The battle erupted in an instant. Erenyx vaulted over the ring of fire, her body propelled like a missile toward two charging beasts. Her foot connected with the first creature's skull in a bone-crushing kick, sending a spray of dust and rock into the air. The force was so powerful it dislodged a shard of earth, which pierced the second beast she had missed, pinning it to the ground.
Loretta followed, his movements fluid and graceful, almost like a dance. With a clap of his hands, flames roared to life, wreathing his fists as he surged forward. His strikes were precise and deliberate, his fire trailing in elegant arcs as he smashed through the small beasts with ease, each blow leaving nothing but scorched remains. The intense heat he generated made the air around him shimmer, creating an otherworldly atmosphere as he tore through their enemies.
Kaku, with his sharp eyes, spotted beasts trying to flank them. In response, he unleashed tendrils of electricity that crackled through the air, striking down anything that moved too close to Erenyx or Loretta. His attacks were swift, sparking across the battlefield like lightning bolts. Meanwhile, Nala, calm and collected, let loose a volley of Essentia arrows from her conjured bow. Each arrow whistled through the air with deadly precision, intercepting the beasts Kaku had missed, turning their stealthy ambush into a futile effort.
The team's formation was perfect. Erenyx and Loretta held the front line, striking down beasts with a ferocity that kept the enemy at bay, while Kaku and Nala provided flawless support from a safe distance. Their synergy was palpable, their movements coordinated like a well-rehearsed performance.
When the last of the beasts fell, the group took a moment to catch their breath. Their victory had been decisive, and it bolstered their spirits. Loretta relaxed, his posture visibly easing, and he casually placed his hands behind his head as they walked. Kaku and Nala exchanged quiet whispers, likely commenting on the battle. But before their conversation could continue, Loretta's instincts flared.
He froze, raising his hand to signal a stop. Nala, sensing the shift in atmosphere, immediately formed her Essentia bow, ready for action. Loretta's body trembled unnaturally, as though something beyond his control was pulling at him. Without warning, his feet left the ground, and he was yanked forward with alarming speed, the world around him blurring as his body collided with something, or rather, someone.
Loretta found himself face-to-face with a tall, pale man, his long black hair cascading down his back. His piercing purple eyes bore into Loretta's, as though seeing straight through him. A searing pain erupted in Loretta's abdomen. He gasped, realizing only then that a dagger was buried deep in his stomach. The hot, agonizing sensation intensified with every passing second, and blood dripped from his lips as he stared helplessly into the man's eyes.
"The Order of The Sun shall fall," the man whispered coldly as he wrenched the blade from Loretta's stomach and let him collapse to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
Before the man could finish his next move, Nala reacted with swift precision. Seven glowing arrows of Essentia shot toward him, each one blazing through the air with deadly intent. Erenyx, already charging, clapped her hands together, summoning Zeus in a flash of thunderous light. The mythical bird screeched as it materialized, its talons outstretched and ready to attack. Kaku, wasting no time, extended his arms, pulling Loretta's body toward him, dragging his injured friend out of harm's way.
Just as the combined forces of Nala's arrows, Zeus's attack, and Erenyx's charge were about to collide with the pale man, he raised a single hand, almost lazily. An invisible force rippled through the air, sending everything flying backward. "Osu." The arrows were deflected, Zeus was destroyed in an instant, and Erenyx was hurled into a nearby tree with bone-rattling force. The man didn't flinch.
"You're not even strong enough to touch me," he said, his voice eerily calm, though it cracked slightly at the edges, betraying underlying instability.
Erenyx, unshaken by the force of the blow, stood once more, her eyes blazing with determination. She slammed her fist into the ground, sending a spiraling pillar of earth toward the man. He kicked through it effortlessly, the debris scattering around him like leaves in the wind. "My business is with the boy of Ra," he declared, raising his hand again as a large, curved shuriken hurtled from the trees, embedding itself into the ground just inches from Kaku and the now unconscious Loretta.
"Give me his life, and you may walk away," the man demanded bluntly, his eyes flickering with disdain. The shuriken vanished as quickly as it had appeared, like a mirage in the desert.
Kaku, unfazed by the threat, glanced at Loretta's prone form. With a steady hand, he ran his fingers over the gaping wound, his Essentia flowing into the injury. White, scaly skin formed over the area, closing the wound and stopping the bleeding. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Kaku responded, his voice low but resolute. "Art of the Storm Emperor: Lesser Sparking Cloak."
Lightning crackled across Kaku's body, enveloping him in a dazzling electric aura. His hair, usually slicked back, now stood on end, spiking out wildly as he prepared to fight.
Erenyx, her eyes glowing with a misty trail, locked onto the trees. She could see their hidden attacker, the one who had thrown the shuriken. "Get down here, coward," she snarled, her voice cold and unwavering. "What's the matter? Scared?"
Kaku carefully set Loretta down by a tree, giving him time to recover as he crouched low, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. His body swayed rhythmically, almost like a serpent in the wind. Nala's face hardened as her Essentia bow grew in size, its jagged form glowing with immense power. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced by a fierce determination.
"I suppose you can all die here," the pale man said softly, forming six rods of pure Essentia and launching them at Kaku. But before they could reach him, Nala's jagged arrows shot forward, intercepting the rods in mid-air and knocking them off course. Kaku moved gracefully, his path twisting and turning like a snake in water.
"Art of the Wicked: Sen'ei Jashin," Kaku whispered, his arms transforming into thousands of white snakes that surged toward the man, binding him in place. With a flick of his wrist, Kaku slipped under the man's legs and appeared behind him, locking him in a serpent's grip.
The pale man cursed under his breath, struggling against the bindings. But it was too late, Nala had been preparing her shot. She released a single arrow, crackling with Essentia, its power immense. The arrow struck the man dead center, piercing him and sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.
Erenyx, still searching the forest, cursed as she lost sight of the other enemy. "Damn it! Coward!" she muttered before returning to the group. They dragged the pale man's body into a large cave for shelter.
Loretta sat up, clutching his stomach where Kaku's white scales now covered his wound. "Kaku, what the hell did you do to me?" he muttered, running his fingers over the scaly patch.
Kaku grinned mischievously. "Just a bit of my DNA. Helps with the healing process." He flexed his fingers, causing spikes to sprout from the scaly skin.
"Get this crap off me before the tournament," Loretta grumbled, glaring at Kaku. Kaku tilted his head with a smile, teasing, "You sure you'll be healed by then?"
"Positive," Loretta shot back.
Erenyx stomped her foot between them, raising a stone wall to separate the two. "Why can't you two just get along?" she demanded, her voice filled with frustration.
Loretta remained silent, but Kaku chuckled, his playful grin never fading. "I think we get along just fine!"