Here's the next chapter, guys! I actually got it done before Mother's Day AND managed to feel good about my finals while I was writing this story instead of studying… Don't try that at home, kids. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
The mages of Phoenix Dawn were confronted by a mysterious man that the captive Karina recognized as Static.
"Are you deaf? Let her go or I will kill you!" Static repeated himself.
Spiral then walked up to Static. "Explain yourself."
"… I think I see what you mean." Static smirked and shot a bolt of lightning Spiral that electrocuted him.
"Spiral!" The others shouted.
"Don't worry about me!" Spiral shouted. "You guys go on ahead! I'll keep this guy busy!"
As the others were about to run off with Karina, Static was about to shoot them with lightning but Spiral quickly closed the distance.
"Sonic Allegretto!" Spiral struck Static with a relatively quick strike of his fist into his stomach.
Even with the amplification provided by his Sound Magic, the power didn't seem to damage him that much though it did get Static's attention.
"Was that supposed to hurt?" Static asked, turning his attention to Spiral.
"No, this is!" Spiral shouted. "Sonic Falsetto!"
Spiral jumped up slightly and kicked Static in the skull with the heel of his shoe, the force of which was amplified by his Sound Magic. Jason and the others decided to continue making their way toward Hargeon while Spiral fought off Static. After that attack, Static got up from the ground and simply cracked his neck.
"Not bad at all." Static said. "Not even the other test subjects could actually hurt me."
"Test subjects?" Spiral asked.
As Jason, Sakura, Aura and Flora continued to take Karina to Hargeon, Aura looked back with concern on her face.
"Do you think Spiral can handle him?" Aura asked.
"He was the first one in our guild, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did take him out." Jason responded.
"I wouldn't count on it." Karina spoke up.
"What makes you say that?" Sakura questioned.
"Because Static isn't an ordinary wizard." Karina stated. "He's actually a magical research experiment. In fact, Static isn't even his real name; it was his new name once he became a test subject… That knowledge is probably why there's a warrant for my arrest."
"… I think I get it now." Jason said. "You found some dirt that a politician was trying to bury and now he wants you captured to keep it buried. That sound about right?"
Karina nodded. "I don't exactly know what went on in those experiments, but I do know that the lab in Hargeon must have been abandoned years ago."
"Wait, did you say Hargeon?" Aura asked. "Jason, do you think that's what Spiral felt under the city yesterday?"
"If that's the story, then we can't take her to that woman you mentioned." Sakura said.
"We're still going to her." Jason stated.
"What?!" The girls all shouted.
"Relax, I have no intention of losing to her." Jason clarified.
"What does that mean?" Sakura questioned.
"Since we caught Karina first, she and I have to fight to see which one will get her." Jason answered.
"That's crazy!" Sakura exclaimed.
"No… It's honor."
The girls were dumbfounded by Jason's words, but continued following him anyway.
"Just who or what exactly are you?" Spiral demanded to know.
"… Heh, all right then." Static chuckled. "Since you're actually giving me a good fight, I'll tell you what happened nearly 20 years ago. I was once a powerful wizard working for the Royal Guard and even engaged."
Spiral took a closer look at Static's right hand and noticed there was a wedding ring on one of his fingers.
"One day, I was asked to take part in an experiment to further the magical capabilities of wizards." Static continued. "But that was before I knew… what it would cost me. The research was to find a way to unlock Second Origin within wizards."
"Second Origin?"
"Think of it as an extra reserve of magic energy once you're first supply has been depleted. What they didn't tell me was that in order for them to unlock my Second Origin… they had to transfer the life energy of another human being into me. The other human in that experiment… was my fiancée." Static then removed his sunglasses to reveal that his pupils were yellow and the white area was pitch-black. "The experiments also caused a mutation that makes me about as resilient as… I guess the best way to describe it would be that I'm already dead. It's kind of hard to explain and even I don't get it. Ever since the experiment was shut down, I was put in stasis and it wasn't until Karina came by that I was finally able to awaken again. That's why I'm protecting her. She has given me my freedom and my life back."
Spiral realized he didn't want to fight this guy anymore, as Static seemed like more of a victim than a threatening person. Static then stretched his arm out and some force was pulling Spiral toward him.
"Magnet Crash!" Static shouted as he grabbed Spiral and used some other force to slam him into the ground. "Who said we were done fighting?!"
"What the hell was that for?!" Spiral questioned as he got up, coughing up a bit of blood. *My Sound Magic should've picked up his heartbeat, but I don't sense anything from him.* He thought. "Were you lying this whole time?!"
"No, it was the truth. But you're giving me such a good fight I didn't want it to stop! Relax kid, I'm not gonna kill you, but you are going to feel this! Lightning Charge!" Static surrounded his body in electricity and ran toward Spiral.
"I… I get what you mean…" Spiral smirked. "This is kind of exhilarating. Better put all of my magic power into this last shot! Sonic…"
Spiral charged up a large sphere of magic in his hand and was about to strike Static as he almost reached him.
"Eroico!"
A massive blast of sound and electricity caused an explosion around the two and smoke was sent flying everywhere. When it finally cleared, both Spiral and Static had taken a severe amount of damage so much so that both of them fell to the ground at the same time, completely drained of energy.
"Huff… puff… Heh, you're not bad, kid." Static panted from exhaustion. "Even before the experiments, I was never as strong as you."
"Huff… puff… What can I say?" Spiral panted as well. "I've been training my whole life… You want to know something I haven't told my guild mates? I'm actually the son of a legendary ice wizard. She orphaned me a long time ago and I don't know why… I thought that maybe she didn't think I was worthy enough for her and that was why. Even today, I still question my own self-worth… Huh?"
"What is it?"
"I sense a large number of armored men approaching us from the direction we came from."
A battalion of Rune Knights showed up and surrounded them.
"Arrest them!" A man came from within the battalion.
"Wait…" Static recognized the man that stepped in front. "I remember you…"
Jason, Sakura, Flora, and Aura finally arrived at the entrance to Hargeon with Karina, where they could see that Kagura was waiting.
"I think we both know what happens next." Jason said to her.
Kagura nodded and the two of them readied for battle.
"Girls, stay back." Jason told his guild mates. "This fight is strictly between the two of us."
"Are you nuts?!" Karina questioned. "Don't you know who that is?!"
"Oh yes, I'm aware." Jason replied. "Kagura Mikazuchi, the strongest wizard of Mermaid Heel."
"Seriously?!" Sakura exclaimed. "Even I wouldn't fight someone that powerful as I am right now! At least let us help!"
"I know that's what you want, but this isn't about a job anymore." Jason said, still looking right at Kagura. "This is about honor. When I make a promise, I do my best to keep it."
Kagura smirked. "We're more alike than I thought." Kagura placed her hand on her sheathed sword. "Ready?"
Jason surrounded his arms in gusts of winds. "Ready."
The two stared each other down as their fight began.
A/N: Yes, I'm actually having one of my OCs fight Kagura in the next chapter. Don't worry I have no intention of making my OCs OP. Also, I want to make sure I don't have Kagura go OOC, so if I do that by accident let me know. I also plan to reveal this arc's villain in the next chapter. Stay tuned for next time.