Chapter 48: Choater 48: Fighting Duos, fighting the top 1 hero of his era

Surprisingly, when Luke charged at Garbo, the older man did not look all that impressive at first glance. Solid build,but nothing special. But the moment Luke closed in, Garbo sucked in a huge gulp of breath. His body suddenly expanded, muscles swelling under the blue hero suit until he looked twice as solid. Then his geno weapon appeared in his hand — a perfect silver shield, round and thick, the kind Captain America carried, only this one gleamed pure silver and felt heavy even from a distance.

With it Garbo spun once and flung the shield.

It shot straight at Luke’s face. Luke had fought this man too many times. He already knew the trick. He tilted his head just enough. The shield screamed past his ear with a sharp *WHOOSH*. Luke kept running forward, sword ready.

Then, without looking, he ducked again.

*WHOOSH!!*

The shield came flying back from behind. And Luke bent down even without looking like it have eyes at the back of his head . Garbo caught it easily the shield with one hand, spun again, and this time he didn’t throw. Luke was already too close. Garbo instead slammed the edge of the shield straight at Luke’s face.

*PENG!!!*

Luke raised his sword at the last second. The impact still sent him flying backward. His boots tore grooves in the floor. While still midair , Garbo threw the shield again.

Luke was mid-air. He had no choice but to block the attack. He crossed his sword in front of his chest.

*PENG!!!*

The force blasted him through the dark wall of the room. Wood and stone exploded outward. Bright light flooded in from outside as Luke crashed into the dirt and rubble beyond.Garbo stepped through the broken wall at a calm walk. No hurry, n o sympathy on his face.

"Look at how pathetic you are," he said, voice thick with contempt. "And you still think you can beat me? Pah. Not in another fifty years, boy."

Luke pushed himself up. Dirt stuck to the blood at the corner of his mouth. He wiped it with the back of his hand and stared at Garbo with pure hate.

"Second Wave: Poisonous Smokescreen."

Purple gas poured from every pore of Luke’s body. In seconds the whole area turned into a thick, choking cloud. Visibility dropped to almost nothing. The poison in the smoke was strong enough to burn lungs and slow the heart rate of any normal man.

Garbo did not move. It did not even faze him at all. He simply stood in the middle of the purple fog with his eyes closed, shield held loose at his side.

Luke swam through the smoke like a fish in water. He darted left, then right, then high, trying to force Garbo to turn the wrong way. His voice came from every direction at once.

"If you breathe this air it will slowly kill you. Let’s see how long you can hold your breath... dear father."

Garbo still did not answer. He did not even open his eyes.Luke slammed his sword against a nearby wall on purpose.

*PENG!*

The loud sound made Garbo’s shield twitch. Instantly the silver disc shot through the smoke and buried itself halfway into the exact spot where the noise had come from. The shield spun wildly, stuck in the wall like a wheel trying to free itself from a mud.

Luke used that half-second. He exploded out of the purple cloud, sword already at Garbo’s neck.

"I GOT YOU!!"

*PENG!*

The blade stopped cold against Garbo’s skin. Not even a scratch against his skin.

"What—?!"

"You think you have what it takes to cut me, vile thing?" Garbo’s free hand slammed into Luke’s stomach like a hammer. Luke folded with a choked gasp and dropped to one knee.

"How... is the poison not affecting you?"

"You said I can’t breathe," Garbo answered calmly. "So that is what I did. Your poison only works on those who need air."

Luke’s eyes widened. "No way..."

He waited at that moment for Garbo to be half distracted, and when he did took his eyes off Luke for a minute to look at his shield. Luke thrust upward with his sword, aiming straight for the eyes. But just inches away Garbo’s hand closed around the blade.

Anyone else’s palm would have been sliced open. Garbo’s grip did not even bleed. He held the poisonous sword perfectly still while Luke strained with both arms, trying to push it forward or yank it free. The older man’s fingers only tightened.

"Is this how you imagined you’d beat me? Pathetic."

The grip grew tighter. Metal began to creak. Then came the ugly cracking sound of something deeper breaking.

"Let you wallow in despair as I destroy your spirit."

*TENSHER!!*

Luke’s geno core shattered inside his chest.

*BLERGH!!*

Blood exploded from his mouth. The pain was worse than any wound. A geno core was half a person’s soul. When it broke, the body pained in every direction at once. His knees hit the ground hard. The system message floated across his vision:

[GENO WEAPON: POISONOUS SWORD SHATTERED]

-100 MANA POINTS

Garbo looked down at him without pity.

"How does it feel to not be good enough, vile thing?"

All Luke’s life, Garbo never once called Luke by name.its Always "evil." or "vile thing." Even after all these years, he still does the same.

Luke lifted his head. Blood running down his chin. The hatred in his eyes burned hotter than ever.

"Kill me, you monster!" he roared.

"Oh, but I will not give you the satisfaction of a quick death. I want to break you completely. Break you so badly that you beg for death yourself."

Those words pushed Luke off the egde. With the last scraps of poisonous mana left in his body, he coated his fingers like claws and lunged straight at Garbo’s face.

But at that same moment The spinning shield finally tore free from the wall.

It came screaming back to its master like a meteor and Luke was right in its path.

*PUNCHICK!!*

The silver edge punched through the bone of Luke’s right arm near the shoulder. The force spun him halfway around. More blood sprayed from his mouth as both arms went completely limp. His legs gave out. He collapsed into the growing pool of his own blood with a wet *THUD*. His hands hung useless, fingers twitching in the red mess.

Garbo had slowed the shield just enough so it doesn’t completely kill him. He never meant to kill Luke cleanly. He always wanted to suffer.

"Pathetic," Mocked Garbo."You’re not even worthy of dying by my hands. When I finally decide to kill you, you will die a truly miserable death. Without friends. Without any one to care. You will die exactly as the vile thing you are."

Garbo kept talking, but the words faded for Luke. The world slowly went quiet. His head dropped into the pool of blood. Purple hair mixed with the bright red. His Consciousness started slipping away like water through broken fingers.

In that fading darkness, two faces familiar appeared to him.

Morgan yelling, " Beare, don’t drink more we’re about to head out!"

Beare laughing with a bottle already at her lips" oh, don’t be old-fashioned like Luke too"

Even at the edge of death, a small, cold smile tugged at Luke’s mouth.

Who would thought...am my final moments, those two idiots are the ones I’ll he thinking of. ... I just hope you guys are safe .

Then his watch vibrated against his wrist.

It was not an ordinary watch. Master Vandal had given one to each of them. Only to be pressed when they are at most direst of all conditions....

Luke’s fading mind frowned.

Those idiots...what did they got themselves into now?

The last thing he saw were blurry streaks of light and the taste of blood.

Morgan... Beare... please be okay...