"Amun-Ra's blessing: "
Liam quickly turned around, my fist inches away from his face.
He crossed his arms, trying to block the attack.
"First form: naqsal."
As soon as those words escaped my mouth, his movent halted midway, unable to block my punch that hit his jaw.
"ARGHH!!"
He groaned in pain, limping backward to balance himself.
I let him do it as he took out a short sword, taking a battle stance.
"Haah!!"
He dashed towards , bringing his hand forward and aiming at my shoulder.
I twisted my body slightly, avoiding it before grabbing his hand and throwing him away.
He rolled on the ground before rushing towards again while keeping an eye on Shyamal.
Again, he struck, aiming at my midsection. I twirled my body around to move away from the trajectory before grabbing his hand again.
"You should have just run away," I mumbled, looking at him before I twisted his arm.
Using the lower side of my elbow, I aid at his joint and....
"Crack!!"
"ARGHHHH!!!"
The elbow joint cracked, breaking into two with only his skin keeping it intact.
"Don't whine over your lousy arm," I grumbled, grabbing him by his shirt before curling my fingers and punching his gut.
"Haah haah."
Breathing heavily, he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach with his working hand.
I grabbed his face, punching it neatly, knocking him out.
[...Was that necessary?]
'Better than him getting up.'
I am doing it to keep him safe, so this much damage is necessary.
Leaving him there, I looked at the drones flying above us.
All of this is shown live in the stadium through them.
...Not that it matters.
...I am going all out no matter the opponent.
"Let's go." Looking at Shyamal, who was playing with her scythe, I ordered, moving towards the first piece.
Right now, we were in the open-roof parking area, barely a few hundred ters away from the stadium.
Rows of cars were parked in this place, with only a few standing out. The rest were the sa color and design—the cars produced by the empire, made especially for the upper-middle-class people.
I moved through the narrow pathway between the cars while keeping an eye inside them.
Slowly, I made it halfway before glimpsing a shining golden piece inside one of the cars.
"Move back." Looking at Shyamal, I instructed.
She looked at for a second before taking a step back while I touched the windshield.
Neplh.
The windshield started to turn cold, its temperature dropping rapidly. When I felt it was enough, I flicked my finger on it, breaking it into hundreds of small pieces.
Leaning in, I took out the piece before passing it to Shyamal.
"What?" she asked, looking at it.
"Keep it with you." I shoved the piece in her hand as I replied, "It's not like you are any help in fighting."
She gave a small smile before taking the glideball piece.
....On second thought, this might not be a good idea.
"...Nevermind, give it back." I asked for the piece back, but she hid it behind her.
"You already gave it to ," she replied, shaking her head.
"Give it back, Shyamal," I demanded, glaring at her.
"No."
"Shyam—."
"No, you can't take what's mine."
....What type of tantrum is this?
"Just keep it then," I grumbled, shaking my head as I moved out of the parking lot.
She followed behind without hurry, like she was walking in a park.
'I should have just ditched her earlier.'
Then again, she would have found anyway.
"Sigh..."
I sighed as we moved towards the northern part of the stadium.
...Ten minutes have already passed since the second round started.
Clenching my fist, I stopped my hands from trembling, not letting my anxiety consu .
'El.'
Only thirty-five minutes before the explosion happens.
Clenching my fist, I stopped my hands from trembling, not letting my anxiety consu .
'El.'
[You are on the right path.]
'Thanks.'
Just like him, I also morized the entire map, but just to be sure, I kept asking him for the right direction.
The buildings around us felt empty without anyone remotely close to us.
The streets were empty as well as I dashed towards one of the narrow streets.
'Is this humidity?'
I thought, feeling the air around .
For so reason, the air around here felt different.
...Hmm.
As soon as I took a turn, I found three people facing each other, with one girl gripping one of the pieces tightly in her hand.
"Fuck."
I cursed silently as they all shifted their focus towards and imdiately turned in my direction.
"We et again, Azariah," Lucas remarked, glaring at .
"Are you going to team up?" I asked as I looked at Keegan and Ruby, was it?
"Lucas." Keegan mumbled as he took out his sword, exchanging glances with each other. "She has one of the pieces."
"I can see that," he rebuked, taking his weapon out as well. "But I am injured."
"So am I," Keegan grumbled.
"Then how are we going to win against her—"
"I am not participating in this," Shyamal interjected sharply while moving behind. "He is alone."
I remained silent as I knew she wouldn't help anyway.
Their eyes flickered with hope as they grinned at .
"Well, this will be easy," Keegan whispered before dashing towards .
With three long steps, he closed the gap between us, aiming at my midsection.
I took out my axe-hamr as my lips parted.
"Naqsal."
His face tensed up as his body halted in place, and I didn't let the chance go, hitting his shoulder with my hamr.
'...If not for the unreasonable amount of mana usage, I could win any fight with this.'
"Arghh!"
He groaned, his body hitting the ground before Lucas arrived beside .
"Mairac arts: last quarter."
He swung his sword, from which five sharp, half-moon-like silver blades rushed towards .
Muspelh.
I propelled myself back before I drew a half circle with my hand, followed by a crimson fire that burned the moons.
"Ahhh!!"
Keegan also stood, both of them rushing towards .
Neplh.
I waved my hand from below, and freezing the water droplets in the air, a wall of ice erged, blocking Keegan.
Clank!!
I did the sa, throwing two ice blocks at him, which he cut through.
As he closed in, I raised my knees, and beneath , a big sharp blade of ice erged.
I propelled it upwards before letting gravity do its work as it fell on Lucas.
He sidestepped, avoiding it before rushing in, swinging his sword diagonally.
I covered my axe-hamr with a thin layer of ice before using it to parry his attack.
My body arched back as I parried his attack before Keegan jumped at from behind, his sword an arm's length from .
I swung my body, the back of my leg connecting with his gut, making his eyes bulge out slightly.
Without holding back, I grabbed his hair before pushing it down on the hard concrete.
"Haah!!"
"Naqsal."
Once again using my blessing, I halted Lucas' movent, grabbing his arm and throwing him over my body onto the struggling Keegan.
They both groaned in pain while I huffed for air.
...The stronger the target, the more mana my blessing consus.
"Huff..."
'Now which part of their body should I break?'
As I was debating about it, my gaze shifted towards Shyamal, who stood at the side looking at ....empty-handed.
Slowly, I walked towards her, looking around the place.
....And sure enough, Ruby wasn't here as well.
"Where is the piece?" I asked calmly, turning towards her.
"Which one?" she asked, innocently.
"The one for the glideball."
"Ohhh, that." She replied, shaking her body like an innocent maiden. "...I gave it to that girl."
The veins on my head bulged, forcing to take deep breaths before I asked, "...Why?"
"Because she asked politely," she inford, smiling at .
.....Don't be angry.
That's what she wants.
Don't.
"Are you retarded!?" I snapped, hitting her forehead with my fingers repeatedly.
"What?" Wincing, she asked quietly, a scythe appearing in her hand.
"...Nothing." I grumbled, turning around only to notice both of them standing up again.
"Sigh..."
I sighed as I walked away from them, out of the streets and back to the stadium.
[...Why is she like that?]
"....."
Honestly, she is just trying to keep herself sane, but every ti she sees my face, it should remind her of Shane.
....Why he died in the first place.
....And until she can kill .
....She irritates , making sure I am not relatively happy in any condition.
[...That's your view, isn't it?]
'That's the truth, El.'
It took only a while before I arrived outside the stadium.
Finding a good place, I sat down, looking forward.
"What are you doing?" she asked curiously, looking at .
"Camping," I replied, shrugging.
If you can't have them, why not just snatch them?
With that thought, I waited for a while, and after roughly ten minutes, two people ca into view.
'Twenty minutes left for the explosion.'
I grimaced in my thoughts as I stood up, looking at the girl with two combined pieces in her hand.
"Az?"
"Hello, Ashlyn."
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