Disclaimer: See chapter one

Chap. 15

As soon as fight began, something occurred to me. Every single Frame warrior that I've encountered was faster than me. Ardjet's speed was incredible, Vic Viper's was reckless, Nephtis's was insane and Anubis's was awesome.

But this old man was just outrageous. He just hovered back a bit and started flying away. I gave chase, of course, but he was always ahead of me. On top of that he was able to change directions without slowing down, moving like a fly. Worse off, he was moving through the columns surrounding us, causing me to lose track of him a few times. However, he didn't attack...yet.

"Come on, Jehuty. Catch me if you dare."

It was an obvious taunt, but I went after him anyway, increasing my speed enough to keep track of him. I fired several bolts at him, but he merely swerved around and through the corridors, causing them to miss totally. I dived down through and fired again, but he suddenly zipped upward and...disappeared? Great. I lost track of him again.

Shhzzzzzz!!!!

What the...? A low buzz sounded from above and I looked to see a spread wave of beams flying out at me. Quickly, I zipped to the side as the beams smashed all over the place. I looked up at the source, only to see a black shadow whip out to the side. I tried to intercept him as best as possible, but in the end I wound up chasing him again. 'This is crazy. How can I fight him like this?' Inhert suddenly veered toward the wall and I gave chase. But as soon as he reached it, he stopped. 'Why did he...?'

"Ackkkkk!!!"

I was too busy chasing him that I didn't notice that he had left behind miniature diamonds of energy. The energy homed in on me and smacked me from various directions. After the first few, I raised my shield to defend against the rest, but that when Inhert suddenly came at me. His thick blade cut through the air as it slashed down on my shield, causing it to shatter.

'No way.'

Inhert pressed on and slashed out at my unshielded body.  I barely managed to dodge the first three swipes and on the fourth, I raised my own blade to counter. But in mid-counter, he jumped back and crossed his blade. A huge surge of energy shone around his body and he released it in a double cross slash. The attack was devastating as it ripped across my chest and hurled me back into a column. I was hurt, but not too badly. But another attack like that and I would be in serious trouble.

"Come now. That's not all you have to offer, is it?"

I shook the pain away and dove at him again. But again, he swooped off and flew around through the column with incredible speed. I followed suit and I was back to chasing him. 'This is crazy. There's no way I can beat him like this.' His speed far exceeded mine and it would only be a matter of time before it overwhelmed me. I had to reach him before he tried anything else. Then a thought occurred. I had to slow him down. And I know just the thing.

"Gauntlet!"

I launched the spark of energy at the swift master. But Inhert merely dodged the blast and it hit one of the columns. But he had gone in the direction I wanted him to and unleashed several more. He continued to dodge and weave through the fire, but it wasn't enough as one managed to hit him in the back and send him flying into the wall. His own speed had been his downfall this time and I lunged in to attack.

"Oh, you are a clever one."

Inhert quickly raised his dual blades once again and crossed them together, blocking my blow. I stepped back and the Metatron master was instantly upon me. I almost raised my shield, but remembered what happened last time and as he struck, I moved off to the side. Without the speed to increase his slash, Inhert slashed at me with normal force. But my shield was able to ward off the attacks. But midway, Inhert immediately stopped and flared with energy again. 'Oh, crap.' If that hits me, the shield will be shattered again and he'll be free to demolish me. I have to move now! Moving faster than I could think, I dropped my shield, allowing me to move freely. Then I shot back quickly just in the nick of time. Inhert's attack hit nothing but air. And even worse, he left himself open.

-'You're mine!'-

In agreement, I shot back at him and slashed wildly, hitting him with great force and rendering him powerless to stop it. During the attack, I stopped briefly to charge my own power and I spun in an energized arc, slashing him right across the chest. Inhert's body changed white and was knocked backward.

'Alright. I did it.'

One of these days, I'll learn.

Inhert suddenly folded back upright and his body shifted to its normal sleek black color.

"Excellent Jehuty. You were able to adapt well to my tactics. Now let see how you fare against this!"

Inhert stretched his arms to the side, blades pointing out as well. I stared in anticipation, waiting for whatever attack he may unleash. But instead, a black mist shot out from his body and spread out in all direction. I looked around in confusion as the mist continued to grow all around. 'What the heck is this?' Inhert's dark body vanished completely and I was surrounded by complete darkness. I couldn't see anything at all. Nothing but a black void.

"I hope you're not afraid of the dark, hehe."

I growled to myself. How could I fight him now? My vision in this is very limited, I wouldn't see him until he was upon me and by that time it'll be too late.

-'I'll have to trust my instincts.'-

Inhert did say that my power would be dependant on Dingo. This would be a good way to learn it better. If I live through it.

-'Shield!'-

I raised my shield at Dingo's warning and moment later, several energy diamonds hit. The shield protected me, but if not for the warning, I would have been hurt more.

-'Move!'-

Move? I soon learned what he meant. From the darkness, a massive ring of energy came right at me. The power from it was too great to block and it was too close to get out of its way. Reacting again, I curved my way within the ring so that it wouldn't hit me and it passed by.

'That was way too close.'

I had to get on the offensive. But in order to do that, I would have to find him. How could I find him in this darkness? I couldn't see anything within. I would have to trust my other senses then. I focused my thoughts for a moment, trying to find another way to locate him until I realized something vital.

'Of course. The Metatron.'

Even though he emitted a different wave of metatron than me, I was still able to sense it. It was how Frame Warriors are able to tell when another was near. I can't believe I forgotten that. Especially after my encounters with Anubis, since his was matched with mine. And since Inhert was a master, he would emit a stronger energy. I quickly swooped to the source, blocking any missiles and avoiding any mines he sent my way until I finally saw him. But there was one problem.

"You've got to be kidding me."

I was faced with images of seven Inherts, all arranged before me. The old man was chuckling as I tried to determine which one was him.

"Enny, minne, minny, mo. Hahahahaha!"

'Oh he's really getting on my nerves.' I decided to chance it and attacked the one on the lower right. But it shimmered, revealing to be nothing but a fake. Even worse, the rest of the images shimmered and revealed that they were more than illusions. They were missiles. He set me up! I raised my shield and barely blocked the missiles that hit me. But then out of nowhere, he appeared and slashed the shield again with high speed force. My shield shattered again and he slashed across my chest again. I quickly raised my blade to block before he struck again, but the damage had been done. I was hurt badly. In rage, I pushed him away and attacked back, but he did nothing more than counter my slashes with his own. He managed to slip back again and charge himself once more. 'No way. His slash attack wouldn't hit me at that distance.' But rather than slash, he bent his head down, raising his back. A thick ball of energy shot out and slowly came at me. I jumped back just before it exploded.

'That would have finished me off.'

Inhert raised himself upright and flew back, disappearing in the darkness. I couldn't fight like this any longer. I'm fighting on his terms with his rules. The only way I can beat him is to change those rules. I sensed for his energy and locked on. But rather than attack, I flew away. For a moment, nothing happened and then his spray attack appeared. But it was too far away to hit me. More attacks shot up out of nowhere, but I merely avoided them and flew around. The energy began to intensify and a split second later, he flew at me. His blades cut through the darkness, but I raised my blade, stopping it.

"It's not so fun when you have to pursue, isn't it?"

He seemed shocked at what had just happened. I had lured him to me, putting him on the offensive and predicting his attack the same as he had done with me. Now that I had him, I slashed out at him. He raised his own shield, but I stopped mid-way, powered up, and spun in my attack, breaking his shield. With his defenses down, I slashed across his body with excessive force, ending it with another Metatron-enhanced spin slash. Inhert cried out in pain and he flew backward. As he began to fall, the darkness cleared around us and revealed the chamber once again. Inhert crashed to the ground and as he did, he raised a burst of energy onto me. I thought it was an attack, but rather, my energy returned to me. And...something else?

-Homing Missile-

Another technique. But this wasn't the one he mentioned before. Putting it aside, I flew down to the defeated master. Despite his injuries, he chuckled.

"Heh, most impressive. Your skills have matured to an impressive level. Perhaps you'll... defeat him after all." He struggled to face me. "The technique you desire is within me. But its power is too great to awaken immediately. It'll take time before it does. And also..." He looked at himself, "I am too injured to give it to you. You'll have to send the runner to unlock it."

I nodded and was about to say thank you when he suddenly jerked, "Oh, no. He's coming."

I was about to ask who when I felt the familiar resonance. Oh no, not now!

Anubis…