"I don't believe it! How could Black Saga do something so despicable! Not only has he harmed his fellow teammate, he has also harmed Sword King White Mask!" Peter was shocked. He stuttered as he spoke, trying his hardest not to believe what he had just seen. Yet try as he could, he couldn't erase the poisonous images from his mind. His words shook the soul of everyone here. The last bit of respect they had for their legend was gone, and there was nothing but disgust and pain left. How could he do something like this? He had attacked even after he lost? He was nothing but a disgrace!
Lam's eyes were opened wide in disbelief, his gaze naturally drawn to the hand that was embedded in his chest. Even with the mask on, one could see that those eyes were full of stunned surprise. Black Axe spat a mouthful of blood, his eyes slowly turning lifeless.
"Captain?" he stuttered, not believing for once that his life would have been ended by the man he adored and worshipped the most. He struggled to turn his head, a feat that seemed impossible for the one he yearned to see was directly behind him. But through sheer will and belief, he managed this seemingly impossible task. And when his head turned a full 180 degrees, he was able to look the man he had called captain for years in his eyes, and in doing so he realised an anomaly immediately.
Seeing those flickering red lights dancing within Black Saga's eyes, Black Axe knew immediately that his Captain wasn't himself. After all, why would his Captain try to kill him? Even when death was just before him; even with his vision fading and his reality turning to mush, he could tell that this person wasn't his Captain. Those eyes were devoid of any emotions. There was no anger, no pain, no joy, or sorrow. Those eyes were dull, almost like his captain was dead and was being controlled by another.
"Axe!" Black Hammer screamed, his deep voice shrilled by the sorrow he was feeling. Black Axe was his brother, with only three years between them. They were so close that many people thought that they were actually twins, and their years of doing everything together had left them inseparable. There were two people that Black Hammer respected more than anyone else in the world, even more than City Lord Sutton. One was his big brother, Black Axe, and the other was Black Saga. But if he had to rank the two, Black Axe would undoubtedly take the first position with a very sizable gap. His brother's position couldn't be replaced by anything else, and not even his Captain could fill that void if it were to be left behind. But now he had watched one of the men he respected very much, crush the heart of the person who was the world to him. His eyes turned red with fury, and his large hammer came crushing down.
*Boom*
*Crunch*
With the sound of bones being crushed into countless little fragments, Black Saga was forcefully separated from Black Axe, but the dagger he used was still lodged in Lam's chest. His arm had been crushed by Black Hammer's violent attack, but he was still alive. "Healers! Please help us!" Black Hammer hastily reached for his brother, and screamed for help. Lam slumped onto the floor once the hand that held on to him was no more. Blood poured out of his chest, in such copious amounts that it was almost impossible to see any way out of this for him. His eyes dimmed slowly but surely, and the cold hand of death reached for him. Black Hammer's shouts had awakened everyone in the stadium. The disbelief from what they had just witnessed was forcefully pushed aside by Black Hammer's helpless roar. Healers rushed to both Lam and Black Axe. Several more made their way onto the stadium, knowing full well that at this moment, there could never be too many healers.
Steel Fist also sprang into action. Her eyes were full of rage, and her aura was turbulent. She didn't hide anything anymore, and the power of an Eagle made its appearance.
*Scree*
Her power extended its wings into the sky, like an eagle soaring in the rain. She moved towards Black Saga's broken figure with incomparable speed, her feet almost never touching the ground. As she glided towards him, her eyes filled with disappointment and rage, and then she struck his broken figure as the man tried to get up once again.
*Bang*
Black Saga was mercilessly pounded into the ground. The injuries he accumulated from Lam's ram were aggravated, and blood flowed endlessly out of his mouth. That strike that snapped his spine in half, and he would never be able to walk again. His eyes were still dull, yet at this moment the red lights slowly receded, and he came to himself. Even though he wasn't in control then, he still saw for himself what he had done, and tears started to pour out of his eyes. He regained control of himself just in time to see the figure of Steel Fist towering over him. Even in her rage she had held back, not killing him but choosing to cripple him instead for his actions. Even if she didn't care about Lam, Black Saga acting against one of his own was a crime punishable by death, and crippling him was mercy.
"You dare shed a tear!" Steel fist screamed, her fury further heightened by seeing the emotion in Black Saga's eyes. To her he was nothing but a reckless man; a fool who didn't think twice about killing his own subordinate just to exact revenge. She knew that he had a temper, but she never expected the honest looking man to be this immoral. She abandoned her decision of letting him go. She was an Eagle, even if she chose to exact judgement on behalf of the City Lord, he wouldn't be able to do a thing, and she was ready to do just that. Her eyes flashed as her aura ascended into the sky. The aura of an Eagle half materialized behind her. The large beast screeched in anger, and its talons reached for the man who was responsible for its rage.
From the audience a powerful aura sprang to life, and a figure clad in a large cloak breezed past several people, pushing most of them out of the way just to get to the field. In less than ten seconds, this cloaked figure was on the field, and in just a couple of seconds, this person was right next to Lam.
"Brother!" the heartbreaking voice of this person was particularly moving, and the healers who surrounded Lam sighed in pity and pain. The voice was a feminine one, and as the hood of the cloak fell off to reveal the stunning features of the one who had so rudely barged upon the premises not open to the public, even the most unmoved by the most recent events felt their heartstrings tear just a little bit. A beautiful face that was almost ethereal was what they say. Green eyes that seemed to hold the power of nature itself moved past them and focused only on the figure breathing laboriously on the ground. Even the snot and tears on her face couldn't hide her pain. And her sorrow was infectious.
"Ma'am, please calm down," one of the healers attempted to calm the girl down, but when he tried to touch her he was thrown back violently by a strong force of repulsion.
"That's my brother. Don't you dare tell me to calm down! And why is the dagger still embedded within his chest!" the young woman screamed furiously, her tremendous power exposed for all to see. Her powerful aura was like a billowing storm, and most of the healers struggled to breathe under the power of her might. They wanted to tell her to calm down. They wanted to plead desperately with her for amnesty even though they weren't responsible for what had happened. They needed her to take the powerful pressure of them so that they could try to save the masked man, but they couldn't even open their mouths under her pressure. They couldn't say a single thing. They couldn't speak, breathing was a laborious task now, and their bodies were slowly drenched in sweat that mixed with the raindrops. Slowly but surely they kneeled under the power of her aura.
*Roar*
A mighty roar was heard all through the stadium, as a stoic figure descended from the clouds. Well this person didn't really descend from the clouds. She descended from the commentator's booth, but because of how high it was placed in the stadium, many thought she descended from the sky. The loud roar was from this person. That roar was the result of her aura manifestation, for behind her was a large golden lioness. And although it had only half-materialized, its power wasn't to be underestimated.
"Please calm down and let the healers do their jobs!" the powerful woman pleaded as she tried to get close to the rioting young miss. Many people recognised this person, and they were stunned by her power. It was Maggie who had stepped in. And although many suspected that she was unordinary, they had never once considered that she was a Lioness! They watched in stunned silence as Maggie confronted the young girl. After all, what else could they do but watch? They had no power, and those who did couldn't even stand up to the girl's aura, let alone go against it.
Maggie squinted her eyes as she observed the girl before her. Although she had no problem going against the girl's aura, she could feel the power in it was no way inferior to her own and wanted to avoid a clash as much as possible. It was hard to believe that one who looked so young was this powerful, but she was aware that many powerful women were able to keep their looks till a certain age, and thought that maybe this person who looked like a young girl may actually be her age or a few years younger than her at most.
"How can I calm down?! That oaf attacked my…"
"Lily," a calm voice interrupted their conversation as a figure clad in a black mask made his way next to the girl.
The eyes exposed by the mask were serene, and had not a hint of emotion, yet looking into those beautiful blue eyes didn't leave Maggie with the appreciation of their beauty, but with chills all over her body. She could feel her power slowly receding before this man, as if it was expressing its desire to concede!
"How is that possible?" she wondered. How could her strength so easily leave her in front of another? It was then that she realised that this man was way out of her league. He could easily kill her, and she shivered in fright from the thought of this. When had her life ever been in the hands of another? She was a Lioness, she wasn't going to surrender to anyone!
"Roar," she roared loudly as her aura billowed once more. Yet she had hardly gathered momentum when the black masked man gazed at her and said, "Quiet."
*Crack*
Like a deflated balloon all the power she was accumulating disappeared. She felt a certain weakness overcome her, and she fell to the ground. One word! That was all it took! How could someone stop a Lioness with just a word? The healers and every other person around felt nothing but fear, for what kind of power must one wield to be able to easily deal with a Predator – and to do so with nothing but words and not even their fists?
"Let the healers do their job," the black masked figure stated and put out his arm around the girl's shoulders. He reached out to wipe her tears, an action that didn't seem congruent with the cruel and powerful image he had built in the minds of those around them with his most recent feat. His words and his actions seemed to have opened a dam in the girl's heart, for she grasped him tightly, throwing her arms around his neck and pushing herself into his embrace like a helpless lamb. Her cries and sobs were heartbreaking, but her powerful aura was no more.
"Get to work," the black masked man coldly commanded, and the healers hastily returned to the side of stabbed white masked man, trying their best to save him. Others moved to Black Axe, not forgetting their duties as healers even under the threat of death.
"Thank you," Hildegarde said as she flew right next to Mane. She had a complicated expression on her face.
"You have used up the only favor I owe you. There shall be no next time." Mane coldly replied through Lock-On. The reason he hadn't blown his top yet was Hildegarde. Every fairy was entitled to a request. They had the right to ask anything of their Tested and as long as it was within the Tested's power, he/she had to fulfil it. It was called Fairy's Favor. Usually fairies saved this favor for later, choosing to make their requests after the test was over for maximum benefits. However Hildegarde had made her choice and used her request selflessly, asking that Mane spare the lives of the Asher City citizens.
"He isn't in any danger. The dagger missed his heart and surrounding arteries." One of the healers examining Lam breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the boy's height had helped him. Although Lam was tall, he wasn't as tall as Black Axe. So when Black Saga had struck through Black Axe, the dagger was lodged right below Lam's clavicle and had missed his heart which was below.
Mane nodded his head expressionlessly, and then he struck the nape of Lily's neck, knocking her unconscious. His figure flashed and he disappeared before everyone's eyes. Then he reappeared next to the unsuspecting Orange Ivy who was still processing the events of the day.
"Take care of her," Mane spoke slowly and handed Lily to Orange Ivy who nodded her head vigorously and immediately took Lily out of Mane's arms. Mane then turned his head to face the direction he was headed to.
"You have touched my friend, yet you dare escape? Stay behind!" he bellowed mightily as the aura of a 1st Stage Earth Realmer exploded from within his body!