Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 47: War of Ideas

September 21, 4021 12:00 [Jade Temple- Heavenly Stage]

Indra rolled out of Kaluza's path of trajectory swiftly. In a matter of seconds, Kaluza had nimbly flipped onto the back wall, bending his knees into a crouch before kicking off of it and striking Indra.

"Impact: Kinetic Release—left foot!"

The force traveled through Indra's crossed arms, sending him crashing through pillars of jade. He found his footing quickly, pushing off a side wall and landing on one of the many platforms of the Heavenly Stage.

"Oh! Kaluza is the first to strike! Indra looks unfazed, however! Let's see how he responds!" Grisha exclaimed.

The stage's construction was different from that of Sun Rock's due to the monks' focus on training at varied elevations. In addition to the platforms, several scaffolds and floating pillars made up the terrain of the Heavenly Stage, necessitating a different kind of maneuverability to navigate the landscape. Kaluza seemed to adapt quickly to the change in scenery, however, accumulating speed and momentum as he spun around the pillars.

Indra loosed arcs of black fire at Kaluza, though the latter managed to evade the dark flames by launching himself to other pillars at just the right moment, preserving his momentum as he soared across the arena.

Their attacks clashed; the collision sent molten ripples of energy throughout the arena as fists of black met fists of auburn.

Kaluza grinned, taunting Indra as they exchanged blows at speeds indiscernible to the human eye. "What's the matter? Can't keep up?"

"It's the opposite actually, I'm starting to get bored." Indra blocked and evaded the strikes thrown at him, pivoting on the balls of his feet as he unleashed a furious combo of attacks, targeting Kaluza's chin, throat, and stomach. He ducked under a wild punch, countering with a sweep. Kaluza's legs went out from underneath him and he fell supine.

Indra punched down with an igneous fist. The flames ignored Kaluza's guard, spreading across his body as he broke through the floor, landing on a platform below. Kaluza quickly rolled to the side, avoiding Indra's feet as he landed heavily beside him. He allowed the flames to continue burning on his suit, unaffected by the heat.

"What a quick exchange! I could barely see it! Things are heating up, folks!" Grisha screamed into the microphone, pumping up the crowd.

The steam from Kaluza's mouth thickened as he crouched low, curling his hands into claws. "Beast Flow: Second Form—Canis!" He made several swipes at Indra, but the latter flipped through an opening in the attacks.

"Petal Three: Devil's Convergence," Indra said calmly. A raven's wing emerged from the space between his shoulder and spine, matched by a black ring that floated around his wrist. The punch struck Kaluza's shoulder guard, though Indra meant to strike his back. Kaluza had turned a hair faster than Indra could strike, saving himself by the skin of his teeth. Still, he was forced back by the immense pressure, colliding with numerous jade pillars before landing on the edge of a platform on the opposite end of the Heavenly Stage.

Blood dripped from Kaluza's head as he lifted himself up shakily with one arm, the other flopping lazily. His breathing was ragged. Clenching his teeth, he gripped his dislocated arm tightly, snapping the ball back into the socket in one swift motion. He flexed his hand, bending his elbow to return feeling into his arm. He glared at Indra.

"You think you're so much better than everyone else, huh?" Kaluza grimaced.

Indra crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.

"The weak will be culled if left to their devices," Kaluza quoted. "I told you I'd show you that you're wrong, didn't I?"

"And what exactly does this prove? I don't see a connection—"