Chapter 112: 3V1
Chapter 112
"Water Veil: Flowing tide!" Jace roared as he leaped into the air, water swirling wildly around him like a raging serpent. His sword swung out in a wide arc, the water lashing forth like a twisting, snaky whip that cracked through the air with deadly precision.
Blake only grinned. With a casual leap, he avoided the attack. The watery whip smashed into the ground where he had been standing, tearing into the floor and leaving behind a small crater as smoke hissed upward from the impact.
Landing lightly on an overturned table, Blake balanced himself with unnerving ease. But his expression shifted when he suddenly felt the temperature plummet.
His instincts screamed at him as the air thickened with heat and danger. He quickly spun around, his eyes widening as a massive slash of flame came roaring toward his face at blinding speed.
’Crap!’ Blake thought, teeth clenched. He stomped his foot hard into the table beneath him.
BOOM! A deafening bang echoed through the den as Blake shot himself upward, vaulting high into the air just in time. The flaming slash obliterated the space he had just vacated, carving into the ground with brutal force and leaving behind deep, glowing fissures that hissed with smoke and embers.
"Catch!" Lyra howled as a spear suddenly materialized in her grip as though conjured from the void itself. She hurled it forward with tremendous strength. The speed was so great that the air itself shattered around the weapon, creating a piercing sonic crack as it tore across the room.
Blake’s reflexes saved him. He pivoted sharply, his body twisting midair as the spear ripped past him. He landed back down on the ground floor where the others stood, boots slamming against the cracked tiles.
But he had no chance to recover. Lyra was already waiting for him. This time, she held a massive war hammer glowing faintly with raw power. With a furious cry, she swung it forward with devastating momentum.
Blake barely managed to lift his arms in defense before the hammer smashed into his body. The force sent him flying like a ragdoll, his back slamming against the wall with a bone-rattling CRASH!
"Shit," Blake coughed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He struggled to rise, staggering as his body trembled from the impact. But before he could steady himself, Jace was already upon him, sword raised high mid-swing.
The blade came down with lethal force, but Blake simply snapped his head upward, eyes sharp.
The moment he saw the incoming strike, he planted his palm firmly against the ground. Energy pulsed outward from his body in an ominous vibration as he muttered under his breath.
"Sound Veil: Destructo."
BOOOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from beneath him, tearing through the floorboards. The ground collapsed into jagged craters as shockwaves ripped outward.
Jace lost his footing completely, stumbling as the ground gave way. He would have fallen face-first into the wreckage had Lyra not dashed in. She grabbed him midair, her momentum carrying them both to safety as she leapt clear of the collapsing floor.
"Flame Veil: Inferno!" Tom bellowed, his voice filled with fury. He thrust his greatsword with overwhelming strength, and a spiraling torrent of flames surged forward. The inferno spun violently, resembling a tornado of blazing fire, all aimed at Blake, who was just beginning to rise from the ground once more.
"Sound Veil: Sonic boom!" Blake roared, slamming his palms together. The room shook violently as an ear-splitting boom tore through the space, a shockwave of compressed sound colliding directly with Tom’s fiery tornado.
The two overwhelming forces clashed in midair, crackling and roaring as they struggled for dominance. Fire swirled violently against sound, the clash lighting the entire room in a chaotic storm. For several long seconds, neither yielded.
Finally, both attacks detonated in a massive explosion, the force blasting outward in a brutal shockwave. Tom was driven back several feet, his boots skidding harshly against the cracked floor as his greatsword trembled in his grip.
Smoke and embers filled the air, the battlefield momentarily hidden in chaos.
"Hu!" Lyra grunted as she leaped forward, her body twisting with violent momentum. A whip materialized in her grip, its tip lined with vicious spikes that gleamed under the dim light. She didn’t waste even a heartbeat, lashing it out with feral strength.
Blake, acting purely on instinct, spotted a table just a foot away. His hand shot out, gripping it firmly before yanking it up as a makeshift shield.
CRACK!
The whip struck the table, and the impact was devastating. The wood didn’t even last a second before it exploded into jagged splinters, shards scattering across the room like deadly shrapnel.
The sheer force of the strike sent Blake skidding backward, his boots screeching against the ruined floor. He grunted as pain lanced across his arm, a thin scratch opening up and dripping a steady stream of blood down his sleeve.
"Seriously though, what is your veil?!" Blake spat in anger, his voice sharp and guttural. "It’s annoying as hell!" His eyes narrowed at the trio who were already shifting into another stance, ready for round two.
"And that’s why I’m called the strongest female Reaver around. I’m not called the warmongress for nothing." Lyra’s grin stretched wide, her eyes burning with a predator’s gleam.
"Is this really the time for you to gloat?" Tom muttered with a frown, his gaze fixed firmly on Blake. His grip on his greatsword tightened, flames crackling faintly along the blade’s edge.
"Please," Jace interjected, his voice strained as he raised a hand. "Don’t start fighting among yourselves right now."
But Tom wasn’t listening. His flames roared brighter, licking across his sword as he kept walking forward.
"Because you have a grudge against the SilverFall Clan, is that really enough reason to summon an A-ranked beast into town?!" His voice thundered.
"An A-ranked beast?" Blake blinked, his face shifting to genuine surprise. "What beast? Wait—are there beasts in this town?" His tone was almost convincing in its shock.
"Stop trying to play dumb!" Tom shouted furiously as flames erupted around his feet. Without hesitation, he launched himself forward with explosive force.
BOOM!
The air cracked as Tom blitzed ahead, leaving behind a trail of fire and smoke. In less than a second, he appeared before Blake, greatsword lunging forward with vicious speed.
But Blake was already moving. He twisted sharply, leaping aside as the greatsword tore into the wall behind him with a CRASH, leaving a deep gouge of charred stone.
Without pausing, Blake countered. His foot swung in a brutal roundhouse, the heel slamming into Tom’s neck. The force of the strike made Tom’s heels dig furrows into the ground as he skidded backward, trenches carved out beneath him.
"Water Veil: Waterfall!" Jace whispered sharply from above, his sword encased in swirling streams of water. But his chance vanished instantly.
Blake’s eyes darted upward, and before Jace could even finish chanting, Blake was already there. His foot snapped upward in a merciless kick, slamming into Jace’s abdomen with bone-crushing force.
"Argh!" Jace coughed, blood and saliva bursting from his mouth as the air was knocked clean out of his lungs.
BANG! His body was hurled down from the air like a falling meteor, smashing into the ground with blistering force. He rolled violently across the floor, skidding until he finally crashed to a halt, gasping and clutching his abdomen.
’Crap! Too fast and too strong!’ Jace groaned internally, each breath sharp with agony. His vision swam as pain burned across his ribs and stomach.
Lyra’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ’How was he able to react that quickly to Jace’s attack? No hesitation, no delay. He’s been avoiding our blows consistently, and while he’s taking damage, it’s never fatal. What is he hiding? What is he relying on?’
"Kek! Shall we go for some more?!" Blake bellowed with manic glee. His laughter echoed across the ruined room.
Then, with a thunderous BANG, his body blurred forward once again, moving with a speed that almost split the air itself.