One of the masters—Pharouque—walked through the island's woods, hands in his pocket, looking all bored as if there was nothing at hand.
He yawned, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes as he blinked. "Seriously. Why did I have to come here too?"
He stopped, looking up at the clear, blue sky. For a while, he just stood there, watching with half lidded eyes, his gold hair fluttering softly.
A sigh escaped him as he took two steps forward but froze immediately, hearing the leaves of the trees around him rustle.
He kept looking straight ahead, ears twitching slightly, expression unreadable.
"A bunch of weaklings." He murmured and continued walking.
But before he could take even five steps, five dar-tandemons appeared from the trees, surrounding him.
"Careful with your tongue, human!"
"Shut up and beat it." Pharouque said, walking past the one that was in front of him.
The demons' opened their mouth, shocked at the fact that he was ignoring threat.
"I can't waste my time on you. The last thing I want is Richelle scolding me for not helping in the rescue."
The demon he walked past furrowed its brows, turning around to Pharouque.
Then it lunged forward along with the other four at him. "Don't ignore us."
Pharouque stopped and sigh, lifting his left hand. A gold arm guard flickered to life on his arm and immediately, dust rose, swirling around him and the demons.
All sights on them were lost in the small storm as a golden light glowed in it.
Pharouque emerged, walking away as the dust slowly settled.
"On the second thought..." He stopped, turning around to look at the demons.
They now looked frail, eyes missing, as if they had been sucked dry of all liquids.
"If I let you live, you'll go after the weak again. And it'll be all my fault. So eliminating you was the best choice."
He yawned and turned around, walking away. "But seriously. This rescue is such a hassle."
— —
Rexford and the ori-tandemon kept exchanging blows, sounds of clashing water girdle coiling around their blades ringing with metallic cracks instead of just 'splash'
Rexford was sent flying back from one clash but immediately, a water wall emerged behind him.
He landed on his feet against it, knees bending into a squatting position and leaped back at the demon.
They clashed swords again and the force at which Rexford came at the demon forced it onto one knee.
The demon grinned and pushed Rexford back again, throwing him into the air.
Rexford pointed his blade to the water below him as the water girdle stretched from his blade, digging into the river.
Three water sashes rose, curling around the demon where it stood.
Rexford pulled his sword back—
The sashes closed in fast.
The demon was faster, jumping out before it could get grappled.
"What?" Rexford yelped, retracting his water girdle from the river.
The demon came after him as he fell, throwing the water girdle coiling around its sword at Rexford.
The string on water wrapped around Rexford's legs before he could react and the demon used it to pull him down past it, increasing his falling speed.
Rexford crashed hard onto the water surface, the impact knocking the breath out of him.
The demon pulled him up towards it again with the belt.
Rexford cut off the water girdle with his—water girdle—sword just in time to block the demons' sword with his.
Again, the demon forced him down with a push.
It didn't end there—
The water girdle around its sword stretched past Rexford and into the river.
The demon pulled it, using it to increase its falling speed.
The moment Rexford landed, the demon was already above, hurling its blade at him.
Rexford blocked but was forced onto both knees.
The impact from the clash caused intense rippling of the water beneath them and loud splashes around him.
Rexford crouched, trying to force the demon back, teeth clenched, brows furrowed.
He forced one knee up and tapped it back down on the water as two water spikes rose up beside him at the demon.
The demon twisted, merely dodging the attacks as it received cuts to its shoulder.
It landed a few meters away from Rexford. "Not bad. You almost got me there."
Rexford got up on his feet, breathing heavily. "Tch! Your reflexes are a pain."
He then charged forward again...
— —
Desmond stood, leaning back against a tree, taking deep breaths. "Dammit, I'm running out of energy. I'll have end this soon."
"Don't think you can hide from me." A hoarse voice came from behind, causing Desmond to flinch.
He quickly moved from the spot and a wind drill crashed into the tree, snapping the upper part off.
Desmond stopped, watching the damage. "Huh? Were the dark guy's wind attacks this destructive?"
[Abrasive Bombard Barrage]
Desmond groaned and started running to his left as multiple wind strikes crashed into the trees behind him.
— —
Emmanuel parried a flaming sword strike to the left with his own flaming sword and immediately, fire blazed from clash to the side of the parry
He then thrusted his sword at the demon but the demon was quick and deflected it up.
Flames bursted from Emmanuel's blade into the sky.
They continued, steel ringing against steel and with each clash, fire erupted.
Emmanuel glared at the demon as they clashed. "You! How are your flames hotter than mine?"
The demon sneered. "Isn't it obvious? It's the gap in strength between us."
Emmanuel's glare intensified as he moved to the left to dodge a downward slash, fire blowing past him from the swing.
He thrusted his blade for the demon's head but it shifted just a little and received a cut to its cheek.
The demon winced as fire erupted from the cut on the demon's cheek.
Emmanuel grinned. "Gap in strength, my ass."
The demon quickly sliced at Emmanuel with its flame sword.
Emmanuel was quick and moved back but couldn't avoid a small cut to his right arm.
Emmanuel screamed in pain, throwing his arm into the air as flame sneezed from the cut.
He landed a few meters from the demon, breathing heavily. "Damnit."
"What's the matter?" The demon taunted. "Is that all an aspiring warrior can do?"
Emmanuel raged, clenching his teeth as his arm guard flared up.
"Shut up!" He yelled swinging his sword as a compressed arc of flames shot at the demon.
The demon's grin extended as it sent forth the same attack.
Both arcs collided and created a huge explosion, pushing Emmanuel back, his boots dragging along the ground.
The demon came through the explosion at Emmanuel who gasped.
The demon came down, spinning forward with its sword blazing brightly.
Emmanuel vaulted back as the demon crashed into that spot, causing a huge explosion.
Fire blasted at Emmanuel who used his sword to block it, the flames dividing into two past him.
The ori-tandemon got up, fangs flashing in a wide grin. "Come on boy. Don't tell me that's your limit?"
"Of course not." Emmanuel got up, pointing his blade at the demon. "There's no way I'll die here. I won't let Desmond out do me."
"Then flame me up with all you've got." The demon yelled as it dashed at Emmanuel.
"That, I will." Emmanuel stated, lunging forward...