Kaz didn't want to waste anytime that he had in Astera. Things were getting serious for him once again. After being pulled back to something close to his usual self his mind was more clear but so were all his faults. Still to weak to accomplish his goals.

He joined the inquisition to battle against the demons and the angels. To finally take care of this plague that blessed him. The angel of wrath. But he remembered his fight with the angel. How he just barely scrapped by. Was being toyed with. And even after becoming an angel and using its power, he fought alongside Aki and Tsuru and seeing there power made him realize even more how far he had to go.

Then there was her. Her flame burning so brightly. The fire that burned through and saved his mind. Everyone around him seemed stronger than him. He looked at the building with a deep breath and put his rune knight pendant back in his pocket. It still made good use. His leaving the knights was never official, he simple showed his pendant and got some information from pages.

If he was going to practice to get strong, then he couldn't hide away on mountains anymore. The tiger spirit grew from adrenaline. From threat and if he was going to unlock its power...it will be through a crucible.

The page had told him about a sting of compounds housing thugs and gang members. They were about to prepare a raid on them but Kaz arrived a day early.

His hair flowed freely without his headband and he tightened his gloves. "Alright then...back to work."

He stepped up to the door and placed a single hand upon it. a white magic circle appeared around him and his senses extended to the wind. He felt the vibrations within the building as people moved about.

"1,3,..5," he opened his eyes. "Five people that close. gonna be a problem. Well, here we go then."

He gently pushed on the door but it didn't budge. He focused his wind and sliced a blade through the handle. The door swayed open as voices rose on the inside. "Who the hell!"

Kaz entered the doorway. Not a man of subtly any longer. It's not what his magic lent itself towards.
Inside were three men playing cards and two that were on either side of the door. They all jumped up and faced him. Weapons drawn.

"My name is Kazimir of the Seiryu clan. I apologize as normally I'd ask you to surrender. But I need some practice. So let's begin shall we," he said with a slight bow.

Before he rose completely, the two guards at the door rushed forward with blades held high. Kazimir rolled to the side while kicking his leg and sending a dangerous cone of cutting wind at one of them, sending him crashing into the wall with countless slashes and torn clothes. The roll evaded the second ones attack and put Kazimir in the center of the room.

WC 500/3600

The wind mage stood in the center of the room. Only four more men faced him now. The three jumped to their feet, knocking the table to the ground. The cards scattered through the air. Kazimir dipped forward using his superior speed, and wove through the falling cards. His heart beat faster as he closed the distance. The cards grazed across his uniform and the thugs eyes were wide. He was a long distance mage but coming in close had a thrill to it. He could almost hear the growling tiger in his soul.

The ace of spades separated him and a thug. He ducked beneath it and rose only a foot away from him. His indigo hair trailed behind him. Putting his hands together he create a point blank eruption of air. The cars rushed away from the area and the man was sent rolling across the ground.

His ears perked up with a tickle. Vibrations in the air sent a shiver through him as he felt it like waves in the ocean coming towards him. Two men to his flank. He stomped on the ground and a gust of wind lifted him into the air several meters into a back flip. He was upside down mid-air and looked down at the two men with swinging at where he had been. His eyes darted to the side feeling the third man charging from the doorway. Kaz swiped his hand like the claw of a tiger and sent a blade of wind slicing the charging guard's chest open. He spiraled to the ground gripping his bleeding wound.

Kaz landed behind the two he had leaped over and performed one handed cartwheel that unleashed that same cone of wind as earlier. One was caught in the torrent and his eyes rolled back. The other dove to the side, evading at the last moment but his arm was still caught in the attack. He stood with a bloodied arm dangling at his side. The club held in his other hand.

"What the hell do you want? We can pay you!"

Kaz stepped forward, "It's my  job to see to the innocent. and you have brought them harm." He dashed forward once more, and the man swung his club with both hands. Kaz ducked beneath it and swung to the man's back. He grabbed the man's shirt and knelt down, pulling the man off balance and on top of Kaz's shoulders. Stomping on the ground once more he conjured a burst of wind that sent them shooting straight upward and crashing into the ceiling with the man's body.

Kaz dropped back to his feet as the thug feel onto his back among the playing cards. Spit dribbled from his mouth. The rest of the area was silent. The wind mage moved to leave when he felt three abrupt vibrations. A few men dashed from their hiding place towards the door. Kaz thrust his hand forward and  a tornado tore into the area. Two men were lifted and dropped in an instant, but the third had made it out.

"A chase then."
WC 500
TWC 1000/3600

Kaz ran after the man into the alleyway. The thug wore gray jacket with a horned symbol on the back. The alley was bustling with workers moving shipments to and from. the street was narrow and the people crisscrossed the road dropping off supplies.

The man jogged by them and ducked beneath obstacles without any notice of the others around. Kaz took off after him and immediately all eyes were on him. A group moved a large sheet of glass in the middle of the alleyway providing an annoyance. The other burly workers dropped their supplies by the back doors of stores as the people inside shut doors and windows. They began to surround him, tapping baseball bats and iron pipes in their hands.


"I don't have time for any of this today, so if you would be so kind as to move,"he said politely but his patience was wearing thin as he eyed his prey that was getting even farther away. One of the men stepped forward and Kaz immediately kicked his leg forward creating the cone of wind. The balst lifted the man from his feet and flung him threw the glass.

The other men rushed in and He met them with a series of flips, dashes and wind. Compressed blades of air ripped threw the peoples weapons and one by one they tumbled. More thugs charged around the corners and crawled from windows to drop in. One leaping from a roof at Kaz's back.

He felt the vibration in the wind and dodged left then kicked upwards, riding the wind until he was above them. "Alright, that's enough of this." He made a circle with his arms and thrust his hand forward creating a large whirlwind.

It swept up people and debris alike. He maintained the tornado as the alleyway was filling with enemies and thrust his hand forward. The tornado ravaged its way down the alley with freighting speed. The thugs turned to flee but how could their feet move faster than the wind itself. Doors buckled and wood splintered as the tornado came through.

"I didn't expect to take on your whole turf just yet but.." He ran along side the twister and directed it as he jumped rooftop to rooftop. His initial target now not so far away. He ran, faster, his back arching backward with his legs pumping hard. He took a final look back and covered his face as the tornado took him as it had done all the rest.

wc 420
total wc 1420/3600

The alleyway was a mess of people laying on the ground groaning and damaged goods. Busted crates littered fragments of wood strewn about the ground. Doors and windows were blown open with thugs hanging half out of them unconscious. The wind mage let out a deep sigh at the destruction he caused and looked at his hand. "At least I got to see that spell in action against multiple enemies. Now then," He turned his ire further down the road to one of the other hideouts he learned from the knights. They were all connected and ran this small area. Had a strangle hold on the local community and was building up some sort of dangerous force.

With another dash he made his way towards the hideout. He was going to catch that runner to make sure he didn't alert them but that was done with now. He would have to hit them all fast and hard and no doubt the actual rune knights would arrive soon.

He Landed on the rooftop next to the hideout and the thugs were already piling into the street to see what was going on. Kaz jumped down towards them from the side so they couldn't see him from being distracted by the devastation that led to their doorstep.

His senses expanded out once more and he felt the vibrations of much more people here than the first one. His feet touched the ground and he crouched down to put one hand beside his feet. He charged at the group of five thugs from the side and kicked his leg sending the cone of air once more. Two men howled it pain while the others staggered and fell. Their mouths hanging open from the sudden assault.

Wind gathered around the wind mage, "Where is the...nevermind..I'll find them,"he cut his sentence short and a whirlwind flashed to life and died down with five men laid out beneath it.

wc 300
Total wc 1720/3600

Kaz stood before the next door to another hideout. behind him was a ravaged trail of semi-conscious bodies rolling on the ground and grasping at their wounds. Light groans could be heard now that all was calm and the wind had faded away. Debris scoured the ground from busted crates, windows, and anything else used in the alley.

The door was unremarkable. Wooden with a bronze handle and swinging a jar as the men had just run out of it in a hurry. The windows of the building were still intact. The shutters were motionless. He closed his eyes and took a few steps forward to feel what the wind was speaking to him. To sense the vibrations within the building.

There were more men than the last one. He opened his eyes and glared at the doorway, much more men than last time. Even within the fifteen meters he could detect he found eight or ten men. All ready to pounce from other sides of the door. It was not a jar enough to see what was inside, but he didn't need to see.

It was time to really put his senses to the test. How quick could they be. His hand touched the door. A sensation pouring through him that sent a shiver through him. he eased it open with his eyes shutting once more. He concentrated on the ripples in the wind.

"NOW," a voice yelled from deeper in. Men launched themselves forward, Kaz's eyes still closed. He ducked the first one, feeling the vibration coming closer. A blow struck his ribs as he tried to evade but moved the wrong way. His mouth twisted with a grunt as more blows came in. Some he dodged and others found their mark.

The vibrations weren't acute. Only giving a broad idea. Another vibration came through the air and this time he dropped completely to the ground in a low stance.

wc 310
total wc 2030

With his body low he finally opened his eyes, "That's enough of this." His body was already getting bruised from the mulit-person assault. They encircled him, raining down punches and strikes with clubs. His eye darkened with a strong punch across his face.

His finally opened he rolled to the side as they struck. His body tumbling between two men. They looked at him roll by and stumbled to chase after. Kaz leaped to his feet and jumped forward like a cat bounding away from them. His leg gathered up wind and sent a cone at them. The attack blew to of them into the remaining group. The group held them suspended but their bodies fell limp. The group looked at each other and dropped them.

"Once again you can surrender now if you want." Kaz continued out of habit. He felt it kind to let them decide their own fate but none of them began to yeild.

"Kill that man!" The same voice yelled from upstairs in an office. The stairs were nearby and led to a small walkway. The building layout was much like a warehouse. The gang surrounded him and the wind mage just smiled back at them. "Good I'm glad you're not giving up yet."

The all charged at once. Kaz dashed into the air and flipped onto a table. As he landed he sent out two blades of wind slicing a piece of the overhead walkway out and it crashed downward. The men attempted to jump out of the way and all made it except for two, that were pinned beneath it and calling out in pain.

A man ran forward and whipped a chain at Kaz's legs. Leaping over it he landed back on the table with one hand touching it and the other pulled back and he sent a blade of wind cutting through the chain and the man's shoulder.

wc 300
Total wc 2330

He spun off the table as the remaining thugs chaired forward. Grabbing the table he flipped it in their way and dashed backwards to make a circle with his hands. He snapped his head right as a sudden vibration appeared next to him.
CRACK

A bat slammed into his shoulder spinning him o the ground. He rolled away backwards to peer at the new threat. There had been so many people he had let himself get confused. It wouldn't happen again. The man with the bat rushed him once more. Kaz dipped under the swing. The wind from it ruffled his hair. Pivoting on his lead foot he caused an explosion of wind at the man's back, launching him away in pain and knocking into two of his comrades.

Kaz ran to the stairs. At the top were more gang members and the original ones closed him in on the steps. His eyes darted around. He rose both fists to his shoulders. The men's feet clanked on the metal steps as they made their way towards him. Kaz thrust one hand in each direction creating two tornados around the men. They screamed and fell backwards and flopped over the railing. Cuts riddled their bodies. He pushed his hands away sending the storm further away. More men appeared on the walkway and one jumped from is and landed in front of the wind mage.

Kaz kicked his leg sending a cone of wind tearing through the man and wind stepped upward towards the second floor and the walkway. He brought his hands higher, summoning the whirlwinds to surge around both ends of the walkways. The guards collapsed to the ground and others jumped to try and flee to safety but were caught in the wind before they could land.

The two whirlwinds died down and Kaz once again extended his senses to the building around him. He still needed to find that voice.

wc 300
Total wc 2630/3600

With the immediate threats gone he looked over the area. His vision still going further than his ability to sense the air around him. His feet stood inches from the center section of the walkway he sliced in half let fall on his enemies.

They were mostly immobile except for the ones that crawled up the stairs, clinging to a job undone. Kaz jumped to the other side of the walkway and stepped over and around the thugs laying around him. His foot finding small gaps to rest between their bodies, until he was at the end of it. His sense was close enough now to pick up a large vibration in the thin metal room in front of him. Larger than any man had the right to be.

"Well done, you took out all my men. Didn't expect them to send such a mage."

Kaz looked around, his attention split between the voice and the metal room, "Just had some training to do and thought I'd exercise while doing some good. No better way to test out some tactics."

He made a half turn just as a thud resonated through the air. A large dent was in the wall of the metal room. He spread his legs into a battle position. "Well, my men are down but I was saving this for an emergency."

The metal wall ripped open like a beast shredding paper. The sound scrapped against his ear drums, and a minotaur jumped from the hole. Its weight rattled the platform and Kaz lost his footing and stumbled backward.

The beast saw this and swung its horns, hitting the wind mage in the chest. The force knocked him from his feet and breaking through the railing. He spiraled to the first floor. The pain in his ribs was throbbing.

He caught site of the ground and kicked of the wind allowing him to flip and land safely with one hand holding his side. The minotaur roared, rearing its body back and its arms wide before leaping down to the bottom floor. It nearly shook the ground, even on flat land.

Kaz hudded and then stood up straight. His mind was racing and then all fell silent. The only thing that remained was the minotaur...the hunt. The beast lowered its head and ran forward. Kaz back flipped and sent of cone of air from his leg colliding into the minotaur.

wc 400
toatl wc 3030

The beast squinted its eyes through the storm. Its arms held tensed and flexing at his sides and his head forced itself against the cutting wind. The Minotaurs neck muscles bulged as it lowered its head against cone of wind. The flurry stopped and the beast kicked its hoof across the ground and snorted. Its head lowered for another charge and it rushed.

Kaz kicked of the wind into the air. A fearsome grip latched around his leg and he was halted mid jump. The minotaur had him and yanked him downward, bouncing his body of the ground. He spit into the air with a painful ground. The air knocked from his lungs. The beast rose the wind mage up by his leg, dangling him upside down. It thrust a fist toward Kaz's body. It was big enough to hit to take over his chest and abs.

regaining his sight just in time to see the fist feeling his view, he thrust his hands forward creating a close range explosion of air. The blast caused the beast to rear back. Its grip weakened and eyes watering from the slashes across its face.

Kaz dropped to the ground and rolled to his feet. A sudden vibration behind him moved through the air. It was whizzing towards him and he rolled once more. A large piece of metal smashed against the ground with a purple hue around it.

Looking upwards he saw the leader of the group, his hands held high and magic circle fading from around his feet. "Telekinetic magic. Interesting."

He couldn't linger long as the minotaur was glaring at him once more. Its body lurched and its breathing was heavier. The wounds bleed around its chest and face. Cuts were now carved into its horns. The Monsters ran forward once more, this time fist first and not horns. Playing it more cautious than before.

WC 300
Total WC 3330

Kaz stepped to the side, evading its first punch. He was getting a feel finally for his second tier vibration sense magic. It was wide and hard to pinpoint feelings at first but now he had a grasp on it. He could almost feel the movement of the punch coming the moment it began. The tiniest vibration in the wind.

The beast swung wide again. Kaz dropped down and slapped his hand above him, creating a gust of wind that slid him through the minotaur's legs and behind him. Slapping the ground once more he created another gust that sent him ten meters up into the air.

The beast whirled around but not fast enough. As its face turned, and looked down where Kaz would have been, The wind mage was already higher than its head. He kicked in the air and sent another gust of wind from his leg directly into the beasts face. The blow eclipsed the minotaurs face and it fell to its knees and then on its wind scarred face.

Another vibration caught his attention and he looked in time to see a table being hurled at him. He sliced it in half with two blades of wind and peered at the leader. His feet hit the ground and he brought both hands up and thrust them forward just as the man lifted another table to heave it.

The table flew through the air but was torn to bits by the tornado Kaz had summoned. he pushed it forward and it cut into the leader, dropping him just as the minotaur had. He took a deep sigh of relief and sat for a moment on the ground.

"Its over. That took it out of me,"He crossed his legs and closed his eyes,s till feeling for any potential vibration and hidden threat. He entered a semi-meditative state.

"Now...I'm ready."

Wc 300
Total WC 3630/3600
Training rhythm of the wind and white tiger tornado. 40% wc reduction due to intelligence.
spells