"Gestureless casting!" Meridian's voice was behind me.
My reflexes kicked in, but the time I turned around, Meridian had a finger gun pointed at me. A small sphere of crackling white light was at his fingertips.
How?
He fired. The ball of light smashed against me and exploded with a force that sent me flying.
I twisted in the air for a second before throwing out a hand to the side and flooding the area with water. I slowed my fall and hit the ground with a splash.
I pushed myself up. Meridian was already rushing me. He landed a punch against my gut before I could cast again. He followed it up with an elbow to the back of the head.
Pain shot through my skull as I fell forward. With gritted teeth, I flooded the area with explosive amounts of water and dashed back.
Meridian raised a hand and with a wave of dark magic, the water was gone. "Gonna need a new trick, Lafayette." He grinned and blitzed me.
I was off rhythm and Meridian wasn't giving me a chance to get on my feet.
"Excuses." The dragon grumbled.
Nice time to wake up. I replied while crossing my arms to block Meridian's punches. He moved with an absurd amount of speed.
Meridian kicked my knee out and punched me into the dirt. "Gah!"
Meridian slammed his hands together and formed six hand gestures in a split second.
Two massive shadow hands rose from the ground and held me suspended by my arms.
Meridian brought both palms up his sides and held them out. "I've been wanting to try something new."
"Take amplified light," A ball of gold light swirled in his right palm. "And amplified darkness," a ball of purple energy swirled in his left palm.
"Smash those two absolutes together to create an equilibrium." He brought his two palms together and combined the balls of energy into something I couldn't describe.
"So this is Meridian's strength, it's overwhelmingly powerful."
The dragon was practically on the edge of his seat.
"My ultimate technique, Eternal balance."
The ball of energy was fired with the flick of his fingers. It raced towards me. My body shook with a force that rattled my teeth. This wasn't just an attack, this was a bunker buster.
And I was in the bunker.
"Boy," the dragon's voice was uncharacteristically calm.
"Do you know the true nature of chaos? What does it really mean for us?"
Time seemed to slow as I processed the question.
I don't, not really.
"Have you ever wondered why I chose water as my masked element?" He asked.
No, why?
"It's because chaos is the flow of disturbance. And just as water can change its flow, you can disturb the order of reality."
What are you saying?
The dragon chucked softly. "Coat yourself in chaos, watch that ball of energy dissolve like it's made of cotton."
I tapped into the chaos deep beneath the water and wrapped myself in it. The heat clung to my flesh and burned.
The sphere slammed into me. For a moment all was silent, then… the energy ball shuddered, rocked, and popped.
FUOOM!
A shock wave of pure power rocked out and shook the earth. I was flung back and sent crashing into the earth. My hand shot out and broke my fall with a flood of water.
I stood to my feet with heavy breaths.
Meridian let out a strange huff as I straightened up. He then laughed.
"HAHAHAHA, I KNEW IT! YOU ARE STRONG!"
I raised my hands. My body crackled with orange electricity that ripped through the dirt. "You tried to kill me," my voice was amplified through the chaos. "So allow me to return the favor!"
I kicked off the dirt and launched myself forward with an explosive amount of water that was amplified by chaos.
Meridian clapped his hands together and formed three gestures. Shadow javelins spun around him and shot forward. "Yes, YES! Let's get serious!"
"Enough!" A blinding wave of light washed overhead. It didn't burn, but it was enough to stop me in my tracks.
"Quickly boy, mask the chaos." The dragon urged.
He didn't need to tell me twice. I pulled the chaos deep within my being and drowned its remnants in water.
Phillip approached with one hand in his pocket and the other hanging at his side.
"I leave you alone for ten minutes… TEN, and in those minutes you destroy my landscape. What is wrong with you?"
Meridian was completely zoned out with a smile and glazed eyes. That was a kid who finally got to the sugar can and swallowed a handful.
Phillip glared at him, before turning his attention to me. I was laid out too, but I was a little more lucid than Meridian. "More importantly, how are you still alive?"
I offered a sheepish smile.
"My mother is far harsher in training." And that was the truth. The only thing that gave me a hard time was that Eternal Balance crap. It practically drained me.
Phillip squatted and pulled his hand from his pocket. It was black, charred, and burned.
My eyes narrowed on it.
"You're not even her real son, yet you're just as dangerous." He pointed a burned finger at me, "If there's anything I hate more than your mother, it's unchecked power. I won't tolerate that."
A lump formed in my throat.
Phillip glanced at Meridian, who giggled to himself while staring at me with wide, adoring eyes.
Phillip sighed, "Lafayette."
"Sir?"
He glanced at me. "Starting tomorrow, you'll follow Meridian's schedule."
I almost opened my mouth to explain I was probably beyond Meridian's level. But after remembering that ultimate he threw at me, maybe going over the basics again wasn't a bad idea.
"Yes sir," I replied.
"Young master!" Jinnah ran from the first estate with a panicked cry. "Oh, are you alright? Lady Lillith is going to kill me."
I brushed her hands aside. "I'm fine." I turned my gaze to the destroyed landscape. This fight with Meridian. It's almost unbelievable that a six-year-old could be so strong.
The dragon hummed. "Don't be discouraged, boy. That child is the exception that breaks the rules."
I stood up with a pained grunt.
Still, I replied mentally. First Melissa and now him? That's too many exceptions for my liking. I need to get stronger. I can't rely on my old life to carry me through this one.
I need to master the chaos. It's the only thing that stands between life and death for me.
The dragon grinned. "Finally, Kenji is beginning to die and Lafayette is taking charge…"
Something like that.