Chapter 165: The duel(4)

Minutes earlier—

Tiana took off as soon as Kael had pointed in Quil’s direction. It was just a metre long race, and she found him sitting on a rock.

"There you are." She smirked.

"I was waiting, shortie." he stood up.

Tiana cracked her knuckles. "So you’re my opponent?"

Quil nodded. "Unfortunately."

"Then let’s get this over with." Flames erupted around her hands.

Quil immediately stepped back. "That’s a lot of fire."

"You scared?"

"No."

Several rings of light appeared behind him. They floated around his body, slowly rotating.

Tiana’s eyes narrowed. "What are those?"

"You’ll find out."

"Alright!" She dashed towards him with a wave of flames.

Quil took a step back and raised one hand.

The rings of light suddenly moved towards her. The flames struck one of them and vanished.

Tiana’s eyes widened. "What did you...?"

Quil pointed at her. "Not done."

The ring flashed. The same attack came back, only fifty times much stronger.

"Aaarrrggghhh!" Tiana threw herself to the side, and the blast tore through several trees behind her.

She stared at the destruction.

"...You reversed it?"

"Yes."

Tiana’s expression changed. "So that’s your ability."

She looked at the rings surrounding him. "Then I’ll just attack you differently."

Blood rose from the ground around her.

"Blood art. Needle." It twisted through the air, forming several sharp tendrils. The tendrils began to spin.

Quil’s rings immediately began moving.

She sent them forward.

Quil dodged the first, second, but the third caught his shoulder and sent him stumbling.

Tiana rushed forward for a physical attack.

"Got you!"

She swung her flaming fist.

Quil crossed his arms. A ring of light appeared directly between them, and her fist struck it.

She had expected physical attack to work on him, but the force came back.

Tiana was launched backward. She twisted in midair and landed on her feet.

She looked at Quil. "You can reverse physical attacks too?"

"Fortunately, shortie."

Tiana laughed. "Then I’ll overwhelm you."

The blood around her suddenly spread across the battlefield.

"Blood art. Blood veil."

Fire ignited through it.

The entire area became a maze of burning crimson streams.

Quil’s eyes narrowed. "It’s not a blood veil, if you had fire. Call it crimson veil."

Her eyes blazed. "how dare you— wait, that’s a good idea."

He nodded.

She smiled a few seconds, before her face twisted. "Don’t name my skill!"

He chuckled and raised his hand. The rings of light scattered around.

One flew above him.

Another moved behind Tiana.

Another circled around her.

"Trying to trap me huh?!"

"Yep!" The rings suddenly moved inward, spinning towards her.

She jumped over one. Another passed beneath her.

She threw a blood attack toward Quil.

He caught it with a ring and reserved it. The attack came back fifty times stronger.

She blocked it with a wall of fire. The collision sent a shockwave through the forest.

Quil rushed through the smoke.

Tiana saw him too late.

He swung his hand.

She immediately raised her hand to block, but what she didn’t know was that he was never aiming to attack her.

He just kicked her leg and tripped her.

"Huh?"

She landed flat on the ground.

"..."

He smiled. "I win."

"Huhhhh?!"

"It was a good match."

Her face turned red in anger. "That was cheating! Fight me!"

"There were no rules against cheating." He shrugged.

"Shut up! Fight me!"

"Can you accept your loss?"

"I can’t accept that!"

Quil offered her his hand.

"Let’s have a rematch some other time."

She stared at his hand.

"Fine."

Then grabbed it. "Don’t get smug."

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

Quil pulled her to her feet.

"Maybe a little."

***

"And that’s what happened." Tiana finished her narration.

Tyler’s eye was twitching. "You didn’t have to add the dialogue to the explanation."

"So, he cheated to win." Tiana concluded. "It’s not my loss!"

"Have anyone seen Elias and Claude?" Fayera tilted her head. "It has been up to an hour."

"I don’t hear the sound of a fight either." Tiana mumbled.

"They are on their way, coming here." Quil spoke. He raised his hand and pointed to a direction. "Right about—"

"Damn it! Everywhere hurts." Claude shuffled out of the bushes.

They all turned.

At first, silence fell. They all just stared at them.

Elias walked out, fully composed, energy calm, clothes still perfectly ironed. But Claude? He was only wearing his trousers. His clothes had been ripped off. He had cuts and was bleeding.

"I guess you lost." Tyler tilted his head.

"Welcome back." Fayera waved.

Tiana, however, was looking at something else. Claude’s chest.

"President," she pointed. "Is that your name tattooed on your skin?"

He looked down at himself. Strange inscriptions were tattooed on his chest, up to his shoulder and down to his torso.

"Oh. Yes."

"What does it mean?"

"Just Claude." He shrugged.

"A total disaster. Logic has no meaning." Fayera said.

They all glanced at her. She smiled and pointed to Claude.

"That’s what it says."

"A total disaster?" Quil opened his eyes.

"Shut up, single eye!" Claude snapped.

She laughed.

"Then, what do your’s say?" Tyler pointed to Fayera.

"Me?" She smiled. "A flower among many others. Who knows just what she might become."

"That’s creative." Quil muttered.

Tiana stared at him, then Fayera and finally Elias.

He was twirling his finger, ready to open a portal.

"Wait, how did you trash Claude like this?" Tyler asked.

Elias stopped and glanced back. "Well...I just rained weapons and made him run."

"Cheating!" They chorused.

Claude himself just laughed, but he was well aware that Quil and Tyler didn’t buy it.

"Are you going to the academy now?" Quil stood up. "Hold on a bit. Let’s wake up the rest and visit it together."

"Let me!" Tiana had gotten to the unconscious mates.

"Get—"

Davon’s eyes opened. He saw her foot inches from his face, ready to kick him.

"Really now?"

She chuckled nervously and withdrew her leg. "Just precautions."

He sat up and grabbed his head. A painful twitch shot through his expression.

"How long was I out?"

"Thirty minutes? Maybe less?"

He looked around. "Is it over?"

"Yes." She jumped over his leg and crouched down beside Kael. She began to tap him.

"Wake up. Wake up, sleepy head."

"..."

"Wake up...Kael?"

They all glanced over.

"Wake up Kael! Kael! Kael! Kael!"

She glanced at Fayera. "What did you hit him with?"

"He passed out from his own attack."

Tiana returned her eyes to him and continued to tap him harder. Unfortunately, her efforts were useless. He didn’t bulge.

His breathing was steady, but his body wasn’t responding.

It was beginning to get unsettling, when Elias spoke.

"He’s in a trance. Don’t touch him further."