*Flap!*
Ariel beat his wings to generate momentum and lunged at Berkah, his fist covered by the blue hues of Mana.
"So slow..."
*Fwosh!*
Berkah arched his neck and Ariel's Mana imbued fist whizzed by his face.
He then coiled his fist and launched it at Ariel's jaw.
*Pow!*
"Urk!"
Ariel's body lifted off the ground due to the force of Berkah's punch.
*Grab.*
Berkah grabbed Ariel's collar and thus arrested his upward momentum.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"
Berkah spat, sadistically grinning from ear to ear.
"Let go!"
Ariel demanded, striking Berkah's arm with his elbow.
"Okay~"
He pulled back his head and...
*Thud!*
Berkah released his grip on his collar and launched his forehead in-between Ariel's eyes.
"Argh!"
Blood gushed out of Ariel's nose, prompting him to cover it with his right hand.
"You bastard!"
*Crackle!*
Ariel covered his entire body with his Mana.
"Oh are you angry? Keke."
Berkah mocked Ariel and raised his fists to guard himself.
"What are you doing? Use your Mana!"
Ariel roared, his long silver hair fluttering.
"Nah, I can't."
"Besides... I don't think I'll need it."
Berkah confidently declared, his grin becoming wider.
"... You'll regret underestimating me!"
Ariel roared and coiled up his legs.
*Bang!*
His feet burrowed through the earth as he launched himself toward Berkah.
Ariel extended his right foot, aiming at Berkah's face.
Berkah bent his knees and prepared to dodge the attack, and did just that by slipping in between Ariel's extended leg.
[Here's an opening!]
Berkah's eyes shone brightly as he balled up his right fist and launched it at Ariel's abdomen.
But...
*Flap!*
[!!]
Ariel beat his wings and propelled himself right above Berkah's head, effectively dodging the punch aimed at his abdomen.
[He used his wings to change his trajectory?]
*CRACKLE!*
Ariel drew more of his mana and aimed his fist at the top of Berkah's head.
[This gloomy brat is actually impressive, but...]
[...Still too fucking slow.]
Berkah's super perception made it seem like Ariel was moving in slow motion.
He performed a sidestep and grabbed Ariel's extended arm.
Berkah flung Ariel like a ragdoll and sent his body crashing on the ground spine first, leaving a small crater.
"Argh!"
Even though Ariel was protecting himself with Mana he still felt pain due to the force exerted by Berkah.
[Damn it!]
Ariel unrelented and raised his torso off the ground.
[!!]
The only thing in his peripheral after raising his body was Berkah's knee.
*Pow!*
Ariel was sent flying at tremendous speeds, crashing through trees like they were merely sheets of paper.
He finally hit a large tree trunk and his momentum ceased.
[!!]
"Wha —"
Before Ariel could even recollect himself, Berkah's fist was already tearing through the air in front of his face.
*Pow!*
Berkah mercilessly struck Ariel on the face, causing his head to become embedded in the large trunk, like how a rock sinks in shallow mud.
[How... Are his hits so heavy even without Mana...]
Ariel pondered, his consciousness slowly fading.
The blow rendered Ariel unconscious.
"That's what you get you little fucker. "
Berkah turned his back on Ariel and continued his walk for a few seconds.
"Wait... *huff*,*huff*."
Ariel said, pulling his head out of the tree trunk and collapsing to his knees.
[The fuck? Are you a zombie or something?]
"It's not over... I will be... The strongest. "
"I need to be..."
Ariel crawled toward Berkah and gripped his ankle.
"Bro, stop being so clingy..."
Berkah said, his eyebrows distorting in discomfort.
"I will be... The strongest Knight!"
Ariel declared with tears trickling down his face.
[Ugh, what's with this emo brat?]
"Okay goodluck, train harder or whatever."
Berkah freed his ankle from Ariel's grip and walked away, leaving him lying face down.
*step*,*step*,*ste — *
"Argh! So annoying. "
Berkah somehow felt bad and walked back to Ariel and balanced him on his shoulder.
"Why... Are you..."
Ariel said, glancing up at Berkah.
"Stop talking..."
The duo began walking back to the village.
"By the way..."
Berkah spoke, glancing down at Ariel's swollen face.
"If anyone asks... Just say you were stung by bees after being mauled by a bear okay?"
"My Mom would kill me if she knew I beat up a kid."
Berkah said, a cold sweat trickling on the side of his temple.
[Who would believe that?!]
Ariel cried inwardly.
The duo continued walking.
///
Soon the village came into view.
[Ah, I'm so sweaty, I can't wait to take a bath!]
Berkah shouted inwardly and increased the speed of his walking.
"Hm?"
He narrowed his eyes into the distance and saw a figure waving at them with her wings.
"Heyy! Berkah, Ariel!"
A young girl around Berkah's age, with brown wings instead of arms and long bird legs shouted, running toward the duo.
"Is that Tori?"
Ariel wondered, lifting his gaze, his swollen eyes struggling to see properly.
Soon, the girl, Tori, reached the duo.
"Hey you guys, I've been looking everywh — woah!"
She gasped upon seeing Ariel's swollen face.
"*sigh*... Were you guys fighting again?"
Tori narrowed her eyes at Berkah and Ariel upon seeing Ariel's swollen face.
"You never learn! Why are you so stubborn?!"
Tori shouted and poked Ariel's face with her feather.
[*sigh*... Here comes another troublesome brat.]
[I just wanna go home and bath!]
Berkah slumped his shoulders and cried inwardly.
"What do you want Tori?"
Ariel asked with a cold gaze.
"HUH?! Is that how you greet your friend?"
Tori pouted.
"...Who said we're friends?"
Ariel was genuinely confused.
"Of course we're friends! A gloomy kid like you wouldn't have any friends if it wasn't for me, be grateful."
Tori said, proudly folding her wings.
"Haha! You're right this broody bastard would be doomed without you, haha!"
Berkah laughed out loud.
"Aren't you also his friend Berkah? You should stop beating him up so badly!"
[Ugh... Why is she so naggy.]
"You're friends right?"
"Yeah, yeah I guess we're friends."
[Can I go now?]
Berkah responded nonchalantly.
Ariel smiled upon hearing Berkah's words, but it was a smile hidden by the long hair covering his face.
"So the reason I was looking for you guys..."
Tori's tone and expression suddenly became serious.
"..."
She bit her lips.
"We found... An injured Human near the clubhouse."
[!!],[!!]
"What! A human?!"
Both Berkah and Ariel shouted.
[I've actually never seen a Human since I reincarnated, I wonder what they're like?]
Berkah mused, a little nervous to meet the race of his former life.
"Shh! Be quiet you idiots."
Tori whispered.
She continued:
"The Human was heavily injured when we found her, I think she'll die soon."
"We just don't know what to do with her..."
"Well we kinda do, but the others are arguing about it so we decided to call you two."
She said, her wings slightly trembling, a testament to how poor the relationship between Harpies and Humans was.
"I see... Then please take us there."
Berkah said, eager to see a Human for the first time in twelve years.