2 vs 1

"He's in the main hospital in Yamikahe." she starts to calm down, she takes in that arguing now won't help them clear this mess up, Alek was hurt and they need to be there with him.

'It looks like Orchid needs to see him' she thinks as she notices that he looks really anxious. She could understand all the emotions he was going through so she decides to bring up these issues later and bring him to Alek.

'Once he sees Alek, he should calm down' she proceeds to follow him as he begins running towards the Yamikahe University Hospital.

"Is he badly injured?" Orchid asks her midway through their run. The adrenaline rushing through his systemic circulation, at that moment he forgets about all the climbing he did at the temple. He was feeling extremely guilty, he blames himself for them getting hurt. Tears start to well up in his eyes as thoughts start to wreak havoc through his mind. The major thought that keeps on creeping up,

'This wouldn't have happened if you had just told them' he wipes away a tear streaking down his cheek.

Racquel notices this and could already imagine what he was doing. He was blaming himself for all of this.

'Why does he always do this?' she sighs

"We thought it was minor injuries but it seems there was a lot of internal bleeding, our organs were damaged due to the impact of his blows, I didn't even know warriors could do that honestly, but my brother says, that really skilled ones could do so. Even he has trouble with it. They can infuse energy into their attacks that could target your organs. The damage done could easily lead to major organ failure." she looks at Orchid and asks,

"How are you okay? I mean it seems like he beat you up more than anything we got, combined. How are you not dead?" it was confusing to her and she starts building up all these other questions awaiting for those questions to be given answers.

"I don't know, maybe he forgot to use it on me. Didn't really have time to think about things like that, was trying to make it out alive." he remarks

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They reach the base of the stairs leading up to the doors of the hospital, Orchid's heartbeat starts to pick up anticipating the worst of Alek. They run up the stair shoving the glass door open. Orchid follows Racquel's lead into the hospital as she guides him to Alek's room. No one was waiting outside of the room so they didn't have to greet anyone and proceed to enter the room, Orchid slides the door open and sees Alek reading a book. His bed was propped up for him to comfortably read inclined.

Alek greets them with a smile but Orchid's face was ashen with sadness looking at his friend. He just stood there at the door lifeless. He turns back walking out of the room. Racquel looks back and forth between the two of them before following Orchid out.

"Hey, where are you going, Orchid!" she shouts as she chases after him

"I am gonna break that guy's leg, don't try to stop me." Orchid's face develops from a fierce look to one with a sly smile after he notices the same look on Racquel's face. He could already guess what she was going to say,

'I am coming with you!'

Racquel was not someone who didn't give back what she got and she plans to give back everything she got from Jake, tenfold.

"I am gonna show that narcissistic entitled turd what I am made of" she looks at him with a devilish smile.

They went straight to the training grounds, they knew he would be there. He is notorious for staying too late for practice that people started giving snide remarks about how he was a try-hard. Racquel used to always praise him for it but now she couldn't bother with his existence. Racquel hates people who disregard or belittles others for being weaker or poorer than they are and this guy, not only did he trivialize her but her friends too, that's something she could just not take sitting down. Her feelings for him had become nothing but a distant past. To her now even trash has more significance than he does.

For Orchid on the other hand this wasn't just to get back at him for his friends but to seek revenge for what he did to him. He wants him to take back what he said about him and especially about what he said to all healers,

'We are not just shields!!!'

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"Hey, Jack ass" Racquel shouts and progresses on to whistling to get his attention.

The shirtless blond looks at them with an annoyed gaze, sweat dripping from his hair as he was interrupted with his swordplay. He was glistening under the arena's spotlight as his body was drenched in sweat.

The sight of the blue-eyed blond careless practicing while his friend was bedridden in the hospital infuriates her. She couldn't name why was she so angry, she wasn't this angry when learning about what happened to Orchid but when it came to Alek, she just starts to erupt.

"I am gonna put you in your place, I'll teach you what happens when you mess with my friends.' she announces challenging the blond to a fight.

"Don't waste your time, you and that kid couldn't do anything before what makes you think you can do something now." he says, as he turns his back to presume with his training.

Orchid took this as his turn to provoke him. Orchid let out a breath and starts chanting, his voice was so soft that only Racquel could hear it, once he stopped he launched a huge gust of vapour towards Jake.

"It hit him but wasn't able to faze him." he retracts back to a normal standing position from a fighting stance, the tip of his blunt sword grazing the sand. He swings it back, placing it on his shoulders, and turns around to face them.

Jake sighs."Okay, I'll give you what you want but I beg the both of you please last at least 5 minutes."

"Don't expect me to not kill you if you start crying again, Orchid." It surprised Orchid that he knew his name. This was the first time he has heard his name leave the blonde's mouth.

Jake raises his sword to the sky. He announces,

"Heed you kings call, EXCALIBURRRRR!!!!." a blue summoning circle appears surrounding his feet, a flash of lightning strikes his rusted sword. The blade was glowing with a bright light as it morphs into a gigantic sword, by the looks of it Orchid could tell that it must weigh a ton. The blade was made out of silver that was shining brightly. The pommel of the sword had a lion's head on it and the grip was wrapped with red leather. The cross-guard was designed to look like angel wings. All put together it formed this majestic sword that was otherworldly.

Orchid's conviction starts to plummet looking at the figure in front of him. The events of his previous fight start to flash before his eyes. He subconsciously staggers back but that's when he notices Racquel smile.

"I am gonna need support Orchid, leave the attacking up to me." she grins looking at Jake as he takes a fighting stance.

She steps forward and snaps her index forming her own summoning circle, her circle was formed as symbols were ingrained into the sand below her feet.

"I pray to you oh God of Sun Aton to lend me your strength," she recites

A light breaks through the sky lands and upon her, sand particles start to lift from the ground. She raises her hands up to the sky,

"I CALL UPON YOU, my sword QUEEN NEFITTI" she announces, a sword with an obsidian blade materializes into her hand from the sand particles that levitating in the air forming an elegant sword, three bronze snakes intertwine together to form the handle of the sword and its pommel had three bronze snakeheads sticking out towards three different directions. She swings it back and takes her own battle stance bearing that made her lower her body having her sword above her head. It was a stance taught to her by her father who incorporates olden Japanese fighting techniques into military training. A ko gasumi stance.

"I'll show you what this princess can fucking do" she shouts so that she could be heard.

Jake's eyes widen seeing as one of the 12 legendary weaponry is in her possession,

"I guess your title comes with perks,"

"Did, daddy give it to you as a birthday gift?" he mocks her. Smirking as he does.

Both swords yielded were considered rare and were only given to families of the highest prestige. There were only 4 in their country as the other 8 had been lost throughout the times. It had been said that they were destroyed as the other countries had been overrun by demons.

The both of them clash with their sword, the contact makes a shock wave, Orchid flinches as the pressure from the air pushes him back.

He could only watch in awe as Racquel is actually putting up a fight with him. He notices 2 golden bangles on her wrists. He realizes it was the strength buffers warriors used when they just start out. And starts to mumble

'When was she able to summon that thing?'

The both of them continuously clash, making multiple waves of air as both blades meet in contact. Racquel was doing well but comparing to Jake she had far less experience. He was much more adept in using his sword. Racquel was struggling to keep from being blown away.

This sword was passed down through her family but only females are able to use it, it was a condition that needed to be met. It was given to her on her 8th birthday and she has had sword fighting classes since then. This was the reason why Racquel was irked by Jake's comment when he saw the sword. She could yield it but was still far too weak to be able to throw out its full potential. Amongst the 12 weapons, Queen Neffeti is considered the 6th most powerful of the 12. She realizes that Excalibur is in the top 3 but in the conditions, they were in right now she had the upper hand.

She makes some distance and stabs her sword into the ground.

"YOUR QUEEN SUMMONS YOU!" she shouts as a dozen sand figures start to form from the ground. They charge at Jake but he skillfully beheads each one of them. She was not surprised as it was only meant to be a distraction, she twists the sword that is stuck in the sand and a sandpit started to swallow Jake below. He struggles as he can't seem to get any footing as he is being swallowed into the ground.

What he does next shocks the pair as it didn't seem possible...