-Chapter 18-

Fights or No Fights

I glared at Cinder like a lion. Her right eye glowed in orange as my eyes glowed in dark purple aura. I can see her aura in red-orange emanating from her while my aura was in the color of black-blueish color.

"Cinder." I spoke. "It's been a year since we last met. I am guessing somebody helped you and your friends escape out of the Ice Dragon's Den."

"Ice Dragon's Den?" Ruby asked.

"That's Atlas' most highly secured prison in the world." Weiss said.

"Oh."

Cinder giggled. "You are quite knowledgeable, Ellix. And I got to say, you have grown quite a mature and handsome, young man."

"Thanks for the flattery comment. I see that you got a new eye. What are you; a cyborg now?" I joked as I smirked.

"You tell her, Ellix!" Yang stated.

"Shut up!" Emerald shouted.

"Make me!" Yang stuck her tongue out to Emerald.

"Silent!" Cinder yelled, shutting everyone's mouth. "Now that you are here, I can achieve what I wanted ever since I was put in that shitty, cold hunk of metal that I was in. Do you understand how long I waited for this moment?"

"Not really. Time flied for me while you were in prison, Cinder, but I bet most likely it wasn't the most pleasant place to live for the rest of your life. I'm sure about that." I answered.

"Indeed, it wasn't." She growled. "Thanks to a new found allegiance with the White Fang, I've been reborn into something even better, not just this new cybernetic eye as you can see."

"Hmph." I huffed as I continued to smirk. "Well, unlike last year, I became a better fighter, too, Cinder if that is what you are implying, too. I can tell by looking at your aura that you became a lot stronger since we last fought. So for Emerald and Mercury, but you alone can probably even scare an Ursa."

Cinder chuckled a little. "Thank you for noticing, but enough small chat and I will get straight to the point."

I narrowed my eyes as I listened while my teammates dangling. "After half a year I was put in that prison, I realized something. That is power, but in order to achieve that power safely, I have to eliminate the biggest threat in my life, and you know what or should I say, who that is."

"Let me guess…us, right?" I asked, referring to my team including myself.

"Good guess, but not quite. It is…you, just you only!" Cinder stated. "Of all the people in the world, you are the biggest threat to my cause, just because you have a power that rivals to mine!"

"Black Knight's power…" I admitted.

"That's right." She nodded in agreement as she walked slowly, approaching to me.

"You…" She came close to me as she gestured her hand around my chest and shoulders. Yang didn't like how she was touching me. "Have a power that rivals to mine, a power that can change the world in a snap of a finger. I remembered very much when the soul of that legendary Huntsman awakened in you. No one can control it other than you yourself. This is why…"

She leaned her face close to my left ear and whispered her voice. "I must have my revenge on you."

"Revenge, huh?" I repeated.

She moved away from me as she stepped forward twice. "Yes, that is right. A glorious revenge, what I desire the most now. Until I achieve it, my heart and aura will just agonize in pain until you are gone for good!"

I stared at her as everyone else was quiet and just watched us.

"However…" She spoke as she turned over to her shoulder. "You have something else I need as part of my allegiance to the White Fang."

"Something else other than revenge? What would that be?" I asked.

"I heard from my new master that you stole a piece of something important. So, in exchange for your friends, I want that piece. Hand me the Code."

I looked passive at her as she smirked evilly before I just laughed out loud. Everyone, including my friends looked perplexed as Cinder narrowed her eyes.

"Oh sure, Cinder! I will give you a Code! Code for my credit card? Code for my locker? Code for the exclusive subscription award for a prize on the back of my comic book?" I laughed before I returned to being serious. "I have a lot of code for a lot of things, Cinder. You may have to be more specific, and even if you did…it is not like I will tell to you that easily. So, just hand me my friend back NOW!"

Cinder laughed a bit. "My, you are such a funny man, but seriously, don't be a fool. I heard the story about you and your other friends' exploits against the White Fang last year. Now, hand me the Code or I will kill your friends in front of your eyes!"

She summoned a fire, burning on her right palm as her right hand was aiming at my teammates.

"Exploit? White Fang? What is Cinder talking about? And what does it have to do with Ellix?" Blake thought.

I sighed. "OK, Cinder, I will tell you the Code…but on one condition."

She put out the fire. "Oh, what would that be?"

"If you and your friends here fight me, one on one, then I will talk if I lose once in the fight. However, if I win all the fights in the row, and beaten you in the last match, my friends and I go home peacefully and pretend that this never ever happened. What do you say, Cinder?"

She thought to herself for a few second until she nodded. "Hmm, I like a man who makes a bargain. It sounds reasonable, so why not. I will play your little game."

"Ellix! What are you doing!? This is all got to be some kind of trap!" Ruby yelled.

"I agree with her! You call backup before you came here, right!?" Weiss asked.

"Nope." I replied.

"WHAT!? You didn't it! How could you not!?" Weiss argued.

"Because I predicted this would happen, and I was right…as always." I admitted.

"Ellix…so you did saw the future." Yang said.

"I'm sorry, but this one was inevitable to prevent. I knew for sure that Cinder will come back someday, but never thought it will be this soon, but don't worry. After I beaten her and her friends here, we will go home and have pizza or something, OK?" I said with a reassured grin at her.

"Ellix…" Yang sighed.

"This is great." Weiss moaned. "But…I guess there is nothing else we can do while we are hanging up here."

"It's all up to you, Ellix! Kick her butts! So for Mercury and Emerald!" Ruby cheered.

"And that little bitch, Neo, too!" Yang exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Ruby and Yang. I will." I said as I turned to face Cinder and her faction.

"So, which of you guys want to go first?" I asked in a serious, determined tone.

"Hey Cinder. How about I go first? I didn't get to fight the little man last year, which I was suppose to." Mercury asked.

"Oh, why not. I guess it is fair that you can take a lead, but don't kill him. You can hurt him, but not kill him." Cinder said as she relaxed and sat on an old laundry machine.

"I will try." He smirked before he walked up to me, but stayed at some distance from me. He got into his battle pose as I was ready, too.

"So, aren't you going to use that fancy gauntlet of yours?" He asked mockingly.

"Actually, I want to try out something new. Like I said to your leader, I became stronger since last year. I trained over the year, not just in swordsmanship, but even also learned to fight with my feet. For you only, Mercury, I won't be using my hands to lay a single touch on you, but only with my feet and legs."

"Ooo, well, let's see about that." He replied with a smirk. I got into my battle pose as we looked each other determinedly.

Winds blew over us as silence took over. Suddenly, we ran toward each other before we kicked each other as we collided with our respective leg.

My teammates awed as Emerald jaw dropped and Neo widened her eyes. Cinder smirked a bit.

"Hmm, you weren't lying. You're really going to fight me with just your feet." Mercury said.

"Like I said, Mercury, I will just fight with my feet and legs, just like yours, but don't worry; I am not like your carbon copy or anything like that." I replied with a smirk.

Author's Note: I decided to upload the remaining chapters I have by two per day. I will upload one chapter in the morning and another in the afternoon around 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Then, on Friday, we will have the epilogue and some other times, we will have bloopers and other stuff. We are really coming to a close, but I will say more about it in my last author's note when the epilogue comes around.

Next times in Tales of Ellix Knight 2, will Ellix defeat each member of Cinder's Faction one by one? What will happen next? See you again in the NEXT CHAPTER!