Ash immediately used [crescent slash] in succession while forcing his blood to flow faster to give him a boost.
'Go all out you two, they're stronger than us but we can win if we work together.' Grim's eyes flashed white while Pocket readied [Soil Toss]. Grim fired [necrotic shard] while letting out a battle caw.
"Another challenger, well alright." The boy smiled but Ash saw the annoyance as the boy's hands shook.
'He's used up a lot of qi. Bet he's skilled though. Screw it, we're winning this.'
The boy used a whip while his other hand gripped a dagger. Ash moved closer but couldn't move past five feet as the boy's whip slammed around.
Dodging while also letting out crescent slashes, the two danced but Ash knew immediately he was at a disadvantage. The other boy used minimal movement and hardly any qi.
Grim on the other hand ran into fierce suppression worse than Ash. The kobold moved with superior agility while also expertly clawed at him to the point he could barely mount an attack. The trees provided the kobold ample places to hop to and from, limiting Grim's air advantage.
Pocket, flung gelatinous soil as he moved around, providing support mostly to Grim. The goop was targeted at the eyes which caused the kobold to swipe it away, but that was it.
Ash's opponent laughed but it didn't last for long before Ash decided on a desperate maneuver.
'Need to finish this fast, no way I'll win like this.'
Ash approached the five feet mark but dodged before trying to continue, only to face another whip strike. Using bone shell he took the attack before getting to the four feet mark. This time a sinister knife strike aimed at his vitals but Ash used blood escape immediately.
"Shit." And shit indeed, Ash flashed so quick the other boy could barely register as a stab from [flash point] stabbed through one of his shoulders, while another tried to go through the eye but the boy dodge.
"[Numb, Strength, Speed]"
The boy performed hand symbols quickly amidst dodging out of the way but Ash refused to let his hard-earned advance go to waste.
Using his death affinity, Ash performed slash after slash, not stopping for a moment as his opponent gained a physical boost. Knife met saber in a flurry of back and forth while a whip crack went off from time to time.
Ash felt [blood escape] about to give out and used [berserk]. Grim's eyes flashed a deeper and deeper white as he fought the kobold, chaining [claw swipe] [blood let] and [necrotic shard] in a flurry.
Poor Pocket could hardly keep up, only managing to throw his goop at the two enemies to create the hope of a chance for his companions.
Ash fought like his life depended on it while the other boy sweat, he was now almost completely out of qi and his wounds were affecting his ability to move. Ash grew bone shell on certain parts of his body, making a make shift armor while also subconsciously covering his saber in death qi.
The surrounding dead bodies let out small pieces of death qi that he absorbed and used. Ash's heart pounded hard from the physical exertion, but he fought on.
"Fucking ingrate [Seismic Clap]." The thunderous blast knocked Ash flying back while the boy's kobold disengaged, from Grim and returned to the boy's side.
"I'll let you live this time kid, but mark my words, I'll kill you on our next meet."
The boy took off with Grim wanting to pursue but Ash called from his link. Popping some healing pills Ash and his bonds regrouped. Looking around, Ash found the girl while her bond laid on a tree critically injured. '
'Fuck, I'm weak and injured. We need to leave before we run into someone or something strong.' However, Ash could see the rise and fall of the girl's bountiful chest. Eyes locked, Ash looked at naked tits for the first time in his life as a blush took him over.
It was only from the prompting of Grim with a strange look and Pocket ready to fling goop at his head again that he moved to pick the girl up.
Ash gently cradled her in his arms but it looked a little comical given the girl's tall stature. Muscles straining Ash commented, "Sheessh lady, what the heck have you been eating, cows and ogres. Girl is most definitely well fed, bet Kaz would...." Ash stopped at the very thought of his lewd friend commenting on their current 'predicament'.
"Grim fly around and locate her bond we need to move fast." Doing as told, Grim flew up and around to locate the girl's bond, replying a few moments later. A distressing message met the command as a half dead heron with bloody ice covering it's body was discovered.
Ash moved over to her bond with haste and immediately crushed some healing pills and applied them to the bird's most serious wounds. It's chest rose and fell like it was fighting death, but the powdered solution caused relief.
It's tensed body, relaxed as some of it's bleeding stopped and the more serious wounds healed little by little.
"How the hell am I going to carry a fat chicken like this?" Mulling over the decision, the trio heard a blast go off in the distance that made vibrations travel all they way over to them.
'Screw it, Grim, Pocket you're going to need to help me when we reach the armory.'
"[Berserk]" Ash threw the girl onto one shoulder and the heron on the other. Blood pumping with aggression, Ash tried to focus on running to the armory as fast as possible.
With Grim and Pocket in tow, he sped back to the armory. The moment the three reached inside, he stopped the technique.
'Pocket, cough, cough, seal the entrance with as much goop and compact dirt as possible. Keep doing it until the hole is completely covered. Ash took out two coins that turned into lamps, lighting the dark armory.
Having already set down, the two, Ash struggled to see them straight.
Seeing doubles of the two patients that needed him, Ash bit his tongue, and struggled to stand.
Taking down his pack he opened his makeshift compartments of medicine with difficulty and brought out some herbs and two mixtures.
Hands shaking he called Grim. "Ok buddy, I need you to mix these together in the mortar and pestle and then pour the bottle of healing pills into it. Think of the pestle like a weapon to stab the herbs with." The bird tilted it's head but ultimately agreed.
Awkward couldn't even describe how Grim was holding the pestle. However, he kept gripping it and slamming it down on the herbs.
After awhile a green solution took the powder's place, Grim easily took the quark off the two mixtures and poured the substance in. Then Grim squawked and took the bottle of healing pills and used his feet to open the jar.
Ash had both hands over the girl and her bond and used the last of his qi to try and stabilize their conditions. Feeling empty, exhausted, and facing the backlash of using berserk, Ash fell to the ground.
'Grim give most of it to the heron and the rest of it to the girl and do it fast. I'll wake up in a while, be on guard for opponents.' Grim eagerly got to work while Ash felt his eyes shut.
Eyes blinking rapidly and feeling a cool sensation, Ash rose off the ground. Looking at the exhausted Pocket who seemed to sulk from, 'overwork.' He shook his head.
Turning his head, Ash saw Grim standing guarded, but it seemed towards the heron and the girl. A cool sensation could be felt from the both of them as a small circle of ice spread around them.
'Guess it worked, didn't know if that solution would stabilize them. Why the heck is ice covering the two? Whatever, as long is it doesn't spread.'
Looking at the girl's tattered attire, here breasts were visible and so was her stomach. Ash looked before he slapped himself in the face. Taking out his blanket, Ash covered the half naked girl.
'Man this girl's tits aren't huge but------'
The feeling an estoc being held to his throat barely registered as the girl seemingly stood up out of nowhere.
Ash's eyes widened at the realization at how extraordinary the girl must be to do something like that. 'Fast, super fast, this girl's stats must be way higher than mine.'
"Where am I and what did you do to me?" Grim immediately became alert, ready to move but couldn't as a wave of ice covered him.
Pocket maintained his distance and took one look at the heron standing a distance from him and shuddered seeing it's eyes. It quickly went to studying the coins of gold in it's pocket as though he weren't an observer of the current struggle.
The girl pressed the sword against Ash's neck. "Where the hell am I?" Color had returned to the girl's face but Ash didn't miss the quivering of her arm muscles, no matter how still she tried to keep them.
"Your safe, we're in an armory. And, uh, I'd appreciate that you put the sword down. I just wast- I mean used most of my healing ingredients on you."
Ash kept calm under the chilling gaze of the girl and she slowly retracted her eyes before slowly moving to her bond. Ash calmed before he looked at Grim whose torso had been frozen as he cawed in annoyance. Turning towards Pocket Ash observed the little cretin joyously looking at his gold.
'This asshole is seriously enamored with gold he's stared at countless times. We could've died.'
Eyebrows twitching and a slight smile adorning his face, Ash grabbed the frozen Grim and walked over to Pocket.
Ash helped Grim break the ice and threw the broken pieces at Pocket as the creature glanced at Ash in disdain.
Helena looked at the trio in silence while circulating her qi. The heron nestled next to her as it rested. 'What a strange group. Why is it cold?'
Looking down, Helena finally noticed she was naked, a new wave of anger churned in her heart as she looked at Ash again.
Ash seemingly feeling the malicious glare at him looked at Helena only to focus on her tits a bit too long.
Feeling the spear of ice zooming to him Ash rolled out of the way.
'Ah crap, again. I thought she calmed down. Maybe I did glance a bit too much at her..." Another lance was chucked at him time after time like clock work.