"Az?"
"Hello, Ashlyn." I greeted her, my eyes drifting towards the boy beside her. "He isn't your teammate, right?"
"Ethan said he could help find them," Ashlyn replied, showing the two pieces of the glideball in her hand.
"And?"
"And?" She tilted her head.
"He didn't ask anything in return?" I continued, taking out my axe-hamr from my bracelet.
"...No, but it's easier to find them if we work in a team," Ethan chid in, giving his reasoning while smiling at her.
"I see," I mumbled, not interested in his words. I looked behind them and noticed Ruby and Miley rushing towards us.
"Ashlyn!" Miley exclaid, wrapping her arms around Ashlyn and giving her a big hug, montarily stunning her.
"Huh?" But from behind, Ruby silently snatched the pieces from Ashlyn's hand.
"Hey!! That's mine!" Ashlyn yelled, running towards Ruby and Miley, who were making their way towards the goalpost from the staircase outside the stadium.
Throughout all this, Ethan just looked at , and from ti to ti, at Shyamal.
[...Are you not going after them?]
'...Let Ashlyn finish the match.'
I don't want to end the ga by myself. I want to end it before the explosion; it doesn't matter who finishes it.
"Is he soone special to you?" Ethan asked, his voice harsh, looking at Shyamal.
She squinted her eyes at him before replying softly, "What if he is?"
"Is that so?" His lips curled as he mumbled softly, taking out his sword. "Are you going to help him?"
"No," Shyamal replied instantly, shaking her head before she also moved towards the staircase, walking towards the translucent shield.
His face hardened as he looked at , his voice wheezy. "Mind having a small spar with ?"
"...."
I took a mont to consider—.
....Scratch that, he would attack anyway.
"Sure," I replied as he charged towards instantly.
I lowered my body as his sword slashed horizontally, aiming at my neck.
CLANG!!!
I swung my axe-hamr from below, throwing his sword off but still feeling my collarbone grazed by his sword.
'....Is he serious?'
My eyes widened slightly as I felt the murderous intent from him as he once again struck at my stomach.
The runes in my body glowed brightly.
I swung my axe-hamr from below at his jaw; he stomped on the ground before propelling himself backwards.
"Amun-Ra's blessing: Naqsal."
He rushed again, but I quickly used my blessing to stop him in his tracks, using the hamr side to plunge it into his working hand.
"Arghh!!" He groaned but didn't let go of his sword, forcefully trying to free himself.
'..What a pain.'
I grumbled as the more he moved, the more mana I lost.
I barely have enough mana to survive the attack, and I don't want to waste more.
'....'
Lifting my axe-hamr, I changed its side to the axe as I once again aid at his hand.
"Stribog's blessing: Sargah."
Huh?
I quickly dashed backward as a greenish ring attached with thousands of small blades struck where I stood.
"Oliver?" I grunted, glaring at him as he walked leisurely towards .
Ethan gave him a grateful look for helping him.
"Told you not to et on the ground," he grinned as he swung his nunchuck around before rushing towards .
Without another word, Oliver lunged forward, his nunchuck spinning in a wide arc.
I barely had ti to react, blocking with the flat side of my axe-hamr.
The impact made my arm vibrate, but I held my ground, looking at him.
Using the montum, I pushed back, swinging the axe-hamr at Oliver's midsection. He twisted roughly, evading my strike and countering with a quick jab that I parried with the haft of my axe-hamr.
But the chain of his nunchuck wrapped around my axe-hamr before he jerked his hand, snatching it away.
Ethan ca in from the other side, his sword aid at my ribs.
Neplh.
Three sharp blades erged from my knuckles the next instant.
I twisted, barely managing to parry the strike with the blades.
Oliver swung the nunchuck again, and this ti I stepped into the attack, bringing my blades up to et it.
The impact sent a shockwave through my arms, but I held firm, using the montum to push Oliver back.
Ethan seized the opportunity to thrust his sword at my chest, but I twisted away, the blade grazing my side, blood dripping on the ground below.
Muspelh.
My blood turned into burning fla, forcing him to leap back to avoid the blow.
"Huff...Huff..."
I took shallow breaths to calm down my aching muscles as I looked at both of them.
They too were out of breath as they took a mont to rest as well.
[...Are they really going all out?]
'...You noticed?'
[...Yeah, they both are holding back.]
'...Yeah.'
Ethan isn't at his full potential anyway because he hasn't beco an Avatar yet and he isn't using his bloodline as well, to not give away his identity.
Well, when he becos an Avatar, he can use his blessing more efficiently, but right now, all three of us are too weak for that.
And for Oliver, he isn't using his eyes for many reasons, but mainly because the drawback is too much for him to handle.
'They both are monsters.'
"What do you want?" I grunted, standing up straight, looking at Oliver.
"Let touch you." He grinned widely as he dashed towards again.
....Fucking bitch.
Neplh.
I touched my injured part, coating my hand with blood before turning it into a blade of ice.
"Sargah."
Tens of rings made of wind rushed towards the next instant, forcing to face them head-on. Using the blade, I deflected them, wasting minimum energy.
Ethan circled around, looking for an opening.
His eyes were cold and calculating, taking advantage of a brief opening, thrusting his sword towards my side.
I twisted, barely avoiding the strike, sweeping the arc of my ice blade at him. He pushed himself back, avoiding it.
With a swift motion, Oliver wrapped the chain of his nunchuck around my ice blade, yanking his hand, and breaking it.
Half of the blade hovered in mid-air as Oliver grabbed it and thrust towards .
Neplh.
I opened my palm, the blade dissolving as it touched before getting reattached to the broken part of the blade.
Oliver's eyes widened, my blade aid at his head.
He ducked, and retaliated with a spinning kick that caught off guard. I stumbled back but quickly regained my footing.
"I will ask again, what do you want?" I questioned, glaring at him as he rushed in again.
I knew I couldn't keep this up for much longer.
The strain on my body was imnse, and I could feel my strength waning.
And I still need to reserve my mana for later.
"Promise you won't hide things from ." Swinging his nunchuck at my face, he said.
"What are you, my wife!?" I retorted, grabbing the handle of the nunchuck before kneeing his stomach.
"Should I blush?" Grinning, he asked, blocking my knee with his hand.
"You should, bitch." I grumbled, looking at Ethan who lunged at again, his sword aid at my chest.
I loosened my grip on the nunchuck as I parried his attack with my ice blade before kicking him in the midsection, sending him sprawling on the ground.
My skin burned because of overusing my runes as I stepped back away from Oliver.
Neplh.
I coated my hand with my blood again, making my ice blade more sturdy as Oliver once again prowled towards .
He swung his nunchuck to block, but I twisted at the last mont, evading his defense and slashing at his midsection.
The blade bit deep, making him let out a pained grunt.
"You want to continue?" I asked, placing my ice blade at the back of his neck.
"Your promise?" He asked, touching his midsection that gushed blood.
"Well, if you are worth telling." Shrugging, I replied before I looked at Ethan.
He took the battle stance again, ready to continue the fight, but I was in no mood to do that.
"Ethan!! A little help!!"
Thankfully, the loud voice of Miley forced his attention away from as he looked up.
'...'
I looked up as well, seeing how Ashlyn was manhandling her, throwing bolts of light continuously.
That's my at shield, all right.
"We will continue this later." He spat those words before rushing to help her.
"Co on, stop moving." I patted Oliver's back before bringing my hand close to his midsection.
"Fuck you." He grumbled, sitting down.
"Ruah."
I mumbled, and the next instant, small greenish light emitted from my hand, healing his wound.
"Rest here." I ordered him, making him look up.
"Ask if you need anything, brother." He smiled earnestly, staring into my eyes.
"...Sure." I agreed before walking towards the entrance.
[...You lied.]
'I did.'
....I don't want to risk your life.
....Not now or ever.
[...Are you not going up?]
El asked as I entered the stadium instead of moving towards the translucent shield.
'...No, let them be. I don't have much mana left anyway. I should just focus on my own survival,'
I thought as I looked around to find Lauryn.
"..."
But my entire body froze as my eyes abruptly stopped on the girl standing in front of .
Her beautiful white eyes glared at , her hand holding a sharp sword as she whispered,
"Uzu bloodline—kagura: mai."
Five minutes until explosion.
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