Ren and Olivia continued their relentless assault, their combined water and lightning technique proving devastating. As another beast crumpled to the ground, Ren wiped his forehead dramatically and laughed. "That's 25 and counting! I'm on a roll!"
"There's still more," Olivia replied, her voice carrying an unusual hint of excitement. She glanced around at the remaining glowing eyes near the pond. "With this pace, I'm sure we're at least in the top 20 ranking by now."
Ren smirked, sending another bolt of lightning surging into a beast. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, champ. Focus up. The faster we finish this, the sooner we can regroup with Skorn and Talos."
"Right," Olivia agreed, nodding as she sent a wave of water crashing into a charging group of beasts.
With renewed determination, they pressed on, their synchronized attacks leaving a path of sparks, steam, and fallen creatures in their wake.
--
Huddled behind the massive trees, a person smirked as he whispered, "Alright, here's the plan: I'll freeze the guy's legs. Ellen, you throw your ice blade at that girl. Clean and simple.and falko.....just try not to mess it up"
Falko shifted uneasily, his feathers ruffling slightly. "Why do I always get the 'don't mess it up' part? Maybe we should just... I don't know, not attack them? They look strong slyke," he muttered nervously.
Ellen grinned, clearly unbothered by Falko's anxiety. "Relax, bird boy. We've got this. Besides, watching my blade hit its mark sounds like fun."
Slyke rolled his eyes, already losing patience. "Falko, you're pathetic. If you're too scared, just stay out of the way. Ellen and I can handle this without your whining."
Falko crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath. "Yeah, and by 'handle,' you mean make a mess and leave me to clean it up."
Ellen snickered. "Hey, at least you're good at flying away when things go south."
"Both of you, shut it," Slyke hissed, his tone sharp. "Focus. We wait for the perfect moment. One clean strike, and they'll never see it coming."
Falko sighed, his voice barely audible. "Yeah, because that's how things always go..."
--
Olivia focused intently on assisting Ren, sending precise waves of water to amplify his lightning strikes. The synergy between them had become almost instinctive, and for a moment, she thought they had full control of the battlefield.
That's when a sudden sharp sound came from her left. Before she could even react, an ice blade hurtled toward her, gleaming and deadly. Her breath caught as the blade came closer, and a strange, mocking laughter echoed through the chaos.
"Got you!" the voice jeered, smug and self-assured.
Before Olivia could process what was happening, Ren had already moved. With a quick flick of his hand, he summoned wind magic and infused it with shards of ice. A shimmering blade materialized and sped through the air, intercepting the attack with pinpoint accuracy.
The two blades clashed in front of Olivia, shattering into harmless fragments that fell to the ground like frozen rain.
"No," Ren said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he adjusted his stance. "I got you."
"So are you guys gonna come out voluntarily?"
Ren didn't wait for a reply. His instincts kicked in as he charged toward the source of the sound, eyes sharp with determination. Without hesitation, he gripped his sword tighter, channeling lightning into its blade until it hummed with raw energy.
With a swift motion, Ren slashed at the trees ahead. The blade cut through them like paper, some trunks igniting into brief flames as sparks from the lightning scattered in the air.
The force of the attack was overwhelming. The group hiding behind the trees had no time to react as the shockwave hit them. Splinters flew, and one of them cried out in pain.
"Damn it!" Slyke snarled, clutching his arm as blood trickled down from a fresh wound. Falko, eyes wide with panic, quickly grabbed him, while Ellen covered their retreat, growling low in frustration. They took a step back, regrouping in haste.
Ren stood firm, sword crackling with power. "So, who's next?" he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Ellen stepped forward, glaring at Ren as flames danced on her fingertips. "You're cocky for someone who doesn't know who they're dealing with," she hissed, her lizard-like tongue flicking briefly.
Ren smirked, his sword still sparking. "Oh, I think I've got the gist. Three amateurs playing at being intimidating. How's that working out for you?"
Falko, visibly shaken, whispered to Slyke, "This guy's insane. We should rethink this."
"Shut up, Falko!" Slyke snapped, wincing as he adjusted his injured arm. He summoned an icy spear in his free hand, the air around him chilling rapidly. "He's nothing but a loudmouth. Ellen, let's roast him!"
Ellen wasted no time, hurling a stream of fire toward Ren, the heat warping the air around it.
Ren rolled his eyes. "Predictable." He raised his free hand, a barrier of wind springing to life and dispersing the flames harmlessly. At the same time, he lunged forward, lightning crackling down his blade as he closed the gap.
Olivia, who had been watching carefully, decided it was time to act. With a fluid motion, she summoned a jet of water, aiming it at Slyke's icy spear. The collision of elements sent a cloud of steam billowing into the area, obscuring everyone's vision.
"Now's your chance!" Olivia called out.
Ren didn't need to be told twice. He darted through the steam, his lightning-infused sword aimed straight for Slyke.
Slyke barely managed to react, forming an ice wall just in time. The sword shattered it on impact, sending shards flying. Slyke stumbled backward, panting, while Falko frantically tried to summon a wind barrier to keep Ren at bay.
"Ellen! Do something!" Slyke barked.
Ellen growled in frustration, her fire and wind magic swirling into a chaotic cyclone. "I'm on it!" she yelled, releasing the tornado straight at Ren and Olivia.
Ren glanced back at Olivia. "You got that, or should I?"
Olivia smiled, already preparing her water magic. "I'll handle it."
As the tornado barreled toward them, Olivia unleashed a powerful torrent of water. The two forces collided mid-air, creating an explosive burst of mist that blanketed the battlefield.
Ren stepped forward, lightning sparking brighter than ever. "Alright, my turn." He raised his sword, lightning gathering at the tip before exploding outward in a wide arc toward their opponents.
Ellen and Falko managed to dodge to the side, but Slyke wasn't fast enough. The electricity struck him, sending him sprawling to the ground with a yell.
Slyke slowly pushed himself up, using Ellen and Falko for support. His eyes were filled with anger as he glared at Ren, who stood confidently, "You'll regret that," Slyke muttered under his breath, his teeth gritted.
Just as tension filled the air, Olivia appeared from behind Ren, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "What now?" she asked, her voice was calm, though her eyes scanned the area for any signs of danger.
"Those free points are coming towards us all on their own," he said with a chuckle. "We'll take them as they come."
Ren smirked, eyeing Slyke and the others as they gathered themselves. "So, you gonna fight until you admit defeat, or are you gonna give up now?" he asked mockingly, his tone dripping with humor. "It's up to you."