"I can handle it," said Andre, holding his breath, "but I don't have any weapon that can compete with that mythical one."
Andre struck first, without warning, looking for at least one chance to succeed. However, his opponent dodged easily, forcing him to retreat. Dario, watching from the side, realized the level of difficulty they were facing. He had no choice but to step in; otherwise, winning wouldn't be easy at all. Maybe, only with luck, would they manage it.
"Hey, Andre, I don't think you can do this alone without your legendary weapons," said Dario, approaching cautiously.
"Do you really think I'm only good with weapons?" Andre shot back, his voice a mix of frustration and determination.
Dario, suppressing a groan, got into position. Pain shot through his entire body, but he couldn't let it show.
"Alright, kid, we'll stay here and fight. You guys, start moving ahead," said Dario with apparent calm, pretending he didn't feel that stabbing pain.
Andre and Dario knew that if they managed to win, it would be pure luck. They weren't young anymore, and without their legendary weapons, everything would be much harder for them. So they left it in fortune's hands, not knowing if they would survive the confrontation.
---
"Hey, Sara, come on, quick! Let's help carry Azrael," said James, his voice heightened and full of urgency.
The three of them kept running, without a moment's rest, but no matter how much they ran, the academy was no longer a safe place. They had to get out of there immediately. However, the day was beginning to die, and darkness was approaching. They needed to find shelter for the night.
They had spent two or three days trying to get out of the invaded academy, knowing nothing about the others, unable to afford to think too much because they could be discovered at any moment. Azrael, now recovered, was no longer a burden. Along the way, they bumped into some of their classmates who were also escaping. They were few, and they were stained with blood and despair.
Azrael and his friends hid, watching them from the shadows. How had they managed to survive? They decided to follow them at a distance until nightfall. With sunset, and facing an evident lack of food, the small group revealed its terrible truth: they operated by cannibalism. The one with the least familial power, considered the weakest or most useless, was the first to die.
Azrael and his friends were shocked by the scene. Without hesitation, they decided to leave immediately, moving away from that horror in silence. Just at that moment, they finally managed to find the academy's boundaries. Outside stretched a dark, endless forest. Tired, hungry, but with a glimmer of hope, they went out. The first thing they found were some strange, yet familiar animals. They were the first to be caught, becoming the first real meal the three friends had had in days.
"We did it… We got out of the academy," the three of them murmured, hardly believing it, as they rested for a moment.
In that moment of calm, a question pierced them: what had happened to the instructors?
"Maybe they won. They're really strong," said Sara, with a hope she didn't fully feel.
"Let's keep going. The city can't be far," proposed James, getting to his feet.
And without realizing it, as they started moving again under the first hints of night, silent shadows began to follow them among the trees.