294 Chapter 294: Blood Apocrypha (2/2)
”It seems like it's useless to talk.” Redfield leveled his spear, the immolated tip pointed straight at Liu's chest. ”We'll decide this in battle.”
”Fine by me!”
The two of them charged at each other, the collision of their spears igniting yet another colossal conflagration that engulfed the better part of the dig site and send massive shockwaves buffeting the other combatants.
”Kuh…” Anastasia shielded herself for an instant, and she narrowed her eyes, unable to see past the blinding inferno that now consumed part of the barrier. ”Those guys are really going at it. I've to find an opportunity…”
She then ducked her head as a blood blade sailed through the space where her neck had been. Without looking, she reflexively threw her poisoned knife at the source, and the Blood Slaughter Sect disciple went down with a strangled gurgle. Not bothering to pay attention to those she deemed as small fries, Anastasia navigated her way toward her comrade.
”!!!”
She never made it.
A volley of blood arrows landed upon her previous position, forcing her to vault backward. Cartwheeling in midair, Anastasia threw out her hand to propel herself backward. Skidding for a few meters, she glanced up and saw another barrage of blood arrows rising high up before arcing to crash down upon her.
”Little tricks,” she muttered disdainfully. Spinning her daggers, she slashed the air in front of her and almost appeared to open up a tear in space-time. Of course, it wasn't anything so fancy. Anastasia was simply leaving a stream of venom that drifted before her. Infusing it with mana, she turned it into an acidic barrier.
Within seconds, the corrosive fluids appeared to solidify, yet somehow maintain the appearance of viscosity.
”Acid Armor.”
The hail of arrows slammed into Anastasia's Acid Armor and dissolved instantly with a hiss. Acrid fumes billowed outward, momentarily obscuring the former Assassin from view.
Her assailant paused for a moment, looking around warily. She refused to lower her bow and instead summoned another blood arrow, notching it and aiming it into the center of the thick vapors. Taking a deep breath, she waited for her target to show up.
”!!!”
Sensing movement behind her, she dove to the ground and rolled. A poisoned knife struck the dirt next to her face, and she just managed to get to her feet when a flash of silver hinted with purple venom snaked toward her neck. Lowering her bow, the blood mage quickly conjured a short sword of her own to parry the dagger before it could cut into her flesh.
”I should have known it's you again,” Anastasia murmured with a scowl. She was irritated that she couldn't take the warrior out instantly. Perhaps her assassination skills had gotten rusty. If so, she had to intensify her training.
On the other hand, she felt as if this was a good thing…that she was really leaving her past and the career of murder behind…
”You're not worthy to fight Elder Liu,” the Blood Slaughter Sect warrior spat as she slashed at Anastasia, who effortlessly deflected the blood blade. ”I'll be your opponent.”
”Fair enough.” Anastasia replied with a shrug. She would have thrown another quip, but she was still a former Assassin. The attitude of staying silent and wasting as little words as possible was still deeply ingrained within her. As long as her target was still alive, she was going to focus every bit of attention into eliminating her instead of getting distracted with taunts and thus discarding the element of surprise by giving her position away.
While the two ladies dueled, I was brought back to the present when the gargantuan fist of Xue Tu's Blood Golem pulverized the rock where I stood a millisecond ago. Thousands of razor-sharp petals danced and drifted freely, slicing into its thick hide, and Green Dragon swatted the hulking monstrosity back with his tail. Even so, the cuts and wounds regenerated almost instantly, the smooth surface of the Blood Golem seeming to bubble and expand before mending itself.
”Where do you think you're looking at?” Xue Tu snarled. I shrugged.
”That's the problem with being a first-person narrator. It's so hard to keep track of everything all at once. And if I pay attention to another fight scene that doesn't involve me so that I can account it to my readers, my opponents complain that I'm not taking them seriously.”
”Oh, shut up!”
Xue Tu wasn't impressed by my ability to break the fourth wall. He intensified his attacks, his Blood Golem lumbering after me again.
”I'll crush you! And then Lilith will be mine!”
I sighed. ”Dude, you do realize that Lilith will never be yours regardless of whether you get rid of me or not?”
”Oh, just shut it! Can't you play along and behave like the typical protagonist for once? You know, start shouting about how you'll never hand Lilith over to me, and then arrogantly beat me up before warning me to never get near any of your heroines again? Just so you can monopolize all the beautiful girls in your harem?”
”I hate harems, and I will never have a harem.” I tried not to roll my eyes. ”And this is reality. In what reality would so many beautiful girls fall in love with a single, plain-looking, ordinary guy, and just decide to share him among themselves? Seriously? Besides, Anastasia will eliminate any girl who so much as looks in my direction.”
”Whatever! I'm going to kill you in broad daylight!”
”What?! Why? I already told you that I have nothing to do with Lilith. She isn't attracted to me at all.”
”I don't care about logic!” Xue Tu directed his Blood Golem to obliterate me with a punch, but the immensely powerful yet slow and clumsy familiar completely missed. I bolted away from the crater that its huge fist left. While I was running, Xue Tu's lip curled. ”Okay, cheap shot!”
That also missed. I managed to hop upward and tuck my knees to my chest, spinning above the Blood Golem's arm. Even as the immense fist left another crater in the earth, I landed in front of a stunned Xue Tu.
”Kneel, knave!” I sneered as I whirled around and kicked my assailant. At the same time, Green Dragon pulverized the Blood Golem, one of his claws gripping the poor familiar's head and stomping it into the ground.
”NOES!” Xue Tu hollered.
There was some sort of applause. I looked up and gaped as a slightly older Blood Slaughter Sect disciple strolled up to our position, clapping his hands.
”Okay, apologize to Sect Leader Xue Tu.”
My jaw dropped at his audacity. ”Dafuq? No way in hell.”
”YOU BASTARD!” the newcomer roared. ”I'm going to kill you for not giving me face!”
”…okay.” I sighed and shook my head. This was going to be a long day.