The dark reality Tess confirmed ignited a blazing anger within her. With sheer determination, she planted her left hand firmly on the ground and propelled her body upwards, defying the excruciating pain that radiated from her torn muscles and the blood oozing from her tummy piercing.
Each breath she took stoked the fiery ache in her right shoulder, but she couldn't afford to stop breathing, even if suffocating seemed preferable to her dire circumstances. A familiar voice pierced through the chaos, causing Tess to instinctively hold her breath and look up.
The sight that greeted her widened her eyes and allowed her to draw in a desperate gulp of air. The hooded figure who had brought her to that battered state had his hand abruptly severed, the clean cut sending shockwaves through her being. What the freck?
While Tess remained perplexed by the sudden turn of events, her comrades understood the cause. It was Lanse, propelled by his seething rage, who rose to his feet and seized the opportunity while their adversary was preoccupied with lifting Szedra off the ground.
Moving with lightning speed, Lanse swung his sword like a razor disc, slicing through the adversary's hand before he could even register what was happening.
The very same sword that had failed to penetrate the adversary's back when Tess had attempted it now accomplished what seemed impossible.
The severed hand, still clutching the fragment, was sent flying through the air as Szedra, no longer strangled to death, kicked it away with her flailing feet. It soared several feet before crashing to the ground.
Lanse wasted no time and darted towards the fallen appendage. As Zino, who had been thrown into Zack during the chaos, regained her footing, a scream erupted from her lips at the sight of the black liquid oozing from the adversary's sliced-off hand, staining his lower arm like an ominous ink. What kind of freak were they battling?
That's when Tess's gaze shot upward, witnessing Szedra's astonishing display of power. Summoning a sword with her one good hand, the lower ends materialized within the adversary's upper torso, evoking a menacing growl of rage as he glanced down, discovering the blade forged within his own body.
Before he could react, Tess summoned every ounce of strength to rise to her feet, a sword materializing in her grasp, she sent its sharp edge whirling towards the adversary's legs. Simultaneously, two more swords emerged from Zack and Zino, each poised for action.
With the adversary's other hand missing, a shiver ran down Tess's spine as she anticipated his attempt to use Szedra's body as a shield against the onslaught of swords. It mirrored a classic scene from bank heist movies, where hostages were employed to deter gunfire, but this was far more deranged.
But Tess didn't shut her eyes in time to prevent seeing the cruelty she anticipated. The adversary, still clutching Szedra, defied gravity, leaping into the air with a single purpose: to evade the onslaught of blades.
Relieved, Tess summoned another sword, ready for a renewed attack. However, her astonishment grew as a blade streaked towards the adversary's head from an unexpected source—Zino, moving with lightning speed, hurled the weapon with precision.
In a breathtaking twist, the dark hand darted out from the back of the adversary's head, swatting the sword aside. As his feet made contact with the ground, the impact causing a trembling tremor, he callously tossed Szedra aside like a discarded piece of wood.
Szedra's anguished cries echoed through the air, like shards of broken glass tearing at the senses, a heart-wrenching symphony of pain that threatened to shatter the very fabric of their resolve. Tess clenched her jaw tightly, yearning to be deafened by the deafening chaos that surrounded them.
Tess recoiled, momentarily overwhelmed by the visceral sound of despair. She shifted her focus away from Lanse, who forcefully ripped the fragment from the detached limb, flinging the lifeless hand disdainfully to the ground, casting it away like worthless refuse. Then, with contemptuous defiance, he spat on the lifeless appendage, an emphatic gesture of disdain for their adversary's cruel actions.
The terrifying chorus of thousands reverberated through the air, but even their ominous voices couldn't tear Tess's gaze away from the suffering figure of Szedra.
"Again?" the hooded adversary questioned, a mixture of surprise and curiosity in his tone.
A hushed moan escaped Szedra's lips, her squirming ceasing as if realizing that her agony only intensified the pain or that an authoritative voice commanded her silence.
"Even without the ability to manipulate reality, you have managed to land a blow upon us. It has piqued the interest of my friend, who now desires to join the fray," the adversary proclaimed, his words sending a chill down Tess's spine.
Almost spraining her neck from the speed of her turn away from Szedra, Tess locked her gaze upon the tall, dark figure. What did he just say? His friend was about to join them?
A surge of apprehension washed over her as she realized she had momentarily forgotten about the other two figures, dressed in their full black attire. They had been observing the entire ordeal, and it sounded as though one of them was preparing to enter the battle.
A sharp, zipping noise pierced the air, snapping Tess's attention back to the hooded adversary. He had shifted from his previous position, forcing her to frantically scan her surroundings.
Szedra remained on the ground, writhing in pain, while Lanse knelt with his head bowed, his black bangs obscuring his face. Meanwhile, Zack's gaze fixated on something behind Tess, his expression laden with concern.
Following Zack's line of sight, Tess spun around, only to catch sight of a black blur moving with extraordinary speed in tight circles. The height of the blur ruled out Zino's presence, but he could not be chasing himself could he? Zino was nowhere to be seen, leading her to surmise that the adversary was in relentless pursuit of her.
Seizing the opportunity presented by their rapid but aimless circling, Tess realized it was her chance to strike. Was this part of Zino's plan? Or was she desperately evading the adversary, with him struggling to catch up?
As she pondered, doubt crept into Tess's mind, filling her thoughts as she searched the blur relentlessly, seeking an opening to strike. The notion of causing harm to Zino seemed foolish when she herself was wracked with intense pain.
Summoning her resolve, Tess steadied herself, summoning a sword and carefully planning her next moves. She held her breath, willing herself to endure the stabbing pain in her side. Convincing her mind that it was a severe cramp, one that would eventually subside, offered a modicum of relief. While Zack rushed to attend to Szedra, attempting to calm her, Lanse remained rooted in place. Realizing that she was the only one standing, Tess knew that she alone must confront the adversary.
As Tess sought her moment to strike, a torrent of questions flooded her mind, threatening to divert her focus. How could someone run with such searing pain coursing through their body? And why did the adversary appear unfazed by the absence of his hand? It was as if he were immune to the agony it should have caused.
The other question—was she truly facing another test from Sensei? Despite being wounded and Lanse holding the fragment, which should have triggered the expected surrender, there was no plea for mercy. Furthermore, the adversary spoke not with the peculiar Chewlete accent but instead referred to himself in the plural form, defying convention.
Suddenly, something wet splashed against Tess's face, abruptly halting her advance. She tilted her sword to catch her own reflection, her eyes widening in shock as she beheld the blood splattered across her features. What had the adversary done to Zino?
In a moment of realization, Tess shifted her gaze and was stunned to see Zino standing motionless behind the hooded adversary. Her jaw dropped as her eyes moved past Zino's trembling form, her torn clothes revealing deep scrapes and wounds, and settled on the sword she held. The sight of the ghastly red sores sent a painful shiver down Tess's spine, threatening to sap her strength.
However, as Tess took in the scene before her, the positioning of Zino in relation to the adversary left her uncertain of her victory. Doubt crept into her mind, fueled by either pessimism or objectivity, clouding her perception of the truth.
Zino released her grip on the sword's handle, the weapon suspended in mid-air. The tip of the blade remained nowhere near the adversary's flesh, ensnared instead between two rows of menacing teeth.
Tess instinctively jumped backward, her gaze now fixated on the jet-black entity emerging further from the adversary's back. Zino blocked the creature's other half, standing several feet ahead.
The dark being's lips curled up, revealing an array of razor-sharp teeth, each as long as Tess's pinky finger. Its unsettling smile crept upward, stopping beside a glowing green eye, captivating in its intensity.
Perplexed, Tess couldn't help but find it peculiar that the creature's gaze was fixed upon her, even though Zino stood closer to it. Unbeknownst to her, one of the creature's eyes remained trained on Zino while the other remained locked onto Tess.
"Move to the forest," a chilling whisper pierced Tess's left ear, causing her to glimpse both sides in search of its source. There was no one there. Her teammates were in no condition to have moved swiftly to her side and then vanished in such a short span of time.
To make matters even more unsettling, the other two figures cloaked in black stood at a distance, their unwavering eyes fixated intently upon Tess.