The Rainlands: Grand Delusion

Chapter 60: Can't You Show Me Something New?

BANG!

"PUT HER DOWN!"

The whole thing exploded in a shower of sparks and he dashed through before Peirce could even turn and see the fragments of the dagger he had jammed into the lock explode. Everything happened so fast, but to Levi it felt all too slow. Each step was a marathon, he pumped everything he had into closing the distance.

One.

Peirce's mouth opened slightly. Surprise gave way to a sneer. He curled his hand around Jasmine's throat. Then he realized that he didn't have his knife anymore.

Two.

Levi snarled, running faster, his sword drawing back for the slash. Peirce's lips stretched together, turning his smile into a frown. He tossed Jasmine aside. Levi watched her fall awkwardly to the ground.

Three.

Peirce ripped his sword out of its sheath just in time as Levi hacked at him. Lightning sprang to life on Levi's blade but Peirce's hands were covered in something, some shadow, some light, a blur, Levi couldn't tell. The sparks on his blade failed to transfer to the hilt of Peirce's sword and Peirce pushed him back as the two blades met to form an x.

Clang!

They locked swords. Levi pushed but though his Reincarnated memories knew what to do in this situation, Peirce reacted faster than Levi could remember. He diverted Levi's blade to the side and stepped forward, forcing him back with a swing that would have gutted Levi if he had taken one more step. Instead of pressing the attack like Levi expected, the murderous kidnapper glanced towards the sky, laughing as red tinges of dawn shone through the clouds.

"Tick tock, Levi. Time's running out and you've accomplished nothing. My men are coming. The sun is coming. What will you do?" Peirce grinned, though annoyance made it through to his voice. "I can stand here all day. But you can't."

Levi thought fast. Damnit. He's right. However, instead of panicking, he was cold, calm. The heat was on the outside, in his blood, fueling his body. Inside, he was ice, thinking meticulously. He backed up another step and Peirce started whistling.

"Oh, are you giving up? Well, that's no fun. You do realize I'm going to kill you either way now, right?" His grin turned sadistic. "I'll say it was an accident. Your dear sister will be angry, but she'll have no proof to the contrary. Maybe I'll have one of my men executed to please her. My employer won't mind the loss. Come on then, are you just going to stand there and wait to die? Let me have a little fun with you, boy!"

Levi ignored the madman, listening to what he was saying but keeping it from breaking his cool. He bent down by Jasmine, watching Peirce the entire time. Checked her pulse. The madman grew impatient.

"Come on, boy! I'm waiting! I told you. I wouldn't hurt her, but I want to hurt you! Get up!" He raged. Levi used his body to block the man's view, pretending he was still checking her pulse. He put down his blade for a second and the other man's eyes narrowed.

"You think I'm going to fall for that? You're going to try to blast me with lightning as soon as I come close. You already tried that, remember boy? Don't you ever learn?" Peirce taunted him. "I told you, I have time, you don't. Wake up, boy, stop dreaming! This is your chance to die a man, a stupid man, but at least on your feet with a weapon in your hand!"

Levi patted Jasmine's body, reaching inside her coat, her sleeves. He found one in her waistband. A hard handle, a metallic dagger. Still hiding his hands from Peirce, he turned his back and took his eyes off the enemy for just a split second to tuck the blade inside his own coat. Then he turned slowly, picking up his sword.

"Shut up." Levi ordered calmly, his face giving no trace of emotion for Peirce to pick up on. Levi rushed him. Laughing, Peirce turned and ran on the sky pathway above the city to the next building. The shadow of the rooftops covered him as he slipped in and out of the first twinges of morning light.

"Come, boy! Hunt me down, we don't have long! It's my lucky day, you're good prey!" He cackled and Levi accelerated in pursuit. I won't let you get away! Wait for me, Jasmine! I'll come back!

#

The shadows were Peirce's playground. He wove through the sky paths above Portas's streets like a spider, weaving a web. Levi chased him through shadow and light, always wary. The farther I can get him from Jasmine, the better. But I have to remember how to get back! It was tough to follow the madman, he seemed to choose pathways at random, sometimes going left, sometimes, right, sometimes doubling around. Something was wrong with Levi's eyes...no...it's him! He's doing something, bending the light!

Levi kept blinking. He couldn't adjust. Peirce was a blur, constantly melding into the shadows as if the little light was bending around him. Sometimes he lost track of Peirce, and in those moments, he pulse skyrocketed as he tried to see where the man had went. It's like he knows when I lose him! Levi cursed as the man disappeared. They were running along the side of a great circular pagoda, and there was a high terrace above him. Suddenly, Levi felt an itch on the back of his neck. Crap! Above!

He dropped to the ground, pointed his sword up, and shot lightning blindly onto the terrace above. Peirce vaulted off, reappearing for a moment, before blending into the shadows once more, cackling all the while.

"One shot, one miss. Getting tired yet, boy?" The man was like a chameleon, some sort of shapeshifter, as he landed on another sky pass and ran across the bridge to another building. Levi breathed heavily, his vision pulsing at the edges. Not yet. Not by a long shot. I have to win! I can't give up!

He took off on Peirce's tail, but at the next building, a long, needle-like tower, he lost him again. Where'd he go this time? Levi looked around, noticing a slight shimmer in the air. There!

Krang!

The lightning bolt he fired passed through the shimmer and shot off to another building where it exploded sending tiles everywhere. Smoke poured out of a hole in the ceiling as Peirce appeared on Levi's right from behind a shadow.

"Missed again. Come on, one more shot, don't give up on me now!" Peirce's grin twitched as Levi snapped his hand up and fired a bolt instantly at the sound of his voice. Got him! However, to Levi's surprise, a strange glow filled Peirce's hands, and he raised it like a shield, this round disk of distorted light. When Levi's lightning hit it, it scattered into a thousand little rays which redirected everywhere. Peirce looked immensely satisfied, clicking his tongue and pointing to the sky. "You see that? Sun's up. Your time's up. Now it's my time. Don't you get it? I'm just playing with you. At night, you could play hero, act bigger than you are. But now, I'm your god. Your Reincarnation can't touch me, your sword can't reach me. I'm better than you in every way. Look into my eyes, do you see fear? If there is any, it's your reflection."

Levi stood straight, resisting the urge to drop. He had rested some, but his body was a mass of aching muscles and now that the fiery battle rage had subsided and he had fired off multiple lightning bolts, he felt weak. Everything was unreal again, like he was moving in a painting. Peirce smirked as Levi took a step forward.

"Oh? Are you still capableof fighting? It's pointless, I told you, I'm better than you. You can't evenreach me the way you are. Here, how about I come to you?" Peirce took a step forwardcasually, mocking him. Then another. Levi watched as the madman stared into hiseyes with each step, a cocky smile on his face. He reached inside his coat withhis left hand, holding his side. Peirce noticed. "Really, little boy? Thattrick again? You tried it the first time we met, in those woods. You tried italready once again today. Pretend to be hurt and then roast me with one lastbolt? I told you already, can't you...THINK OF SOMETHING NEW?!"