude. In his effort to increase momentum, however, he misjudged his trajectory and crashed into the hillside, a miscalculation that sent him hurtling through the cliff's edge.
Amidst this chaotic tumble, Ty's flames drew inwards, contracting sharply.
Simultaneously, the ominous black flames along his back began to seep out, mingling with the red and blue flames in a dangerous dance.
This volatile fusion unleashed a massive eruption of fire and heat, bursting forth from Ty with a ferocity that tore through the hillside.
The eruption's sheer power not only propelled Ty forcefully out of the ground but also caused a significant portion of the hill to fracture and crumble.
A massive chunk of the hillside broke away, descending into the water below with a thunderous crash.
The impact sent waves surging outward, a testament to the raw, unbridled energy of Ty's elemental outburst.
The landscape itself bore the scars of this dramatic encounter, marking the intensity of the pursuit and the unpredictable nature of Ty's powers.
Skidding along the ground, Ty felt a sharp pain as blood streaked down his form, his bone momentarily snapping.
Then, a cord of blue energy swiftly fused his bone back together, and the flesh around him slowly began to regenerate, wrapping around his skeletal frame.
Exhausted, Ty slowly picked himself up, dusting off his shoulders now covered in rocks and dirt. He scanned his surroundings for any sign of the man, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Shit, shit," Ty muttered, his eyes darting around abruptly. He then focused, and the Wheel of Souls appeared before him.
"I think this is the first time I've tried to use this more than twice in a day," he mused, reaching for the small crystal fragment he had obtained from the wolf he had killed earlier.
As he held the fragment, his vision began to blur. A voice crackled in his head, mocking and sly. "Oh, trying to use three at once?" it chuckled before fading away.
As the voice disappeared, the Wheel of Souls vanished, and reality came rushing back in, leaving Ty alone with his thoughts and the pressing need to find the elusive man.
Ty spoke out to himself as his eyes began to glow a bright yellow "Shit, I think I've seen enough anime to know I'm not sharing this body by myself right now."
"But all I can do right now is focus on the task in front of me," Ty thought, narrowing his focus amidst the chaos.
His vision sharpened and expanded beyond the ordinary, allowing him to perceive the world in a way he usually couldn't.
He noticed small strands of the scent of cologne, not just as an unseen sensation, but visible to his eyes as well.
The scent appeared as delicate wisps of green mist, spiraling upwards in a ghostly dance. Following this unusual visual guide, Ty lifted his gaze.
There, high above and briefly silhouetted against the clouds, was the man he was pursuing. The figure broke through the cloud cover for just a moment before disappearing once again into the vast sky.
This fleeting glimpse, along with the guiding trail of the scent, was all Ty needed to confirm he was on the right track.
Ty, speaking out loud with determination, said, "Let's try this again," before he lifted off the ground. His vision began to fade slightly, becoming disoriented by the fatigue from using three abilities simultaneously.
He launched into the air rapidly, shooting through the clouds as he followed the fleeting scent of the dark-cloaked man. Then, unexpectedly, a voice cracked through the air, not from within, but from outside.
"You even managed to follow me this high up, huh," the voice said, a hint of surprise and acknowledgment in its tone.
"Too bad you don't really think about who you're chasing, but I have to hand it to Legato; you really do have a lot of promise," the voice continued. Suddenly, a lightning bolt jetted into Ty's chest.
The impact from the massive purple bolt of light was devastating. It clung to Ty's chest, its electrical energy momentarily paralyzing his body.
This brief paralysis was enough to send him hurtling towards the ground, his descent hastened by the sheer force of the attack.
He crashed into a flat-bottomed land, surrounded by six pillars, three on each side. Struggling to stand, Ty slowly looked around, taking in his surroundings.
The pillars, each etched with odd designs, stood like silent sentinels, and an open cave mouth beckoned into expansive darkness. Just then, the dark-cloaked man landed behind him.
"That should have definitely killed you," the man remarked a tone of disbelief in his voice.
But Ty, with a swift swipe towards the man's face, drew blood, which streamed down his cheek. Ty's voice was stern and unwavering as he backed the man away, "You will return the crystal to me, or I will kill you. This is my last warning to you."
The tension in the air was palpable, the two figures facing off amidst the ancient pillars and the looming darkness of the cave.