Tessa vs Alex [2]

Instantly, Tessa placed her palms on either side of Alex's head.

Alex's eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do, but it was too late. He couldn't utter a word, held in place by her thighs.

"Don't tell me..." Seraphine gasped, while Arin watched with slight amusement.

And then...

SHINGGG!

A loud, piercing sound escaped from Tessa's palms, shooting straight into Alex's ears.

"AGHHHH!"

The sound was followed by Alex's scream of pain as blood burst from his ears. He staggered backward, and in the process, Tessa fell off his shoulders. But something was off.

Arin, unaffected by the sound thanks to blocking his ears with Blood Energy, stared at Tessa, who had blood oozing from her ears.

'That wasn't caused by her spell,' Arin thought, squinting his eyes. 'I think I know what happened.'

Tessa realized it too. She wasn't bleeding because of her spell; it was Alex's doing. He had used the exact same spell, matching hers at the same moment. Since both spells activated simultaneously, the sound seemed to come from a single source. Alex's spell had affected Tessa, making her ears bleed.

Tessa instantly stood up, gripping her sword. 'Good thing I protected my ears with mana beforehand. Otherwise, this would've been a lot worse.'

Alex had recovered, glaring at Tessa with intense bloodlust, his sword held tightly.

For a moment, he looked over at Arin, who hadn't moved.

Alex frowned. 'Tch... I'm still not sure if I can use my spells without him intercepting them.'

The way Arin simply stood there was unsettling, but Alex decided to focus on the girl in front of him. 'This isn't Tessa,' he thought. 'I know her fighting style, and this isn't it.'

Tessa's gaze locked on Alex, and then...

BOOM!

She kicked off the ground, creating a dust cloud as she charged at Alex.

WHOOSH!

Moving in a zigzag pattern, she kept Alex guessing.

Alex opted not to dash forward, instead bracing himself for the clash. He gripped his sword with both hands, tracking her movements from side to side.

'I have a slight idea of her style now,' he thought. 'I should be able to predict her next move.'

But just when he thought he had her figured out, Tessa changed her approach. As she neared him, she stopped zigzagging, confusing him for a split second. And then...

WHOOSH!

She slid right under his legs, her sword scraping the ground, swiftly positioning herself behind him.

Alex's eyes widened as he tried to spin around. 'Huh?'

Using the hilt of her sword as leverage, Tessa pushed herself up with a powerful kick.

BAM!

Her foot connected with Alex's face, sending him flying backward into a tree.

She absorbed the sound from the impact, boosting her speed even further.

WHOOSH!

In a blink, she was upon him again, her sword poised to strike.

WHOOSH!

She leaped, bringing her blade down like a meteor.

Alex gritted his teeth, reacting in time to block her strike.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as their swords clashed. Tessa, still airborne, spun with blinding speed.

BAM!

Another kick landed on Alex's face, sending him flying once more.

"She's swift," Seraphine said with a hint of admiration.

Arin smiled lightly. "There's a reason why she's one of the strongest students in the Academy."

Bruised but undeterred, Alex staggered up, but Tessa didn't give him a chance to recover.

'It's suspicious, but this might be my only opportunity to kill him,' Tessa thought.

She dashed at Alex, leaping up, her sword descending with lethal intent.

This was it—the moment to end it.

A fierce glint flashed in Tessa's eyes as her blade hurtled down. But just before her sword could connect, Alex grinned, extending his hand.

BOOM!

Flames erupted from his palm in a powerful explosion, creating a dust cloud.

Tessa managed to lessen the impact by shielding herself with her sword, but she still took damage.

Blood trickled from her burn wounds as she leapt back.

Before she could fully recover, Alex was already upon her, swinging his sword with full force.

Tessa's eyes widened, but she raised her blade in time, boosted by the speed and strength from absorbed sound.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as the upper part of her sword snapped, clattering to the ground.

At that moment, her ears picked up a faint sound.

Instantly, she jerked her head back as an Earth Spike Alex had created nearly grazed her throat. The Earth Spike missed her throat by a few inches.

Time seemed to slow down, because Tessa could even see the Earth Spike missing her throat by a few inches.

Suddenly...

"Got you..." Alex whispered.

In that instant, something unexpected happened.

The wounds on Alex's right leg healed at a rapid pace, and his muscles tensed, hardening.

Tessa's eyes widened in shock, but it was too late.

Alex raised his right leg, and then...

BAM!

He kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back as blood spurted from her mouth.

BAM!

Her body crashed through three trees before coming to a stop.

Arin, watching intently, raised an eyebrow as Tessa was kicked.

Slowly, he began walking forward, hands behind his back.

"I think it's finally time... time for me to intervene..."

At the same moment, his fingernails suddenly began elongating, transforming into claws.

The real battle was about to begin....

*

*

*

[A/N]

Hey guys!! The character art for Seraphine is now available in the character tab. Please, check it out and vote with points.

Thank you!!