25 Chapter 16: The Tournament of Beginnings - Part II - Perlimanaries (2/2)

There I found that one of the victims was Yami!

She tried to defend the other survivor, although I did not know why. As she was my companion I had to go help. Now determined to even the odds I jumped over one of the outsiders pushing him back.

The others shocked as they were helped their comrade up. In the meantime, I tried to see if everyone was okay.

”Yami! Are you okay? W-who is these people?!”

”They are outsiders... infiltrating the event, they thought it was a good sport to start killing people in the middle of all this... and for some reason, they are targeting this young girl that's with us.”

Looking close I had never seen someone like her before. She had short white hair, dark skin, and burning yellow eyes. Her hands had jewels embedded in them. At a glance, I figured that would be why the girl got attacked. Seeing Yami like this was in a way refreshing to me, as she showed a side that wanted to protect others. As her partner, I should be doing the same, which is why I stood by her side protecting the girl.

”Do you have any idea who they are?”

I asked kind of confused by the situation.

”We met during the event, they were both nice to Yami, which is why we decided to get through this as a group. But then we got ambushed by these basterds...”

The group that surrounded us laughed nonchalantly knowing everything went as they planned.

”Hey, kid! We only have business with the girl... we were ordered to bring her back to headquarters, so... if you get our of the way we will let you live.”

The girl coward away behind me, mumbling and rambling something in fear as she started crying.

”N-no... not that place... I don't want to go there! Ever again!! P-please... leave me alone!!”

One of the men got annoyed by this and rushed towards her. I then jumped in his path blocking his way.

”Yami, keep her safe, I will deal with them, one way... or another... and take her comrade with you too!”

”Yes master, quick! We have to go to Haru. Climb on top of me.”

Yami transformed into her wolf form and let the girl ride on top of her, the girl played her companion on top of Yami, rushing past the men quickly moving for safety.

Now that I don't have any distractions anymore I could start asking some questions.

”Now then... why is it you guys are starting chaos in this event? Not to mention target a young defenseless girl like that?”

One of the men walked up to me and pushed me trying to make me fall.

”We were ordered by our supreme leader to get the girl back to where sshe belongsss, no witnessesss should be left alive. No time to deal with the likes of you... she needsss to be brought back!!

The man ordered the others to go after Yami and the girl while staying behind, making sure I wouldn't get in the way. He spread his arms wide taking a battle stance.

I prepared for an incoming attack, but instead, the man took off his hood, revealing his face. Scales... horns and sharp looking lizard-like eyes... he wasn't human, far from it even. His tongue shot in and out rapidly like that of a snake as his arms turned into multiple snakes who rushed towards me.

I jumped back dodging then, for now, thinking of a way to counter I tried summoning flames...

A small flame formed in the palm of my hand.

Not knowing if I could throw it I decided to punch down on the group of snakes. The fire caught on and quickly spread engulfing them all, slowly burning them to a crisp. Warm as it was, the flame did not hurt. Which is why I quickly wrapped my arms with the flames. Now armed to fight these snakes I tried attacking the man.

He blocked my attack, not with his arm, but with a blade attached to his arm. He smiled and quickly attacked me with his other arm.

Jumping back again knowing I couldn't block the attack I struggled to find away. That's when I noticed that the flames which engulfed the snakes were still burning strongly. Could I use this to my advantage?

The man rushed towards me with his bladed arms.

”Oh... I am going to enjoy thisss.”

The man sliced up trying to catch me in a pinched attack, barely escaping from his quick attack I fell to the ground burning the area I landed on.

Again... the flames didn't go out, they just kept burning strongly. The man was cautious around the flames not wanting to get hit by them.

Now was my chance, I stood up and launched myself at the man, grabbing him by the ankles. Burning his feet. The man screamed in agonizing pain.

”Aaarggghh, Sssshit!! That hurts you fucker!! Make it ssstop! Make... it... Ssstop!!”

The flames kept creeping up ever so slightly, passing his knees, now closing in on his waist the man collapsed as he couldn't stand on his legs anymore.

In the last struggle for survival, he crawled towards me gasping for air. With his dying breath, he said something, something I couldn't understand at the time... The man smiled uttering these last words.

”Nothingness... Envelopesss... All... Where... I... Ssstand... M-more... W-will... F-follow...

*cough* *cough*

We... Are... Legion...”

Uttering those words before the flames fully enveloped him, slowly burning his flesh away as his words turned in muffled gargling.

Looking at the remains buttons were laying on the ground, five in total, deciding to take them all as I went on my way to find Yami.

These people were part of a bigger whole... I only hoped we wouldn't have to find out more.

-Somewhere on the other side of the forest-

Geo found his first challenger, confident he accepted the one on one fight with a woman. The woman was confident in her skills. Geo as the gentleman that he was allowed the woman to strike first only to savor the entirety of her voluptuous body.

The woman came at him with killing intent, but he dodged gently sliding past the side of her, knocking her out by cleanly hitting the back of her neck.

”To easy girl... couldn't you give me more time to touch you in more places? This is boring... I'm out!”

Geo took the button leaving him at three points total as he went on in the hope of finding more challengers.

Unaware of his surroundings Geo got caught off guard as a wolf rushed past him on arm distance. He noticed the wolf carrying a girl and a man, curious he followed them... A group of hooded people was chasing the wolf. They stopped as Geo got in their way, only to meddle in their affairs.

Michael arrived shortly after to find the group of hooded people circling Geo. As they calmly stood around Geo, one could take in the way their robes looked. They were completely black with dark purple spirals all over... inside something seemed like an eye.

Now Geo and Michael had to fight the hooded men.

Two stepped forward as the others gave long-distance fire support. Hurling ice shards at us,

there was no time to stand still...

Getting used to the flames during the last battle I tried forming a fireball. throwing it towards one of the hooded men in the back before the others could strike, but the other blocked it with a sloppy sludge pillar.

As the others closed in Geo took on a broad stance moving one arm up and the other downward flexing his muscles. With a hard stomp, he pushed a wave of stone spikes towards both men stopping them in their tracks.

One of them jumped in the air dodging the spikes, immediately after countering with sludge balls.

Making Geo jump backward.

”Don't worry about them, take the ones in the back, I'll be fine.”

Geo said confidently in his ability.

I enveloped my arms with flames rushing towards the hooded men in the back, as they shot ice shards at me I mercilessly punched the shards away as I moved in closer. In the brief moment, they had to cast their spells I hurled another fireball, but this time aimed at the ground beneath their feet.

Knowing it would spread until it had caught their target I only needed to ensure that they would stay in place. Which gave me an idea.

”Geo, can you quickly trap them inside with the flames?”

”That should be possible, you're dark. Wanting to suffocate them and all.”

Geo had already finished the other two bashing the ground underneath him creating stone slabs that trapped the other two. Now, victory was ours.

As it was all over we took the remainder of the badges giving us enough for all of us to pass.

As an all had 5 points total we quickly made our way to the safe zone.

There Yami lowered the two bodies for them to get treatment. As we both closed in on the save zone.

I was relieved to see Yami was okay.

”What was all that about? Hooded people... talk about a cult!!” Geo said mocking them.

Shortly after giving Yami her buttons an alarm sounded.

The time limit has been succeeded... please stop as time is up... everyone please go to your nearest safe zone. There you will be patched up as we see who completed the challenge to move on to round two.

An official counselor came to see us at the save zone counting the buttons that we had in our possession.

Yami and Geo still had their buttons and three others which made them pass on to round two, as for me I had five buttons in total while mine was missing giving me just enough to go on to round two.

The counselor thanked us for participating in the event and led us to a small room where we were told to wait.