NOVEL NEXT Chapter 127: Nice Matchup!
"Asta'' lekul." Xar muttered as he saw Tom speeding his way.
"Fucking speak in English!" The B rank Reaver screamed as he leaped into the air, then swung his sword towards the creature with full strength causing a huge flame slash to burst out.
Xar on seeing this, quickly leaped back, avoiding the slash which crashed into the ground, tore through it, and scorched the earth too. The impact shook the surroundings and the air itself trembled from the heat.
He was about to kick off and attack Tom when another flame slash from the side drew his attention.
This time he wasn't able to dash to the side and avoid it on time, so he quickly raised his hands together, placing them in front of him. A shield morphed in place just at the right moment for the flame slash to strike with lethal force.
Xar's hand jerked back, his body staggering a metre away due to the sheer force of the hit. His inverted heels dug trenches across the ground as he skidded for a few seconds before finally coming to a full halt.
Just in time to see Tom appear in front of him with a swift spinning flame kick aimed straight at his face. Xar's speed was still great though, and the creature instantly ducked down low causing the flaming kick to whip past above his head with a scorching hiss.
His hands immediately morphed into a gauntlet as he swung it forward, aiming to smash Tom out of the air, but Lyra immediately hurled a small shield with immense force. It smashed into the gauntlet and veered it off course, the clash ringing like a bell through the battlefield.
Yanking her hand back, the shield suddenly shifted and whirled back towards Xar, spinning like a predator returning to its master. The creature simply snarled and swung a bone sword into the shield, hitting it dead center and shattering it into fragments that scattered like glass.
Swinging his head back, Xar was surprised to see Tom directly in front of him with his fist already swung straight at his face with all the speed he could muster.
"Tsk! Too slow." The creature said as his feet twitched, about to move when flames suddenly roared around Tom's elbows, boosting the speed of his arm to terrifying length. The force carried far more weight than before, like a cannon igniting at point blank range.
Then…
POW!
BAM!
The fist struck Xar with so much force that he was lifted off his feet and hurled several yards away. Unfortunately for him, Lyra was already there waiting. Her weapon had shifted again, this time into that of a massive war hammer which she raised high above her head.
"You're versatile, but I'm more versatile!" Lyra thundered, her voice echoing across the battlefield. The hurtling Xar spun in the air just in time to see the huge war hammer descending on him with terrifying speed.
"Shit." He muttered beneath his breath as his hands immediately morphed into a shield. And right on cue, the hammer struck with the force of a speeding train, the collision so devastating that the ground beneath the duo cracked apart and caved into a crater.
Xar's body shot backwards again like a missile, his bone shield cracking almost immediately as his body smashed into a thick tree.
The tree splintered and groaned under the impact, breaking his fall, though the shock still rattled his body to the core. Pink blood dripped down his arms as he slowly rose, his glare fixed on Lyra who had already switched weapons once more.
"Truly, the previous fights were a worse match up. The kid has good foresight for telling us to switch." She muttered, her voice sharp as lightning now danced along the spear in her grip. Its tip crackled with destructive energy, humming with restrained violence.
"And yet, you called him a weakling." Tom added as he lifted his sword and pointed it at Xar, flames roaring around the blade like a beast eager to devour.
"He still is." Lyra groaned out as she pushed off from where she stood, her boots crackling with lightning that surged outward in sparks. The power coursed through her veins, boosting her speed beyond what she was capable of earlier, and in a blink, she shot forward like a thunderbolt.
Xar spat on the ground, his lips curving into a dangerous smirk as his eyes glinted with murderous intent.
Both his hands instantly morphed into a pair of bone swords, sharp and jagged, and he darted forward like a speeding bullet. In the span of a heartbeat, he appeared in front of Lyra, closing the gap as if distance itself didn't exist.
The very moment they clashed, a violent cloud of dust erupted into the air, obscuring the battlefield. Lyra thrust her spear forward with all her might, lightning coating its tip in blinding brilliance, but Xar crossed his blades and blocked with ease.
The weapon sparked violently as the crackling energy intensified around it, but the creature didn't even flinch, not a shred of pain registering on his face. It was as if the lightning itself was beneath him.
Warmongress didn't falter. With a sharp pivot, she drove her gauntlet-covered fist straight towards his face.
Xar tilted his head calmly to the side, avoiding the punch by inches, when from above Tom could suddenly be seen descending, his sword blazing. A violent flame slash tore down from his weapon, streaking across the air like a falling star.
Seeing the attack, Xar was left with no other choice. He kicked Warmongress squarely in the chest, sending her staggering back, then flipped backwards through the air with perfect control.
The flame slash struck the ground where he had stood, detonating on impact with a thunderous boom that kicked up a swirling cloud of fire and dust.
Out from the haze, Lyra burst forth again, this time her weapon shimmering into a pair of wicked daggers. She moved like liquid lightning, her figure almost impossible to follow as she launched herself at Xar. The two of them began moving in a deadly blur, blades and claws clashing at blinding speed.
Every strike split the air, every counter sent vibrations through the ground. The battlefield itself suffered as the terrain cracked, shattered, and was torn apart with each exchange.
Loud bangs dominated the air as distortions rippled outward, the sheer pressure of their fight bending the atmosphere. Tom stood a few paces away, his sword in hand, but his brows furrowed deeply. He knew he couldn't keep up with their speed, not as they were now. So he stayed rooted, waiting, calculating, baiting his time for the one strike that would matter.
Then it happened. A vicious kick slammed into Lyra's midsection, knocking her out of the air. She fell fast, the ground rushing to meet her, but before she struck it her weapon shimmered once more.
In an instant it shifted into a long whip, glowing faintly with embedded essence. She hurled it without hesitation, the whip snapping through the air before coiling tightly around Xar's torso. With every ounce of strength in her body, she yanked hard, her muscles screaming from the force.
The creature was ripped off balance, his feet torn from the ground as he went airborne for a split second. But a split second was all Tom needed.
Flames exploded around his feet as he rocketed forward, his sword burning brighter than ever, flames licking along its edge hungrily. He stabbed it forward, and the sky itself seemed to crack as a massive tunnel of fire burst from his blade with blistering speed. Xar's eyes widened; he had no time to morph his shield.
The inferno smashed into him full force, detonating with a deafening roar that echoed far and wide. The blast tore across the battlefield, shaking the trees and ripping chunks of earth into the air. Xar's body was engulfed, hurled violently backward, and for a moment it looked like he would crash into the ground in defeat.
But the monster twisted at the last moment. With unnatural agility, he flipped and landed on one knee, his hands digging into the ground to keep his balance. His chest heaved, his arms trembled slightly, and pink blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.
Slowly, he raised his head and glared at the two Reavers with eyes filled with pure venom. The pain was there now, faint but undeniable. For the first time, Xar had been forced back.