Task Name: Approaching Danger
Tier: 2
NPC or PC: PC
Location: Briss Kingdom
Crew, Team, or Personal: Personal
Description: After defeating the cultists, he moves on to find one of their leaders deeper in the kingdom. He must be cautious as this opponent is quite skilled. Within their ranks he is a lieutenant. He also has a subordinate accompanying him on his goals. If he can defeat this leader he can unveil the plan this unknown organization has for the South Blue.
Enemy Details: 1 Tier 2 Cultist Lieutenant, 1 Tier 2 Cultist, 2 Tier 1 Cultists
Boss:

Boss Name: Cultist Lieutenant
Tier: 2
Description: One of the two leading generals that carry out a mysterious goal to take over the Briss Kingdom and soon the south blue.
Devil Fruit: No Devil Fruit
Haki Aura: No Haki
Equipment: 5-foot long glaive with a black pole.
Specs:

Hand-to-Hand: 3

Melee Weaponry: 2

Steadily walking with cautious in the recesses of his mind, the young pirate traversed through the kingdom. He was moving deeper into the land in order to achieve an objective. It was to bring down this organization named Tri-Shadow, which he had learn from defeating three of it's members. These men he had meet were torturing an innocent woman just to make an example out of her to the king as well as to show what they were planning to do to others inhabiting the kingdom. Such actions still angered him when he recalled it in his thoughts. It was simply heinous to see such an innocent beauty being tormented the she had been. Fortunately, Malik had arrived just in time to prevent any further damage being done to her. After saving her, he crushed the individuals who had hurt her in the first place to begin with. They were simply known as cultists, members of Tri-Shadow. After their defeat at his firm hands, he had carried the woman to a hospital closest to where they both were. He was thankful those worked in the building were kind enough to help her free-of-charge. Malik also sustain some wounds from his previous battle, but they were not life-threatening or even major. Though, the doctor was kind enough to help with bruises he had.

While his body was fully healed, he wanted to wait outside for the time-being and be patient for the doctor's update. He wanted to make sure the woman he had saved was doing much better and that she will make a full recovery. Thankfully, she hadn't sustain any trauma from when she was tortured. Unfortunately, more members of a gang the boy had previous defeated had arrived at the location he was currently at to challenge him. It ended with him triumphing over the group along with the doctor giving him good news about the woman's condition. She will be just fine and she even thanked the young pirate with a kiss to his right cheek. He did blush, of course, as he had never expected that. Pulling away from his thoughts at the moment and focusing on the road, Malik continued to move further and further into the kingdom. His gaze switch from angle to angle, from side to side. He has to be cautious of his surroundings or else he will end up in a huge problem. There were many dangerous individuals lurking in the shrouding darkness of the kingdom. He had meet and defeating multiple people of that category.

"Hmm, now where do I look first. This is a very large place, so getting lost is highly probable. Well, if I remember correctly, the cultist of Tri-Shadow wear purple robes with trims of a dark shade. Also, from the information I have received from the one of the cultists I have triumphed over previously, there are certain ranks within their organization and lieutenants are very skilled fighters. It shouldn't be too hard with what one of the lower-ranking members told about the appearance of a lieutenant." Malik thought, remembering what one of his former opponents had told him about the generals in how they appear. The Lieutenant's clothes are that of of black long-sleeve shirts, black pants, silver gauntlets, black knee-high boots with purple trims, and finally, a black robe with a silver trim. From how their appearances are described, they should be too hard to find. With each step, he came to another fork in the road. When he stopped in the middle, he could see the pathway split into three. Both pathways on each side end with stores of groceries and equipment. So, the last choice for Malik was move down the middle path. With him deciding onn where to got to next he walked down the aforementioned road, hoping to at least find a lead on where a lieutenant was.

He keep his gaze alert to any possible danger that might occur to him, if he so happens to be ambushed or attacked for an unknown reason. He had already made any enemy out of the cult, Tri-Shadow. Who knows when they will attack him next. At that realization, he knows he cannot stay in one place for too long or else he will get innocent people caught up in his own affairs. Of course, he was being highly cautious and paranoid, but he doesn't want to risk anyhow. Taking one step after the other, he could see the end to the path he was walking on, revealing a new town to where he can find one of the cultists lieutenants. He simply entered into the new area around him and unlike when he first arrived on the land, no individual looked at him with hate, disgust, or especially fear. This might be due to the obvious fact that his identity remained unknown to him. His gaze slowly shifted in different directions as he cautiously traversed through the town. He has a feeling he will be meeting more members of Tri-Shadow soon. As such, he is well prepared, if they should happen to jump him.

Traversing through a bustling part of the Briss Kingdom, Malik kept an open-eye out for any one that may be a possible enemy to him. He shifted his gaze at times as to not look suspicious towards the inhabitants walking around him in his surroundings. The boy believe he is a target for Tri-shadow now that he has already defeated three of it's members. Those men he had crushed earlier were simply underlings, including the leader he had gained information on the cult from. The boy was indeed right about being a target as he spotted a certain man wearing the robes of his cult. The individual stood in a certain location on the young pirate's right. On his left, another cultist could be seen. It appears he was in for yet another battle. He was indeed anticipating many upcoming encounters with these people, despite being anxious of being attacked. He was a fighter and as an adolescent, enjoyed a good fight, but also for the right reason. Malik's reason was to bring down this organization in order to protect the Briss Kingdom even thought he is not from it and that it is not his home.

Seeing a pathway, which leading far from the current town he was in, the boy walked to it. This was a way to lead the cultists away from the innocent bystanders, so they cannot use them for any under-handed schemes or tricks to give them an edge in battle. He didn't want to risk the lives of the citizens of this kingdom, whom were already having difficult times as it is. Approaching the pathway, the boy soon walked away from the town he had recently entered. As expected, the two cultist were following close behind him. This was the start of yet another battle. Probably, there would be two confrontations in that he was going to do battle with these cultists one at a time. When he was far enough away from the town, he stopped and turned to face his mysterious stalkers. At that moment, the men also came to a halt with their steps. Each side face one another with the boy anticipating the offensive from his foes. He has yet to know why they are here, but he had to guess the were sent to attack him head-on.

"If you're wondering why we're here, we were sent to take care of you due to news about the pounding you gave three of our soldiers. Hard to believe they were taken down by a kid, but looks can deceive." The cultist on the young martial artist's left said, he too not fully accepting that since he was a kid, it was highly unlikely he could defeat opponents much older than himself. When you are young, ranging from a child to a teenager, adults tend to find it hard to accept what individuals of the age sixteen or younger are responsible for. It was understandable, children and adolescents alike sometimes make up the most absurd excuses or stories to gain attention. It was their way of basking in the glow of a celebrity, still, Malik was no ordinary child. He was trained in martial arts at his home since he was a little boy. Now he was older and powerful enough to take on multiple opponents older than him. He may appear as if he cannot hurt a fly, but one would think otherwise when they observe him in battle.

"I may be a kid, but I am more formidable than you might think. If you don't believe me, I will show you. The boy said as he prepared to start his confrontation with the two robed men before him. The adolescent fighter quickly shifted into a combative position, a solemn gaze etched on his facial features. One of the cultists decided to test the boy on his might as the one on the novice pirate's right walked forth. When an appropriate distance was between him and the teenager, he also got into a stance for combat. Both stared each other down, waiting for one or the other to make a move which will begin the anticipated battle. Since he was the one who wanted to test the boy's limits, the cultist dashed forth, right fist clenched and poised to attack. Malik had seen this type of offensive multiple times, so he knows full-well on how to react. The robed man thrusted his fist forward towards the young pirate. The boy managed to successfully dodge it with little effort and decided upon a counterattack. He launched a kick with his right leg towards the cultist. The attack connected with the man's left side, causing him to let out a low, but audible grunt. The cultist took a few steps back with his right hand clutching where he had been hit as the boy shifted back to his combative position. While the robed man fighting him as well as the other watching from afar hate to admit it, this boy was right. There was more to him than what meets the eyes of others.

"Hmph, impressive, you are indeed a formidable combatant. Which is why I will give it my all here and now." The young martial artist's enemy stated, getting into a battle stance again. This time, it was the boy's turn to attack with quick precision in his own quick assault. He rushed towards the robed individual, both hands clenched into tight fists ready to strike at any given moment. Surprisingly, the boy pulled an interesting maneuver. When he was close enough to his opponent, instead of a head-on physical blow, he ducked below the robed man to throw him off by utilizing an unorthodox method. It worked and the man was at a loss of what to expect now. Taking this chance, Malik thrusted three punches into the cultist's ribcage, one towards his stomach, and an uppercut with his right fist aimed at his chin. Due to be caught off-guard by the boy's sudden action, all of his blows had successfully connected with the last hit pushing the robed man back two feet. Blood trickled down the right side of his lip from the uppercut landed on him. He wiped it away with his right hand and prepared himself for another onslaught from the formidable opponent of a child.

Standing firm in his battle position, Malik steadied himself and poised his body for another attack with the risk of taking a hit to his body. As the old saying from time to time, "No Pain, No Gain". There will be many battle where one sustains damage in the process of fighting against their opponent. This is of no importance to fighters, martial artists. They considered it part of the thrill of combat. They considered it a part of an exciting experience. Without hesitation, Malik rushed in with his second assault, intending to take down the cultist this time. The said robed individual prepared himself from what tactic the boy has planned out. The boy grew closer to his opponent and drew back his clenched right fist. To the cultist the novice pirate seems to be preparing for a punch, but also suspected it to be a bluff to obscure another type of attack. What confirmed the cultist's accusations was that his assumptions were true. The young martial artist launched a kick with his right leg.

It was the man's turn to act at this moment. He raised his left arm to block the blow. The tactic succeed, thankfully to the cultist. He followed up with a counter attack of his own as he could see an opening within the boy's defenses. With his left hand clenched, he thrusted it into the martial artist's chest. It successfully connected  to him with the boy not letting out a grunt of pain despite the impact that had been dealt to him. The novice pirate held his ground as he thrust his own punch with his right fist, which was aimed at the robed man's face. It managed to hit his jaw with success. The rookie didn't just stopped there. He had much more damage to deal to this man's body. He pulled back his left hand and balled it into a fist as well. He then, thrusted it towards his opponent. The punch was able to land a direct hit on the robed man's stomach. The cultist let out of pain-filled grunt from the impact of the blow. To finish it, he performed a roundhouse kick with his left leg. The robed individual managed to see this in time to react. He held his left arm up against the oncoming attack. The boy's roundhouse kick was unsuccessful as the man managed to block.

Both fighters took a step back from one another in order to rethink their methods of offensive. It is to  better land a physical blow on one another, which will help decide the outcome of this current battle they are in. The adolescent martial artist stood his ground, formulating another unorthodox maneuver for him to initiate as a way to penetrate the robed man's defenses. Giving a tactic he had hardly, if not ever, use in combat will surely leave him open to more of his physical attacks that have yet to come in his wake. One of these said methods work on his the first time in their current confrontation. When he had devised a way to land an attack that may finish this battle, he rushed forward with great determination in his golden brown orbs, intent of delivering a powerful strike on the man's body. He had both of his hands clenched into fists, ready to inflict harm to his opponent, whom he was closing the distance against. The robed individual kept a defensive stance, intent on blocking the force of the boy's punches, then counterattacking with his own attacks.

When the boy was close enough to utilize his unexpected maneuver against his opponent, he spun his entire body to the right. This had completely put the robed man at a lost at what the novice pirate was even doing in the first place. At that moment, the cultist left his guard down, which Malik took the chance to attack. He immediately stopped spinning, standing on both feet with fists clenched. He quickly thrusted his right fist towards the the man's face. This blow managed to connect with his opponent's left jaw. The boy didn't stopped there, he then, launched a left punch with a greater amount of force than his last attack. His fist was able to land in the robed individual's chest. The intensity of the impact caused him to cough up blood. To finish him off, the young martial artist performed another roundhouse kick, but with his right leg this time. Unable to react due to the force of the impact from the boy's left punch, the cultist was defenseless against his kick. The adolescent blow had successfully hit the man within his right jaw. The force of the attack pushed the robed individual to the ground. At that moment, he fell unconscious. Looking up to his next enemy he will sure due combat with, Malik shifted to a fighting stance.

"I am not finished yet. I still have plenty of strength and vigor within me to enter another battle. So, let us begin and after I defeat you, I am going for one of your leaders." The young martial artist said, stating his has much energy to spare for another showdown, which was convenient with the other cultist before. The courage an unwavering spirit in his eyes also prove his proclaims true, that he will take down one of the leader of the cult, Tri-Shadow. The robed man standing before the child was shocked at the current situation laid out before his gaze. This boy, no more older than a teenager, was able to swiftly crush a high-ranking soldier of the cult. From the adolescent's performance, he more than formidable for the remained cultist soldier. Admittedly, the man began to fear the child slightly. He had never meet anyone so powerful, yet still so young. The man quickly got into a battle stance, keeping his guard up from any offensive the novice pirate might take. Having a confrontation with his was no laughing matter.

Both opponents stared one down as they patiently anticipated the physical attack of either side onto them. The novice pirate readied his limbs to both give punishment as well as receive it. His gaze was ever so solemn, cautious as to what trick, tactic, or plan his enemy will use against him. When he defeat the second of the cultists who were previously following him, he will move on to the more powerful members of the cult. The air starts to still within the midst of the silence between the two fighters. The boy took steady breaths to ease his concentration. He decided he will be the one to initiate the first strike and so he did. He rushed forward with no second-guessing whatsoever. With one foot in front of the other, he pushed himself beyond the level of a ordinary human being. The cultist was surprised to see the boy move at such a speed. He never thought that anyone, any human could travel this fast with just running. The novice pirate was so fast, in fact, that he could not follow his movements. In mere moment, the adolescent was already in front of the robed man, who shown a look of fear and shock at the child's sudden appearance. Without hesitation, the boy rammed his right fist towards the man. The punch successfully connected with his chest, emitting a strong impact.

"Guh!, H-How did you-" The robed individual barely said through a grunt of pain as he could hardly speak from the damage he sustain from the young martial artist's blow. To say the cultist was shocked is an understatement. He was dumbfounded by the boy's sheer speed. What he had done surpasses the level of any ordinary human being. In doing so, the adolescent had shown he was not no ordinary teenager. The cultist now began to wonder what are the child's limit, if he could close the distance between him so quickly. Moving at such a speed was of little difficulty for Malik as training with his family and using their style had pushed his body over the limit's of an ordinary person. His skill in martial arts was not to be taken lightly as he has recently shown. After landing a strong left punch into the man's torso, the boy lifted his right leg and launched a kick. It managed to hit the robed individual in his left jaw. This caused the man to stumble backwards. He move away from the boy quickly, almost immediately, to gain distance between each other. The cultist now had to be diligent to anticipate the boy's movements He was caught off-guard by his speed, but he will make sure that will not happen again.

"W-What incredible speed an power. You managed to get the best of me back there. You quite the speedster aren't you. Well, I'll just have to keep on my toes won't I." The robed man said, astounded by the adept martial artist before him as well as complimenting on his speed. Never before had he met a man, let alone a teenager, with this level of skill. A boy who was young, yet a deadly combatant proved to be a powerful combination indeed.  The cultist steadied himself as he shifted into a combative stance. Malik still remained within his own fighting position as he sternly kept his gaze on his opponent, now waiting for the man to make his move now. The robed individual a carefully studied the adolescent's body, examining anything that could be used against him. Then, an idea dawned upon him within the confines of his mind. So far, Malik had only been attacking the cultist up-close, which is where the question for the man came in. He wonders how well the boy will far against him while the cultist utilizes long-range combat. While, he was thinking of what limitations his fighting style has, a smirk etched it's way onto his face. He quickly reached into his pockets and pulled out three knifes in each hand.

The young martial artist readied himself, preparing for what he believes is about to come next. There was no doubt that the robed man figured out the boy's weakness. He fairs well in close-range combat, but is at a disadvantage against fighters who use long-ranged attacks. It makes it more difficult for him to land a blow onto them while at the same time, his opponent can hit him all they want and not get so much as a bruise. The cultist just back a good distance before swiping his right hand forward, releasing three of the six knives he held in his palms. The boy's was quick to take action upon seeing an attack of this type. As the small blade grew closer, he readied himself. He was able to dodge the first as well as the second knife, however, the third weapon managed to cut into his pants as it flew passed him. It also left a small cut onto his thigh. he momentarily felt the sting of the blade piercing his flesh, but it quickly subsided. He then, moved to unzip his cyan hoodie. Taking it off, he laid it onto safe place in the pavement where it won't suffer any damage. He then, returned to his fighting stance, prepare to endure the distant assault of the cultist once more. This battle will prove to be more difficult than he had ever thought.

As he closely concentrated on the weapons within the robed individual's left hand, he took a step forward. At the same time, the man readied himself, holding the three knives in his hand in a position that showed he was about to fire. The novice pirate recognized this stance his opponent was shifting to and steadied his feet, so he will be able to dodge this next assault of bladed metal. While Malik excelled when fighting up-close and personal with his foes, he did have a hard time combating against foes who specialize in fighting him at long distances. It is most obvious that he will sustain damage when doing battle at a range dividing him and his opponent. It was now time for the cultist to begin his next attack as he swiped is left hand forward. In that moment, a row of three knives were launched towards the boy the man was fighting. The novice pirate decided to take a chance and rush toward the incoming blades in order to close the distance between him and the robed individual.

As he ran, he managed to dodge the first of the knives heading for him. However, the second of them was able to cut his right bicep when it wisp past him. He felt the sting of his flesh being slashed into again, but ignored it as it was nothing major. The last knife was successfully dodged and with no more weapons flying at him, the boy began to pick up more speed using strong strides with each firm foot planted right after the other. He held his clenched, right fist as he grew closer towards the cultist whom had threw the small blades at him in the first place. The robed individual was at a loss of what to do now, since the martial artist managed to dodge all of his knives while only sustain minor damage to himself. When he was an appropriate distance from the man, he thrust his fist at his opponent's face. He was able to punch the cultist in his left jaw, with the ranged combatant letting out an strained grunt of pain. The boy then lifted his left foot up into the air and with a swift, but fierce downward motion, he slammed it into the cultist's head. This caused him to smash face-first into the ground with the individual being knocked unconscious.

"Hmm, looks like another victory for me. I have to admit that was more difficult than the last, especially with those knives of his. He managed to make me bleed." He thought, summarizing the difficulty of the recently won battle in his mind while remarking the wounds he had sustained. With the man's defeat, Malik had successfully defeated two more members of Tri-Shadow. Still, there were stronger members of this organization he was going up against and the leading generals were far above the two recently defeated robed men. He turned on his feet and walked over to where he had left his hoodie. It was without a scratch as he had hoped. He was inwardly relieved as he really like this article of clothing he always wore and kept clean. However, there was still obvious notes about his current condition. He had a cut on both his leg and right bicep. He gently place his hoodie down and swiftly took off his backpack. He wasn't going to wear his favorite choice of clothes with injuries that were still bleeding. He crouched down and opened his pack and put his right hand within it's confines. He carefully search until he felt what he was looking for. He pulled it out and in his hand was a first-aid kit. He was a very knowledgeable person and knew different kinds of information throughout the world. It comes in hand from time to time, especially now. He has enough knowledge on medicine on how to clean and cover his wounds. He quickly began the procedure on disinfecting his cuts and wrapping them up in bandages. When he was finished, he put the supplies back in the first-aid kit and closed it. He returned it to his backpack, gently placing it within it's confines. He then, closed it as well and turned to where his hoodie was. He reached over and grabbed it and swiftly put it back on. He zipped it and stretched out his hand again to grab his backpack. When he did, he swung it over his shoulders.

Standing back up, he turned and proceeded to walk the same way he came and onto another path, leaving his defeated enemies behind both physical and mentally. With each step the unconscious bodies of the cultists faded in the distance behind him. Now he was on to search for his next opponent whom may be of a higher level than his recent foes. If he was right about his assumption, then he was going have to use his skills to stand a chance at beating the next enemy. Despite the thought of the battle being difficult to win, it made him more excited, especially if his foe is strong enough to push him to his limit. Continuing to traverse through the current pathway he was on, his previously defeated enemies had fully faded, too far to see with the naked eye. AT that moment, Malik came upon another fork in the road, which split into two way this time. He stopped at the intersection and carefully decided which path he will take.

While standing in the area that divided the road into two pathways for one to traverse into differing locations, Malik carefully thought of the possibilities that could take place, if he were to choose the wrong way, instead of the correct one. His thoughts were laying out a scene in front of him in where he might end up in an alleyway with no enemies, but simply empty space, leading himself to repeat his steps and choose the other road, which would lead him onto the right path to facing the higher ranking members of Tri-Shadow. He turned his gaze towards both pathways and solemnly looked down both of them. If his choice turned out to be incorrect, he would have to go back to where he first started and follow the other path. That certain mistake may give the cultists enough time for going through with their plans for this entire kingdom, so he must be careful. A mistake with this decision of his may result in the suffering of more people and he will not let that happen. Looking to his left, the boy decided to travel down the path corresponding to the same side he is looking on.

He began to proceed down the road he had chosen, taking one step in front of the other and never looking back. He had hope he made the correct choice in his decision of going down the correct pathway and inwardly prayed that he would not end up in a dead-end as he further walked down the path laid out before him. The angle of his sight shifted cautiously, examining his surroundings to see, if he was heading the right way. All he could see were walls blocking his view to what lies beyond them. He can only look forward and hope that it was not a dead when he had made it to the end of the pathway. He further progress through the road without second-guessing his thoughts. Even if he did made it to a dead end, he would quickly returned to the intersection as soon as possible. It will not just stand there and lament his misinterpretation of the right path that he should take. When it appeared to him he was reaching the end of the road, he gave a small smile to the fact that it wasn't a dead end, but rather another opening to a town from here. This would mean he will find the higher ranking members more quickly, if they were within this area, of course.

"Hmm, It would appear I have chosen the right path after all. Now, it is time to continue searching fr more members of Tri-Shadow. The target I am looking for is one of the leader of this group, so were is the lieutenant? I guess I will meet him soon enough, if I keep up my search for more cultists." He thought as he made to the boundary of the town he was walking to. Upon entering the location, he calmly shifted the angle of his gaze, wondering where more members. Some of the individuals in the area looked at the boy with worry, due to the minor damage he had sustained from his previous two battle with lower-ranking cultists. Malik looked to the onlookers and kindly gestures to his injuries to emphasize that it was not a major problem and that he was alright. Those who observed him with worry managed to understand his impression and so hesitantly ignored him. Despite the prejudice towards outsiders, the inhabitants were, overall, good people. He progressed further through the town with each step he took, turning his eyesight to where he would find at least one cultist.

As he traversed further through the area, he suddenly spotted two figures to his left with one of them wearing what one of his defeated enemies described earlier on. He took a closer look at the individual and saw that this was the man he had been looking for. On his back is what seems to be a long weapon. That will be a problem when combating against this opponent as he fairs better in close-range combat. He will have to devise better tactic to bypass the sheer length of that object. With him appears to be a subordinate tagging along. The moment the lieutenant spotted the boy, he let out a smirk of excitement. He was eager to face this boy in combat. For some reason, he felt this battle was going to have him push his body to it's heights. Turn his back, the leading cultists gestured with his right hand to for the boy to follow him. The novice pirate took a a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself. He then, quickly walked in the direction both the cultist and his subordinate were heading. This the moment that he was expected, to fight and defeat one of the generals to put a massive blow on the cult's plans.

With each step he took towards the direction he was directed in, the boy continued to follow the lieutenant and his subordinate. Similar to what he was doing with the previous other two cultists, they lead Malik to a certain pathway. It was the other way around in this certain situation. Instead of the boy leading his enemies to someplace where others wouldn't get hurt, he was the one being lead instead. He begins to feel a strange sense of irony at the moment. As he continued to walk to where the two cultists of higher rank might take him, his gaze shifted at times, the angles of his eyesight altering to analyze his current surrounding with each step he takes. From what it appeared, all three of them were walking into an alleyway. The boy must be their newest target for torture, since they do not want anyone calling the authorities of the kingdom. The alleyway is a perfect spot for where the people are unable to hear the victim of the cultist's screams. When they had made it to the desire location the young martial artist stopped where he was. The lieutenant and his subordinate also halted and turned to face the novice pirate with the leading general being the first to speak.

"I have heard of your numerous exploits of power in different parts of the kingdom child. First, you easily took down a group of thugs. Then, you easily defeated my comrades. If you can do all of that with getting serious injuries, then you are someone to not hold back against. I will not go easy on you just because you are a boy. Our comrades had made that mistake and when both know where that left them. I would take you on myself, but my subordinate here has been anxious to do battle with you, so I shall let him. Don't let your guard down though." The confident robed man said, stating his knowledge of Malik's recent victories as well as letting his comrade fight the boy instead as he was more excited to see what power this adolescent holds than the lieutenant himself. The robed subordinate walked forward to face the child in combat. He stopped in front of him and gaze down the teenager. While he looks harmless, he knew how strong he was. So, he will not hold back and give it his all. At the same time, Malik himself will show his full power as this cultist was of a higher level than the others he had faced.

Both warrior got into a fighting position, their gazes concentrated on one another. They were both excited to engage in combat on a more higher level that they had ever thought. While the novice pirate's expression was only a small smile, his opponent's was a large smirk. The young martial artist was the first to begin with the first attack in order to gauge the strength of the cultist subordinate. He rushed forward, pulling back his right fist. When he was at a close enough distance, he thrusted it forward. To impress the boy, the robed man before him managed to dodge the attack easily and counter with his own by pulling back his left hand, which was clenched into a fist. Malik was left open due to the impressive way he dodged his punch distracting him. He thrusted it forward at that given moment. The punch had successfully connected with the novice pirate's chest. The impact from the cultist's fist managed to push the boy back foot, but the robed man didn't stopped there. He rushed toward Malik to land a second blow. He launched his right leg at him, intent on his his face. The boy saw this and was able lift up his hands to try and block the attack. He managed to catch it in his bare hands, which the cultist subordinate noted in his mind to be a good maneuver.

Thinking at a fast rate, the young pirate managed to push the robed individual's right foot out of his way, forcing the man to try and regain his balance. He dashed forward with his left, clenched fist. He focused as much strength into it as he can. With the distance between the boy and the cultist was close, the novice pirate gave a sharp, fierce thrust of his fist. This was the utilization of his technique, "Ryuutakashi". He had managed to connect the attack to his chest. The force of it was so intense, the man cough up so blood as he was push back two feet. He gave a few grunts of pain due to the moderate damage he had sustained. He looked to the boy was a smile of amazement with a trickle of blood running down the right side of his mouth. The adolescent was able to meet the general's subordinate's expectations. The lieutenant himself watch with a gleeful smile as the battle progress. This boy was indeed one to keep an eye on. Underestimating him will lead to one's downfall.

[Techniques Used: Ryuutakashi: -15 = 135 Stamina]

The young pirate novice stood strongly in his combative position facing the cultist subordinate, who had receive significant damage from one of his techniques. That attack of his proved to be really handy in battle when he needed to inflict injuries to his enemies quickly with at the same time not requiring much time to do as such. "Ryuutakashi" was an ideal technique to use in battle, especially in an consecutive order. However, if he were to keep utilizing this type of offensive, soon he foes will discover a certain pattern and find a way to block or deflect it with enough time, that is. So, to keep this cultist subordinate on his toes, he will have to initiate his other attacks to gain an upper-hand. After all, this man and the leading general were observing them. At the same time, he can't afford to show all of his techniques as his next opponent might use the knowledge gained from his current battle to be able to dodge and counter them. He must be careful of what type of attack he uses. It will give him an advantage. Also, there is the matter of the long, bladed weapon on the lieutenant's back.

"Hehe, not bad kid, not bad at all. I was hoping you would be a strong opponent and now that I've seen a fraction of your strength, I have to say that I am elated at experiencing your power. Now, it's my turn to kick it up a notch!" The robed man before the boy said, expressing his excitement at facing an opponent so young, yet so powerful. At the exclamation of the subordinate becoming more serious in the future intensity of the battle to come, he energetically dashed towards the adolescent with high levels of speed. He was very quick and Malik found his movements slightly difficult to read, but still fairly easy to tell here he is going. The robed man was quickly in front of the martial artist and launched his right fist towards him. The attack managed to hit his left jaw with him feeling the sting of the attack's brunt. The robed individual then, released a miniature barrage of four punches towards his chest. The young martial artist was able to dodge the first of the blow, but was hit with the remaining three. The man proceeded to finish his assault through performing a roundhouse kick with his his left leg. See the technique, Malik lifted his left arm up. He was able to successfully block the attack with additional help from his immense strength.

The robed man jumped back a few feet in order to gain some distance between him and the adolescent. This way, he can strategize another tactic to breach the boy's defenses to win this battle. The novice pirate, on the other hand, was formulating a plan to crush this cultist. The subordinate was powerful, more so than any of the enemies he had fought up to this point and the opponents he keeps fighting will just become stronger and stronger. To certain fighters, this would have filled them with anxiety, but for Malik he was welling up with excitement. The thought of opponent more powerful and becoming stronger still out in the world made him highly excited. From the boy's point-of-view, it appears that the cultist subordinate was finished formulating his next assault as he readied himself to dash at the young martial artist. The robed man began as such and as he closed in on the novice pirate, the adolescent decided to try and counter attack with one of his techniques.

When the man was an appropriate enough distance from the child, he utilized his right leg to launch forth a powerful kick. Seeing this attack coming, the martial artist acted quickly and easily dodged it. In that moment, his enemy was left wide-opened for a counterattack. This was his chance to initiate one of his techniques other than "Ryuutakashi" as it didn't involved his hands, but rather his limbs from his lower-regions. He performed an upper-kick with his left leg aimed at the robed man's chin. It successfully connected and the cultist was knocked 5 feet into the air. Jumping up to match the same height of his opponent's, he switch to his right leg and drop kicked the man's head towards the ground. As a result, the enemy's cranium came rushing to the ground so fast that when they hit it, the impact released a noticeable rumble, a tremor. The technique that was used is called "Yousou". The cultist subordinate's body trembled for a few moments due to him trying to get back on his feet, but simply fell limp. He was now unconscious, but was a peaceful smile after having fought a powerful opponent such as this boy, who landed gentle on the battle field. With the robed man before his feet defeated, the leading general walked up to the the adolescent. It appears he wasn't going to get a break.

[Techniques Used: Yousou: -15 = 120 Stamina]

While the lieutenant grew closer towards the young pirate with each step he took so casually as if he was going to win, the boy positioned himself into his combative stance. He quickly took a few breaths and exhales to steady himself. He was hastily preparing from his supposedly next battle at the moment. It seems quite obvious that the general wants to come at him next. After, having seen two of his many techniques he had practice back at his home, this amount of information could be used against him. One of the advantages he did had was that he didn't revealed all of them. He still various other types of attacks he can utilize for any future tactics. He just have to time them just right, if he is to win this battle. When the lieutenant is now at an appropriate distance between him and the strong fighter of a boy, it was time to begin the confrontation between him. It was now a duel of a pirate against a leader of an infamous organization. Malik knew he would be battling evil individuals someday and combating against powerful opponents, but he never knew it would be this soon.

The leading general of the organization, Tri-Shadow got into a battle position of his own. He also reached behind his back with his left hand, grabbing and pulling out what appears to be a glaive of some sort. It was about five feet long and the pole-like handle was black. With a weapon of that size, he could attack from a distance easily, but it looked easier to dodge than knives. The lieutenant firm held the weapon in both of his hands in a stone grip, keeping a steady old on the pole-like handle. The robed leader was the first to initiate the first strike as he pulled back the glaive, poised to strike at one of the boy's vital points. With the lieutenant being one of the leader of Tri-Shadow, he was going to let their reputation be sullied by a child, even if he is a powerful martial artist. However, the man did wonder what someone, like him, was doing here. He didn't seem like he was from this kingdom. All of the sudden, he just appeared out of no where and started causing troubled. Before emanating a question from his lips, he thrusted the bladed weapon forth, intent on stabbing his lungs. Being quick on his feet, Malik managed to dodge the attack without sustaining any injury. Before continuing, however, he took the time to unzip his hoodie. He then, took it off along with his backpack and threw them both on a safe spot on the pavement. The general also took some time to talk to the child.

"Tell me boy, who are you, what are you supposed to be. You do seem to be from this land and yet, you pop up out of the blue and started causing a ruckus amount my soldiers. You crushed them from left to right with the assumption we that you are planning to stop our goals. From your actions, how you dress, and the name you are making of yourself, you must be a pirate, am I correct?" He demanded while question the adolescent's faction. He was spot on, many pirate have a natural talent for cause trouble among countries, states, and nations. Still, for a boy to cause this much trouble by himself and already have the cult in an uproar, he is definitely unique. If given enough time for himself to mature, this child will make something big of himself, possibly becoming one of the greatest legends this world has ever known. With a small smile appearing on his face, he gave a nod to answer the lieutenant's question. He was right, the martial artist was indeed a pirate.

"Hmmm, I see, you have a gift to causing rebellion and uproars, child. I'll give you that, but you have to defeat me, if your ever hope to become true pirate. Losing this early in your adventures would be embarrassing, wouldn't you agree. What do you say, let us finish this battle." The robed leader said, intent on continuing his confrontation with the novice pirate and give him a taste of the real world, from his point-of-view anyway. Everyone has their own view of the universe, about how things work. Malik's way was more optimistic, more hopeful. A view full of faith where anyone can follow, if one would give it the chance. Now it was the boy's turn to combat against robed individual. He rushed forward, with his right fist pulled back for a strong punch to the cultist's face. This wasn't going to be easy due to the long-distance-reaching-weapon, but he had an idea. He best way to even the playing field was to knock the weapon out of his hands. That way he will be forced to fight him hand-to-hand.

As he dashed with a physical ready in the shape of a balled fist, he remained cautious of the noticeably long weapon in the cult's one of two leading generals' hands. His tactic was to separate the robed individual from that glaive. As long as the man had it, he could easily wound the young martial artist with little effort and without even touching him physically. To make it a leveled-ground against him and his opponent, Malik had to get that object out of that cultist's palms. It would definitely make the situation less difficult, if he did so. Seeing the adolescent charging at him, the lieutenant held his weapon tight in his grip. He pulled the bladed object backwards to help build momentum needed for a powerful strike. The closer the novice pirate grew, the greater the danger of being wounded by the glaive held by the cultist opposite of his direction was. With the boy believed to be close enough to land a direct blow, the robed man thrusted the blade of his weapons towards him. The attack was aimed to pierce one of his limbs. However, the young fighter was quickly in mind and body. He managed to dodge the thrusted blade, but it was able to leave a small cut on his right calf. He clenched his teeth together into an unhappy frown at feeling the sting of a blade piercing his flesh again.

Despite the wound he sustained, it was only minor damage and it did nothing to slow this boy down. He kept going despite the injury he had. The leading general was surprised by the young martial artist's resilience in terms of pain. So much, in fact, he failed to realize the reason why he is getting so close to the man. When the appropriate distance has been closed, the boy thrusted his right fist towards the cultist's face. he was able to hit him in his right jaw, causing him to slightly lose his grip with his weapon. That was more than enough for him to get the glaive out of his hands. He performed a kick with his left leg. With the attack, he was able to knock the weapon out of the man's grasp. It flew  up to four feet away before landing on the rock-solid pavement. Taking this chance, he planted his left leg on the ground while using his right to launch another kick towards the robed individual. He successfully connected it with his chest. This causes the cultist to stumble back a few feet to regain his balance. At this moment, he realized what the boy's goals were for getting close to him all along were. Upon this realization, the lieutenant smiled.

"Hehe, you came at me with the risk of sustaining an injury just to get my weapon away from me. Reckless, but a very clever move. Still, I fight better without weapons." The robed man said as he rushed towards the boy with superb speed. When he closed the distance between both of them, he took two quick jabs at his knees with his right hand. Unable to react, he endured the full brunt of this not-so-damaging attack. This caused his knees to buckle, making the boy temporarily stationary, which gave the lieutenant enough time to launch another attack at him. He launched a kick with his left leg at him, which was aimed for his chest. Thinking ahead just enough, Malik was able to react to the point where held up his hands against the lieutenant's kick. He was able to block it. The cultist retracted his leg and the novice pirate managed to regain his balance. The leading general was certainly impressed on the boy's strength. He was far stronger than any ordinary human physically, not to mention incredibly agile. Still, the cultist can see the boy was panting, trying to regain his breath. Everyone with a physical body of flesh and blood has their limits. The can only so much for so long, but these limitations can be breached to new heights. At this moment, Malik gave a smirk.

"You may fight at a higher level with any sort of weaponry, but at least now we are on equal ground. What matter now at the moment is who can take more punishment." The adolescent martial artist said, stated that it is a battle of endurance from this point forward. After making such a statement, he charged forward while exerting his speed to a point difficult for the robed leader to follow. When he was up close to the man, he thrusted for a barrage of 5 punches. The cultist was quick to react to this boy's maneuver. He managed to dodge two of his punches, but sustained three.In that instant, the boy shapes his right hand into a claw-like fashion. He then, thrusts it forward to the cultist. He successfully gripped at the robed man's shoulder with intense force up to the point where the man felt a surge of agonizing pain. This technique of his is named "Hebi Nigiri", due to the it's equivalency to a snake bite. The general let out audible grunts of suffering from the martial artist's grip. He immediately let go of him and clenched both of his fists. This next technique of his was currently his most powerful and is strong enough to end this battle right here and now. The young novice pirate quickly unleashed a flurry of punches, all adding up to a total of ten. Due to the pain and damaged received from his "Hebi Nigiri", the robed man was unable to react to this technique and was forced to take the full brunt of it, receiving all ten blows. For the eleventh and final attack, Malik pulled back his right fist to complete his assault. The lieutenant had much blood trickling from his mouth and was heavily pant, finding it difficult to move his muscles.

"Hageshii Ryuukyoushuu!" The boy exclaimed the name of his technique as he thrust his fist into the cultist's chest. It managed to successfully connect. The intensity of the attack was of such magnitude that it cracked the robed man's ribs. Afterwards, he fell backwards to the ground, his vision fuzzy from all the damage he sustained. He then, hit the ground unconscious. With this victory, Malik had managed to defeat one of the leading generals of the cult, Tri-Shadow. However, it was not without costs. He was exhausted from having to use so much of his power, especially his most powerful technique. The novice pirate heave out of relief. he took numerous deep breaths to regain small amounts of lost energy. When he was finished taking a breather, he turn around and walked over to his backpack. He then, crouched down and opened it. He reached in with his left hand and took out his first-aid kit, opening it as well. He proceeded with cleaning the small cut on his right calf then, bandaging it. Now done, he returned the material needed for healing his wound to the confines of his kit. He returned it to the innards of his backpack, closing it as a result. He then, turned to his cyan hoodie and reached over with his right hand. He soon picked it up and put it on. Afterwards, he zipped it and reached over to grab his backpack. Picking it up, he stood from where he crouched and swung it over his shoulders. He turned to where the opening the now defeated cultists have previous lead him from. He quickly walked in the desired direction. First, he will get some rest then, he will resume his goal for bringing down Tri-Shadow. He was momentarily exhausted and needed to relax.

[Techniques: Hebi Nigiri, Hageshii Ryuukyoushu: -60 = 60 Stamina]

[Word Count: 9380 Words]