Chapter 45：The Genius Berserk (2/2)
”How bold, to laugh in the face of adversity. Aren't you quite the hero? Saving the damsel in distress, eh?” Erin laughed as he sent a kick toward Jin's face, the latter flying like a broken kite before crashing into a table. Erin took a step when he heard a voice leaking from Jin.
”I'm… no hero…” Hazel looked at Jin, who's eyes were bruised beyond recognition due to the earlier kick. His mouth leaked a rivulet of blood as he continued, ”But a person should always keep his promise.”
Hazel's mind was turning blank as memories kept flooding in. Her eyes let out uncontrollable tears as she remembered the promise they made a long time ago before they awakened.
'Let's fend for one another.'
”How lovely,” Erin's face gritted his teeth. He hated this self-righteous bastard making him feel like a villain. He earned every ounce of strength he had now, just to do as he pleases. Years wasted on training just to be taught a lesson by a mere summoner? He let out a sinister laugh. ”Let's see how you'll keep your promises now.”
Blood-colored energy gathered around his fist as ethereal chains swirled around his it. They bounded to his hand supplying it with surging strength, contracting his muscles to their limit.
”No!” Hazel screamed, begging her mana to move. Yet as if her mana was not even there, she couldn't guide it. It was all because of the potion they gave her. She tried to summon her ghosts, to do anything. Her wrists started bleeding as she tried to break off her cuffs, but it was not enough.
As she looked with horror at Erin's fist about to strike Jin, she saw a black sphere appear above Erin, the latter unable to notice it due to the unstable mana in the surrounding. This was probably the major weakness of the berserk, being less perceptive of mana.
From the black hole descended a figure Hazel was familiar with. Someone who she hated knowing moments ago, it was Arthur with his sword covered in mana like a flame dancing around it.
”Erin, watch out!” It was at this moment that a voice broke the silence, as Layla and the elite squad rushing in through the tattered tent. Erin, warned now, tried to retreat to the back but it was too late. The sword made a deep cut between his neck and shoulder blade. Blood flowed out from his wound as he fell to one knee.
Arthur descended on the ground between Erin and Jin, not stopping his attack since Erin was at his weakest now. He used almost all of his mana with the earlier strike, preparing it before he was teleported here.
As he neared Erin, he tried to swing his hand but it stopped mid-air. Vines spurting from the ground restricted his movement as they coiled around his four limbs. Layla heaved a sigh of relief that turned to be too early.
Miko appeared next to her as she swung her dagger toward Layla only to be intercepted by a man with a shield. It was someone Arthur met before, Marco the tanker. He smirked as he activated his ability, reflect, waiting for her to taste her own medicine. Her dagger rebounded off the shield with a dull impact, puzzling Marco who didn't feel his ability reflecting the damage.
”AAAHH!” A long wound appeared on Layla's arm, right behind Marco's back. The latter turned around in shock as he saw Layla bleeding; the attack has passed right through him.
The vines restricting Arthur unwrapped themselves, freeing him at last to make his last-ditch attack. He bolted toward Erin who had his hand pressing on his wound with his head down. As he got near, Arthur felt an ominous feeling coming from Erin.
Arthur steeled himself as he made the last attack he had, with poison strike also activating. However, the strike never reached as it, along with the poison, hung mid-air due to the pressure Arthur felt pushing against him.
Mana exploded out of Erin's body and chains wrapped around it, creating a red armor covering his body. The explosion was so powerful that Arthur was pushed back several meters. Erin stood from his position and Arthur saw that his wound has been sealed by the chains.
The next thing Arthur felt was extreme pain in his stomach like it was being ripped apart. His armor broke and the protection rune he created earlier negated some of the damage. Even with these layers of protection, Arthur felt like his internals has turned upside down as he vomited blood while flying across the tent.