Through the woods, from a distance, the sound of clashing steel kept tearing through the atmosphere.
Augustus moved back, wind spiraling around his limbs and a wind belt circling around his neck and waist, a sword with air current drilling around it in his right hand.
The ori-tandemon also backed away, orange lightning crawling over its skin and blade.
Augustus was already coming at it with a slash attack.
But orange lightning cracked forward, causing Augustus to back up in evasion.
The lightning continued forward after him.
Augustus flinched, moving to the left as the lightning hit one leg.
He kept flying, using the wind to propel himself forward as multiple lightning bolts struck past behind him.
At one point, he landed against a tree and launched at the demon, maneuvering in mid-air to dodge the bolts attacks the moved past him.
The demon stopped its attacks and jumped back to dodge a fatal strike from Augustus sword.
Augustus didn't stop, air skating towards the demon who also charged in.
The clashed, swords bouncing off from the force but then, Augustus spun with the recoil, delivering a slanted cut to the demon's chest.
Not done yet—
He delivered small, multiple cuts to the demon and twisted, smacking the demon's skull with the back of his foot, sending it rumbling into a tree.
Augustus landed, breathing heavily. "I have to end this quick."
The demon slowly got on its feet.
Augustus straightened up, pointing his sword at the demon. "Any last words?"
The demon's mouth extended into a grin, bursting out into laughter. "My last words? I should be the one asking you that."
"Huh? What do you mean? You're obviously the one on your last leg."
The demon tilted its head to the left. "Is that what you see?" Lightning flashed around it as it sprinted forward.
"You won't get me." Augustus yelled, dashing forward.
Both opponents clashed again, swords bouncing back.
"I'll just use the recoil to my advantage." Augustus said, twisting around from the bounce back to try and cut the demon.
Suddenly—
A third sword blocked.
Augustus gasped, watching as the demon now wielded two blades.
"Tch! How annoying!" Augustus redrew quickly. "Now I have to deal with dual wielding."
The demon took a few menacing steps forward and rushed at him with lightning speed.
Augustus flinched, eyes widening.
His speed increased—
Augustus blocked a strike."W-what?! I can't use the recoil from this either."
He was sent crashing into a giant rock, causing the rock to shatter.
He laid in the mess, coughing out blood as he struggled from the pain. "Damnit. My body has gone way beyond its limit. Is this how weak I am?"
His eyes fluttered open in time to see the demon falling down at him from the sky.
His body moved before he could think, rolling out of the way as the demon slumped hard into the rubble, dust exploding from the impact.
Augustus got up, watching as the dust screen cleared.
The demon had the blade of its swords buried in the ground.
Augustus shivered, watching as the demon retracted its weapons from the ground, turning to him.
"Come on kid. Don't tell me you're done?"
Augustus's brows creased, taking a step back.
'No. I can't beat him. He's too strong.' He thought, taking another step back.
"Huh?" The demon tilted its head to the left. "Or maybe you are." It cracked a grin.
Augustus flinched, taking a third step back. 'Dammit. Am I this weak? Am I going to die here because of that.'
The demon's grin turned smug. "What? You gonna run?"
Augustus gasped, eyes widening. 'No. I can't die here. I'll accept my weakness and run.'
With that in mind, he turned around, the wind currents around his limbs faded, gathering instead into a belt around his waist and neck.
'I have to escape. Or everything I've done so far will go to waste.'
He began air skating away.
"Huh?" He demon's grin dropped. "You gonna run away human boy?"
Augustus raced desperately into the forest. 'I won't die now. No way. If I survive, I'll get more chances to get stronger.'
He shuddered as the demon landed in front of him, eyes wide, gaze fixated on the ground. 'I... I can't move.'
The demon sauntered over to him, inhaling deeply and sighing heavily. "Fear. I just love that smell. Nothing is better than breaking your prey before devouring 'em."
Augustus couldn't lift his head. 'Fear? Am I afraid of dying? I...'
He shut his eyes closed. 'I...' His fingers dug ground, gathering sand into his grasp. 'Maybe I don't deserve to be a warrior. Maybe I shouldn't have chosen this path.'
"Hey, hey. Don't tell me..." The demon chuckled, squatting in front of Augustus. "You're doubting yourself? Or is it regret?"
Augustus opened his eyes, staring at the ground again. 'I'm sorry Grandpa. I failed you.'
The demon chuckled again. "Well, whatever it is, it won't change your fate."
Augustus's expression turned blank, lips parted slightly. 'I'm going to die before I could even get the chance to fulfill my dream.'
The world slowly went blanc, leaving Augustus crouched in a white, limitless void. A voice played in his head.
"Promise me something, Augustus."
"What is it, Grandpa?"
The voice sounded like it belonged to a ten year old boy—Probably Augustus at age 10.
"Promise me... that in the future... no matter which opponent you fight... you'll never show fear in front of him."
"Uhmm... Yeah but... why?"
"Demons instill fear into their opponents before killing them. The pleasure they get from it only drives them to want more. That yearning becomes their determination. And just like how warriors use determination as a source to get stronger, they also get stronger through that determination."
"I see. Okay then. I promise."
"Atta boy!"
Chuckles came from the two voices, fading away little by little until they couldn't be heard anymore.
Augustus—still in the white space—shot his eyes open, lips parting slightly.
"Get up Augustus."
He looked up to see his Grandfather standing in front of him, arms crossed, a small smile on his lips.
Augustus smiled. "Sorry for being an idiot... Grandpa."
The old man's smile stretched into a wide grin.
Augustus closed his eyes again. "Now then."
The white space reverted back to the field.
Augustus slowly got on his feet, arm guard materializing on his left arm and sword in his right hand.
The demon got up as well, disappointment painted on his face. "Looks like you've overcome your fear."
Augustus took a stance, sword pointed at the demon.
The demon stretched its arm toward Augustus. "No matter." A sword appeared in its grip. "It won't change your fate."
Augustus grinned. "Who said I was going to die here?"
His eyes glowed silver, the wind around him getting violent. 'Damnit... I can hardly move. How am I going to get out this one? Is this really where I die.'
The demon clicked its tongue. "Going to die hanging on to bravery, huh?"
It took two steps forward, closing in on Augustus and lifted its sword. "Then so be it."
Augustus's grin only got wider, which pissed the demon off. "Arrogant brat!"
It roared, descending its sword down at Augustus who brought his sword in the way to block.
But suddenly, they both found themselves in a space like dimension illuminated by stars and constellations.
And the demon's blade only screeched against Augustus's sword.
It missed.
"Huh?" The demon blinked, watching itself fall upwards.
Augustus watched the demon slam into the underside of an invisible ceiling, the force of the impact making it gag.
Even as it laid there, some sort of pressure seemed to crush upon its body and bones, blood spilling from its eyes, nose and ears.
"This ability." He looked ahead to see Maxwell walking towards him. "It's Master Maxwell."
Maxwell grinned, gold arm guard on his left arm, hands shoved into his pocket. "Well done kid. You certainly are weak but... at least your spirit isn't."
He took one hand out, snapping his fingers as the space shattered, taking them back to the field.
The demon fell from the sky, too damaged to balance itself.
Maxwell got to Augustus, a sword glinting into his right hand.
As soon as the demon reached ground level, right beside Maxwell, he swung the blade, slicing the demon, body splitting before it fell on the ground in two halves.
"I like you kid." Maxwell said, resting the blade of his sword on his shoulder.
Augustus sighed in relief, going down on his knees.
Maxwell walked over to help him on his feet. "Come on, you're hurt pretty bad."
They started walking away.
"It's a good thing you got over your fear." Maxwell said as they walked off. "The masters will be proud of you."
Augustus turned to him, mouth slightly opened. A small smile spread his lips, turning to look forward.
They left the area, leaving the demon's body lying in a pool of blood.