As Octavius and Void surveyed their surroundings, they were met with a gruesome sight: the ground was strewn with numerous bodies, some of them contestants, others... unclear. The air was heavy with the putrid stench of blood and death.
"We didn't even get to know why she was attacking us," Octavius muttered with concern.
[Isn't it obvious?] Void asked. [This isn't a competition, it's an execution]."
Void's ears perked up, his head cocked to one side as he listened intently. Octavius instinctively turned, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement.
Footsteps echoed through the air, growing louder with each passing moment. Instinctively, Octavius's hand moved to the dagger he had taken from the girl who had attacked him earlier. His eyes narrowed as he braced himself for the unknown threat.
But after staring intently in the direction of the approaching footsteps, preparing for whatever lay ahead, a fluffy rabbit hopped into view. Octavius's tense posture relaxed, and he turned, only to find himself face to face with one of the contestants' leaders from the opposing group.
Octavius's eyes narrowed as he recalled their previous encounter. This was one of the men who had chased him away from their group during the initial gathering, mocking his lean physique.
The man lazily pointed a dagger at Octavius. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the dagger into the air. In a dazzling display of agility, the dagger seemed to triple in mid-air, its movement a blur as it came back down. He caught the daggers neatly between his knuckles.
Octavius's eyes widened in astonishment, not just at the man's impressive acrobatic talent, but also because he hadn't attempted to kill him, unlike the other girl's brutal assault.
"I remember you," the man said, as he pointed one of the daggers at Octavius. Octavius couldn't help but marvel at how he managed to wield the daggers between his knuckles with such precision.
[First, it was Kong, now we have a Wolverine wannabe... I wonder what's next, a Spider-Man impersonator swinging from the trees?]
"It's so unfortunate what's happening here," the man said with a flourish, clasping the three daggers in his palm. In a swift motion, they merged into one. He smoothed out his hair, the strands perfectly styled and gleaming in the dim light.
"You should stay close," he said, his voice rising and falling in a melodious cadence. "It's the only way you won't get hurt. And I can assure your safety back to the Academy."
[I changed my mind,] Void countered, staring at the man. [He's not a Wolverine wannabe...]
"It would be a shame if anything happened to that gorgeous hair of yours," The man continued, "So stay close, two is better than one. And if we get to the academy safely— that's if we get our hands on some aetherstones— I might give you some styling tips."
[He's a Ken doll,] Void completed.
Octavius not knowing who or what that meant, simply responded to the fellow.
"What's happening here? Why are there so many bodies?"
The man, grimacing at the scene, responded, "It's the aetherstones. I suspect some individuals became influenced—or perhaps even overtaken—by its power.
[Bull.] Void curtly stated.
The man oblivious to Void's presence continued.
"It all began when one of the participants attempted to fire his pistol to celebrate his victory and call for a portal. Out of nowhere, someone lunged at him, stabbing him repeatedly. This sudden act sparked a frenzy; in an instant, everyone was attacking and killing one another. It was as if the stones had a malevolent will of their own, compelling those nearby to turn on each other in a violent frenzy…"
[Again, bullshit…] Void began to voice his irritation, words hanging on the edge of his tongue, but he was momentarily distracted. He noticed the sudden shift in the man's demeanor—his eyes had widened, betraying a mix of surprise and caution.
When he traced his gaze to see what had caused the change in his expression, he noted that the porch filled with the aetherstones the Kragg had given him was slight opened.
Turning back to face the man, Void felt a palpable change in the atmosphere. The man's expression had morphed from a being neutral to one that bristled with aggression.
"Oh no, it's not what you think," Octavius started to say.
[Don't reassure them it's not what they think, because that's exactly when it usually is.]
Octavius mentally yelled at Void, "How's that helping?"
[I mean, he just saw your porch filled with a veritable treasure trove of aetherstones- the very thing people are killing themselves over. And now, here you are, amongst several bodies… oh duck,]
Octavius dodged an array of daggers thrown his way, but one sliced through his arm, leaving a deep and deadly cut.
The attacker paused, chest heaving with exertion. "You killed people just to get into the Academy?" he spat, his eyes blazing with contempt.
Octavius opened his mouth to defend himself, but the attacker seized the opportunity to whirl another set of knives at him. Octavius ducked just in time, but one of the blade slashed across his shoulder, leaving another deep gash.
The attacker hurled knife after knife at Octavius, each one whirling through the air with deadly precision. Octavius dodged and weaved, but the knives kept coming, each one leaving a new cut or slash. Whenever he tried to grab a knife and counterattack, it would disappear, leaving only a deep gash in its wake.
Void winced with each new cut, feeling the pain echo through his own body. [For a ken doll, he's a total miniac]
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore he voiced to Octavius.
[Let me, ]
Octavius nodded, evidently exhausted himself, and allowed Void to take control.
"See that knife in his hand," Octavius pointed out. "If we can get it away from him, we can stop him from attacking us."
[I was thinking of a more…] Octavius's body moved swiftly under Void's control, and he kicked up a wooden stake from the ground.
[If we send a stake through his head, we can stop him... Type of problem-solving, ]
Void leaped through the air as another blade was sent his way, and they missed their mark. Before he (the attacker) tried to send another knifehis way, Void took the opportunity of the momentarily distraction and threw the stake in his direction.
The attacker's eyes widened as the stake hurtled towards him. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact, but when nothing happened, he opened them again. He turned to see where the stake had landed and was shocked to find it embedded in the chest of a woman who had been sneaking up behind him, sword raised.
[I meant to do that,] Void told Octavius with a smug mental smile.
The attacker's face paled. "You killed her," he stuttered.
[Uhm, excuse you... I just saved your life,] Void retorted.
"You had no idea of her intent."
[Oh, my bad. Let's confirm her intentions from her, shall we... oh right, she's dead, ]
The attacker brandished the knife, gripping it tightly as he prepared to launch another vicious strike aimed directly at Octavius. He shifted his weight about to unleash even more knives than he did before when a commanding voice rang out.
"He's telling the truth."
They turned to locate the source of the voice and found a figure perched on a tree branch. With effortless agility, she leaped from the tree and landed gracefully on the ground, her palm touching the earth.
[Now we have Spidergirl. Dang, I hate it when my insinuation becomes a reality.]