The movements that the ground bees could detect were many, the enemy had not hidden in any empty building, but contrary to what was thought it was full of students, teachers, cleaning personnel and visitors scheduled for that day . Kevin tries to get out to enter the front room, the place where the bullet that hit Esteban had apparently come, not very well showing his hair another shot passes him cutting a few copper threads from his head in its path; Before what happened, the leader of Afriz becomes impatient and causes the ground below them and that of the next building to suffer tremors, bringing the screams of the frightened people inside, Esteban takes him by the shoulder, inciting him to calm down so as not to hurt anyone and thus make.
Try concentrating again to find the person who is attacking you from the crowd, when you are close to finding him one by one the bees begin to break up leaving only dust this gives a connection failure to Kevin who looks at his companion with a great bewilderment on his face.
—Whoever he is attacking us is either well versed in melee or ridiculously strong— he explains. —My bees cannot be destroyed with firearms and they are quite resistant against blows.
—How do you think he got rid of them then without any power?— Esteban asks with a great question on his face to the point of contracting his eyebrows into a frown on his forehead.
—My theory is that Antirda knew he would strike today and this being his secret weapon against our men and even against us, he endowed him with some of his power to be able to confront us— Kevin speaks touching the bangs that had previously been grazed by the bullet .
—What you say ... Could that be possible?— Esteban watches Erick's battle against Menrip in the distance and Marinep begins to approach them. —That fool, what does she think he's doing? He should keep waiting in the rear— he says as he feels his heart not stop beating with contained fear.
—We should go to where they are— suggests Kevin conceiving his nerves on the surface. —Perhaps if we approach the leader of Antirda, the marksman will find it difficult to focus due to the display of powers in the air.
—We have no choice, let's do it.
Both enter the forest, losing themselves between its trunks, making Max unable to visualize them due to the thickness and darkness in it, so he begins to move towards another point that allows him a greater coverage of vision to shoot. The two leaders know that if they go out like this for just one centimeter they will be engulfed again in a hail of bullets so they do not leave the forest and decide to surround the area until they reach Marinep and the others.
Marinep approaches where her brother is and throws the stones wrapped with her power as she had done with the leader of Esia, separating the leaders who fought incessantly with the impact. Erick, annoyed with the intrusion, tries to make her retreat but she does not give in, her body increases the intensity of heat more than even those who were away from the collision place as the ruler and Marinep's mother felt it as a slight blow of hot. With this rise in power, the leader plans to attack the enemy in front of him and whoever stands in the way.
—Princess!— shouts Kevin and then stand behind Erick and hold him tightly. —Agh ... hot ... you're insane, calm down so you won't be able to fight well instead you'll hurt everyone including you.
—Let go of me or this time I'll burn you— he threatens without lowering the heat of his flames a bit.
—You're not like that, you tend to be more methodical with everything you do and seeing yourself carried away by your feelings is something weird. Auntie would kill you if she saw you this way.
Erick, when listening to him, begins to calm down, his power does not diminish but the heat that he gave off no longer affects others. His amber eyes rise so as not to lose the person in front of him, within him quite conflicting emotions emerge such as anger, hatred, loss ... after recovering he tells Kevin that he can let go of him, he does so seeing that the person in front of him he has quickly recovered back to his old self.
—Kevin, you also got the news from my mother, right?— His voice is pained.
—Yes, I'm sorry; My men informed me. I'm sure she did it because she was the best for you right now, that's why your power had an abysmal rise; since, she who protected the seal decided to undo it personally instead of a third party. Somehow the full power returned to the owner of it and not to the foundations of your territory— Marinep approaches Erick and touching his arm expresses his regret, while Esteban looks a little far away.
—If we fight together we can confront his powers— he adds. —Remember that he has not yet activated the power that characterizes him for being the leader of the Neutral territory, his domain of the channels; the power that will decide the course of this battle.
Everyone understands what the Amira Sur leader is referring to and know that the moment that happens they will have to work more together than they have ever done, as there could be dire consequences for everyone present. The leaders of Amira North, South and Afriz release the seal of their scythes to add more elevation to their powers and thus be able to face Menrip. They start the counterattack again, Marinep and Esteban stay in the rear while Erick and Kevin go on the offensive.
Marinep knowing that there are shooters that can impair her fight creates a force field around all of them where nothing can enter and much less exit. Max from the outside sees what happens, he knows that he does not have many bullets coated with magic power to even make a hole in the barrier so he sends other subordinates to attack and thus achieve that the field can be weakened. On the other hand, Menrip looks around at the great force field looking more solid than ever in a semitransparent color that when he gets closer he feels that his body could break.
Kevin begins eroding the earth under the enemy's feet so that, having him disoriented by the tremors, he raises two large bars of sand imprisoning him from the sides, he looks at Erick and he instantly sends bursts of fire through the cracks in the sand reaching towards the body inside the tombstones turning the place into an oven. Menrip is protected with ice but it is not so dense to prevent it from melting or preventing part of its hood from starting to catch fire, by coating the sand with snow as fast as it can, it manages to cut the communication of the fire and then get rid of the layer that was still covered in flames.
Menrip when throwing the layer to the ground and with the smoke created by it makes him start to cough dryly, after calming down he prepares to attack but is stopped by Esteban's chains imprisoning him against the scorched sand. He approaches freezing him to break them, without success, since he is covered by the powers of his sister Marinep, the attackers lead again with his forces to make him fall but the leader does not stay on the ground; With acid from a flower, it goes through the coating that protects the chains, breaking it and thus freeing itself avoiding the fire and earth attacks of the two attackers. Seeing that he is at a disadvantage in power, she has no choice but to activate his last card.
—Well let's get to the middle of this stupid war between us— he says as his blue-gray eyes settle on each of the leaders' faces. —Neutral power, reciprocal feeding channels— Menrip is enveloped again with a new aura, Erick when seeing it knows that now things will get more complicated but he is impressed to see that instead of the appearance of a scythe, it appears as a representation of its power a golden colored staff with beautiful decorations so that it is then thrown into the air and all the powers that were active are turned off, puzzling those present. The neutral leader starts coughing wildly and calming down a bit he looks up at them. Marinep sees a smile form on her lips but she feels it, it is not them he sees or laughs, it is someone behind them. Who? Is his mother his, the ruler or will it be Joselin?
***
Marinep's mother cannot hide her anxiety at all when she sees what unfolds in front of her, she approaches Joselin to observe that disappointment is shown in her thin face and uncertainty is reflected in her eyes as she bites her lower lip, retaining a restrained rage as to the outcome that may unfold from the battle. The woman thinks that perhaps at this moment it is decisive for all of them and they are very concerned about it, so, she tries to get closer to talk to her being interrupted before even opening her mouth by the ruler who begins to laugh right at the face of the leader of Irop.
—Isn't it funny what happens?— The ruler speaks without disappearing his Machiavellian smile from his lips. —Things didn't turn out the way you wanted, did they?— It shows all over your face. The thin disappointment, the smell of failure and the feeling of defeat is eating you because the mountain of problems did not diminish at any time.
—What are you talking about?— asks the woman.
—It's true sister-in-law you don't know, this person here— she points out to Joselin. —She has cheated on you all this time, although your adopted son who was never influenced by her instead of being cornered turned the disadvantages in her favor, she takes a reddish lock and plays with it between her fingers while Joselin began to tremble of anger. —The reason is that this person after being informed of what we did twenty years ago, his territory appointed him ruler at the age he received his powers, thus creating a stigma that the leader should also be the ruler of his territory so as not to share power and venerate them as a deity, the supreme beings, the unshakable.
—... That ... — once again the woman is interrupted by the arrogant man.
—I'm not finished yet, she orchestrated everything together with the ruler of Esia to end the leaders and with your son to propose this dogma in all the territories, being us, of course, the new rulers of these lands fingers. That's why I find it funny to see that the person who used us finally realizes that she is the one who has also been used by others.
The man's laugh becomes overwhelmingly scandalous, the redhead says nothing, denies nothing, doesn't even move; the woman scandalized by what she just heard she knows she must tell those who now fight, but before moving she is locked in a big bubble.
—Mother in law.
—I'm not your mother-in-law, you will never be anything to my son. How could you fool us like that?— Shouts Marinep's mother inside the bubble.
—What a shame ... even with the circumstances I think that his son and I make a beautiful couple, it is a real pity that he has been the neutral leader that my territory has wanted to eliminate so much and that even when I knew it he never wanted to accept being of this side. I have no choice but to act on it, so I ask you not to make me angry or I will kill you. The inside of that bubble is filled with a vacuum, so conserving the little oxygen that remains is her top priority at this moment— the woman begins to feel her breathing become heavy as she sees that the girl is now heading towards the ruler of Amira. South. As for you ... she has said enough, it's time to disappear.
***
The leaders in battle are forced to fight hand to hand as their powers become null against Menrip now, when they try to attack him with some of their powers they simply vanish before even touching him. They all attack at the same time to disconcert him and when he is overwhelmed, he withdraws them with his ice powers, in which his cough suddenly reappears to the point that he squats on the now whitish earth, the drops of blood spilling from his nose and hands covering his mouth color the snow beneath him as his cough causes his body to arch in relief.
Marinep moves to go help him but is stopped by Esteban while Kevin tries to take the opportunity to attack him but a white blast coming from the direction of the building on the right goes through his abdomen at enormous speed, knocking Kevin to the ground. One shot has hit him. Erick quickly turns and throws a trail of fire in the direction of the attack hitting the target, Max who narrowly escapes from the fierce flames does not notice the chains on his ankle and is thrown into the air towards the leaders to the which one sees upside down.
—So you were the sniper— says Erick who now treats Kevin's wound who does not stop bleeding.
—If it's any consolation I didn't hit any vital organ, so he'll live— Max explains in his monotonous voice.
Esteban, who cannot keep Marinep from getting close to her brother, goes after her while listening to the conversation between Erick and Max.
—Young Esteban, could you put me down? I need to check Menrip's condition.
—Before that— Marinep interrupts. —Say who you are. Why are you helping my brother with this barbarism? What do you gain from this?
—… How annoying with all this— Max whispers at Marinep's words. —It seems that you had not paid attention to the story, I am a subordinate of the neutral territory apart from being a doctor in the territory of Antirda, I help him because I want and I earn what I want. End of story.
Esteban gets angry at the answer and swings it a bit to make him dizzy before releasing it, but not before raising it a bit so that he hits his back hard. Max complains but in a hurry he gets up approaching Menrip who has not stopped coughing at any time, when he sees him closely he notices that his face is a bit blue, with his arms he pushes the leaders around him away and begins to pat him on the his back to Menrip before pulling a syringe out of his vest and injecting it from the side.
—Menrip you must breathe let's go— he continues slapping her until at one point Menrip gets up a little and vomits thick blood in great intensity, at the end of his lungs they search fiercely for air. —Well, well, you'll be better. Don't do anything else, I'll take care of Kevin's injury now.
Max approaches Kevin and with the help of Erick they manage to stabilize the leader of Afriz by stopping the bleeding from him. On the other hand, Joselin takes the ruler by the shirt, the man tries to free himself from her grasp but the woman encloses her limbs in different bubbles and then make them explode causing her bones to break due to the impact. The man screams in pain attracting the attention of Marinep who turns to see the situation.
—Marinep! I have a gift for you and I hope you enjoy it— at the end of his sentence with his scythe he stabs the ruler in the chest and then with a second thrust he leaves his body inert on the green grass.
Marinep feels a chill run through her body and with great effort runs towards her to attack him, Esteban knows that things can get complicated and gets up to go after her but is stopped by a bloody hand. It is Menrip who between gasps looks at him and whispers something that only he can hear.
***
I do not hear anything that surrounds me now, I only feel a great headache that becomes more and more throbbing to the point of feeling that from one moment to another it will explode, but there is a force that moves my body forward, prompting me to attack. the person who made me fall for this. I know that I am falling into madness and my powers will get out of control from one minute to the next but if I resist it is more painful, I prefer to go ahead and catch Joselin to ask her questions about it.
My eyes are now not only focused on her person, my mother is struggling to breathe inside a bubble made by Joselin, the pain grows leading me to attack the woman who has done this to her, who despite how much she attacks her defends herself with a mocking smile on his whole face, the more I assault him the pain disappears, I don't feel anyone, I don't see anyone, just me and the inner tranquility; suddenly the sound of his footsteps are close to me, placing himself behind me to hold me by the shoulders, with one of his hands he takes my chin so that his clear eyes are in sync with my face, then I hear his calm and serious voice "Here I am Marinep" she gives a small smile. "I won't hurt you, well just on one condition, what do you say?" - My brother's voice brings me back to reality.