STORMWEAVER II: Chapter 34 Sneak Peek (Patreon)

Small chance this comes out Saturday instead of Friday if my Morning goes nuts tomorrow, but I don't think so!

Enjoy!

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It took a bit to locate the Lancer, unfortunately. Either because Vademe saw Rei’s approaching coming and reacted or just knew a head-on fight wasn’t something he could win, the boy was nowhere to be found as Rei found the spot his starting circle had been, made obviously by the footprints in the dry dirt of the zone. Those same footsteps, though, led east, and Rei only had to follow the trail with his eyes to identify one particular two-story ruin, its cement walls crumbling to the rebar, into which they vanished.

Rei also didn’t miss the subtle flutter of the tattered curtains shifting on the top floor window—strange given the lack of wind—nor the brief flash of orange light beyond them, juuuust poorly hidden enough to see.

There was about a 90% chance that Vademe was too smart and too well trained to make such a mistake on purpose, so Rei assumed a trap. He didn’t pause, though, his Cognition snapping an idea into place in a fraction of a second, and one that didn’t involve him running headlong right onto the head of the Lancer’s spear.

“Type Shift: Saber,” he muttered even as he bolted to the building just on the other side of the road of the one Vademe was hunkered down in. Shido had shifted by the time he reached it, and making his selection fast Rei picked one heavy, loose chunk of fallen rubble from among the crumbling foundation, stuck his sword into it, and wrapped both hands around the most-solid-looking of its broken edges.

Then—praying all the while he hadn’t miscalculated his Saber Mode’s boosted Strength, he heaved the hunk of debris up, twisted, and hurled it with all his might at the failing wall just to the right of the window Vademe had been peeking out of.

Rei was running, jumping, and calling for his Brawler Mode again by the time the rubble struck and blow clean through the crumbling concrete with a deafening CRUNCH. He almost didn’t hear the shout of alarm from inside the building on the impact, nearly losing it over the crashing and subtler sounds Shido’s Type Shift. It wouldn’t have mattered either way, of course.

Rei had already tucked his legs, ducked his head, and crossed his arms over his face to protect it as he hurtled into the mess and billowing dust right through the nice little entrance he’d oh-so-subtly made for himself.

He hit the ruin-strewn floor awkwardly, unable to see anything as he land, but he’d anticipated as much and just stayed tucked, trusting his reactive shielding to handle the initial impact. He rolled once, twice, then was on his feet in a flash, squinting through the dust to find what he was looking for in a flash.

Vysetrium—especially something as bright as orange—glowed like a beacon through the settling chaos.