Short black hair, scars, large yet functional muscles. The man before me was the definition of a fighter.
That wasn't why my heart felt the way it did.
In his gaze, I swore I could see death itself. Souls danced in the hell black abyss he dared to call eyes. It was frightening, it was unsettling, it was petrifying.
The shiver that ran down my back made me weak, sweat moistened my hands, and my mouth had turned dry. I couldn't even muster the courage to call off the fight.
A thought ran through my mind when I saw the misty beige card floating around him.
I'm going to die…
It was a thought I had often, but never had it stopped me from fighting for my life.
This moment wasn't any different.
The scared little voice in my head was replaced by one of disgust and indignation. I'm not going to die, I refuse. Hell be damned if I fought this long to die to some nobody in a godforsaken fight club. I will not die, that is a fate I refuse. F*ck you for considering it. Tonight, the Executioner will become the Executed…
What right did I have to give up? Outside this fight club, someone was waiting for me. The simple thought of leaving her made my heart burn.
My eyes focused as the Executioner dashed toward me, leaving afterimages where he passed. Acting purely on instinct, I flicked my hand and disappeared. Using the carried momentum from my sudden teleportation, I threw a punch into the Executioner's side. My figure disappeared in the next instance and I appeared a few meters away.
Phew…
A short breath was all I could take, stopping for longer may very well spell death. I dashed toward my enemy and threw another hook, this time aimed just under his armpit. Before the Executioner could block, I vanished and appeared behind him, my fist digging into his back.
I retreated a few steps.
Phew…
Another short breath and I'd need to get back into the fight. My opponent's expression didn't reveal his state, his devil cold eyes casually scanned the arena for his prey.
He vanished from where he stood, moving so fast that the dust under him didn't even move. I snapped my head to the side just in time to dodge the punch he had thrown.
Even in the brief few seconds since the fight had begun, I was slowly piecing together my opponent's Nexi.
Whoosh! I dodged another one of his punches, feeling the air besides me rush to the point of almost igniting.
That's twice now, I can tell his strength is beyond human, the same can be said for his speed. It would be safe to assume that also applies to his durability. Tier I, Ability: Body Augmentation, Class: Flesh? I can't be sure, I'm basing that off the color of his Nexi, it very well could be something else. But assuming the class is Flesh then his tier two should be of the same class, right?
Another close call pulled me from thought. The Executioner's fist grazed my cheek, drawing blood.
The cold feeling down my cheek made my heart jump. An association had been made in my head. If the Executioner's tier II was also a Flesh Class, then wouldn't the ability to control blood also fall under that umbrella?
Can't take the chance…I wiped the blood from my cheek as best I could. This opened a small window for retaliation.
The Executioner didn't need to be told to take advantage of this opening. He dashed forward and threw a punch.
Barely, just barely, I managed to jump back and dodge the punch. This proved to be useless.
In the air, right in front of the Executioner's fist, a flame-red card had appeared.
I really couldn't have been more wrong….My thoughts turned light as the air in front of me seemed to catch fire. With a loud boom, I was sent tumbling. My body only stopped when I hit the metal cage around the boxing ring.
The Executioner's tier I Nexi had indeed been something akin to a flesh type but my guesses about his tier II were completely wrong. I had assumed that, like any sane person, my opponent would have a tier II that corresponded to his tier I.
My mistake was assuming that my opponent was sane!
There was only one thing I could do now: die with honor.
If this is really the end then it wouldn't hurt to fight fair, for once in my life, I won't have to fight like a dog. I wonder what the afterlife is like… My thoughts were abnormally calm for someone about to die.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" I screamed as I ran towards the Executioner.
I threw forward a punch, aimed at his stomach. A grin illuminated my face as I winked at the colossus I was about to hit.
"Vanir," My figure faded into thin air.
I'm way too young to die! I thought, not losing any momentum as I appeared in the changing room not too far away. I picked up the brick I had prepared ahead of time in a fluid movement and disappeared once more.
I appeared in the air right above my opponent, who was still confused by my sudden "retreat".
I plummeted from above, the brick gripped tight in my hands.
The Executioner finally noticed me—his cold, devil eyes widening ever so slightly. He had prepared for a punch, a blade, a Nexi attack… not this.
He started to raise a hand, but it was too late.
THWACK!
The brick slammed into his temple at Mach speed. I heard bone crack.
The Executioner's stance wobbled. For the first time, he looked shaken.
I landed, took a step back, and saw it—his balance was off. His body, enhanced or not, still needed his brain to function. And his brain had just been bricked.
"Huh," I breathed. "Would you look at that…"
He took a knee.
And I didn't hesitate. I flew toward him and threw a kick at his head.
Scrrrr!
I let out a deafening scream, overshadowing the crack of bones.
"V-vanir," I managed weakly, disappearing and appearing a few meters away. The Executioner was still alive. He had used my temporary overconfidence to counterattack and break my leg.
I hobbled and leaned against the metal cage that isolated us from the now roaring crowd outside, barely making out my opponent's form at the edge of my tear-stained vision. He was standing, a look of pure fury in his eyes.
I had, at most, ten seconds to end this.
There was no time to hesitate, I could only act.
"Vanir!"
My body didn't disappear.
Instead, a blood-red object appeared in front of the now kneeling Executioner.
The object was vaguely conical and extremely asymmetrical. It still pumped with life, causing blood to spray everywhere.
It was his heart. It had been teleported out of his body.
I didn't even have time to relish in my victory when my head felt like it would split in two. I fell to my knees as I clutched my aching skull. I mumbled incoherent words and fell to the ground, unconscious. My body still jerked in pain despite my state.
In the crowd, an onyx emblem gleamed under the fight club's dim lighting. On the emblem were six roses, each made of a different colorful gem. The emblem's owner was a thin man with messy black hair and deep eyebags. He took an exasperated sigh while fidgeting with a golden yellow card in his hand. On one side of the card, a pair of heavy-looking handcuffs were drawn in silver, while on the other side, the word "Cohihi" was written in the same moon colored paint.
Just above the word were three distinct lines: III.
…
I grumbled as the light being pointed at me pulled me from my sleep. Adjusting to it, I could see a uniformed man with an onyx emblem pinned to his chest, on it were six multi-colored roses.
I recognized the emblem which belonged to an organization known as the Thorns of Justice. They were where Deci's "government" actively concentrated their attention instead of focusing on their people.
The Thorns of Justice were an organization that focused on all things Nexi. Dealing with Nexi-fueled crises, collecting rogue Nexi, keeping Nexi trade in check, they did it all. Their main goal was to understand the powers behind Nexi as best they could and push humanity into a new age.
The man in front of me had messy black hair and deep eyebags.
"Mmhhhmmmh," My mouth had long been muffled by a golden mouth brace, my arms and legs were similarly tied to the ground.
"Nu uh uh, you will speak only when spoken to," The Thorns officer said in a tone that dripped with condescension. I didn't resist, I knew exactly where I stood in the hierarchy of power in the Nexi world.
"Now," He yawned, "Tell me everything you know about the North Gelden Nexi Heist from earlier this week." The golden brace covering my mouth dissipated.
Before I could even be confused at what had just been said, I felt my restraints grow hotter in warning.
"I don-" I tried, only to be cut off by a scream. Only halfway did I realize the scream had come from me. I looked down at my now raw wrists and ankles in shock.
"I'll know if you lie. I really don't like hurting people, but I like disobedience even less." The officer said casually, as if not noticing my blood-piercing scream.
"But I really don-" I let out another scream, this one more hoarse and desperate. I tried clawing at my restraints with my teeth to no avail.
A thought flashed in my aching mind, James had mentioned he could get me a new Nexi in not too long. It was a little strange to hear but at the time I hadn't given it much thought.
How could he claim such a thing so confidently?
I quickly grasped this flicker of hope and muttered my boss's name. My voice was rough and raw, but I managed to get my point across. I described everything I knew about James Mario in detail.
"Mario…" The word danced on the Thorns officer's tongue like a knife, sharp and dangerous.
"Judging from what you've told me, you have nothing to do with this James Mario aside from him providing you money to partake in his barbaric death matches. Still, that Nexi you have is unregistered, making it illegal."
I only half listened to what I was being told, just happy that the pain was over.
The man with messy hair sighed. "Look, you seem like a good kid, so I won't confiscate your Nexi or put you in jail, but you'll have to do a little something for me in return."
"W-what is it?" I managed despite my damaged throat.
The Thorns officer didn't answer; he simply got up and left the room.
…
In the hours that followed, I tried using Vanir to escape several times with expected levels of success. My ability to teleport seemed completely useless in this environment. Luckily, I wasn't subjected to any more mind-melting pain
Eventually, my ears perked up when I heard footsteps.
The messy-haired man, whose name I had later learned to be Wellan, once again entered the room. The golden shackles that bound my hands and feet dissipated as the officer gestured for me to follow him.
Left with not many options, I could only nod my head and obey.
Together we walked through a minimally decorated hall. There were a few windows and panels placed here and there, but in general, the hall gave the sterile vibe of a hospital or lab. Outside the windows, I could see a rural landscape that was rare in Deci. It reminded me of my few trips to the south.
Gelden and Maroon often look like this… I thought, trying to ignore the worry in my heart. Wellan hadn't spoken once as we walked through the hall.
Eventually, we found ourselves outside of a room with glass walls. I could clearly see the machines and men in coats populating what I guessed to be a lab or research room. That explains the sterile vibe this place has… The Thorns of Justice was, before all, a research organization.
I calmed myself and let Wellan guide me into the lab. With a glance, the researchers in the room understood they were to leave. Only then did he finally break his silence.
"I take it you've already realized your Nexi doesn't work while in this building?" He asked, his expression as indifferent as ever. Only faintly did his eye dart towards the cameras in the room. Instinctively, they seemed to lose their lives.
Even technology fears him…I almost jumped at the sight.
In response to his question, I confirmed with a nod.
"That's because this building is under the influence of two tier III Nexi, some of the most powerful we have at that. These Nexi, when used in unison, neutralize all Nexi in a 200 kilometers-ish radius."
Why are you telling me this… It wasn't the words themselves that made me suspicious but instead the intent behind Wellan giving me this information. It was clear he wanted to ask me how these Nexi worked but why? What was his goal? The Thorns of Justice was diligent in making sure as little as possible was known about Nexi so why would Wellan tell me this information so casually?
I caved.
"How?" I forced myself to sound curious despite my suspicion.
He grinned… This was the first change I had seen in the Thorns officer's expression. It made me shiver.
"I'm guessing you don't know what exactly Nexi are? Who am I kidding, of course you don't, you f**king idiot." He ridiculed with a snicker.
"You heard of that pocket monster game that was popular like ten years ago? The one where they captured creatures in little balls? Think of Nexi a little like that. The cards we use are simply containers for the corresponding Nexi ability. These abilities all come from one place, the Starting Point, as we call it. This is also where we found the first Nexi, somewhere in the south near the Gelden coast but we haven't managed to locate exactly where the Starting Point is.
"Anyways, the first Nexi that creates this place's anti-Nexi field identifies the invisible connection between Nexi and the Starting Point, while the second severs that connection. This also means that we're aware of every single Nexi that enters the 200-kilometer radius and its characteristics.
"That's where you come in."
With a flick of his wrist, Vanir appeared in his hand. I flinched seeing the misty black card vibrate in defiance, fighting against Wellan's grip in an attempt to return to me. This was my first time seeing a Nexi stolen from a living person.
"Vanir, Tier I, Ability - Teleportation with a max radius of barely a thousand kilometers, Type - ALT, everything checks out there. The problem arises with the card's Class. Classes aren't something with a defined limit, there are millions of possible Classes a Nexi could have. Still, the computer we use to identify the Class of new Nexi has never failed to come up with one that fits perfectly."
Wellan took a step closer, barely leaving any space between us. My heart wanted to jump out of my chest, I was sure Wellan could hear it slamming against my ribcage.
"Now, I would like you to enlighten me, Denzel Nightingale. Why couldn't we identify this card's Class?"