Whipping through the streets of New Mireton at an astonishing speed, Lieren held his breath and gripped his pendant, calling upon Aries's blessing, and imbued his vital signs with obfuscating magic, hiding his physical presence.
His Resistance, however, was kept at the bare minimum. If he had thickened it any further, then he might have already died. Actually, scratch that: he definitely would have already died.
A muffled voice echoed throughout the lonesome streets of the labyrinthine alleys of the godforsaken city:
"I can see you, you damn cretin! Don't think you can run away from me, Aries!" Scorpio bellowed like a dying mule, his voice strained and rough, as if it was grating against something.
Lieren ignored it and merely looked down, at his shaking hands and stopped within a particularly thick shadow, holding his breath and enhancing his ears.
The pitter-patter of an oncoming downpour echoed, muffling all sounds except for the mad beating of his heart. Holding his brilliant dagger, which felt like his own hand at this point, he couldn't help but wince as he grabbed his abdomen with the other, holding his bleeding side and keeping the blood from seeping out any more. He had already lost much, and thus he couldn't help but feel drowsy.
'So… sleepy.'
As his mind began sleeping away, a sudden tremor behind him shook him out his trance, as if slapping him awake.
He had really, really gotten sick of it at this point.
Dodging to the side with an explosive step, he winced painfully as an extremely sharp piece of manipulated earth suddenly thrust where he had just been, grazing his side and drawing even more of the precious liquid, whilst saving him from an otherwise inescapable death.
"Tch!"
Clicking his tongue, Scorpio bellowed from somewhere, his voice seemingly flowing from the very earth itself.
"Don't think you're all that just because you killed Taurus, you impotent bastard! You're nothing, garbage, hideous. If it weren't for that dumb stunt, I would already have that pendant!"
Making sure that the trinket in question is safe and sound, Lieren took a deep breath, felt hundreds of needles pierce his lungs, and gritted his teeth. That was a bad idea.
And yet, it had done its intended purpose. He had calmed down, albeit somewhat and quickly fading. Still, that was all he needed.
Caressing the pendant's smooth beige gem, he reached deep inside of it, as if he was digging into the gem itself, and called upon the power slumbering inside of it…
And failed. Still he didn't give up. In fact, he's as motivated as ever.
Reaching deeper and forcing his presence into the beige gem, practically pouring his very soul into it, he sent his consciousness plunging even deeper. At the same time, he slowly felt himself getting stronger, his muscles screaming with nascent power, his bones with steadfast resilience. His skin felt as tough as steel, and his feet as if could crush human bone.
And then, he opened his eyes, and found that the beige gem was glowing subtly. It seemed that, even with as much influx of mana he poured into gem, it still refused to give up its power fully. Still, with whatever much he had gained, it was enough.
…Enough to run away, that is.
"There you are!"
Noticing the beige gem glowing from a distance away, Scorpio suddenly appeared from a top a roof. His lean silhouette was shadowed by the midday sun. He looked to be in his early teens.
Pointing to him, the shadow yelled and sent various tremors running throughout the tight alleyway, his intent reaching far and wide.
"Die, you bastard!"
Gathering wild mana in his eyes, Lieren glared at the lean silhouette with disdain.
"No, you!"
Letting loose several invisible arrows aimed at the lean silhouette, he quickly turned away and reactivated Aries's blessing, shrouding his physical tracks.
"Damn you!"
A loud crash emanated from behind, as if something had just spontaneously exploded, and the loud teenager cursed at him repeatedly as several cracking and crackling sounds filled the space. If Lieren looked back, he would have surely marveled at the amazing sight of shifting stone building up into a smooth slide that arced down into where he was directly at like some kind of wondrous amusement, catching the loud teenager and catching his fall from the destroyed rooftop.
But he didn't, and that was most likely for the best. Using Taurus' help, he dashed away with remarkable speed that exceeded his regular performance by two-hundred percent. With his bones and muscles fortified by the beige pendant, his capacity for enhancement had increased twofold, allowing him to run at twice his normal speed.
And boy, did he need it.
'Crap, crap, crap. At this rate, I'll die!'
Running for his life with steadfast agility, Lieren turned one corner, the another, narrowly dodging multiple earthen spears from piercing him directly. He had already fallen for them once, he need not go through it again.
Then again, that depended on his pliability and agility, not his thoughts and ideas. Focusing on the world around him, Lieren dodged under a particularly thin and sharp earthen spear with a roll, which he turned into a leap, landed on another earthen spear, and jumped into a cartwheel, dodging at least half a dozen sharp points… but not all of them.
A couple few grazed his skin, which was akin to steel now — mundane steel, mind you, but steel nonetheless — and drew even more blood, producing a pained grimace from him with a disdainful groan, which interrupted his concentration and ruined his landing, instead unceremoniously crumbling into a pathetic roll, sent crashing across the cold asphalt.
'No, crap! Get up, you idiot!'
Looking down at his spinning hands, Lieren begrudgingly got up, straining his tired muscles and looking up at the approaching figure with clouded eyes.
"This is where it ends, plebeian. Rejoice the fact that you were even able to make it this far. You miserable cretin."
Groggily getting up to his tire feet, he brandished his dagger and sent mana rushing through his entire body. There was no point conserving it at this point, nor using it to activate the obfuscating amulet. He would have liked to use the reinforcing charm, as well, but it seemed that the gates had been closed once again, and accessing its reserves would require time; time that he certainly didn't have.
The loud teenager glowered at him, the midday sun shadowing his features. It seemed unnatural, but that didn't matter now, not at the end.
His end.
'Well… I guess I better give it a try, right?'
Circulating mana throughout his entire body, he willed it to rush in a particular tempo; a specific rhythm; in the most complicated way he can.
Though, he really doubted if it would work.
'It's fine. I've been practicing… barely.'
And if he fails… when that happens, then that was meant to be. He was merely not strong enough, that's all.
Giving his all for a final show, Lieren counted the seconds, paying very close attention to the loud teenager's every move. Despite all features except for his build and voice being obscured, he still paid as much attention to it. Especially the particular way mana circulated throughout the man's entire body.
But then, something unexpected happened, something he never could have seen coming.
His Aegis's resounded:
"You've been busy, huh, Lieren?"