Ruin Part four

The atmosphere crackles with tension, and even the air seems to tremble. Knox's tattoos begin to glow, the intricate symbols winding down his arms suddenly radiating an ethereal light.

"Hahaha! Come on, Orion, don't hold back!" he calls out, an electrifying grin on his face.

Knox's eyes dart briefly toward his team. Sylvie is absorbed in her spellbook, Quinn and Tara are in a knife-edge dance of bladed tension, Calder is a whirlwind of raw power, and Lyra and Zephyr are harnessing their respective elements like maestros conducting an unearthly orchestra. 'Dammit, will the rest of them be fine?'

His attention snaps back when Orion surges forward, sword raised high and slashing down with incredible speed—aiming directly for Knox's neck. The point of the sword whizzes just millimeters from his skin as Knox leans back, dodging with an acrobatic finesse. His foot shoots up, targeting Orion's torso, but Orion steps back just in time, the kick missing him by a hair's breadth.

"Hehehe~ Come on, Knox~ Don't tell me that's all you have," Orion taunts, a playful but fierce smile tugging at his lips. 'Hmmm, I wonder if that group would be willing to share some food.'

Knox chuckles, "I'm giving you a handicap."

Orion swings his sword again in a wide arc, forcing Knox to leap back. The swing is so powerful it leaves a trail of visible air pressure, slicing through the ground where Knox just stood.

Seizing the moment, Knox retaliates. His hands surge with glowing energy, extending from the glowing tattoos on his arms. With an adrenaline-fueled yell, he lunges forward, sending a series of jabs at Orion. Orion parries with his sword, the metal singing as it collides with Knox's powerful strikes. Each impact sends a small shockwave through the air, displacing dirt and grass around them.

They move like a cyclone, a blend of force and agility. Knox goes for a powerful straight punch aimed at Orion's chest. Orion sidesteps and counters with a low sweep of his sword, aiming for Knox's legs. With a swift jump, Knox evades it, somersaulting in the air and landing gracefully behind Orion.

Without missing a beat, Knox aims a spinning kick at Orion's back. But Orion is quicker. He spins around and lifts his sword in a defensive stance. The moment Knox's kick collides with the blade, a shockwave erupts from the point of impact, cratering the ground beneath them and sending ripples of energy outwards.

Both fighters recoil from the force, landing a few meters apart. Their eyes lock, the tension escalating.

For a split second, everything falls quiet, as if the world is holding its breath.

Then Knox's arms glow an even brighter green. The light seems to feed into his fists, amassing into orbs of pulsating energy.

Orion's eyes widen, but he's ready. His sword starts to glow too, the blade shimmering with a light that matches the intensity of Knox's glowing tattoos, a dark purple covering his blade.

With grins running through their faces, both combatants rush towards each other, releasing their pent-up energy in an apocalyptic clash.

Knox releases a seismic punch, a culmination of the glowing energy swirling around his arms, at the same moment that Orion swings his sword, now a blade of lightning, downward with a monumental force.

When fist meets blade, a small explosion of light and sound occurs, a shockwave that rolls across the field, sweeping everything in its wake. The ground shatters beneath them, forming a web of cracks that spread outward. Those witnessing the battle are pushed back by the sheer force, some struggling to maintain their footing.

Both Knox and Orion are thrown back by the impact, landing roughly on the fractured earth. They struggle to their feet, visibly battered but smiling, mirroring each other's respect and exhaustion.

-

Axl's mechanical arm whirrs, recalibrating for the barrage of elemental arrows streaking toward him. His eyes lock onto Zephyr's serene expression, her face undistorted by the havoc surrounding her.

"You cannot step into the same river twice," she says, her eyes glowing as the arrows gain speed, each a deadly element in missile form—fire, water, wind, and ice.

Axl raises an eyebrow. "You're spouting off poetry while trying to incinerate me? Seriously? And what the hell does that even mean? I haven't stepped in a single river."

As the elemental barrage closes in, Axl backflips through the air, his mechanical arm extending, grappling onto a nearby pillar. Like an acrobat, he swings out of the direct line of fire—but the arrows change course, tracking him.

He lands and thrusts his palm forward, a shimmering mana shield erupting from his mechanical arm. Elemental arrows slam against it: fire dissipating into smoke, water splattering like rain, icicles shattering into frozen mist, and gusts of wind dispersing in swirling vortexes.

Axl's eyes narrow. 'Is this all a distraction? What's she planning?'

The shield flickers under the onslaught, but it holds.

"Overkill? Life is both a battle and a dance," Zephyr remarks, conjuring another array of elemental arrows.

Axl can't help but smile. "I guess the dance floor is pretty packed today. But seriously dude, stop it. No one wants to hear you quote some shit out of some ancient texts."

Seeing the elemental arrows forming again, Axl dismisses his shield, opting for mobility over defense. The arrows launch. In a split second, Axl bursts forward, his mechanical arm transforming into a barrage of tiny, rotating shields, each one designed to intercept an elemental arrow. Fire, water, ice, wind—each arrow meets its counter in a spectacle of light and color.

But Zephyr doesn't stop.

She flexes her fingers and the arrows multiply, turning from dozens to hundreds, saturating the air with deadly intent. Her concentration is fierce; she's a maestro, commanding a lethal orchestra of the elements.

Axl's eyes widen. 'How much mana does she have? What the fuck is this?'

His mechanical arm shifts again, projecting a large, curved mana shield in front of him, like a dome. The arrows collide with the shield in a cacophony of elements. Steam rises where ice meets fire; water arrows evaporate into mist against the wind.

Zephyr's eyes lock onto his. She gestures subtly, and the arrows swerve, aiming for the ground around him.

'This is new.'

The arrows hit, and elemental explosions erupt around him. Axl is lifted off his feet, thrown into the air by the force of the combined elemental blasts.

In mid-air, Axl flips, stabilizing himself and lands softly, skidding back on his heels.

"Change is the only constant," Zephyr states, quoting Heraclitus once more as she prepares another volley.

Axl chuckles, "Well then, let's change the tempo, shall we?" 'Shit, my arm lost 30% power and her attacks aren't getting any weaker.' 

His mechanical arm shifts, modules rotating, gears spinning, until it forms a cannon-like structure. The cannon glows with concentrated mana.

Zephyr's eyes widen slightly but she doesn't hesitate; her elemental arrows launch at the same moment Axl fires his mana cannon. 

A beam of pure, raw energy bursts forth, intercepting the elemental arrows. For a moment, both attacks seem locked in a cataclysmic stalemate, neither giving way.

Then, with a roar like thunder, both attacks explode in a brilliant shower of light and color, canceling each other out and sending a shockwave that ripples through the ground, shaking leaves off trees and stirring the air into a frenzy.

Both Axl and Zephyr are pushed back by the force but manage to stay on their feet, their eyes meeting across the field of their elemental war, each recognizing the other's skill and power.

Zephyr takes a deep breath, and her eyes glimmer with a light that suggests she's far from done. Axl's mechanical arm shifts back into its default form, gears and modules tucking neatly into place.

-

The atmosphere shifts, like a lens refocusing, as the camera of fate turns its gaze toward Tara and Quinn, two enigmatic figures locked in a dance of deadly elegance. The lack of moonlight above them casts the ancient ruins in a mantle of haunting darkness, illuminated only by the sporadic bursts of elemental magic and energy from other battles waging around them.

Quinn smirks, biting her finger in an almost seductive manner that veils a maniacal glint in her eyes. Her fingers grip her daggers tightly, twin blades of pitch-black obsidian that seem to absorb light. Her black attire makes her look like a shadow come to life—every inch of her exuding an aura of enigmatic menace.

"Hmhmhahaha!" Quinn cackles as she lunges at Tara, her daggers slashing through the air with a surgeon's precision. "Hmhmhm~ Is this all you can do? Baby~"

Tara, standing with an air of grace, is every inch Quinn's antithesis. She wears a high-split velvet dress, a cascade of colors contrasting with Quinn's monochrome palette. Her wrists are adorned with jade bracelets, which she uses to deflect Quinn's relentless assault.

"Oh, you're quite funny compared to the others," Tara giggles. "Tell me, why don't you activate those daggers of yours? I wish to see how enchantments work."

Quinn smirks even wider, relishing the challenge. "You wish to see? Be careful what you wish for." 'Ugh, I got no choice.'

With a twist of her wrist, Quinn activates her enchanted daggers. Dark runes etched into the blades start to glow, emitting a low hum as they pulsate with malevolent energy. She swings again, and this time the daggers leave behind dark streaks. 'I really hate using master's enchantments.'

Tara watches intently, analyzing the new dynamic. 'For a goth girl, she's more formidable than she looks. Time to stop playing around.' Her stance shifts subtly, her body coiling like a spring.

With a speed that belies her elegant attire, Tara lunges forward, switching from defense to offense. She lashes out with a series of strikes aimed at Quinn's torso, her jade bracelets now glowing with a low green light. Each blow is powerful, but also precise, a masterpiece of martial artistry.

Quinn is taken aback but recovers quickly, her daggers parrying Tara's strikes in a desperate dance. The clashing of jade against enchanted obsidian produces ethereal sparks, lighting up the dark like tiny stars.

Quinn starts to falter, her movements a fraction of a second slower. Each parry takes more effort, and the glowing runes on her daggers flicker as if struggling to keep up with Tara's relentless assault.

"Looks like your enchantments can't keep up with raw talent," Tara quips, her eyes glinting with exhilaration.

Quinn glares back, her eyes sharpening like daggers themselves. "Don't get cocky. The show's just getting started." 'You bastard! You don't know shit! That damn girl I fought earlier drained half my energy! I didn't think you were this fast. If I was at full strength...' 

Summoning her reserves, Quinn goes on the offensive. She flicks one dagger in a deceptive feint while her other arm winds back, gathering dark energy. With a shriek, she releases it, sending a wave of dark magic toward Tara.

But Tara's jade bracelets pulse a brighter green, forming a protective shield that absorbs Quinn's magic, converting it into a soft glow that gets absorbed back into the jade.

Quinn's eyes widen. "Fuck..."

Seizing the moment, Tara surges forward, her jade-imbued fists aimed straight for Quinn's heart.

Just as Tara's jade-imbued fist is about to collide with Quinn's heart, a blur of movement appears between them. Lysandra materializes out of nowhere, her hand gripping Tara's wrist in an unyielding hold.

Both women freeze, shocked at the sudden intervention and the inexplicable inability to have sensed her approach. Lysandra's face is a portrait of casual annoyance, marred only by a lazy yawn that escapes her lips.

Tara yanks her arm back, rubbing her wrist. "What is the meaning of this?" Her eyes narrow, her thoughts racing. 'This one was... choking on food a minute ago right? How did she do that? What sort of artifact is she carrying? Most importantly, why did they intervene?'

Kael walks up, scratching his neck as he sighs. "Hey listen, I'm sorry for this, but I can't let you kill her right now."

Annoyed, Quinn glares at Lysandra. 'If it wasn't for fighting that crazy one from earlier, I wouldn't be in this state.'

Kael seems deep in thought. 'Ugh, this is so problematic. Killing someone here is not unusual; after all, this is a competition. But she's still part of a future event. I don't want to have to rethink and wonder how it'll play out. Now what excuse should I use?'

Tara, her nerves still on edge, lashes out instinctively with a swift jab at Lysandra. However, her fist stops dead in the air, as though hitting an invisible wall. Her eyes widen in astonishment—her attack has done absolutely nothing to Lysandra.

Lysandra rolls her eyes, looking as if she's contemplating whether to be offended or amused.