Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle) (97 page)

“You’re mistaken if you think that you can honestly do that, brother.” When
Connor
used that title for him
,
his eyes almost bugged out. “That’s right, Ranvan. I’m your younger brother, Connor. Here’s
the
proof that I too am a
Harmonizer
.”

With
a
b
loodstained and free left hand Connor grabbed the bottom of his
shirt and chainmail and lifted it to show
the
mark seared into the center of
his
chest. Ranvan literally choked just before his
clawed
hand dropped to his abdomen.
Connor
figured that
i
s where his brand was located.
Connor
then lowered
the
mail and clothing back down because the final fight would begin at any moment.

With wide eyes
Ranvan
said
“How? How can this be? Why is a Harmonizer not of our superior race? This can
’
t be happening…”
Then he smiled in denial.
“That’s right… This is all just an elaborate farce.
There isn’t any way that another Harmonizer can be alive without me knowing about it. That
’s
it, I know it.”
Then Ranvan’s eyes hardened.
“Doesn’t mat
t
er, it’s time for both of you to die. Say hello to our mother once you perish.
The time of humans ruling over this world has come to an end. After I remove your head
,
Sorono
,
our race can finally take its rightful place as the strongest race of them all. Now it’s time for you to die.
”

Without another word
,
the
fight began. Ranvan’s energy s
piked
as he took a breath and released it in a gigantic red jet of fire.

Sorono and Connor
were prepared for his initial strike and separated from each other to avoid being consumed from the intense heat.

Connor
twisted and dove down, just like in practice, and aimed
his
fist at
the
unforgivable brother.
D
ark blue flame
s
erupt
ed from his
fist
moments after the flesh warmed and began glowing faintly.
The dark flame grew enormously and streaked towards its target
.

The
flame was like a personal representation that would consume the evil of the world and
Connor
knew of no greater threa
t to the freedom of life than this very enemy
.

The dark blue
flame twisted and rolled
furiously
as it streaked its way to Ranvan’s posi
tion. Just as it made its way, Connor
saw above
and around
his
evil brother
as a pure white flame
of equal proportions
descended
from above
. Both Sorono and
Connor
were coming at Ranvan from two
different
sides.

The blue and white flames connected on the single point and began twisting and blending together
, growing and intensifying
. Th
e flames continued growing as they
continually poured more power upon Ranvan’s location.

Just when their
victory seemed certain
,
an arching flame streak
ed away from the inferno
and the sky shook as the stream exploded
. When Connor looked closer he
saw that
Ranvan
had c
reated a Pressure orb around his entire body and
had come out unscathed from the
attack.

I knew
it
wouldn’t be that easy.
Connor
thought as
he
canceled
the
flame and went on the attack again.

Once
their
enemy was free of the flame, the look in
his eyes said he realized that Connor
truly
i
s a Harmonizer
like himself. Not only that
,
but his situation
had
compromised in terms of equality in power.
Connor
now
became
a priority target.

As he
tightened
a grip on
Tool Connor
could sense that Sorono was flying just above
him
and thinking the
same
way.

They
knew that when it comes to using the elements that they can always be canceled out or avoided, but in hand to hand
combat
only ones skill
and experience
will determine
a clear
victory.

Sorono and
Connor
struck Ranvan simultaneously and were both thwarted. He had
created another
shield and if it weren’t for
their
instinct
s forewarning they
would have crashed head first into
the invisible barrier
and probably have ended up like a fly on a windshield
.

As
Connor
moved from the shield, Ranvan took that i
nitiative and it was then that he
realized just how adept and skilled in combat h
is elder sibling i
s. Unfortunately for
them
,
Ranvan
has been practicing and killing more than imagined because in a single moment
they
were both overwhelmed from a single opponent
of equal strength
.

Sorono was struck in his jaw by a well placed elbow
,
just as
Connor
felt pain from being
struck in the
center of
his
back by Ranvan’s tail.

The force of the impact launched
Connor
skyward and the p
ain
grew in
intens
ity
, but he locked his
jaw and managed not to scream. It took several seconds to stabilize
him
self in the air, but it had taken too long.

Sorono was falling towards the ground
,
while
attempting to regain his equilibrium, but
Connor’s
fear had risen as Ranvan
streaked in his very direction
,
jaws agape and prepared to devou
r.
Connor
managed to avoid
the bite
by less than an inch, but also took the opportunity to take a chance.

He
swung
Tool and connected on something
solid, but not where it was
intended.
The
target was to shatter his jaw, but
Ranvan
saw it coming and avoided
the
strike just enough to remain unharmed
,
but his helmet wasn’t so lucky as it was launched away
from its master,
faster than a bullet.

Connor’s
instinct told
him to move and he
rolled away just in time before
Dark Steel claws sliced him
into pieces.

Ranvan was just as swift
, but his instant battle experience surpassed
his smaller sibling and Connor
nee
ded to regroup or end up dead. H
e
dumped more energy to
his
legs and dived straight down until
he
met up with Sorono again. He kept his eyes on Ranvan, but he
began
rub
bing
out
the pain from his jaw and Connor
suspected he was trying to still finding his equilibrium.
The sharp pain in his
own
back
remained
intense and proof that this would be a hard earned battle.

Sorono took only a moment
to speak to Connor
as Ranvan just realized what had
happened
to his helmet
.
“Are you alright?”
He explained that he
was.
“Good. That was unexpected, but at least you removed a piece of his armor. I’m still having slight trouble not seeing double at the moment. If I attack him now I’ll only be a hindrance. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

Just as he said that
,
Ranvan roared and dove for
them
.

Connor
met him half way and began str
iking and defending as best as he
could
under the circumstances
.
If it weren’t for
his smaller size, comparatively, he
would have been easily overtaken and dispatched.
Connor was thankful for his
greaves
and armguards as they w
ere the only things defending him
from certain death. For every blow that was thrown
, Connor
countered and so did he.
Many times he
was barely able to avoid a fatal strike and for all of
his efforts he
managed to only make a simple wound to
Ranvan’
left arm and bottom lip.

Everything went wrong as Connor
fell for a feint.

Currently he
found himself
by
Ranvan’s
abdomen because
it
offered a small advantage from full strikes
from his tail, for the most part.
Ranvan
pretended to use both of his hands to grab, but
Connor
flew up into
the
trap.

The fifth brother’s
menacing mouth open
ed
wide and
Connor’s
head was heading straight for it.
He
curled in on
him
self in hopes of flipping and diverting
the
flight.

As
Connor
flipped and poured everything down
his
legs
to escape
,
Ranvan’s
sharp teeth pierced
cleanly into
his
thighs.
They pierced skin, muscles and even
the
right femur.
Pain was instantaneous
, blinding
and Connor
couldn’t hold back an honest scream
of torture
.
It was a pain
he has
n’t felt since receiving the brand on
his
chest.
T
he thick,
sharp teeth
went through
his
flesh
and the
jaw strength
of
Ranvan’s
forced them even
d
eeper
, trying to sever the legs
. He had found the weakness in
Connor’s
armor as
his
hips to knees were the only parts that weren’t protected. The pain
became
so intense that it
consumed
Connor
’s every thought
.
His
eyes squeezed shut in the vain hopes that he would let go.

Suddenly Connor
heard three distinctive roars and the teeth that held
him
ripped themselves from
his flesh
.
Connor
pushed through the pain and used just
enough force to get his
broken right leg out of
the tooth that still secured him
in Ranvan’s mouth.

Once clear of death’s clutches he
tumbled
helplessly in the air.

Before
he
knew it
he
felt something solid wrap around
his middle
.
He
managed to open
his
eyes to see
Sorono looking down
,
worriedly.
Through
heavy and painful panting
Connor
saw that he had caught
him
as
he
fell helplessly.