Chapter XVIII. Back to the beginning

Joselin protects Marinep's mother against any unforeseen event, the anguish in their eyes is evident and they are attentive to any event that requires them to flee the place or, failing that, to intervene in some way to help.

Esteban tries by all means to immobilize Menrip but his chains freeze without even approaching them, Erick when seeing this counterattacks by throwing spheres of fire that can melt the ice in the chains and thus be able to reach him, without effective results the mist becomes more dense preventing them from seeing beyond the reach of your arm. The roar of bullets in the air alerts leaders looking for a place to take refuge.

—Damn, this isn't looking good— Kevin says near the library door. —We need reinforcements, taking care of Antirda is already too much of a feat to be dealing with his followers— he immediately creates a sand bird and sends it with a message to his territory, Menrip sees it but does not prevent it from leaving its attack range.

—Good thinking Kevin— Menrip says while defending himself against Esteban's attacks. —Too bad they won't be of any help to you.

—Menrip!— He shouted while defending the cage where the ruler is. —Suppose you kill him and later what will you do?

—It's a good question but unfortunately it can't be answered at this time.

—Why not?— I ask without taking my eyes off him.

—Because ... that will depend on you— he pauses.

—From my? What do you mean?— On his lips he draws a smile while in his gray eyes there is a deep sadness.

Without answering the question he resumes his attack, Marinep stops each one of them using his shields and when using an explosive Menrip takes several steps back and then with a gesture of his hand control the thorny vines inside the cage. The ruler begins to shout cries for help, Marinep goes to meet her to be stopped by a solid wall of ice that, when hit by her scythe, numbs the girl's arms a little.

Joselin arrives from the other side of the prison and using the mist creates sharp drops to cut the cage and remove the man who would be crushed by those vines. Marinep's mother hits him causing the frightened ruler to get irritated with her but he can't do anything as Joselin moves him as fast as he can to avoid being shot.

Kevin creates with his sand a cloud of birds that begin to rotate around the area quickly absorbing the humidity and disappearing the mist in the place, thus giving better visibility to defend against enemies. Erick takes advantage of this to create whirlpools of fire around Menrip, without effect the attacks are neutralized and instead sheets of ice are sent towards them, cutting everything in their path.

—Oh dear, oh dear, this really doesn't look good— Kevin says while still being amazed at his opponent, as he moves to continue the attack, his phone rings and when he answers the message he hears is from his followers who have already passed the forest to come in to help. —If you hear me attack the followers of Antirda, do not try to attack him, we will take care of him.

Everyone shouts in approval scattering everywhere to find the enemy, on the other hand with the respective ruler in Ocania the reinforcements did not wait either. Kevin begins to erode the earth under Menrip's feet and Erick takes the opportunity of his instability to run towards him and with his scythe launch bursts of fire, Esteban sees the approaching attack and with one of his chains he takes Marinep, withdrawing her from the Range of attack expansion while Menrip, unable to dodge the attack, reinforces his body with dense ice, being even so expelled by the force of the fire a few meters back, giving off steam.

The leaders are surprised, even Erick himself, at the amount of power released even with the imposed seal.

—How…?— Kevin's question is incomplete since he must cover his mouth immediately because the spores of the flowers that numb are suspended in the air. Erick and Kevin are surrounded by different types of weeds that when trying to cut them freeze quickly stopping their attacks, so they must work together melting and defeating them as soon as they are visible, the problem is that there is no end to their production when a It is cut three more appear.

Esteban separates his scythe in two by taking it by the rings that are in the handle and with his power he lengthens the chain that connects them more, now he can launch it to attack his opponent from a distance with greater power. First, he throws the lower part towards the chest, what Menrip did not have is that this was to mislead him because Esteban raises his leg to take the extended chain with his foot and then step on it causing the part that goes to the leader of Antirda to change direction suddenly pointing to his chin, he raises his head narrowly dodging the attack and when lowering it he finds the Amira Norte leader in front of him ready to hit him; Quickly with the power of ice he avoids the attack of his scythe but cannot prevent the punch to the face.

—I firmly believed at the time that the burn you had was not from that vague excuse from your girlfriend's kitchen, but rather that you came out with minor burns from the fight against the leader of Ocania— he shakes the hand with which he hit him. —You don't know how much I wanted to do that— Esteban says with a big smile.

—Seriously? Your brain is not as bad as I thought, although allow me to have that taste in the same way— Menrip returns the same blow to Esteban's face, he spits a little blood. —That felt pleasant— he says, wiping the corner of his bloody lip.

—You really are crazy! I don't understand. What's your problem with me apart from this rivalry between territories?

—Do you think I have not noticed how you look at my sister?

—... ?! - Esteban does not know how to react to what he hears.

—Before being the Leader of Antirda, I am his older brother, mmm… you know for now that's another matter, let's go back to what brings us here— he throws a large ball of ice at which Esteban defends himself by joining many chains to around him to lessen the impact, yet he is still a bit disoriented.

Marinep being close to their ruler, Joselin and his mother wondered how much those two were talking as she saw Kevin and Erick fighting the plants, but seeing Esteban a little lost decides to go to his aid. She creates a force field around the leader of Amira Norte and then attacks her brother with her scythe, he takes a step back and takes the girl by one arm to pass her through her back, lift her and throw her towards the ground that was covered with a large layer of snow.

—How soft— she says, noticing the snow on her back.

—He didn't treat me that way a minute ago— Esteban claims.

—Getting involved with you is not my priority, I'll finish my job— Menrip begins to move towards the ruler of Amira Sur, Marinep goes after him but hears Kevin's voice in the distance. —Grenade launcher!— So he defends himself by letting the leader escape but is stopped by some discs of fire that dance around him. Esteban had gone to the aid of the two leaders who were cornered, so Erick, when he was free, helped stop the boy's onslaught.

—I knew that before the end of the year at the institution I would know the students better and that included you— Erick says in a terribly angry tone.

—Don't you feel different or strange?— Asks the leader of Antirda.

—Should? At this moment I am really annoyed, apart from Kevin you were the one I respected the most in this conflictive pig that they call an institution.

—I'm sorry— he says with great regret. —I didn't want it to be this way but it's good to know, I respect you too. — I'm sorry about your ma ...

—Don't finish the sentence… so do you— His voice trembles a little. —In the same way, that day you were going to end his life.

—It's true, I won't say anything ... it's good that you're in good shape and there are no signs that it may seem that you will lose consciousness and go mad, so— he sticks his scythe into the ground. —Let's finally start this war between territories, the faster it starts, the faster it will end. Let's see who's left at the end of this quietly. "You know what the Max plan is."

—Understood— answers the interlocutor.

Menrip releases the seal of his scythe by turning the cloudless sky with a bright sun into a dull one covered in thick clouds with cold air surrounding them; at the same time, the screams of the followers of Ocania and Afriz begin to flood the space. Kevin wonders what's going on when his phone rings.

—What the hell is happening? You were supposed to stop Antirda's followers and still let them attack us with a grenade launcher— Kevin speaks a little angry.

—Sir… don't be angry, the reason is that we were stopping the attack of the followers without much effort thanks to the help of Ocania, but… uh…— the man hesitates to continue with the report to the point that it is no longer heard not a whisper through the cell phone receiver.

—Now why don't you speak? Hi there?— only the environment is heard until the sound of fingers manipulating the phone goes through until it reaches Kevin's ears.

—Hello? I'm sorry but the person who owns this phone is asleep— says the boy on the other side of the receiver with a voice as if he had just woken up.

—Who are you?— He asks.

—... I'm just someone ready to pull the trigger, by the way, don't worry about your men they're still alive and I hope you guys are too at the end of all this— he finishes speaking, leaving only the incessant sound of hanging.

—What the hell— Kevin complains at what he has heard. —Be careful, they won't make things easy for us— he says to his partner while his eyes still focus on his cell phone as if it were some foreign object.

Esteban who is next to him begins to quickly look at any hiding place that could cause a surprise attack on them. At that, a shot brushes his right arm, without time to complain about the damage that is beginning to manifest itself, dragging Kevin by his shirt towards a wall facing the forest; He complains but when he sees the wound, he investigates where the attack could have come from, so he makes sand bees and distributes them in such a way that they occupy almost the entire area in front of them and the surroundings

On Marinep's side, Erick was having an equal fight for the moment with the Antirda leader; In him the memories of his first fight in the territory of Ocania began to appear, his defeat, the injuries he had to endure and carry the daily worry of his mother who now will not be there for him. His blows become more aggressive, without giving any respite; Menrip encloses the leader of Ocania in an ice coffin reinforced with frozen vines but without thinking for a moment Erick releases the seal of his scythe and melts everything on the spot, clearing the grayish sky with thick clouds a bit in the process creating small holes. In them, letting you see the solar rays that filter through them, providing a little heat before the frozen environment that still remains.

Marinep tries to think of a way to end the battle to prevent innocent people from being involved again as it was in the case of her fight with Norilex, she looks at her mother who seems to want to run away at any moment to end the She fights herself regardless of being harmed in the process, then she puts her eyes on the ruler, just thinking that he opens his mouth and orders him something that he does not want to do, he begins to indicate that his stomach will turn, finally he observes the woman She has reddish hair that before looking worried about what is happening is very calm and her eyes as green as freshly grown grass do not stop focusing on what her brother does in the fight against Erick. So he gets her attention.

—Joselin— Before continuing she begins to speak while observing the scene in front of us.

—Marinep, we must finish with Menrip— she says in a tone devoid of any feeling, as if the one who said it was not the partner of whom she accuses, nor had she had any affection for that person. —He will stop at nothing and that is dangerous for everyone.

At those words, her body freezes, he knows that what he says may well be true, even so, her brother's words return to her mind that what will happen next would clearly depend on her. So she takes courage and instead of continuing to listen to Irop's leader she decides to go fight her brother.

—There's still one chance, if it doesn't work out, we might do what you suggest.— I'm not going to make hasty decisions— she says before leaving her behind and going to fight alongside Erick.

As Joselin watches her walk away from her, her face turns with an indescribable reflection between hatred and confusion.