4 Fight

Ace and Moshi got stuck in the middle of the road not far from the city. The former tried to get the car to run, but it was fruitless; they were out of gasoline and had a flat tire. Aging had damaged the pipe and the fuel had leaked out, while the tires became brittle over the years, resulting in their halt.

Ace looked at Moshi, who was clearly exhausted from using his ability too much. They had to find that magic artifact faster, before Moshi’s ability would get out of control.

“We have to continue on foot. Be careful it’s raining,” Ace stated.

Moshi looked at Ace with furrowed brows. That man would normally eradicate a whole army of demons and monsters by himself without sweating, but now he was stressing out because they had to walk in the rain?

Ace naturally perceived his partner’s puzzlement and explained, “The rain has spiritual energy in it, but it’s not pure. There are at least three different elements mixed together.” He paused, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Moshi felt something warm scratching at his heart. He gave an indifferent “hmpf” like a tsundere and spat out, “I won’t be thrown out of balance by a bit of elemental rain. Don’t forget that my control is top-notch even among the elites.”

Totally ignoring the other, he opened the car door and took the lead. After a few steps, he turned back and said to Ace, “Don’t stand there like an idiot. I’m fine.”

Ace hid his amusement and followed Moshi like an obedient dog. His Mochi was the cutest to tease after all.

They reached the city after walking for half an hour. The sight that greeted them was exactly like predicted, it was a ghost city with no life in it. Or so they thought, because there was actually a rooster leisurely hopping in the rain.

Both men were speechless at this obscure scene. How did that bird end up in this urban city? Moreover, how could it move so easily in this spiritual rain?!

Even Moshi felt his first-class control over his ability challenged by the rain, while that poultry was actually wagging his sickle feathers around seemingly unaffected.

“Ace…”

“Yes, Momo-chan.”

“How about chicken soup tonight?”

“Sounds perfect.”

Both were actually not serious about eating the bird, but they still had to inspect the animal in detail. It was, after all, too strange for a normal chicken to withstand the rain. The only explanation was that it somewhat mutated. In that case, they had to investigate its special traits and report the changes on earth to their affiliation. 

Just as they wanted to catch the bird, a shadow lunged at them from the side. It seemed to mumble something like ‘thin’ or ‘inn’.

Slash!

Ace grabbed Moshi the second before the blade hit them and jumped backward several meters. Both looked at the deep groove left behind from the attack and switched into their battle mode.

They had a tacit understanding and didn’t dare to underestimate their opponent, who got close to them without being discovered. Even if they let their guard down, it was impossible for them to not perceive the other's presence in the slightest. 

As they got into position, the shadowy figure slowly emerged from the smoke, but disappeared in the next moment. A mediocre warrior would panic, but both were war veterans against the demon race and calmly analyzed the situation. 

Teleportation? No, there isn’t mana involved. Shadow step isn’t it either… then it’s speed! Left, right, front or from the back?

It was just a minor and neglectable shift in the smoke, but it was enough for Moshi to determine their opponent’s move. 

“Left!” Moshi shouted. 

Ace reacted immediately by throwing out a thunder wave.

His opponent took the attack head-on without fear. Both Ace and Moshi were taken aback, not by the fierce offense, but because the attacker was a human— a very young and vicious to boot…

Ace hesitated and opened his mouth to communicate. 

“Wait, we’re—“

But the youth didn’t stop in the slightest and Ace was forced to use another spell. 

A golden glimmer radiated from the young man’s eyes and the Japanese sword in his hand slashed through Ace’s attack. If Moshi hadn’t used his ability to move Ace away, the strike wouldn’t have neutralized only the magic attack.

However, the ambusher wasn’t unaffected from the clash. The recoil threw the young man back and he rolled several meters on the ground, widening their distance.

A clumsy roll-off totally threw him out of balance and exposed his poor technique. He obviously lacked fighting experience.

The other two naturally didn’t stand on ceremony. Making use of the opportunity, Ace gave Moshi a signal. His right palm channeled energy while Moshi sent the littered debris to their opponent.

The young man hadn’t stood up properly yet, when dust and other rubbish was sent in his direction.

It was truly his unlucky day.

He knew. It was an unfavorable situation, but he still refused to give up. As soon as he could stabilize himself, he swung his katana with all his might. 

An air blade countered the incoming objects and the seemingly simple debris parts bursted into fine powder, blocking his vision completely.

All three men were surprised for different reasons. 

While the young man was momentarily stunned, Ace finished his preparations. He closed the distance between them with one jump. A pair of sea-green eyes locked onto the handsome face of the defenseless man.

The moment the golden eyes surfaced from the dusty lashes, both men felt an electric current running down their spine. Their gazes met and Ace saw the panic in the other’s eyes.

He used his right hand to fling away the katana. In succession, his left arm hooked onto his opponent's neck, dragging the head down while sending his knee into the solar-plexus. The young man spat out a mouthful of saliva before losing consciousness. He dropped into Ace while his katana got stuck into a nearby wall.