Act XVIII: The Legendary Technique

"Time to wake up, you piece of dung!"

A raspy voice woke Kraveck up.

It was odd…

Everything was black, he couldn't see anything; it looked liked he had gone blind.

No…

He just couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible!

Wait…

There was something around his head. Something tight… He was blind-folded!

Why…

'What is this? Where am I?'

Pain…

He could feel all sorts of pain from his body. He could feel his wounds.

Paralyzed…

All instincts led to want to take off his blind-fold see what is happening. But he couldn't move…


The atmosphere around them seemed to turn black when all that the rogue saw last, was Kraveck's right hand absorbing the five white spheres.

Kraveck quickly positioned back to his fighting stance and readied a punch for the rogue. But this time it was different. He was covered with red surges of electricity around him. Kraveck was making so much surges of power that the rogue could feel the spine tingling energy. He could feel the power, thus not even starting the blow; he could feel his doom.

Kraveck plunged a punch directly at the rogue's chest but there was something different. He made it obvious that he gave everything for this punch. Squeezing every last drop of energy from his body just for this one punch, he made it clear; he was going to destroy his last assailant. The atmosphere had gone black, electricity was all around, and a loud explosion was heard…


Kraveck felt another punch on his face.

"Wake up, you slime belcher!"

Kraveck feeling very weak, but he still managed to respond.

"Whe… where am I…"

He was punched again.

"Silence, fool! I'm the one who asks the questions. Not you!"

It was slow, but he was starting to digest the situation. It seemed he was captured by Backblade after his grand antics. Now he was being tortured. He felt his hands bound by a cold chain hanging from the ceiling. His eyes blind-folded and he was very, very weak. He knew this wasn't from Backblade though, he assumed it was his own doing. He probably used all his energy from his last technique.

He was quickly snapped off by the voice again.

"Where did you come from? Where did you learn how to fight?"

Kraveck didn't answer.

"So you wanna play games, huh?"


Valcan heard commotions from inside his house. He was an old Pronteran squirrel; of course he would take a peek. Being a street smart old squirrel, he only peeked from the edges of his slightly opened door.

What he saw shocked him. His master was barely surviving the Backblade assassins! He was in the fight of his life, and Valcan could do nothing but watch. Temporary joy shivered down Valcan's spine when he saw his master beginning to turn the tide of the battle.

And he'll never forget the most incredible skill he had ever saw… so the legends were true… the legend about the one-hit-kill technique. The legendary 'Asura Strike'!

Valcan, first and foremost disgusted, but then pitied the poor ol' rogue for what had happened. His chest was completely crumpled; he was the first to taste the 'legendary technique' in so many ages. Blood gushed out from the rogue's mouth, come to think of it, it was a mass of blood that had seemed to be forced out from his body. It was a grotesque sight. Then again, it was to be expected from a victim of a legendary technique.

He saw his Master Kraveck in one knee on the ground. Panting widely, grunting and sweating like there's no tomorrow. He had obviously given it all to this skill.

Valcan was about to approach his frail master when an arrow from above went through Kraveck's chest.

'Anoth'r one?'

Yes. There was another rogue. Another rogue was spying the battle from the roofs ever since it began. Valcan could see the rogue leaped from the roof down the alley. But this was no ordinary rogue. Valcan could see a bald rogue with scars all over his head. Yes, he knew who this was. This was the infamous 'Scarred', Vional's right hand man. Just as ferocious but with more scars than his master, no, just as he was nicknamed by the citizens, his bald head was full of various scars reaching down his face.

Valcan dared not stepping out his door. He could only mourn for his master. But his eyes widened when he saw Scarred took out the arrow from Kraveck's unconscious form and reached for something from his pouch. It was a white potion! The rogue poured it down on Kraveck's wound… they wanted him alive!

This gave hope for Valcan. Backblade wanted Kraveck alive all along. His heart cheered for he could still hope again, there was a chance, he could see his master again...


He heard the man walk away. A few moments passed by, he sensed footsteps coming his way.

"I love games! I'm glad you wanna play too!"

It was the same raspy voice again, it was the same man. But he heard a sharp slicing sound after the man's voice. It was familiar. He thought hard, he thought long, it was all too familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

It was only a few moments later when he felt a very sharp pain on his back. He realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. He realized… He realized that the sharp slicing sound was a whip…

First hit…

Uughn! It was a whip with thorns on it, specifically designed for pain.

Second hit…

Still with the wounds from his last fight, the pain grew even more.

Third hit…

It was now plainly the worst pain he had ever undergone.

Fourth hit…

The pain was becoming unbearable.

Fifth hit…

He was already exhausted before this even began. He doesn't know if he could bear more.

Sixth hit…

Wounds created by the whip and recent wounds from the fight were tremendously immense!

Seventh hit…

He couldn't take anymore. He was already out of strength even before they had started torturing him. It was too much for him. He passed out…