Critical Blow

With minutes remaining until Yerachmiel resurrects, each individual opposed diverse enemies. Knowing the battle wasn't near enough to end, everyone braced for their adversaries.

The battle was inevitable, and many could receive wounds.

Chiaki and Hywel resumed their battle with only seven minutes remaining.

She held on, standing assertive and tall despite all the wounds she suffered, and was distressed about Yerachmiel's resurrection, not knowing who he was or what he looked like.

It caused her to become gradually bitter. She thought about a plan and continued to do so until she surrendered and decided to use force.

"He keeps a distance to have an advantage. I could utilize my speed and launch an instant attack, but it would take a lot of effort for the opportunity to show itself."

She spotted Hywel manipulate the vines and assemble a giant fist. And without restraining his power hauled the arm rearward and punched forward at incredible speed.

It dragged the wind along with dust and dead leaves, speeding forward, prepared to shatter Chiaki's body. She wouldn't let it happen.

She bounced a few steps back atop a boulder and soared aerial, flipping rearward above the fist. Instead, the vines smashed through the boulder and continued moving forward. Chiaki dropped but got caught in the fist's path.

She crossed her arms, covered her face, and took the hit dead on. Her body wasn't well-trained to sustain heavy attacks, and because of it caused some of her bones to sound a cracking noise.

The sheer force from the impact launched her rearward, hurled like a tossed stone. She couldn't regulate her movement in the air, throwing her off balance onto her head. She rolled on the dead terrain like a ball and bounced off the earth into a vine that she evaded but got impaled into her right shoulder.

Her screams of pain thundered across the Sanctum Islands. She hung from the vine, unable to escape, bleeding in agonizing pain.

The fist reformed, returning to its natural size. Hywel enjoyed the sight of his enemy suffering, laughing. It seemed he had no problems humiliating his opponents, whether it was physically or mentally.

"Cheers, Yasuda! You're a hanging mess. What can you do in such a 'strange' predicament? Trying to fight it won't help."

A vine slowly stretched and grew behind her, covered in thorns. It slithered like a snake and circled around Chiaki to tease her. She noted Hywel's laughter while trying to free herself from the impalement.

He was ready to pierce Chiaki's chest, planning to kill her. The vine he manipulated continued and didn't stop to scare Chiaki. "Indeed, a healthy way to die, I'd say," claimed Hywel, looking at his nails, "It would be shameful not to put an end to Yasuda's family once and for all...."

"You know, Chiaki..." he strode forward, his gaze locked on Chiaki's harmed body. "There's one in a million percent chance to cross paths with one of the last living Yasuda family members. To see them with your own eyes is like a wish come true. They're so rare that even the WPDA and world authorities labor to locate them."

The vines he controlled persisted, swinging around Chiaki, waiting to strike at their leader's command. One of the vines massaged the bottom of Chiaki's chin, convincing her to stare into Hywel's eyes.

He enjoyed the view, thinking about the future of becoming rich. He had multiple ideas, and each of them was terrible. It included the idea that he could sell Chiaki to a rich person and earn more money than her bounty. He could also kill her and accept the world government's reward, but doing that seemed amusing and too manageable to provide.

The vines twisted and wrapped around Chiaki's neck, squeezing tightly against her skin, causing her to struggle to breathe. She choked, trying to snap the vines in half with her undamaged arm.

But it was meaningless.

Another set of vines wrapped around her limbs and spread them to expose the midsection of her lower and upper body. "You won't win, H-Hywel..." she stuttered to speak, "Even if I were to get killed and sold for your fortune, my disappearance wouldn't get ignored. Unlike you, I have people who care and would risk their lives for me, so I win either way."

She showed courage, but her speech ended quickly after one of the vines jumped into her mouth and throat and blocked her from speaking or breathing.

"I hope it tasted well because I don't have time to listen to your reasonings." The vines slowly slithered around her thighs, nearing her crotch, which caused her to become uneasy and nervous.

"I have one sentence before your death..." Chiaki noticed that the vines wrapped around her arm started becoming loose. She used that opportunity to speed up untangling herself.

"Your friends that followed you up to the Sanctum Islands won't last much longer, Yasuda. Yerachmiel is bound to awaken, and the god of wind lives to slaughter the outsiders. They will die at the hands of the ancient Seraph or the divine emperor, and I'll earn the cash I worked so hard for..."

"...Now, if you'll excuse me, youth. It's time to erase the Yasuda family!" he shouted and swung his arm. The vines behind her burst forth, nearing her body to pierce her heart and kill her.

However, "Say that to your 'trustworthy' Seraph!" Chiaki freed herself from the vines and tumbled her body forward. The vines missed her by a hair, sweeping above her head.

She descended and rammed her knee directly into Hywel's skull, cracking it. It allowed her to straighten her leg and sweep her shin further into his head, forcefully flinging him into the podium.

She landed on her knees safely, touched the ground with her palm, and sustained herself to continue standing while holding her neck with her right arm.

"You know what else you should concentrate on other than victory and money? Observing your opponent's movements to prevent them from escaping your trap. If you don't, they're bound to free themselves and deliver a critical blow."

Five minutes remain before Yerachmiel's resurrection.

To be continued...