42 Exam XII
"It is reported that a casualty count of 180 has been reached. They have until sun bet to reach the required number of survivors."
At the sound of the end of the announcement, an explosion echoed a few meters away from us, alerting us to the presence of more people.
The short time I was distracted by the announcement and the explosion was cause for hope for Skelan, who kicked and crawled on the ground in a futile attempt to flee from my sword.
-Kuugh!
A groan escaped from her mouth as I immobilized her body by placing my foot on her right leg, which broke with a crunch as I exerted more force on it, ending all useless resistance.
Her eyes abandoned all hope of survival as my sword whizzed relentlessly through the air, closing in on her neck.
-Clang!
Just before my sword pierced her neck a shiver ran up from deep inside my body to my neck and by pure instinct, the hand holding my sword swung around until it collided with a metal blade approaching from behind me.
I gritted my teeth and exerted all my strength towards my sword, which slowly became covered with a silver Aura that helped me to relax my body more, allowing me to observe my attacker with attention.
Teal hair, white skin, and a large statue were the most prominent features of the man who attacked me before and he did it again with a swift kick that forced me to retreat.
Just as I fell I gave a stretch to my hand and conjured some ice bullets that were blocked with both the sword and the body of the boy, who took Skelan in his arms and ran towards the houses.
I would have run towards them if I had not diverted my gaze slightly towards Alan, who was, along with Ansiel surrounded by 4 people.
The emotions showing in my eyes cooled and the memories from our encounter with Skelan and the man who saved her played like a movie in my mind.
From the moment we found them fighting to the start of our skirmish in front of the dawn tree. Putting all those memories together in an instant I concluded.
We had been led into a trap.
Never in my two lives had I fallen so fully into one. But I know very well the reason why this happened. Trust.
Ever since I came to this world and tasted the superhuman power that the mana gave me, a sense of superiority and confidence had flooded all my actions. I seemed to forget that I was still a human.
But even so, I did not blame myself nor did I think about having to repress that impulse of superiority. It just wasn't the time yet, the moment my Rank rose to the top and I became strong enough I could let it all out, but for now, I had to plant my feet on the ground and concentrate on what was in front of me.
-Haa...
An icy breath cleared my mind, which sent orders from my brain to my body, which I moved to the right with a step, followed by a turn that ended in a kick.
The man at whom my kick was aimed stepped back slightly and raised his sword in a vertical swing towards my ribs, which I blocked with my sword which I quickly retracted.
We both turned away from each other and took another step forward, which was not the same this time.
He along with his step unleashed a series of thrust attacks, which were blocked by my sword from which a bolt of lightning escaped into the man's hands.
A blast of air came in contact with the lightning, but it was not enough to dodge the whole attack as a bit of electricity ran through the boy's body, stopping him for a moment which was enough for me to approach him.
His sword rushed towards mine, but the delay he was carrying resulted in a hang-up that, although it saved him from physical damage destabilized his shaft and his feet, which became my next target.
He seemed to realize my target and quickly tried to stabilize himself, but it was too late, a puddle of water had already been generated in the snow, his balance was completely lost and his feet sank into the snow causing him to fall to his knees.
-Zas.
I sent a strong kick that slammed into his forehead, generating a dry sound of impact.
My eyes met the boy's dizzy and lost eyes, in which my hand holding Rose was reflected, my sword continued to reflect in his dark pupils until his head detached from his body and rolled, staining the snow red.
My eyes peeled away from the lifeless body and moved to Ansiel and Alan, who was still in a difficult battle, though it was in their favor.
My steps became swift and in a matter of seconds, I had arrived towards Alan, who was breathing heavily, rhythmically raising and lowering the sword he held in his hands.
"We didn't even notice. - Alan said as he reinforced the amount of Aura applied to the blade of his sword. - One blink of an eye we were surrounded and the next the partner of the woman you were fighting was running towards you."
***
At that moment memories of the battle that until recently Alan fought flashed like a movie through his mind.
When Adad had run towards the woman he and Ansiel had decided to leave this opponent to Alan, who could finish him off in a quick and above all effective way. But it didn't work out as they had hoped.
In the end, this guy ended up being someone strong, who generated some problems for Alan.
Every swing Alan gave was blocked or dodged and only after a few minutes the same cycle of dodge and attack was broken.
Alan did not have much confidence in his control over his mana, but he did have confidence in his sword movements, which he used in the form of a swing.
A quick response from the boy, who interposed his sword with Alan's, unleashed a series of quick attacks.
Alan leapt upward and performed some maneuvers in the air, which ended in a kick that approached the boy from the left.
He raised his sword with the intent to cut Alan's foot, which he did not allow, and with a quick motion unleashed a light that forced the boy to retreat with his eyes closed, by the time he opened them again Alan had two swords of light that flew towards the boy.
Alan ran a little behind the swords, which were blocked with quick swings and a few fireballs delaying the moment when Alan would enter a dangerous space.
The swords of light turned back into spots of light, from which Alan emerged swinging his sword towards the boy's ribs.
He responded by grabbing his sword with his left hand and blocking Alan, who just before the swords came into contact threw himself to the ground and marommed to the left, aiming his sword at his leg.
The boy quickly took a step backward and escaped losing his foot, but not from a large cut from which blood emanated.
Alan didn't wait for the boy to recover and raised his hand, directing a spot of light that had just taken the shape of a sword at him.
The boy threw his head back and dodged the first cut, the second came from a swing of Alan's that the boy once again dodged with a backward somersault in which he took the opportunity to conjure a fireball, which did not allow Alan to attack him.
The distance that was generated between the two was used to take heavy breaths and check his wounds.
Alan, unlike the boy, did not have any major wounds, but he did have some cuts all over his body.
Once again spots of light were generated on Alan's back and twisted into the shape of three golden swords.
Their eyes met and at the same time, they took a step forward.
-Clang!
Just as the two were about to run the sound of clashing metal reached Alan's ears stopping him in his tracks and causing his gaze to turn quickly looking for the source.
Soon his gaze stopped on Ansiel, who was backing up quickly, running away from two boys who were starting to surround him.
-Tap.
Once again a sound alerted Alan and forced him to tense his body in preparation for the impact. But to his surprise in his eyes, he found no attacker, but the boy he was fighting with running in the direction of Adad.
He was about to follow him, but Ansiel had approached him, attracting his enemies, who gradually began to surround him.
That's how the current situation was reached, which was gradually becoming more complicated.
***
"Shit I didn't think we were going to fall flat on our faces. - Ansiel said as she joined Alan's side. - Besides everyone is strong."
Alan and I nodded as we watched the four guys around us run towards another man, who they joined up with.
"Wow. - Said the man, coming towards us. - I never thought to meet the two of the great heirs of the best swordsmanship houses."
After saying that his eyes bore into me. Scanning me completely until a face of displeasure formed on him.
"Alive F rank at this point in the exam. Don't think you'll be able to hang on to these two any longer. - His hand quickly unsheathed his sword. - Because I will kill them right now."
At the end of his words, all five of them ran towards us with their swords out.
I raised my hand, stopping Alan and Ansiel, and let a silver lightning bolt spread across my hand.
"Catatumbo."
-Zaaaap!
My beam expanded through the air and rattled towards them, forcing them to stop, either to dodge or block it.
"Don't hold back. - I said towards the duo standing next to me. - Give it your all, do anything to survive so we can take that martial art between our fingers."
At the end of my words, an explosion generated at my feet, shattering the ground and propelling me forward.
As I ran a spot of light exploded behind me and a low whistle echoed.
Invisible sound waves spread around me and a thud echoed and flew towards me in the form of Ansiel, who raised her sword blocking an attack coming at me from my left.
From my right flew golden swords, which attacked anyone who came within my range, and behind them ran Alan with his sword covered in his golden Aura.
My path was open and my steps hurried towards the man who had spoken before, whom I attacked quickly and accurately.
-Clang!
I exerted as much force as I could and raised an icy, silvery Aura around my sword, blocking the body of the man who met his gaze with mine.
"You should remember the name of the one who killed you. - I said while generating an iceberg on the ground. - My name is Adad and even a G in my rank is enough to slaughter. Bastard".
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P.S.: What did you think of this chapter, did it improve?
If so, please comment, and don't forget to leave your power stone.
