36. Enters player 2, press Start to continue #3
“How–How the fuck. Your hands didn’t…shit!” Pushing forward, I quiet the speech she uses as a distraction. Now knowing it’s not within her to fight fair, I’m done holding back. I’m on her in four quick steps.
She stands, meeting my blade with her axe and brutish strength.
Embers take flight from our clashing weapons, and she uses its shaft in a swiping up motion.
But I spin away from the force of her attack, still taking damage, and get behind her.
Implanting my blade in her right shoulder, I kick the soft, meaty part behind Tish’s knee which robs her balance.
Plummeting, she hits the ground on her knees with a yelp of agony. “Yield,” I demand. Wrapping an arm around her neck, I apply pressure. “It’s over.”
I peer over amongst the masses, catching each one standing and surveying. Their features are lined with anticipation and something more.
Russ has a brighter smile than any flame of Tish’s, and I can practically tell what is on his mind– Pride.
Alex’s arms are folded, fighting a smirk itching to form– Obsession.
Caspian, standing between him and Marcel, winks in my direction– Devotion.
Marcel is hard to read. His features are calm while the rise and fall of his chest roars excitement– Admiration.
Ethan is no longer seated, chair knocked over, and his eyes blaze with golden light, not hiding the bloodlust oozing from his pores– Satisfaction.
“Ahh, fuck,” I yell, dropping my weapons and clenching my injuries. I push her forward, noting the punishment for taking attention away from her. Flames eat away my flesh, scorching my skin until crispy, raw meat is exposed.
“It’s not over until I say so.” She stands, rubbing her throat. “These rules mean nothing to me. I’m going to kill you.”
“Yeah.” Leering at her beneath hooded brows, I tug more energy over my body as dragon scales slide into place, covering me from head to toe. “Get in line.”
They wanted to see my power. To see what I’m capable of. Fine. I’ll give them everything. Dissolving the six creations still hovering, I feel their energy return, and I fortify it into something more. Something greater.
She waves a hand, re-summoning her axe, and with the other, she gathers fire into a ball above us, letting it grow into one massive sphere.
But I’m unflinching against the heat. Unwavering.
Refusing to look away. She can make things explode, similar to me, but her power isn’t as destructive as mine. Bring it.
Magic flows like blood, and my arms tremble from how much I’ve already conjured.
Behind Tish and high above, crescent after crescent after crescent manifests.
Eighteen to be exact, but I’m not done. Dissolving the metal daggers at her feet, I pull two more from my ribs and push forward, not wasting another second.
Her smile fades upon my approach, and speed becomes a weapon of its own.
Swinging in rapid strikes, I can see she is quick, but hesitant.
I swipe at her chest and hit flames but continue in a fluid rhythm.
Ribs–blocked, crouching for her thighs–blocked, ribs–blocked…
she is forced to defend, predicting each blow I set up.
Pushing us back towards my floating creations.
“Enough!” Tish roars, spinning on her toes, causing me to miss and stumble. On cue, her flaming ball descends with heat so potent the ground sizzles, and I shield my eyes, turning away. It’s unavoidable, and in a flash, everything surrounding me goes up in hellish flames.
Smoke spreads far and wide, engulfing the space. Her steps thud, drawing closer, and I dissolve what is left of my scales, inhaling and exhaling in tandem. Choking out more smoke than air, I taste flakes of burned marble as the daggers within my hold drop from overheating.
Please be right, Alex. A single thought peering at her yellow flames wisp in front of me.
Summoning a sigil just above us at the last second, I barely witness Tish’s ball of flames vanish into it, reemerging across the arena and explode. My skin begins cooling in an instant, and I fall to my knees then forward on my arms, holding her attention. Thank God it worked.
“That was cute. No matter, here’s where you die. Next, your little friend,” she monologues, stepping past the cloud of dust. Fuck. I cough as Rosie’s death springs to mind.
“I–It’s…funny, really.” Naive.
“What’s that, mortal?” Overconfident. What magic I had is now gone from overuse.
“You’re weaker.” Wasteful. Her steps cease inches away, and the flare of her axe grazes my cheek.
“Just die, already,” she growls, raising her weapon to strike.
In an instant, Tish’s blood pours over me, and she releases a yell of unimaginable pain. I pull the daggers from my hair, slicing through her feet with so much force the curved blades pierce marble, keeping her motionless.
“You know–” Standing, I watch the nubs of her severed arms flail as screams follow the downpour of warm liquid.
My sigil continued lingering and vanished with her arms inside it.
A rather well placed and planned attack.
Thanks, again Alex. “Killing me was fine until you and your group brought Angie into it.” Looking back at my escaping sigil then up at my beautiful floating babies, I continue, “And well, I’ve lost one best friend…
” I return my attention to her. “I’m not losing another. ”
“Fuck you!” she cries, and I back away, feeling my magic’s warmth from behind. She is formidable, I’ll give her that. Not as low in ranking as she once was during the start of classes.
“You’re not my type.”
Red takes me into a calming void and out beside the spectators who are guarded by two massive sigils of my creation.
This was going to be a devastating attack, so precautions were taken not knowing if it would work.
Keeping my back to everyone else, I feel my eighteen crescent blades detonate, swallowing what little screams remain.