Zousa

When Nova looked over to them, the entire area was illuminated in sparks.

『...Get back.』[Kikhia]

Kikhia was using her scythe to block against a weapon that was being swung at Alex.

She suddenly pushed back, causing a wind to blow through the area once more.

『...An assassin!』[Alex]

He summoned his two daggers and prepared to fight off the attacker.

Once Kikhia blocked the attack, the person was sent flying through the air, their silhouette being illuminated by the moonlight.

Kikhia's eyes widened.

『...You...』[Kikhia]

『Reischneid!』[Nova]

He grabbed Reischneid- who now had an elegantly thin guard, before summoning a medium length blade and assuming a battle stance with his sword.

『Who are you?!』[Nova]

The person who had their back against the moonlight remained quiet, opting to rush at Alex again.

『Viridian Gale!』[Freyana]

A wispy blast of green wind shot out and landed on the person, sending them back again.

Nova looked over to Freyana to find her with her hands both pointed at the person.

They were pushed under a streetlamp, revealing their appearance.

They had yellow eyes, a gruff appearance, and scruffy hair with spacious clothing that made their body shape unclear, wielding a tanto- a short blade.

『...I see.』[Kikhia]

She rushed at them, swinging her scythe, but they dodged out of the way, causing Kikhia to cut the streetlamp and cause sparks to fly.

The person landed on another streetlamp, and began to speak out in a rough, masculine voice.

『...Truly a shame that you opted to serve the wrong master. Your failure to pursue strength will cause you to look back on your wasted potential one day...』

His eyes narrowed and his voice filled with spite as he finished his sentence.

『...Kikhia.』

Her normally calm and collected face filled with traces of anger.

『...Be quiet.』[Kikhia]

He kept taunting her with nobody stopping them, as everyone wasn't sure if they had any relation with each other.

『...Who are these people, Kikhia? Don't you want to introduce them…?』

He clenched his free fist together, causing a resounding cracking noise to ring out across the silent night.

『...To your brother?』

Kikhia's face was filled with anger and disgust, and her voice filled with poison.

『You are not my brother. My brother was taken from me long ago, demon.』[Kikhia]

The person on the streetlamp suddenly switched tones of voice to one that was kind, and even caring.

『Kikhia, how have you been? I'm sorry your brother has failed you… I just wasn't strong enough to fight him off...』

She began to tremble and shake, despair filling her eyes.

『N-N-No! Zo-Zousa is dead! You can't lie to me!』[Kikhia]

Her scythe kept shaking and hitting the ground, causing noises to resound around them.

Alex put himself in front of Kikhia, lifting his two daggers into the air.

『...Si-Sir?』[Kikhia]

Still holding onto the handle of the knife, he opened his palm up toward the man Kikhia called Zousa, before clenching his fist closed.

『Atmosphere Style: Dew Formation!』[Alex]

A ring of bubbles appeared around Zousa, but he jumped out of it and reverted back to his normal gruff, gravelly voice.

『Regardless, you'll have to die now, prince!』[Zousa]

Alex raised his daggers to prepare to block, but Zousa suddenly threw a kunai at him.

The kunai struck the dagger with enough force for Alex's blocking dagger to be thrown to the side of the street

『Alex!』[Freyana]

Zousa flourished his tanto before spinning in midair, doing a maneuver that was about to strike Alex.

『Sir!』[Kikhia]

Another clash of steel rang out across the area, sparks flying.

Alex didn't manage to block with his second dagger, but Nova managed to catch Zousa's tanto with his blade.

『Tch.』[Zousa]

Nova suddenly jabbed at the man with a nukite spear palm attack, managing to land on the guard of the tanto next to where his hand was.

『Impact Form: True Gale!』[Nova]

The strike suddenly pierced through the tanto, snapping it in half and sending the man flying down the alley with bloody injuries that made Nova feel a little sick.

「Nova, you aren't ready for this fight yet! He's playing with you and trying to convince you to think you have a chance! He has a demon taking over his actions, it wouldn't be strange to think of him as someone who could do something as devastating as that entity you formed a contract with!」[Reischneid]

Nova looked at the man who struggled to stand up.

「Really?!」[Nova]

Nova looked back at his friends, who seemed all ready to attack the man, except for Alex.

「Yeah!」[Reischneid]

『Area!』[Nova]

A portal appeared behind them and Nova eyed the man, who now that he thought of it, looked like he was examining Nova's Area.

He whispered quietly enough for only his friends to hear.

『...On go, everyone get into the portal behind me.』[Nova]

He pointed at Zousa, feigning the preparation of an attack.

He maintained a stance that seemed like he was about to send projectiles flying from the portal, causing the man to look a little wary.

『GO!』[Nova]

Freyana grabbed Kikhia's hand and jumped into the portal quickly.

Alex threw his remaining dagger at the man before diving into the portal as well.

『NO!』[Zousa]

The flesh near the area that Nova blew off of him with his True Gale immediately swelled up far past it's normal volume before regenerating again, the man starting to quickly dash at them.

Nova dashed backwards, using Reischneid to quickly form a wall that blocked off the entire alleyway before starting to enter the portal.

Zousa punched the wall of metal, causing Nova to fly faster into his Area portal as shards of metal flew at him.