The pastor turns his back.
Pastor: "What's going on here?"
The crowd murmurs, voices rising in confusion.
Random guy: "What's going on?"
Another voice: "The church is collapsing! Get out!"
They rush out pushing, shoving, trampling over pews. The doors slam open and closed as bodies pour into the street.
The wall comes down fully. Smoke disperses, the air thick with the smell of crushed stone and old dust. Rubble spreads across the floor broken wood, shattered plaster, the remains of painted ceilings.
Raiji steps forward.
Kiro steps forward.
Kiro: "Now where's the pastor? He needs a fresh punch. I promised myself I'd give him one hard enough to break his jaw."
The pastor turns around slowly. His white robes are dusty now. His clean smile is gone.
Pastor: "Who might you be, kind sir? Having a problem with our"
Before he finishes his sentence, Kiro launches himself forward.
Aim: straight at his jaw.
Then a yellow light appears on the pastor's hand. A shield. Yellow and glowing like molten gold.
Bang.
The punch lands but the shield pushes back. Kiro stumbles, shaking his hand like he's trying to shake off the sting.
Kiro: "Ouch. Why'd you have to get hit anyway? My credits."
He doesn't wait.
He launches himself again. This time no holding back.
Kiro: "Hold that jaw tight. This is no-holds-barred."
The pastor does the same thing again. The yellow light. The shield.
Bang.
The punch lands square on his jaw shield and all.
The pastor flies backward into the wall. His head snaps. Blood leaks from his mouth, dripping down his white robes.
Kiro: "That's what you get. Now my credits."
Raiji looks through a chest in the corner. Rifles through piles of coins and chips.
Raiji: "Only about 5k chip value. Nothing good. Not enough."
Then a silver knight walks in, standing beside a guy in a hoodie.
The pastor gets up.
Pastor: "Who are you guys? Want to break my jaw? Why? Did you find out we scammed you? Well, no refunds."
He spits blood. His jaw is still unbroken.
The pastor gets up like nothing happened. He steps through the hole in the wall and summons a shield and sword made of light shield on his right arm, sword in his left hand.
Pastor: "Now I'm ready for a proper fight."
He jumps down from the second floor, landing hard. Dust ripples outward from his feet.
Kiro: "What is that? Some sort of creation cube?"
Pastor: "No. My creation. Magic with light element. Now you really should run, you little demons."
Kiro: "Says the thief."
Kiro dashes forward. Another punch but this time it's blocked. The pastor deflects him to the right wall.
Bang.
Kiro hits the stone.
Then Raiji dashes in, drawing his baneblade. He swings.
The pastor blocks with his left sword, then lifts Raiji up with the blade and deflects him backward sending him flying through a wall to the outside.
Raiji gets up, dusting off rubble.
Raiji: "This guy is stronger than he looks."
He's about to dash back in but the rogue in the hoodie blocks his path.
Raiji: "Out of the way, runt. Can't deal with you right now, weakling."
The rogue keeps him at bay with two small daggers, spinning and slashing.
Rogue: "You can't beat me that easily. No matter how strong you are."
Raiji holds one blade pointed backward, blocking him. Then
"Mininado."
A small tornado spins from his hand, sending the rogue flying backward. The wind cuts into him as he crashes down.
Raiji jumps. In that split second, he crosses both his blades into an X-shape and sends the rogue flying again black blood spraying from the wounds.
He's getting tossed left and right. His body slams against pews, against pillars, against the floor. Each hit leaves a new bruise.
Kiro breathes heavy. Wipes blood from his lip.
Kiro: "Fine. You asked for it. I'll destroy your church. After all, you're false anyway."
He jumps straight up toward the ceiling.
A big boost jump. He breaks through the ceiling. Then through a wall. Another big jump. He reaches high speed, debris raining down behind him, two broken walls in his wake.
The pastor looks up, confused.
Then punch.
Just in time, the pastor blocks with his light sword. The blade breaks in half. Kiro's fist connects. The pastor flies backward, using the wall as a spring to stop himself.
Another big jump. Another wall broken.
Kiro: "Super punch."
The pastor raises his shield. It breaks too. Kiro reaches him and sends him flying. They lock eyes across the ruined church.
The pastor raises his arm directly at Kiro.
Pastor Rick: "Light Ray."
A beam shoots out hits Kiro's shoulder.
Kiro forms a hammer with his fists and slams the pastor down. Then jumps back up.
His shoulder is burned. Red. Blood drips down his arm.
Kiro: "Ouch. That should have taken my arm."
He moves to beat the pastor further but Pastor Rick gets up first.
Pastor Rick: "Light Pulse."
A wave of force explodes outward, sending Kiro sliding backward across the rubble.
Kiro looks up. Pastor Rick forms a light blade around his arm big, glowing, humming with energy. He swings it like nothing. And in his other hand a ball of light, growing brighter.
Outside the church.
Raiji is barely keeping up with the knight. Every block sends shockwaves up his arms. Every dodge is by a hair.
Raiji gives up two Mininados small wind blades that slice through the air. The knight deflects them both like they were nothing.
Raiji: "Who are you? You're not a normal swordsman. Not a normal knight."
The knight points his blade directly at Raiji.
Knight: "A paladin. Get that right. And have some respect, commoner."
Raiji moves at high speed so fast the paladin loses track of him. A slice to the side. The paladin falls to one knee.
Raiji: "Seems like the great paladin isn't that strong."
He aims his blade Elemental Slayer at him.
The paladin's wound gushes. Blood pours out then stops. The wound closes up right before Raiji's eyes.
The paladin picks up his huge blade in one quick motion, deflects Raiji's strike, then slices back.
Raiji dashes backward. His chest bleeds a deep red line across his armor.
Raiji: "Ahhh... that hurt. How is this possible? You're strong. You're fast. You have regeneration. You're not a normal Cube user, are you?"
Paladin: "Wrong."
He raises his blade above his head. Light gathers around it spinning, twisting, growing.
Paladin: "This will hurt."
"Hugenado."
A massive tornado explodes over the entire church. Wind cuts through stone and flesh alike. Raiji's body is slashed dozens of cuts opening at once. The church breaks further. The top part collapses.
Only the cross remains untouched standing alone in the destruction.
Raiji collapses to his knees, covered in blood.
Raiji: "How... that's my move... but better."'
Raiji picks up his blades. Blood drips from his fingers. His grip is tight, but his arms shake.
Raiji: "You learn fast too. But how? You won't beat me that easy."
He drops into his stance.
"Mininado."
Just then the Paladin stops it. A single block with the flat of his blade sends shockwaves through Raiji's arms. The sword falls from his hands. Raiji falls to his knees.
Paladin: "Now die in peace."
He walks away.
Raiji stays down.
Back to Kiro.
Kiro lands a few good blows on the pastor fast ones. One, two, three. The pastor stumbles.
Then light appears around the pastor's feet. A kicking motion. He kicks Kiro into the air.
A slice. An arm falls.
Kiro's arm.
Then a light punch. The pastor throws Kiro to the ground. He lands next to his own severed arm.
Kiro: "Uhhhh... how is this possible? You damaged me."
The pastor sends a beam of light into Kiro's lower left side.
Pastor: "Are you a Cube user? Simple young Cube user. Elemental damage is too much more. Or counter elemental... then magic factor."
He throws Kiro out of the church. Then throws his arm out after him. Then follows at high speed flying.
A light kick straight into the ground.
Crater.
Dust explodes outward.
The pastor looks down at him.
Pastor: "Now I recall. I just scammed you. You two are dumber than you look."
He walks away.
The Paladin meets the pastor outside.
Paladin: "Why damage the church further?"
Paladin (to pastor): "I don't care about your stuff. I rank higher, if you recall."
They leave.
A few minutes later.
Veyra and Aurora arrive.
The church is half-destroyed. Rubble everywhere. Blood on the stones.
Kiro is on the ground. His arm is a few feet away. Raiji is slumped against a broken pillar.
VEYRA: "What happened here?"