[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 853 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 54/80
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue[/color][/center]
A solid strike! The Cadet could feel it in the force of his shield. He backed off as the sharq giant reeled, gearing up to follow the Shoryugeki with another blow when some unexpected help arrived. Ms. Fortune came down onto the beast, stabbing into it's hide. She must have tidily taken care of the murlocs she'd lured. Her timing was spot on, but the giant wasn't down just yet. It didn't even give the two time to acknowledge each other, as it launched itself forward in attack. Having already gotten a taste of it's surprise speed, the Cadet skirted out of it's path - though he was quick to follow it and Nadia into the dilapidated shack it had thrown itself into. 

He rushed in through the hole the giant had torn in the shack's wall, and was immediately met with the thing standing upright and on the move. Once more the giant's fists met the Cadet's shield. It was a few tense moments where the sharq man beat on the metal trying to get around the monster hunter's defense, slowly driving him backwards. The shield held, and once the creature stopped for a breather the Cadet retaliated with his sword, slashing and stabbing. 

Nadia appeared then, jumping down from a higher floor within in the building. There was also riotous noise filtering in from outside, the shouts of friends and foes along with what sounded like cannon fire. The Cadet could only guess that more trouble had shown up.

He met Nadia's eyes, grinning at her despite the current circumstances. If they had made a good team while transformed into children, surely as their adult selves they'd be that much more formidable. 

[color=salmon]"Sounds like things are getting gnarlycuga. Let's put this thing down and get back out there,"[/color] he said, confident. He dove back in on the attack, hardly registering that Kamek and Junior had arrived as back up. But when his weapon suddenly burned with magic flame, The Cadet's eyes widened and he faltered. 

[color=salmon]"Wha-?"[/color]

Kamek was saying something, the old wizard must have cast a spell on him. The Cadet was not usually the target of such spells, and before he didn't think he would mind - but now it was making his skin crawl, and because his attention was going from his sword to where Kamek was floating off to down at himself where there was a soft green glow, he was not at all focused on the giant in front of him. The monster raised it's arm and flung it at the Cadet, swatting the redhead hard off to the side and right back out of the shack, making another hole in it's walls as he crashed through.

He bounced on the surface of the water once before managing to right himself, sliding and coming to a stop. Now outside, he could see the state of things - there were a few more little guys, but a lot more big guys. It would definitely behoove them to take care of the sharq fishman they were fighting quickly so they could help tackle these new threats. The Cadet looked at the enchanted sword still clutched tightly in his hand. It was some kind of power-up spell, but it felt... weird, and wrong to use it. He grimaced. Unfortunately he was going to have to spurn Kamek's generosity if he wanted to be of any use, because he doubted he'd be able to concentrate while seeing the magic around the sword. He could hardly concentrate now, outside of battle, because of the feel of the aura cast on him - a constant unpleasant buzz. Plus there were now a bunch of magic clones in the shack too.

The Cadet sheathed the Master Bang, put a knuckle to his forehead and breathed in and out deeply, willing himself to get over it. He couldn't just abandon the fight and move on after all, Nadia was still in there.

[color=salmon][i]"Pull yourself together, Cadet!"[/i][/color] he huffed to himself. He gathered himself up, shifting the sheathe of the Nightsky Ripper forward before zipping across the water and back into the battle. If any wandering murlocs thought they'd ambush some easy prey they shot full of holes courtesy of the guns on his rigging as he moved. 

His new plan was to end this particular fight as fast as possible. He had swapped his defense for more offense with the long sword, pulling the blade out for a swift attack. To cover up the feeling of Kamek's buff, the Cadet activating Devouring Demon, further powering him up even as he felt his vitality start to drain. He'd unwittingly avoided the healing white mage by being thrown from the shack, and if he was quick enough he could keep avoiding it - and instead do some quick recovery by attacking the giant.

The Ace Cadet reappeared after Junior's antics. His eyes were hard and he pretty much forced his vision to tunnel, focusing only on the giant fishman so he wouldn't catch sight of anything distressing or distracting. The long sword flashed, it's blade finding it's way to the monster.