The explosion of flames made Lucas feel like he was being burned alive, even though the fire didn't directly touch his skin due to the barrier. On the other hand, the girl in front of him created an ice shield, which helped the young man survive since most of the explosion of flames hit her shield.
— Aaaahhh! This burns! — the young man exclaimed, falling to the ground.
Desperate, he grabbed the ice spear next to him, trying to cool his skin and relieve the intense heat.
Meanwhile, the ice girl looked through her shield and spotted a smiling red-haired little girl. Without hesitation, she launched the ice shield in the direction of the girl, turning it into a sharp projectile. At the same time, she molded an ice spear in her other hand, preparing for a quick and precise attack.
However, the girl of flames didn't care about the shield coming her way. With surprising agility, she skillfully dodged the projectile and propelled herself into the air with a small burst of flames from her feet.
Watching her closely, the young girl from the Cubo de Gelo family also propelled herself forward, heading towards the Incêndio family girl, who was seeking to counterattack with her fiery fists.
Just as they were about to collide, a dragon girl appeared behind the ice girl and delivered a powerful kick to her back. At the same time, she struck the face of the fire girl with her tail. The impact of the blow sent the Cubo de Gelo family girl into the wreckage of the boat she had created, while the Incêndio family girl hit one of the masts, partially cracking it. The force of the clash was enough to shake the boat's structure, sending debris flying through the air and creating an even more chaotic environment.
— So predictable... — commented the dragon-like girl, landing near Lucas. — You'd better give up on this race — she said, looking at the young man, expressing a certain disdain.
— R-Right... — Lucas murmured, feeling exhausted and sore as he still felt his skin burning from the explosion of flames.
Meanwhile, the dragon girl turned her attention to the boat's mast and flew in that direction, anticipating the movements of the fire girl. She knew she would try to confront her but was prepared to deal with it.
As she approached the mast, an intense wave of flames attacked the dragon girl's body, but her resistant scales and powerful wings provided her with protection against the fire. She dispersed the flames with a wing movement, and from amidst the fire, the red-haired girl emerged, attempting to reach the dragon girl in a surprise attack. However, her attack was predictable and easily avoided, allowing the dragon girl to counter with a precise kick to the fire girl's stomach.
In the next moment, a hail of ice spears was fired into the air, coming from the ice girl who was in the wreckage of the boat. One of the spears hit the dragon girl's wing, impairing her flight and forcing her to land near the wreckage where the silver-haired girl was.
— It looks like the fight is going to get a little more serious now... — the dragon girl muttered, preparing to face the ice girl.
— E-Eh, c-can I ask something? — Lucas exclaimed, struggling to get up.
— What is it? — the dragon girl asked, turning her gaze to the young girl from the Cubo de Gelo family.
— W-What happened... to your boats? They shouldn't... be sinking with the sand, right?
— But of course they're n- — the girl was about to reply but suddenly noticed something important and quickly flew out of Domingos's boat.
— Eh? — said the ice girl, confused by the dragon girl's reaction.
— What happened!? Where's that lizard? — asked the fire girl, emerging from the wreckage, visibly injured.
— She's gone... When I asked... about the sand covering her boat — Lucas replied, struggling.
— Huh? But wasn't her boat on top of mine... Eh!? — exclaimed the fire girl, realizing something and leaping out of the boat.
With the dragon girl and the fire girl moving away, the sandstorm once again attacked Lucas, but its intensity had considerably decreased, allowing him to have a clear view of the boats around.
— It seems like we're out of the storm... — said the girl from the Cubo de Gelo family, noticing the change in the weather. — Hey, you, turn this boat now!
Since Domingos would return soon, the ice girl ordered Lucas to turn the boat while she positioned herself on the edge to return to her own boat.
— O-Okay, but aren't you forgetting this spear? — the young man said, holding an ice spear. — Catch! — he said, throwing it in her direction.
— Hm? Oh, right, I'll ju— NOT AGAIN!! — she exclaimed as she was hit by a shield enveloping the spear and fell out of the boat.
— ...Idiot — Lucas muttered, trying to stay on his feet while holding onto the helm.
[To be continued...]
??? — Even after all that, he still decided to deceive the girl from the Cubo de Gelo family to continue the race.
??? — Well, after everything he's been through, I think Lucas wants to win by any means now.
??? — But because of that, he created an enmity with the girl, and his boat is not in good shape.
??? — System, what's the status of the boats?
[Boat Conditions]
[Cubo de Gelo Family: 73%]
[Autômato Family: 67%]
[Domingos: 43%]
[Incêndio Family: ???]
[Half-Dragon: ???]
??? — Who would've thought, the Autômato family didn't withstand the attacks and is in a worse state than the Cubo de Gelo family.
??? — She was attacked on three fronts at once, so it was expected... But what happened to the Incêndio family and the dragon girl?
[Lost in the sandstorm]
??? — It's tough to tell who's going to win...