Something worked, which relieved Adam quite a bit. Specifically, the Natural Energy Beam combined with his Zigmund ploy had caused Zacharius to actually get hit.


And then, the relief disappeared as the enemy got up, hardly hurt at all from the blast. This guy might be even stronger than the water ninja, the Druid thought, hoping to be wrong. Just then, the metal man spoke up.


“You…you are one of them, aren't you?”


“Yes, and-”


Adam wasn't even able to finish his thought as Zacharius charged at him. So much for being able to bluff his way out of this. It wasn't like he could defeat him like Zigmund was anyway, since there was no team for him to fight with this time. Being bait certainly wasn't fun.


After a few narrow dodges, this new opponent casted magic that charged his axe. Then he slammed it onto the ground, causing the street to crack open with a series of explosions that created a straight line of destruction heading right for Adam. The red-eyed man jumped out of the way, but the impressive display of power was actually a feint. Right after that strike, Zacharius charged straight at the Michigander, swinging his axe from the top to cut the Druid up like a log.


There was no time to dodge. Only one option presented itself.


Right at that moment, Adam transformed into his bear form, using his newly-enhanced jaw to grab the sharp part of the weapon. This ran so against anything Zacharius intended that he briefly stopped his attack out of surprise. This was enough for the fisherman, who yanked the weapon away from his opponent and slashed him with a bear claw. A bear claw, that much to the striker's dismay, did nothing to the Zigmund lookalike.


And as the enemy was harmlessly struck, he did something - maybe a spell, Adam couldn't tell for sure - that made the axe disappear out of his mouth before it reappeared in his hands. And seemingly instantaneously, Zacharius attacked again with a swing of the axe. This time, there was no way for the bear to dodge, and he was sent flying back through a nearby building. And this was no ordinary attack; whatever it was, it forced the American out of his ursine form and back into his bleeding human one.


Adam knew that if he hadn't been transformed, that hit would have killed him. He also knew that there was only one way he was going to defeat this opponent. And fortunately, being hit as hard as he was created some distance between him and his attempted killer for him to try this plan.


So, as quickly as he possibly could, the Druid began casting. He knew he would only get one chance at this, and he was not going to waste it.