Chapter 92: Back Up Again

Staring intently towards the pillar of light, Freidrich exclaims,

"What was that!?"

A member of the 6th Division reports,

"Commander Freidrich, we're getting reports of an [Energy] surplus coming from the castle!"

Freidrich asks,

"Could the King be joining the battle?"

The 6th Division member continues,

"There are two individuals inside the castle, but neither seem to be the Great King Gladius!"

Freidrich mumbles to himself,

"Then is it... the kid?.."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he quietly calls out,

"Search. Raven of Thought, Huginn... Recall. Raven of Memory, Munnin..."

The two transparent birds appear on either of his shoulders. He instructs,

"Huginn, Munnin... Go investigate the situation..."

The two birds seem to make a nodding motion as they fly off and disappear into the sky.

Back in the castle, Saiba begins marching forward as the intense crimson glow trails behind him.

He brings his sword up and flips it in the air, catching it perfectly. His dark, empty eyes glare towards Mephisto as she gets her guard up.

Saiba bends his knees and dashes straight at her.

Approaching her, he releases a [Crimson Strike] and follows it close behind.

Mephisto positions her weapon in front of her and struggles to fend off the sharp wave of energy.

The attack fading away, Saiba appears right behind it and unleashes a flurry of blows at Mephisto.

Mephisto fends off the barrage, taking steps back in the process.

Saiba finishes with a strong two-handed slash that pushes her back.

He stares her down and taunts,

"Are you tired already? I was just getting even!"

Mephisto takes a deep breath to calm herself and replies,

"Hardly. You seem more fatigued than I, wouldn't you say?"

He simply scoffs at her comment and jumps into the air. Doing a flip, he uses gravity to strengthen his swing.

As the natural force carries him down, Mephisto seems to disappear.

Saiba digs his blade straight into the brick floor and whips his head around to find her.

To his side, Mephisto stands tall, her weapon held close to her and pointed up, her body posed thin and straight, and her eyes closed in focus.

Saiba yanks his sword out of the bricks and recklessly swings at Mephisto.

Once again, she somehow avoids the attack, slightly shifting her position to the side.

This time, Saiba is able to see her dodge as he thinks,

"Wh-What was that..? It wasn't as fast as Lily, but the way she moved was as smooth as water... She has to be using some kind of [Skill]..."

After seeing her dance on the tips of her toes and twirl away from the incoming slice, Saiba is slowly able to gain an understanding of her true power.

He tightens the grip on his sword and pumps himself up thinking,

"There's no time to hesitate! I need to settle this!"

Saiba continues his attack, releasing slash after slash from his blade. Every time, Mephisto simply dances out of harm's way, only using her instincts to detect the attack.

Saiba's movements slow down and he feels his body get heavier and fatigue continues to chase after him.

With his strength fading, Saiba stumbles forward, landing on one knee while Mephisto calmly looms over him from behind.

She questions,

"Are you finished yet?"

Saiba pushes himself back up and replies,

"Of course not... I could do this all day..."

With a sigh, Mephisto suggests,

"I could do the same, however, I have some more important business to attend to. Don't worry..."

Saiba looks at her, confused. Meanwhile, with a dead serious look, she adds,

"It'll only take 10 seconds."

An azure glow shines off of her sapphire pupils as she runs the tips of her fingers across the blade of her weapon. It shimmers with a bright blue gleam, like the surface of a calm lake.

With the sound of a water drop, Mephisto disappears into a cerulean beam.

Ten seconds.

Saiba feels a searing pain in his side as a slash penetrates his armor and his flesh.

(Drip.) Nine seconds.

Another slice appears straight down his left arm, blood dripping down his fingertips.

(Drip.) Eight seconds.

His right leg collapses and a wound is cut into the back of his thigh.

(Drip, drip, drip.) Seven, six, five.

Three piercing strikes dig into Saiba's body, in the chest, stomach, and leg.

(Drip.) Four seconds.

Saiba feels a blow to his chest as he gasps for air and coughs out blood.

(Drip.) Three seconds.

Holding his arms over his chest, a small cut appears under his eye, catching him off-guard.

(Drip.) Two seconds.

Saiba's eyes frantically move around the room, awaiting her next attack and suddenly feels a wet sensation on his back before turning into searing pain.

(Drip.) One second.

He falls forward, the blood escaping his body and seeping into the ground.

With an ounce of energy left, Saiba inches his head upwards, seeing Mephisto standing over him. He mutters,

"... 10 seconds, right..? Looks like I'm still awake..."

She commends him,

"You're quite the resilient one. I'll give you that."

Laying on the ground, a pop-up appears in front of him that reads,

[In Combat: Noble Demon. Feature Activation (Indomitable Will). The User will maintain a minimal health condition as long as they have Skill Energy. Skill Energy: 64/76]

He thinks,

"It's a good thing I activated this earlier... As long as I preserve my [Energy], I'll still be able to fight..."

Saiba feebly forces his body on all fours before succumbing to the pain and falling flat on his face.

He clenches his fist and screams, as he climbs his away up on his legs, on the brink of collapse.

Mephisto looks at him and comments,

"I would stay down if I were you, but if you insist on getting in my way... I won't hesitate to end you."

With blood dripping from his wounds, Saiba exclaims,

"... That's perfect! I feel the same way!"

He pushes down on his legs before feeling a tap on his shoulder. He hears a voice say,

"That's enough."

Saiba turns to look as the voice repeats,

"That's enough, Master."

Roman, out of his binds, floats to Saiba's side and lays his hand on his shoulder.

Roman continues,

"You did well, but I can take over from here."

Looking over at Mephisto, he shouts,

"Hey, Mephy! We haven't fought before, have we? Right here, right now! You should have some time, right? Oh, and... I won't be holding back."

A cold atmosphere blows through the air as the battle between siblings begins.