A brother's love. Into the dark

Beyond All Odds

"You're aware that I have a name. It's Clyde. Now, move out of my way, kid. I have work to do."

'Like hell.'

Max kicks the man, but it landed in his palm.

"You are an ignorant boy."

He spoke as flames engulfed him. His body sprouted two flame-tipped arms. Max was able to release his grip before the man took to the air, helped by the flames.

But now he had to battle an air enemy. Max dodged the strikes from above with the help of BL, but he was unable to strike back because his dark matter could not reach him. He needed to think of something.

He sprinted towards a wall and used it to propel himself. He raised his foot to kick him but missed, but he had no intention of hitting him. It was intended to distract him from the dark matter emerging from his palm and grabbing the man.

And it worked but was easily cut by the man's sword, which was wrapped in fire.

It appears that his strategy failed in the end, he was about to touch the earth when he was struck by a firebird.

When he hit the ground, he began bleeding, and his clothing was on fire, but that was fine. He threw his shirt on the ground to keep it from touching his body.

He then summoned a spike, but it didn't reach the man. He began rushing for another wall but was stopped by a wall of flames.

Max found it difficult to navigate the battlefield, which was filled with flames that he couldn't touch.

When Max saw the wall of fire, he spun back and used the spike instead. He put his palm in front of it, and a black gas gushed out?

Inhaling it, the man coughed, lowering his guard and allowing Max to kick him through the wall of fire from before. Now on fire, he needed to withdraw his flames or he'd burn down, but every time he tried, he was stunned by the BL incorporated into the kick.

Max grabbed the man's feet with black matter before solidifying it to confine him.

Yet just as he was about to finish it, a fire rope engulfed him and strangled him, but it didn't hurt or burn him. It was his soul that was being damaged, not his body. From weakness, he restored his black matter to its usual state.

The man approached.

"That was entertaining, but it's over."

Max grinned.

'I know.'

As he said, dark matter began to flow from every one of Clayd's imaginable spots, including the eyes, mouth, and nose.

When Max turned his dark matter back he also turned the gas from inside the man back. And he used the last of his power to try to inflict injury on his organs.

And it worked, the man began slumping and retracting his fire.

Max finally managed to recover his breath.

'Don't worry, you won't die, at least not now.'

"Damn, child."

He spoke while falling unconscious.

'One down, another to go. And it appears you've already arrived.'

"You know, when watching your fight, I realized I never introduced myself. My name is Seth Igor. And do not fear, Max Rose, I know who you are."

Max looked down, his face showing a face of discomfort at someone calling him that name.

'I am not a Rose anymore.'

"If you say so, also could you please give my brother's bracelet to me?"

Max tilted his head in confusion.

'But I received this from—'

He stopped when he realized.

"I know where you got it from, my brother, Netami Igor."

'I'm sorry to say, but I can't do that.'

Max laughed.

"I will take it from you then."

A rush of light energy reached Max, he responded fast enough to avoid it, but his soul capacity was running low. He needed to finish it quickly. He utilized BL to close the space between them and attempted to hit him, but he slipped and Seth dodged out of the way.

Before he could regain his balance, he noticed another attack coming at him.

'Let's see if you are hungry.'

From his hand, dark matter exploded onto the attack and attempted to absorb it, and succeeded.

"As always, your drive is so fascinating, it seems to have an independent mind"

Max suspected that Seth's life energy outlawed power was similar to his dark matter in that it was flexible, and then he saw a sword of light in the man's hand. The wind then aided him as he ran ahead. After facing Max with his sword's sharp side turned, he threw Max into it with a gust of wind.

Max screamed in agony as his hand was slashed by the sword, moving away from his opponent. Max inspected his bloodied arm.

He needed to act quickly.

He dashed to an energy pole and used BL on it, overcharging it and cutting off the power, they were completely dark, but the air was full of electricity that he could use.

He jumped down and attempted to use his drive from an outside source, but failed.

'You were right Netmai, this is difficult.'

At least it was dark. Max utilized his black matter on the ground to find his target, and when he did, he flew his right foot in front of him, kicking him in the face.

Right punches to the jaw, kicks to the liver, and headbutts, all filled with BL.

He then backed away, drew all of his remaining strength from his soul, and punched him in the stomach.

Seth collapsed, fomn flowing from his mouth.

'This is revenge for Airis.'

He took what remained of his scorched shirt and wrapped it around his arm. It hurt, but he had to bear it. He then continued walking towards his hill, but his vision was becoming fuzzy, his head was bleeding from all of the headbutts, and blood was leaking from his shirt, which was covering his arm.

He then fell to the ground.