The atmosphere was tense due to the killer lust emanating from two high-level awakeners, yet composure never left Levi's body. Blake, on the other hand, was still in shock. He couldn't believe one of the villains was among his own knights. Despite not recognizing the guy around the household or their main force, it didn't mean it was easy for someone to enter the ranks of the Soron knights.
A sense of betrayal overcame him. Once a knight takes an oath, it's a life commitment; betraying it means they are ready for death. Blake resolved to kill the knight as he lifted a spear from the floor.
Blake made the first move, contrary to what Levi wanted. His spear was now inches away from the knight, but the smile on the his face didn't fade.
Blake's body stopped without his own accord, and a whirlwind of wind pushed him back right at Levi. Levi ducked, and Blake hit a wall. He shook his head seeing Blake lose control over his emotions as strings started forming around his fingers.
This time the Majin moved and swung his dagger at Levi's neck. Dodge and weave was Levi's original plan, but he couldn't be sure how long he could do that now; he had to protect someone.
The string aimed at the Majin's wrist. The Majin smirked because the string would never reach his wrist unless Levi managed to break his mana coating, which is exactly what Levi did.
His hand managed to hit the wrist but got caught by the dagger making a deep cut in his left arm. The strings moved, and before the Majin could react, they got a hold of the wrist, cut it, and stopped right at the bones.
"Ahhhh!" The Majin let out a deafening scream as the knight fired another wind spell, this time attacking from all directions. Levi coated himself with mana as he managed to dodge some of the attacks.
Shallow cuts covered his body, but they soon closed as gold strings moved around those winds and stopped the cuts. The knight was impressed by such a technique.
"Your skills are too wasted for the good side; join us," he said, giving a prideful smirk.
"No thank you. I have no interest in associating with garbage,"
Levi replied as he threw the dagger at the knight, which stopped before him.
The dagger fired back at Levi, who caught it again.
"You will regret this," the knight said as arrow-like wind spells formed around the air.
"Then so be it,"
Levi said as a barrage of arrows was sent to his side. There was no way he could dodge all of that, and Blake could even get hit in the aftermath.
Swish, the strings moved, forming a wall, barely managing to block those arrows. Creating so much string now had emptied Levi's mana tank.
He quickly took a mana potion and chugged it. Before he could ready himself, the knight destroyed the wall and grabbed Levi by his neck. Before he could crush it, Levi grabbed his hands, rotated his body to the sky, and twisted the man's wrist.
Another deafening scream leaked out. Blake, who was barely able to stand, was shocked, everyone except Levi was.
'How? Just who is he? And why did he hide his strength all this time?'
Hundreds of questions but no answer as Levi stood there as if he was used to this type of fights.
The knight slowly rotated back his wrist and looked at Levi with anger. The Majin and he knew that Levi was the main problem. An E-rank was causing two B-ranks some problems.
All of this was happening because of [Essence], his instinct and also a bit of luck. A few seconds ago, both didn't consider him a threat, but now they were going to go all out.
Both were about to move, but suddenly, an explosion occurred right between those two. The explosion created a momentary diversion, and as the smoke cleared, Levi stood firm, his eyes focused and determined. Blake, seizing the opportunity, swiftly attacked the knight. The cut across the torso was deep, and the knight staggered back, clutching the wound.
Levi wasted no time. His strings moved with newfound speed and precision, creating a web-like barrier between him and the Majin. The severed hand dropped to the ground, and the Majin howled in pain. The strings tightened around the knight, restricting his movements.
Blake, fueled by a mix of rage and betrayal, lunged at the knight, determined to end this threat to the Soron knights once and for all. The knight, however, recovered quickly, summoning a surge of wind to repel Blake's advance. It was a fierce clash between Blake's spear and the wind, the air crackling with the intensity of their conflict.
Levi, seeing the struggle, knew he had to act decisively. His eyes glowed with a golden hue as he channeled his mana, tapping into a reservoir of power he had kept hidden until now. The air around him seemed to vibrate with energy as he unleashed a surge of mana-infused strings.
The strings shot out like arrows, piercing the air with incredible speed. They wove a complex pattern, creating a temporary cage around the knight. The Majin, realizing the impending danger, attempted to intervene, but Levi's focus was unbreakable.
With a swift motion, Levi manipulated the strings, compressing the cage until it imploded with a burst of energy. The knight within screamed, the pressure unbearable. The Majin, witnessing the defeat of his ally, hesitated for a moment.
Levi seized this opening. With a calculated move, he propelled himself towards the Majin, dagger in hand. The Majin tried to conjure spells in desperation, but Levi's speed was unmatched. The dagger sliced through the air, severing the remaining hand of the Majin, rendering him powerless.
As both adversaries lay defeated, Levi stood amidst the aftermath, his demeanor unchanged. Blake, still grappling with the shock of betrayal, looked at Levi with a mix of awe and confusion.
But the fight wasn't over yet. Before the students could attack, both the knight chugged a health potion, and one the Majin's hand grew back.
However, both felt weak and a bit dizzy. The central eye was doing its work, though the effect hadn't fully grown; slowly it would take full effect, but Levi didn't know if he and Blake could hold out any longer.
Now, they were back to their full potential, while Levi and Blake were losing stamina. Levi had no potions left, and the ones in the stores were already destroyed. Blake's legs were shaking as his breathing became heavy.
The Central eye was doing its best to cast a debuff, but its effect would take time on B-rank awakeners.
'No help is coming most likely. Otherwise, the knight wouldn't have entered carelessly.'
Levi had a plan, but it wouldn't definitely work in their favor. He looked at Blake and whispered.
"Let's target the Majin for now."
Blake didn't ask anything else and just nodded.
Within a blink, both now had a dagger and spear in front of the Majin. The knight casted a wind wall blocking both. A whirlwind formed on both right at the top, twirling in Levi and Blake.
Before they lost their footing, Blake took a stance and gathered all of his mana on his legs.
"Dragon Slaying Spear: Scale Shatter"
The spear increased double in size as the mana behind it propelled it through the wall. The spear destroyed the wall, and before the Majin and knight could react, Levi activated his snipe and threw the dagger. The synergy of Snipe and [ESSENCE] propelled the dagger straight through the Majin's head.
His eye lost the old life it had left as dark mana started leaking out of his body. Levi and the knight knew what was about to happen. The knight dashed towards the door to escape, and Levi stood beside Blake, casting a dome of string around both of them.
Soon, the Majin's dead body jerked as darkness gulped his whole body, spitting out a small egg.
*Crack.*
The egg cracked as a small demon with a darkness-covered body and purple eyes with rings replaced by pupils came out. Though smaller than a pencil, the aura it produced suffocated the room. Levi and Blake could hardly breathe even after their defense.
The demon turned his head to the side, where the knight was running, and in a blink, the knight fell on his knees with his hand on his hair.
"Ahhhh."
The scream was so loud that it burst his lungs, but the sound still didn't get out of the room.
The knight clutched his head so hard that he crushed his head under his own force.
Now, it was their turn as both felt the devil move. Blake and Levi stood there waiting for the move.
*Thud.*
Both Levi and Blake were on their knees. Blake screaming in pain as Levi's dome of string started disappearing and now both were looking at the tiny devil with an innocent face and a smile scarier than a ghost.
Both felt pain, mainly Blake as they clutched their heads and prepared for a world of misery.