The Clash of Warriors

In the forest, quite a distance away from Alex and his team, was a familiar group, panting as they were exhausted.

Eric placed Colt down on a tree and fell to the ground in exhaustion. He had helped Colt run all the way.

Noa was also breathing heavily as she had used a lot of Ichor.

"Dammit," Colt mumbled as a piercing pain struck him every time he tried to move his leg.

"Let me help." Said Eric as he picked up a small stick from off the floor.

He ripped off his sleeve as he started to tie the stick to Colt's leg.

"My mum was a doctor. She wanted me to follow in her footsteps and taught me some things." He explained with a smile as he saw Colt looking at him confused.

"We need to find them. Alex is injured and we can take the other two." Said Noa as she snapped out of her trance.

Colt stared at her dumbfounded.

"Alex can heal himself. He won't be down for long. He's probably up and joined up with the other two by now." Protested Colt.

"You don't know that. If we move now we'll be able to get to them. Stop arguing and just do it." She said as she sneered at him.

Colt looked at her as he remembered these same words being said to him before as well.

"Come on, we need to move…" As she was saying this, she was cut off.

"NO!!" Exclaimed Colt. "We aren't going anywhere. I have a broken leg for god's sake. Because of your mistakes."

"You led us into a battle we nearly lost, you insisted on fighting Alex even though you're clearly no match for him and you attacked him with the very thing he's powered by, putting us all in danger."

He could have gone on but he had run out of breath.

Noa tried to argue with this, but truth be told even she wasn't ignorant enough to blame anyone else.

"I agree with Colt." Said a quiet Eric as he perked up his glasses. 

"He has the most experience in battle out of the three of us. He also knows our enemies better. I think we should let him lead."

Noa gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.

"Fine." She said reluctantly.

After a couple of seconds, he started to tell them the plan.

10 minutes later

Colt and his team had gone back to the place where they had battled Alex and the others. They were right in the middle of the forest.

As they walked aimlessly through the bushes stepping on noisy plants and sticks, they felt something was off.

Looking down beneath them, they witnessed the ground seemingly shift to the right, knocking all of them to the floor.

Suddenly three familiar faces jumped from different directions, coming straight for them.

They quickly overpowered the team and held their respective weapons on their vital parts as they spoke: "We win."

However, Colt and the others didn't say anything. Their faces didn't even have any expression. It's like they were lifeless.

Before Alex could ask what was wrong with them, they suddenly went up in smoke. Leaving behind nothing.

As they were questioning this phenomenon, two lines of electricity on the ground started to speed toward Aaron and Sophie. Hitting the clueless couple before they could even realise what was going on.

They dropped to the ground after an uncontrollable spasm, as Colt and his team emerged from the bushes. 

"HAHAHA, ILLUSION BABY!" Shouted Colt as he picked himself off the ground, leaving scorch marks where his hands were.

After saying this, Eric handed him a giant rock, the size of his head.

Using whatever balance he had, he threw the rock at Alex. The rock broke into 4 smaller, but still big rocks, as they flew straight to Alex.

Before Alex could dodge, a giant shield protected him from the incoming attack.

"Aaron?! How are you up?" Alex asked as he was surprised. 

"Enhanced Endurance. It's pretty useful." He answered as another boulder-like rock crashed into his shield.

After pausing for a couple of seconds Alex looked up and started to speak.

"Hey, Sophie's out. It's just us two against them. If we wanna win, we have to work together."

Aaron slightly glanced at him. He knew this too. Anything other than cooperation would make them lose.

"Alright. What's your plan?" He asked as he deflected yet another rock.

"We split up. I go left, you go right. Since Colts injured, he'll probably have someone accompany him to fight me. All I need you to do is deal with your opponent. Can you do that?" He asked.

"Alright. Let's do it." After he gave a nod, both Aaron and Alex bolted in opposite directions, disappearing into the bushes.

"Eric, go after Aaron." Said Colt.

"Ready to get your revenge?" He asked, to which Noa gave a determined yes.

They separated as both parties followed their target.

Colt couldn't run properly, so Noa had to help him through the forest. It didn't matter though as Alex was standing not too far away from where he had just run from.

"Two opponents, including the person with a mean kick. Jeez, you guys are gonna make me blush." He said with a large grin, clearly enjoying this.

Alex lunged toward them with his staff in hand, bringing it down, aiming for Colt.

Noa pushed Colt out of the way as she swung her sword at his face, to which he simply ducked.

It wasn't over yet, however, as Colt slammed down with both his hands clamped together.

Alex kicked back, dodging the impact. Once he got up he swung a sidekick straight at Colt.

But instead of dodging Colt grabbed the leg, suffering from the impact on his ribs. 

As he held Alex's leg with both arms, Noa swung her sword at his head once again. However, he once again blocked the sword with his staff.

Noa, seeing this, dropped her sword as it was deflected away, and instead punched Alex straight in the face. Colt seeing this didn't hold back either, as he jumped and with his one good leg, kicked Alex in the abdomen.

Due to both these heavy attacks, Alex was sent skidding across the ground.

Colt slammed into the ground as he panted heavily. The ichor he had used in throwing the rocks was taking a toll on him.

As Noa helped him up and Alex started to get back on his feet. Only his face wasn't showing pain or discomfort. Instead, he was smiling.

Without saying a word, he once again lunged at them. This time, however, before he had reached them, he swung up his staff in Noa's direction. Simultaneously, a pillar of earth, shot out from the ground, slamming straight into her chest.

She slid across the floor, gasping for air.

"NOA!" Colt shouted as he watched her suffer this devastating attack.

"Worry about yourself." Said a grinning Alex, who stood before him, slamming his staff on Colt's face.

As Colt's head swung to the side, he brought it back, only to be struck again. He suffered blow after blow at the hands of Alex who swung his staff with all his might.

His face was once more struck, as this time he spat out blood, and his face was extremely swollen.

As Alex got ready for another strike, something grabbed his arm. Colt, who had one arm down by his side, and the other grabbing Alex's hand, looked back at him with fiery eyes.

He pulled Alex close using his arm and slammed his elbow straight into Alex's nose. As Alex's head flicked back, he was pulled back again and this time punched in the same place as Alex dropped his staff.

Colt still had a grasp on his arm, and using it, he lifted his injured leg, and tugged Alex's face, straight into his knee, this time adding a small burst in his attack.

Alex's face was completely busted as his eyes rolled back and was slammed onto the floor, with the knee still on him.

Colt looked down at his opponent, thinking he was victorious. As he began to walk away he heard rustling behind him. He looked back to see Alex rising to his feet, his face twisted in a dark scowl.

"We aren't done yet," Alex growled, his lips curling into a bloodied grin.

Colt was struck dumb by Alex's resilience. He didn't think it possible for someone to withstand an onslaught of attacks like that.

Alex didn't give him a chance to even think. As he used his earth sorcery to raise a pillar, launching himself off the ground and to Colt at great speeds, conjuring a new staff of earth as he went.

However, Colt refused to back down. With one leg barely functioning, he lunged at Alex, using a burst to thrust himself with superhuman speeds, rocketing straight toward him.

Drawing on every ounce of Ichor in his body, Colt channelled it all into his arm, ready to unleash an unimaginable final attack.

At that moment, both warriors were ready to die. They summoned every ounce of strength they had to emerge victorious in this ultimate battle.

Alex swung his earth staff with a feral howl, while Colt gathered his energy, letting out a mighty roar that echoed across the battlefield.