29 Chapter 16: The Tournament of Beginnins - Part VI - Living For The Hun (1/2)

The group had surrounded them, quickly moving in to strike at Aileen. Elena simultaneously moved her arms outward from a central praying stance. Quickly slamming the ground with open palms, summoning a huge wall of dirt protecting the group. It was as if the ground shook and instantly grew a wall out of nowhere.

Some of the opponents standing on the ground that instantly rose fell to the ground on the other side as the shock made them instantly fall.

A few others jumped off instantly landing on the other side seizing the opportunity to attack.

But the moment they landed, their legs got frozen immobilizing them on the spot.

”Stay alert everyone, this isn't over yet!” Aqua said trying to put up the guard of the girls.

”I shall try to stop the ones who will jump over, whatever you do, keep that wall in place, Elena! As for Aileen... give us support wherever you can.”

”Who went and made you the leader of our temporary alliance? I don't need you to tell me what to do!!”

Elena said irritated and annoyed as the group began breaking through her wall.

On the other side of the wall, others began striking at the center of the wall, following the instructions of their leader a man with red spikes hair, pointy ears, and dark blue eyes. Underneath his right eye, there was a fresh scar visible.

As the others softened the core wall with consecutive strikes he began writing runes to power his element in the air. The runes of Air, Enhancement, and Spirals.

The man began speaking as his spell.

Almighty deities of the wind, grant me the strength to obliterate the obstacles in front of me with a thousand breaths of the Sylph. Become a sphere in my hand and destroy everything in my wake.

Air Spiral!!!”

The moment their leader finished his chanting he held his hands in such a way that a sphere could form in between them. As the sphere formed the air began turning around it rapidly, allowing friction to create heat. Igniting the spiraling sphere.

His hands guided the sphere towards the wall, when both came into contact the fire ignited the wall creating a chain explosion, allowing the sphere to drill straight through the core, finally crumbling down and crushing the structure.

The moment the wall came down, his men instantly rushed through the opening attacking any who they could find in their way.

Frustrated and shocked by the destruction of the wall Elena had put in such effort to create, now pissed she slammed her hands together chanting as runes began forming on the ground.

”Oh great Deity of nature, give me the strength to pummel my foes, let them pay for what they did to this forest and all life as a whole.

Rock Shard Rain!”

As the men closed in on Elena and Aileen, Aqua quickly froze the ground underneath their opponents' feet making them slip and fall, allowing Elena to finish her chanting.

The moment she finished her spell shards of hardened earth began raining down, slamming into the men who made it through the wall. Eliminating all of the leaders' henchmen he now was the only one left between them and survival.

”Pathetic... this is... just pathetic... well, at least they should have worn you down, proofing their purpose haha.”

The man walked through the now crumbled remains of the wall, his voice sparked something inside Elena as she could recognize it anywhere. Now standing on the other side of the remains a razor-toothed boar rushed towards the broad and muscled man.

Air and flames enveloped his arms ar he struck down the beast with one hit, right between the eyes and straight to the ground. Trying to shrug off the blood that now tripped from his fist Elena and his eyes met.

Now certain who it was Elena got taken over by rage, anger, and frustration. Her mind slowly clouded by it all. She rushed towards him screaming out his name.

”AKANO!!!!”

As their fist collided in a heated confrontation they both blocked every attack they could throw at each other. With a brief opening that presented itself in the form of breathing Akano ignited his fist, quickly striking down upon Elena.

Elena quickly jumped back trying to dodge the strike.

But as she dodges Akano closed in with a punch charged with air. The punch connected to her gut ripping through her clothes as if it was paper.

The strike was so powerful that she flew back several meters as her flight got halted by the impact of a tree she fell to the ground. Struggling to get up she began straining her lungs. Coughing with each movement.

*cough* *cough*

The coughing was so painful that she curled up in a ball unable to stand up. Frustrated by her weakness she began to silently sob on the ground.

*sob* ”This can't be it... this can't be the end...” *sob*

Akano walked towards her with a huge grin on his face from cheek to cheek. Finally standing in front of her he began laughing. Laughing at her foolishness.

”Ahahaha!! I can't believe this girl... I don't even know who you are, yet you dare to stand in my way.”

He squatted down in front of her as he mocked her very existence licking his lips stopped for a second.

”Wait... Haven't I seen you before?”

Akano grabbed Elena's crown and mockingly pulled her up showing off his superiority over her.

”Let me take a look at your face girl.”

Akano pushed her cheeks together with his other hand taking a good look at her frustrated and bruised face when it finally dawned on him.

”Weren't you the one with the guy that I crushed during the last round? Pfff haha, man! He was such a joke... challenging me to an all-out brawl! Haha, at least he had the balls and pride to go down during the fight like a man, I have to give him that. But man... was he pathetic...”

Knowing she couldn't begin to put up a fight against him Elena wept in her weakness, the way he treated her friend broke her heart, but what could she do? And to make matters worse... she was next...

Akano pulled her higher as he clenched his fist, swiftly striking her straight in the belly, making her barf all over the ground.

*Aarghh* *Barf* *N-nooo*

Powerless Elena fell to the ground.

”You're no fun girl... you broke way too soon.

Maybe your friends can hold out longer, no?”

He turned around looking at the girls with insane fixation. The intimidation coming of his bloodlust was almost unbearable. Trying to protect Aileen, Aqua froze Akano completely as he became a huge ice crystal.

Frozen in fear Aileen couldn't believe her eyes,

yet again her friends got hurt. Hurt because of her weakness, because they all want to protect her.

”Why does this have to happen? Why always me?”

She kept on rambling in disbelief. As her mind slowly broke in little shards. Aqua knew this was the only chance they had to get away, seizing the moment she grabbed Aileen's hand and rushed away. Getting to safety and finding someone to help their friend that was the only thing on Aqua her mind.

A few moments after they left the ice crystal began melting from inside, finally breaking in one huge ignition of flames. Akano was free...

Always enjoying the hunt he quickly found their tracks, making it easy to track them. As Aqua tan for her life with Aileen by her side the finally arrived at the center of the dome. There an insanely huge amount of contestants was fighting with others for the central position. Looking around she found that someone she knew arrived at the same time.

It was Michael, with someone she hadn't seen before? Who might that be? ”That's not important right now.” She said to herself trying to focus on what was.

Rushing towards Michael with her last remaining energy she collapsed in front of him. Shocked Michael came to her aid.

”Aqua! How did this happen? Who did this to you?!”

This was ben suddenly a huge muscular figure showed up behind her.

”That must be me,” Akano said in a friendly manner.

”I knew the bait would bring me to better prey, isn't the hunt wonderfull? He said with a wicked smile.

Anxiety filled my being as dread slowly crept in behind it. I was next...

In an instant he rushed towards me, quickly striking towards my temple. He was so fast I was unable to react sucker-punching me straight to the ground.

Blood spilled out from my head as I tried to collect my thoughts standing up. He couldn't be taken lightly, maybe even more talented than anyone present in this event. But I had a plan...

Again he rushed in towards me, this time with a punch straight to the gut. This time calculating where he would strike I was able to block it in time.

I had to react fast, not being able to activate my lighting enhancement as there was to little time.

I had to create an opening, a small opportunity for me to activated what was necessary for victory.

In the distance, people kept fighting over the center point of the dome. Even getting tossed in the air.

When one of the contestants fell in front of us, Akano couldn't care less... he even stepped on them as if they were dirt only having eyes for me.

When suddenly a huge group of people flew high up in the air, I could have sworn that those were pillars throwing them in the air. As it dawned on me I yelled his name. ”GEO!”

I knew what I had to do. Looking at Aqua and the other girl, I tried to get their attention while trying to block and dodge Akano's attacks.

”Aqua!! Can you still move?

Find cover quick, I have a plan!”

Aqua listened and quickly tried to find a place out of sight, underneath a tree with brick stones placed against it.

Providing shade, shelter and most important protection against outsiders. Finally out of sight I could focus on the plan. Letting myself be hit towards the center I flew straight through the crowd hoping Akano would follow me there. I fell on the ground to the sound of someone familiar.

”Man! Do you always have to enter so dramatically? Michael!!?!” Geo helped me up seeing as I was bruised all over.