[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 775 (+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]
[i]Focus, focus focus.[/i] Although humanoid monsters like this one weren't exactly his forte, the Cadet had plenty of experience with them by now. Plus he had taken down bigger, stronger, and probably even smarter monsters before. There was an excellent weapon in his hands, made all the more powerful now thanks to buffs. So why did it feel like be was struggling so much? His usually steady grip had been trembling slightly since Kamek had cast that magic. It made fending off the sharq giant's blows harder, but he was holding his own. In his periphery he could see the others, the Koopas darting around and Nadia recovering enough to go on the offensive. She worked on crippling it while he kept it's attention, and when it rounded on her the Cadet swapped tactics to take her place, dragging the sword across the monster's legs. 

She staggered it, giving him an opening - which was made bigger by the Koopas hooking it and pulling it down onto it's back, making it completely vulnerable. The Ace Cadet moved in to make sure it wouldn't stand back up, skewering the sharq's lower stomach with his longsword and drawing it up through the creature's guts and into it's chest. Without it's anchor weapon, the sharq squirmed and tried swiping at or taking hold of anyone it could, but it's hands found no victims. It was on death's door, and the Cadet pushed it through with a sharp twist of the blade still embedded in it. 

Finished, finally. As the giant fishman's body dissolved into ash, the Ace Cadet swiftly brought his foot down onto the glowing orb of it's spirit, crushing it. The hunter exhaled, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead. A smudge of blood was left behind. It could have been his, he [i]was[/i] banged up after that, but it easily could have been the monster's too given it's death throes had splashed it around. But he'd deal with that in a bit. Now that the spell was draining away, the Cadet was starting to feel better. There were aches and pains from battle, but he but wasn't so tensed up and his mind was clearer. He could tell that it had made him stronger, but man did it just make him feel... uncomfortable. He physically shook himself as if that would hasten the spell's end, and once it's effects were gone the Cadet turned his attention to his teammates.

[color=salmon]"Are you guys okay?"[/color] He looked them all over, relieved to see that all three of them seemed to be fine... well, maybe not all of them were 'fine' but they were still standing. After putting her head back onto her body Nadia was in one piece again, that Life Gem pulling her back together after the nasty hit she'd taken when he first arrived back into the shack after getting tossed out. It must've hurt like hell.  

[color=salmon]"You alright?"[/color] he asked, giving her another once over. Before Kamek might offer to summon his healing clone again, the Cadet pulled out one of the bags of lifepowder that survived the submarine's crash. [color=salmon]"Here."[/color] He tossed the powder into the air, and it did it's work healing some of the damage those in the shack had sustained. It was all around less effective then getting a complete heal from a mage, but the thought of that made the Cadet uneasy. He did not want any kind of magic touching him, so he should probably make that clear even if it didn't make sense.

He tucked the longsword back in it's case and looked at the elder Koopa. [color=salmon]"Kamek..."[/color] he started, wanting to add a "sir" but refraining, [color=salmon]"thanks for the help - and you too Junior - but, uh..."[/color] When about to put it to words, his worry seemed silly, so he wondered how to word it. [color=salmon]"...I'll be fine without that kind of magic stuff, okay? So you can focus on the others."[/color] What went unsaid was something like, [i]please don't cast another spell on me![/i] The Cadet seemed a little distressed talking about it, but he flashed a smile afterward. Everything was fine.

Outside the battle was still going on it seemed, though perhaps winding down since the noise level had dropped. One sound that was impossible to miss was that of allies calling for a helping hand. The Cadet head sheathed the Nightsky Ripper, but all of his weapons were just a draw away. The mini cannons on his rigging reloaded themselves, ready for more action. It was time to clean up what was left out there, help their friends and get back on track.