CHAPTER 16 - I SWEAR I FAINTED BECAUSE OF THAT FLYING KISS
Don't you hate it when your opponent smiles like a psycho and slaps you with a trump card that she's been hiding all along? I do. I hate the suspense, the drama, and the fear after they showed that "You just activated my trap card!" kind of face.
The wind became horribly strong as if we're inside a tornado. The pop star idol, who is now having these phoenix-like features, is now charging a miniature sun on top of her head. I can feel intense pressure and heat coming from that one.
"An Ultimate attack, huh?" Lizzy smiled as she glared at the phoenix pop star.
With determination to win the fight, Lizzy injected more prana on the bluish-white star that she has been charging with her layers of the magical circle. Lightning bolts started to scatter around her ball of light, signaling that it is ready to be launched.
The phoenix ball is getting bigger, and so is the dwarf star. If they unleashed both, it would surely annihilate a city block. I don't know if I'm safe in my position anymore.
"All I have to do is to blast it to smithereens before you can launch it!" Lizzy shouted.
I looked at the enemy Archon. A spark went through my brain. I saw a sign, a critical cue that would bear a lot in this fight.
"Stop!" I shouted out loud to my Fighter.
"Eh?" Lizzy's eyes widened in surprise. She shortly glanced at me with her peripherals.
"Lizzy, it's a counter-attack type Ultimate! Do not fire!"
Obediently enough, Lizzy stopped charging her dwarf star. The blue ball of light disintegrated, and the magical circle layers shattered.
The dwarf star disappeared, and so is the miniature sun.
We waited for two seconds. For those two seconds, the phoenix angel only unleashed a series of harmless pulses that spread out in the air.
The enemy Fighter Yufa Haruna lost control of her wings. The flame wings exploded into ember dust, and the pop star fell down on her knees, fully exhausted.
On the other hand, the enemy Archon stood astonished. Her blue eyes are wide open and shocked.
"You...You saw through our plan?!" Guinevere Arcaliburn's voice cracked. "H-How?"
"Now!" I shouted out loud.
"Rune Enhancement: Stardust Heel!"
Lizzy bolted forward with a breakneck speed with white flame boosters on her boots. She reached the weakened Yufa Haruna in just a matter of a split second.
"Hnngh!" Yufa Haruna got up and tried to jump back.
"Permission to use Ultimate!" Lizzy shouted.
"Accepted!" I cried out loud as I pointed my glowing hand to my princess. "Unleashing Ultimate!"
[Ultimate Activated]
"Stardust Crystal Seal!"
As soon as Lizzy shouted her Ultimate's name, she tapped her foot on the ground near Yufa Haruna. A wide blue magical circle was created and spread out all over the place. It divided into two and one of the magical circles flew up in the skies. The magical circles covered up an area of an average house!
"Kuh!" Yufa Haruna cried as she was frozen in place due to the magical circles' gravitational power. "I-I can't move!"
"Blades, obey my call!" Lizzy shouted out loud as she gracefully spun her sword.
Stardusts gathered up in the skies and molded into twelve gigantic lances that surged towards the enemy!
"Yufa!" Guinevere cried as she tried to reach out her hand.
A series of loud explosions echoed. Wind shockwaves blasted all over the place. Smoke filled the area for a moment.
When the smoke faded, Yufa Haruna revealed herself to be completely pinned down by the stardust spears' handles and flat edges. She looked like a poor cat who got trapped in a bear trap.
"G-Guin… I'm sorry." Yufa cried.
I sighed when I realized that Yufa Haruna is not hurt. Her idol dress is now ragged. Much of her thighs and cleavage are showing.
"Yufa!"
Guinevere cried as she ran towards her Fighter. But before she could reach her dear friend, a blade shifted in between, the edge pointing at her throat.
"Ah!"
"I guess this is our win, Princess Guinevere Arcaliburn of Avalon," Lizzy said with a threatening cold glare.
"Y-Yes." Guinevere matched Lizzy's gaze with a flaming blue stare. "Are you going to kill us?"
"No." Lizzy immediately dematerialized her sword and stepped back three times. "I'm not a murderer. All I wanted you two to do is to let us go, and not to spread a word about my whereabouts. I also wanted you to leave John alone. I knew you have been investigating this man for the past days, and I compel you to stop. You're a princess too, so I trust that you have a word of honor."
Guinevere smiled. She looked beautiful with that gesture but it creeps me out, considering that I just discovered she's been stalking me for the past days.
"Deal. I pledge with the name of the Arcaliburn, that we will forget the encounter that happened this night. I will also keep my mouth shut and stop stalking your cute boyfriend right there."
Lizzy dispelled the Stardust Crystal Seal so that Yufa Haruna could move. Yufa fell on the ground sitting on her buttocks when the spears of light disappeared. She's so exhausted that she's gasping for air.
Guinevere Arcaliburn tried to assist her Fighter, but her Fighter shook her head as if she didn't need any help. Yufa proved it when she tried to stand with her shaking legs.
Almost immediately, Guinevere made a kind smile to Lizzy as if they are already friends.
"The rumors are right. The Princess of Agartha takes pride in not killing any enemy despite being so powerful. It makes me believe that the charges of murder against you are false and that you have been framed."
Lizzy and I were astounded. We never talked about Lizzy's innocence at all, yet this other princess just hypothetically figured all we had to say!
Lizzy smiled back. "The Princess of Avalon is really known for her intelligence and wits."
"Ohoho! You flatter me, my fellow princess~" Guinevere laughed like true royalty. Then she made a glare at me. "But if we're talking about intelligence, your Archon is the perfect example of that. What is your name, boy?"
"John. John Casterdyne."
"John Casterdyne, huh? I shall remember that name. I thought you're a complete idiot but it seems that you're just pretending. Tell me, how did you figure out that Yufa's Ultimate is a counter-attack type?"
I scratched my head and tried to formulate the words properly.
"Uh, it's just a hunch. There are clues that I took into consideration, but I mainly read your body language. I saw you smirking and your hands are clenching impatiently, meaning you are waiting for Lizzy to unleash her powerful attack all along."
"Ohohoho! You really are smart, Johnny!" Guinevere slapped my shoulder so hard that I think we're already friends. "I hope to learn more from you in our next meetings. For now, I have to go. I still have to heal my exhausted friend here. Godspeed, my dear rivals."
Guinevere Arcaliburn and Yufa Haruna bowed, and they started to walk away. I noticed that Yufa Haruna is certainly not in the condition to walk as she is limping. She's also holding her right hand which probably had a broken bone.
I looked at my system HUD and confirmed that my Command Code is ready. With a smile, I shouted at them out loud.
"Wait!"
Both girls turned to me. I pointed my hand towards Yufa Haruna and spoke the words that would truly astonish them.
"Command Code: Full Heal!"
With that code, Yufa Haruna's body was back to her perfect shape. She looked at random parts of her body and confirmed that there's not a scratch anymore. She has even recovered her energy.
"M-Mister John! Thank you!"
With a blushing face, Yufa Haruna waved her hand at me and made an adorable flying kiss.
"Bye-bye!"
"Yeah! Bye bye~" I waved back.
That smile and flying kiss from a teenage pop star is very much worth it. Even if I forced myself to use three Command Codes this day, even if I'm about to pass out, at least I can have this satisfied smile on my face.
I collapsed to the ground due to mana deficiency.
Worth it.