The Bookkeeper

Ashes of grass drifted through the air as the scorching sun blazed overhead, slowly descending toward the western horizon.

Raiden and Seth stood facing each other—Raiden’s blue aura flickering with irritation and rage as he clenched his fists, while Seth’s golden aura remained steady and serene, his calm gaze fixed upon his opponent.

Raiden stared back, his blood slowly boiling, but he knew he had to remain calm and calculated. He feinted forward, testing Seth with a deliberate step. Before his foot could touch the ground, Seth was already there.

Raiden’s expression darkened, mouth slightly parted in shock as he raised his guard against Seth’s incoming strike. At the last second, Seth redirected the blow upward, catching Raiden’s jaw and dropping him hard to the ground.

The speed and chaos left Raiden dazed, unable to properly register Seth’s incoming strike. Before he’d even finished his second bounce off the ground, Seth was there again, driving another blow toward his chest. Raiden managed to block it despite his disadvantage, but the sheer force still sent him skidding across the floor.

Raiden’s mind raced, desperately searching for a way to turn the tables. The disadvantage was overwhelming. In the heat of the moment, he activated his invisibility, vanishing in an attempt to escape Seth’s relentless assault.

But Seth was already anticipating him, landing a blind strike square in his chest before Raiden could react. The impact sent burning pain through his torso as he gripped his chest with one hand, the other frantically working to stabilize himself and avoid another punishing bounce.

Raiden flickered back into visibility, teeth clenched in pain as he gripped his chest. Now he understood why Levi’s invisibility had failed against Seth. It was useless. Seth could feel the space between them, he could read distance itself and bend it to his will.

Seth stood there, stretching his muscles with that same calm expression. He leaned slightly toward Raiden. "Just so you know, my ability is Fold Distance." He motioned for Raiden to attack. "That’s what makes me the strongest."

Raiden didn’t move, just stared at Seth as his mind jumped from thought to thought. They shared the same rank, but Seth’s physical dominance was undeniable. There had to be more layers to his ability. He inhaled deeply, steadying his fraying nerves.

If he folds distance, I need to stay close, give him nothing to work with,—he reasoned, then dashed forward.