Chapter 91: The Implock – Chapter 85 – “Reckless Abandon”

∼ Reckless Abandon ∼

Chapter - 085

As tall and punchable in the face as Nyx remembered him, Eric towered over him. He noted Eric's dark leather clothes and intimidating air. He certainly had grown. But so had Nyx. In the surge of excitement that followed this revalation, the demon didn't even waste a moment's breath as he launched himself at the surprised human.

"Nyyy-!?" Eric blurted out in his best attempt at a surprised but hushed voice.

Deftly blocking Nyx's fist as his fighting instincts kicked in the next instant, Eric's stance took a full one-eighty. Seeing the eagerness in the glowing orbs underneath that hood, he couldn't help but feel eager to fight himself. Grabbing tight around the hand he blocked, he yanked the little guy towards him, a right hook coming in low.

However, in a surprising show of flexibility, the damn little imp leveraged his caught hand and turned with the momentum, foot flying at a full force into the back of Eric's head. Even to the young human's trademark inordinately thick skull, the kick sent his head rattling, stumbling forward with shooting stars in his vision.

Nyx dropped to the ground in a heap, not able to right himself after the awkward attack, but smirked nonetheless up at the human as he got back to his feet. His foot hurt as if he had just hit a boulder, but it did nothing to deter the demon. Shaking the dizziness away, Eric turned around and stared down at the imp, eyes narrowed as the demon flipped him the bird, Nyx cackling impishly.

"-Alright then, let's see how you deal with this," Eric smirked back, challengingly.

The demon was more than ready to face his rival. What Nyx hadn't expected though, was as Eric lifted his hands, he abruptly threw them down with a sudden whoosh of power that sent dust flying away in all directions. Nyx blinked, incredulous at what he had just witnessed. Glowing a deep blue as runes traced the indicated lines of his fingerless gloves, raw power billowed from them. A rune-forged twin weapon.

"Come and get it," Eric smirked before pausing, getting an inkling of inspiration. Knowing exactly what to say to get the demon geared up. "-And I suppose you can have them if you win," He taunted, his competitive nature peaking through in all its reckless glory.

Nyx's [Mark of Pride] flared a bright golden, lent power unconsciously saturating his muscles. He bared his teeth. "Promises, human." Nyx was damn well going to hold that stinkin' human to his promise, even if it meant to pry those gloves off his dead body.

A fistful of dust flew at Eric as Nyx sprang into motion, the imp attempting the same trick he had used on the other thugs just before. But expectedly, such trickery did not work on Eric. He was all too fast, his runic gloves sending a gust of wind as he swiped at the dust cloud and essentially threw it right back at the demon.

Covering his eyes as he slid under a leg kick, Nyx had little time to react before a powerful fist descended on the spot right next to him - only inches from striking true. The punch cracked the earth and made the footing unstable underneath Nyx for a moment, shocking the imp with just the sheer strength behind the attack. Regardless of whether it was Eric's increased strength or the gloves alone, all he knew was that getting hit would be a bad time.

Stumbling away, Eric came charging at him. Seeing that he needed some way to get through the brawler's tight defense, Nyx started running for the cliff. At least the demon's speed was far greater than that of the human, creating some distance as he suddenly leaped onto the rock wall of the crag.

Eric slid across the gravelly road in an attempt to stop his momentum so he wouldn't crash into the wall. But Nyx was already airborne, making a flip as he invaded Eric's defenses, claws raking whatever purchase they could find as Eric deftly shielded his head, throat, and neck. Nyx managed only to give the human some shallow wounds and the leathered armor he wore stopped the demon in his tracks. More so than Nyx had expected as his descent suddenly halted, claws caught in the leather. He could not dislodge himself in time to avoid the hand that reached behind and grabbed him by the neck of the robe.

"Aergh!" Nyx croaked, the fabric suddenly pulling on his throat and body as Eric hurled the small demon at the wall.

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