Freezing Light

Chapter 61
"Iceball!" Nicholas threw a ball of dry ice at Thomas. Thomas easily dodged it at high speeds punched Nicholas in the gut. Before he could pull away, Nicholas grabbed his arm. "I've got you now!" Nicholas tried freezing his arm, but he couldn't due to the light on his body. Thomas lifted him off his feet and turned around. "Light Fist!" He struck him hard with his other fist. "Shooting Star!" He blasted him away with a blast of light from his fist.

Nicholas steadily got to his feet. "How interesting," he said. "That girl you were with, you're in love with her."

Thomas flashed a look of surprise, then regressed to anger. "How did you know that?"

"Before joining Warlock Fist, I was a member of information gathering segment of the Magic Council.  I can gain any memory from a person as long as I make contact.  By the way, that girl you like, she doesn't love you back."

Thomas became even angrier. "How the hell would you know!"

"I touched her too, before you got separated.  I didn't make contact long enough to freeze her though."

"You're lying!"

"How would you know, I'm the only one around who has any information on the events before our battle.  You can choose to believe me, or choose to think that I'm lying." Thomas coughed, flecks of blood coming out of his mouth. "Now's my chance." He froze the air creating several small needles of dry ice. "Frozen Needles!" He threw them, impaling Thomas, his light fortunately prevented any freezing damage.

"I thought probing your mind would distract you," said Nicholas. "Your Familiar is too powerful for your body to sustain it for long.  I guessed that if I distracted you, you'd get distracted and I could whittle down your energy.  I didn't actually expect to get an attack in yet, but this is better than taking another hit from you."

Thomas got back on his feet. He stumbled. "Light Fist..." He bent backwards, preparing for another attack. "Meteor Shower!" He bent forward and delivered a barrage of punches. The light from his fist blasted forwards and hit Nicholas. He was blasted back into a wall and the continuous barrage caused Nicholas to flinch upon every punch. When Thomas was done, Nicholas was just a bloody mess, slumped on the wall.

"Wow," said Nicholas. "That hurt." He got up, like the barrage was nothing.

"How are you still standing?" panted Thomas.

"I told you I was supposed to gather intelligence, right?" answered Nicholas. "How do you think someone that can only gather intelligence via touch is supposed to get said intelligence.  I've taken more than my fair share of punishment." Nicholas created more Frozen Arrows. "Now you're spent." He threw the arrows.

"Light Arrow!" The two attacks collided, freezing the Light Arrows in place.

"Looks like you've grown too tired," said Nicholas. "I froze your light." He began to walk over to Thomas slowly, freezing the air to make a sword. Thomas dropped to his knees, deactivating Apulu. He knew he was beaten. Nicholas was a few feet away from the arrows, Thomas smiled. Suddenly the arrows unfroze and bored into Nicholas, one of which pierced his throat. He dropped to the ground grabbing at his throat. He froze the wound shut, stopping the bleeding. He would survive, but he'd never speak again.

"Even light can't be frozen for long," said Thomas. He walked over to Nicholas. "I summon you, Familiar of Strength: Heracles!" His appearance became far bulkier and the brown image of a man wearing a lion's mane inscribed itself onto his back. "This is where you're finished." He brought down his fist onto Nicholas's stomach. The ground cracked beneath him, and he spat out blood. "Even if Hayley doesn't love me, I guess I'll just have to find some way to deal." A new path opened, and Thomas hobbled through it.