The announcement alerted them and made them look down at the ground to see a horde of monsters, along with silhouettes that resembled humans, moving swiftly through the shadows.
As Ena looked down, Ren was on top of her, not noticing until she was kicked down. A surprised gasp escaped her lips as she fell. She forcefully stabbed the wall with one of her emperor blades, trying to steady herself and avoid a complete fall.
Ena looked down at the scoreboard, her points decreasing as she noticed the wheel pointing to ren. Furious, she jumped to the handle of her emperor blade lodged in the wall, launching herself off it before commanding the blade to return to her.
She grabbed as many birds as she could, the horde behind her gaining speed by the second. Using the blood rope, she tied it to the blade's handle and threw it high against the wall. She retracted the rope, pulling her body toward the blade until nothing remained of the blood rope.
[+100 has been added to your points]
[+70 has been added to your points]
'It's so far! the scoreboard says that his 3213 meters up the ground, Im about 2899 meters'
To her surprise, a silhouette suddenly appeared just beneath her. She hurriedly slashed at it with the blade, making sure it didn't make contact with her skin as adrenaline surged through her veins.
She began to move faster, ignoring some of the birds and focusing solely on ascending. Finally, she reached Ren and started to pull his leg, dragging him down with all her strength.
His points decreased as he got lower, and Ena thought she had finally lost him. Suddenly, he slashed at her calf, making her grip the rock tightly as she flew in front of her.
'He can fly!? Oh my god, how unlucky do I have to be to get an opponent like him?!'
He then shifted from flying to hopping again, which confused Ena. Why would he need to hop when he could just fly? Of course, Ena was baffled and momentarily lost until she regained her composure and began to climb the tower again.
'Couldn't he just fly? Why does he need to hop? Unless...'
Ena smiled as she figured something out.
'He has a weakness! The only question is, what is it?'
[+70 has been added to your points]
'stamina? no if that were the case then he wouldn't have energy to jump that quickly'
[+50 has been added to your points]
'Ugh this is too hard, and i don't have time to think anyways!'
She hopped from rock to rock, trying to collect as many points as she could. Finally, she reached him, just barely—a feather away. Ren glanced down, swiftly adjusting his grip on his tanto before slashing toward her.
Ena reacted instantly, her blade clashing against his with a force that sent a shockwave through the air. The blast crushed nearby artificial birds mid-flight, scattering fragments as points split across the scoreboard, divided between them from the sheer impact of their clash.
[+430 has been added to your points]
They glared at each other, tension crackling between them, before Ena leaped upward, determined to take the lead. She sliced through every bird in her path, but when her blade cut through a pink one, it exploded with a force that threw her off balance, sending her plummeting down.
[-100 has been deducted from your points]
'What!? That one was supposed to give 100!?'
Ena regained her balance mid-air, quickly wrapping her arm in blood and hurling it toward the wall, anchoring herself.
She did the same with her other arm, stretching the blood tendrils taut like a slingshot. Normally, this move would be impossible with so many rocks and debris floating around, but, luckily, there were only a few in her path this time.
Using the spring force, she shot forward, her hand grazing Ren's back as she blasted past him at top speed. Before long, she began to lose momentum, catching the edge of a rock to steady herself before resuming her climb, leaping from one rock to the next.
'There are some that are traps now. Earlier, there weren't any. Does that mean there'll be even more traps the higher we go?'
"8—"
Her voice suddenly cut off; she couldn't even say half of "eight." Panic rose within her as she opened her mouth to speak again, but no sound emerged. Frustration washed over her as she realized she couldn't say a single word.
[Auto finishing command...]
'Auto finishing?'
[You have wagered 8,000 points. Please say "yes" or "no" to confirm, or it will be automatically selected.]
Ena shook her head vigorously, her face paling at the sight. She strained to speak, desperately trying to find her voice.
'NO! NO!'
[Auto selected "yes" as a response]
'WAIT, NO!'
The wheel materialized before her, spinning with a mesmerizing blur. Ena felt the urge to shout in protest, but the words wouldn't come, leaving her helplessly watching as it whirled.
Sweat dripped down her face as she continued climbing, glancing back at the wheel with each movement. She hoped fervently it would land on her, anxiety tightening in her chest.
It finally landed on her, and she screamed in triumph within her thoughts, celebrating her apparent victory. Her joy was short-lived, however, as a click echoed through the air, causing her eyes to dull.
She looked back at the wheel, and her smile shifted to an awkward grin when she saw it had landed in the "draw" section.
Ren's expression darkened as he watched his points drop by 8,000, frustration mounting within him.
[-8000 has been deducted from your points]
Ena glanced at the scoreboard, her face paling as she saw her points at
-3,012 and Ren's at -3,317. She understood that being in the negatives didn't change the stakes; the game hinged on who could gather the most points moving forward. With a clear mind, she prepared to tackle the next challenges, focused on her strategy.
Ena began collecting more birds, doing her best to avoid the trapped ones, but she couldn't tell which were safe. After some time, she finally made the connection.
'Those with red pupils! They're the trapped ones!'
She glanced back to see Ren touching the trapped birds, a wicked grin forming on her lips as she watched his points plummet with each encounter.
'I'll grab every bird except the traps to gain an advantage, and maybe a few to keep him from getting suspicious,' she thought.
She began collecting a large number of birds, racking up points while carefully avoiding the traps. She made sure to grab the pink and purple ones, knowing they offered 100 and 90 points, respectively, but left out the others to maintain her strategy.
[+70 has been added to your points]
[+60 has been added to your points]
[+90 has been added to your points]
[+100 has been added to your points]
'Okay i get it now, Standard birds or red birds, they give 50 points, blue is 60, orange is 70, yellow is 80, purple is 90, and finally pink is 100.'
She continued her strategy until she finally hit the 5,000-meter mark. Before her were birds with white and black stripes, creating a sense of confusion. Despite the uncertainty, Ena wasn't hesitant; she reached out to grab them, ready to see what points they might bring.
'Now lets see what they do!'
She grabbed a pink bird with white stripes and squeezed it gently in her hand, trying to determine how many points it would yield.
[+50 has been added to your points]
'What!? That's only half of what a pink bird is worth!'
Frustrated, she quickly snatched another bird, determined to find one that would boost her score.
She then grabbed another one a standard bird with with black stripes.
[+100 has been added to your points]
'I see now; they're dividers and multipliers!'
Ena glanced at Ren, grinning as he looked up, realizing the game was getting even more interesting.
'looks like he found out as well, but why is he grinning?'
Ena looked up to see a pure black bird and felt a wave of dread wash over her, knowing exactly what that meant.
She jumped as high as she could, aiming to grab the bird first, but Ren leaped at the same time, both of them reaching for it in a tense race.
Both reached for the bird, but Ren pushed her to the side, refusing to let her grab it. Ena quickly retaliated, seizing his arm before he could get a grip on the bird. With determination, she drew her blades, ready to sever the connection.
But he quickly pulled his arm back and attempted to cut her as well. Ena used her ability to create a blood shield, but he pierced through it with ease. As she felt the sting of the blade slice into her shoulder, a grin unexpectedly formed on her face.
Ren expression changed as he looked at the bird, blood was reaching toward it. Ren used his his ability revealing it to her, vibrating the blood away so she reach it.
But Ena was already ahead of him, having thrown her blade at the bird and successfully doubling her points. She patted him on the back before using him as a springboard to propel herself even higher.
[You have doubled your points]
In the point system, black and white birds represent multipliers and divisors, respectively. The black birds serve as multipliers, while the white birds act as divisors. Their functions are straightforward; however, the challenge arises when dealing with negative points.
When dealing with negative points, black and white birds become advantageous because they help increase your total score.
The white birds divide the negative points, effectively reducing their impact, while the black birds, acting as multipliers, can also be viewed as divisors in this context.
'This is great! Not only did I see his ability, but I also doubled my points!'
'It's like killing two bird with one stone!'
Ren, filled with anger, flew straight at her, but Ena remained unfazed by his sudden movement. Her smirk stayed fixed as she held her ground. Just as Ren realized he was too close, Ena flicked her wrist, commanding her blade to return to her with a swift motion.
The blade struck his back, causing him to falter and lose his balance, rendering him unable to maintain flight.
He crashed hard against a rock, and Ena seized the opportunity, diving down to him. The impact forced him to cough up more blood, his situation growing increasingly desperate.
She kicked his body toward the horde of monsters, aiming for a swift victory, but once again, it wouldn't be that easy. Ren activated his vibration ability, managing to halt the bleeding and stabilize himself just in time, preparing for whatever came next.
He kept flying but in an unsteady manner. Ena didn't mind and continued collecting points. Then, Ren unleashed a shockwave of vibrations, trying to knock her off balance.
He accelerated and flew directly at Ena. She struggled to dodge each attack but managed to keep up with his speed. Ena fought back, only to realize that he was not only faster but also more precise with each strike.
He landed an uppercut to her liver, leaving her temporarily stunned. Blow after blow, he attacked her, but Ena fought back, elbowing his chin before delivering another strike to his back.
Ren pressed his palm against her abdomen, unleashing a powerful vibration that slammed her into the wall, leaving her concussed. Blood began to flow from her head, mingling with the rhythm of her torn, swaying clothing.
As much as he wanted to continue the fight, the monsters were beginning to stir, and time was running out. Reluctantly, he pulled away from the fight and soared upward, determined to gather as many points as possible before the monsters fully awakened.
Ena clenched her teeth, her eyes glowing again as she followed him. Gripping her blades tightly, she coated them with blood, transforming the tiny droplets into sharp spikes that shot out in every direction, aiming directly at Ren.
[+100 has been added to your points]
[-100 has been deducted to your points]
[+100 has been added to your points]
[+70 has been added to your points]
[-25 has been deducted to your points]
[You have doubled your points]
This was inefficient and drained her stamina quickly, but with only one minute left before the end, she had no choice. Ren quickly used his ability to dismiss most of the spikes, but one managed to reach him.
His jacket was torn, and bruises and blood marked his face. Ena was in a similar state, with blood-soaked clothing and ripped fabric, blood dripping from her lips.
The monsters slowly ascended as they fought, the clash of blades echoing throughout the endless stone towers. Aware of the looming threat, both combatants continued their battle as they climbed higher.
Ena glanced down to gauge how long it would take for the horde to reach their height. Ren seized the moment and pointed his hand at her, but found himself temporarily immobilized. Gasping as he struggled to breath
"Did you really think I'd lose focus that easily? You let your excitement take over, and it cost you."
Ena's presence loomed over him, and the anger in his eyes flickered with a mix of defiance and desperation, revealing the battle within him as he searched for a way to break free.
"It's a bit odd, really. I always thought you were lazy just by looking at you, but come on—at least say something! All you've managed to say to me is 'Yo' this whole time."
A tone of disdain she had.
Ena was now using her ability to control his body. You might wonder why she hadn't employed this tactic earlier in the free-for-all. The answer is simple: stamina. She had nearly exhausted it during the free-for-all and through the excessive use of her ability.
not to mention this feat required a great deal of focus and precision and only worked effectively at her level. If a body had excessive durability, muscle mass, or enhancements beyond her capabilities, her control would be limited.
In a flash, she slashed at him, but he broke free and deflected the blade, sending a powerful recoil between them. Sweat dripped from both of them as they stood, momentarily stunned.
'It broke way too early. I knew I could only hold him for a brief moment, but that felt too soon.'
Their blades clashed, echoing throughout the tower as the tension mounted. Suddenly, to Ena's surprise, her body betrayed her, and her ability faltered as well. Ren seized her by the throat, his arms trembling with effort.
Both of them were heavily injured, blood dripping from his eyes like tears, a sign that he was nearing his limit. He coughed up blood, his torn clothes testament to the brutal battle.
'What the hell!?'
Throughout the day, Ena faced numerous dangerous situations, each inflicting significant damage on her. To retaliate, she used her ability to regenerate herself as if it were new.
But this didn't come without a cost. Alongside stamina, fatigue held her back. Even as she regenerated, the pain, exhaustion, and residual fatigue remained. The moment she ran out of stamina, aches and muscle cramps overwhelmed her.
At this point, Ena was losing ground, with only 20 seconds left on the clock ticking away. Ren had 2 and Ena had only -400.
"400..." Ena whispered glaring at ren with dread.
The wheel appeared in front of them, surprising Ren, who was unaware of how it had activated after he touched his back. Ena, however, remembered the moment all too well—when they had exchanged blows, and she had elbowed his back just moments earlier.
The wheel spun and spun, its sound echoing in Ren's mind until it stopped on Ena. The result shattered his focus, causing him to lose his flight as his grip faltered and his eyes widened in disbelief.
Ena landed on a rock, adopting an arrogant stance with a curl to her lips as she held a pure white bird in her hands. With a swift motion, she crushed it, halving her points.
Since she only had 2 points, it turned to 1—meaning she won by a single point.
She stuck out her tongue and pressed her fingertip against her eyelid, carefully looking down at him with disdain, fully aware that she had won.
"Look's like i won asshole."
"The winner Is Ena Hyakagure! Total points: 1 point!"