NOBODY DRAWS MAYO WHACKING A BIRD

"Quack-quack?"

Still… and vibrant… the world around them stopped, as if time had paused to watch the scene unfold. Trees, ancient and wise, cast long, sprawling shadows that stretched lazily across the soft grass. Their leaves rustled… gently, whispering secrets to each other, while the low-hanging sun painted everything in hues of amber and bronze.

"Quack."

A distant river murmured its song, a soft, flowing lullaby that danced through the air, accompanied by the occasional chirp of hidden crickets. The scent of damp earth and fresh greenery was intoxicating, making the very act of breathing feel like a forgotten luxury.

"Quack!"

Here, the silence of the afternoon was palpable, broken only by the gentle sighs of the mist that wove through the air. Each gust flew by like ghostly fingers playing an unseen piano. At the edge of this dividing line, three figures stood, facing off against the swan and his group of 'pure-bred' ducklings.

Or at least, it should have been three figures standing. 

Steven was sitting on the ground, though. 

The ducks… er, Daseo's gang… intensely watched as he took out a piece of bread… and chowed down. (He was hungry, why were they staring?)

"How about this," Daseos raised a finger, locking eyes with them, "A 3v3…" He sliced his fingers to his right, "...on the bridge?"

Steven looked at Mayo, who had already taken initiative to move ahead: "Sounds good," she said, agreeing to the terms.

- 'Ding!'

['Mission Acquired!']

'Defeat Daseos's Group in a 3v3.' 

[Penalty for failure: • • •] 

Pending… 

[+50% chance of additional unforeseen penalty.] 

Current party members: Mayo, Steven, and Zero.

> SELECTING… 1st opponent… 

…The tall raven-haired girl, her eyes blinking with cattiness, declared, "I'll take you on, then." She winked, putting a finger on her lips.

[Profile: 'Elara: Raven-haired Duelist' X]

"Fine by me," Mayo said, narrowing the distance between them.

They took their stances on the root-woven bridge. Despite its sturdy appearance, it quivered gently, echoing with subtle creaks, reminiscent of an old lullaby sung by the winds. The bridge linked the mainland to the floating island, its width fitting no more than three at a time. Below, the vast expanse was hidden, as thick, swirling clouds concealed any view of the ground.

One misstep looked like a long… 

d

-r

o

-p

Down. 

Around them, the air charged with anticipation. Elara's eyes, sharp and predatory, locked onto Mayo. Then, with a speed that seemed almost unnatural, the raven-haired girl lunged. 

Slice—Slash… crack!

She gripped multiple knives in each hand like talons and hacked them down towards where Mayo stood. With each strike, the raven-haired girl made little, tantalizing marks around Mayo's feet, not enough to reach, but just enough to mock her attempts to counter.

"See, I'm at core condensation." Elara purred with a hint of smugness, "But, I guess you're not that terrible?"

Mayo's eyes flickered. "Less talk, more action." Mayo retorted, using the opportunity to send a swift kick, knocking one of Elara's knives from her grip. 

It plummeted and tumbled into the clouds below. 

"Grrrr…" Elara's face twisted into an unsightly expression. Using the ropes of the bridge for leverage, she jumped into the fray, narrowly missing Mayo's face. Their dance of blades and fists resumed, the rhythm faster, more frantic. With every move, Mayo stepped back… one foot, two feet, and then suddenly… 

Finally, with one tackle, Elara pushed Mayo over.

"Agh," Mayo winced, grasping the side of the bridge with one arm. Her breaths came fast and labored, as her fingers desperately clutched the rough, root-laden edge of the bridge.

The girl slowly walked over, enjoying her steps, her combat boots making a soft thud on the bridge.

"You couldn't have won against me anyway…I," She paused, putting emphasis on herself, "I...cultivated my core with raven wings. People like you have spheres as their core, but shapes like mine? The average cultivator on my level would NEVER be able to defeat me!"

She paused, tilting her head to the side, smiling sweetly, "But good, good try! Toodle-oo!" She whispered, bending her back and waving Mayo 'goodbye'. She smirked, as she stomped on Mayo's feet.

Daseos's group cheered as Mayo's body plunged into the clouds. "Looks like girlie can't fly!" one yelled as Mayo's figure disappeared into the clouds. "Go Elara! Teach 'em how it's done!"

From the side, a soul-wrenching choke sounded from a boy on the side. Steven had tears in his eyes as he sputtered and coughed, interrupting the cheering. 

"Man, that…" He wiped his mouth, "bread was so… dry." He coughed again, fishing out his water bottle and taking a swig. Glancing toward the clouds where Mayo vanished, he quirked an eyebrow and muttered:

"Huh, thought she had…" 

Before he could finish his words, a winged-figure punctured through the blanket of clouds. It quickly soared and hit Elara in… the… oh my, not the face!

"Y-YOU!" Elara glared, clasping her cheeks.

Mayo crossed her arms, fluttering back onto the bridge with her butterfly-shaped wings. "I guess we're not done."

"Well, I have wings too." Elara sniffed. From under her shoulder-blades, beautiful wings unfurled. They were made of deep navy-blue feathers, resembling a canvas of star-studded threads stretching across the fading sky. 

"Don't care." Mayo said. She pulled out a massive broadsword that honestly seemed 'way-too-large' from seemingly nowhere, and before Elara could even finish showcasing her wings, started whacking Elara over and over!

"Y-" Elara tried to get a word out. 

WHACK! "Wait—" SMACK! "—please" BLAgh-ACK! "—NO!" Elara's voice punctuated each hit, as the broadsword smacked her body like a ragdoll "No more—" BAM! "—STOP!"

Mayo continued whacking her, not letting her speak. Finally, Elara crumbled on the bridge. 

With the blade nearly twice her height in hand, Mayo turned to face the crowd. The blade gleamed under the island's lights, inscriptions of ancient symbols running down its length. 

"This," she declared with a flourish, "is 'Birdwhacker'."

The area filled with a stunned silence, broken only by Mayo's cheerful humming. She twirled her massive sword, and just like that, it disappeared into the air once more.

Daseos's gaze sharpened for a second, surprise flashing across his features, before he coolly regained his composure. The rest of his gang exchanged wide-eyed glances. And in the midst of the tension, the hum of a notification sounded out again in Steven's contacts: 

- 'Ding!'

| 'Victory Secured!' |

[+500 Experience Points (EXP)] 

'1/3 Opponents Defeated. Continue to achieve a full victory bonus!' • • • 

"Well, I'm sorry I took up so much time," Mayo said with a cheeky grin, before her eyebrows raised again, "Oh no, we have to finish these fights quickly… there's only ten minutes left until the next hour! Hey Zero, do you want to go next?"

Zero shook his head and shrugged. Without saying a word, he crafted a paper airplane and sent it gliding smoothly through the air toward Mayo.

She caught it effortlessly, a look of surprise on her face as she unfolded the paper. "It's a nice… drawing."

> elara_abuse.PNG

Pocketing the drawing, Mayo continued, "Ok-ay," and with that, she jumped up, carrying Elara's limp body. She swiftly dropped her opponent down beside Daseo's feet before plopping down next to Steven.

>SELECTING… 2nd opponent…

"I'll fight next." The green-haired boy growled, stomping forward onto the bridge and rolling up his sleeves. He ran his fingers through those deep green curls and glared at Zero, his opponent.

[Profile: 'Nefasi: Emerald-wind Elementalist' X]

"Wait." Daseos called out, looking at his phone, "Given the... time, let's set a new rule. Three minutes. No matter what happens, that'll be a draw. We're running out of time." He looked around, as if daring anyone to disagree.

3:00… 2:59… 

"Sounds good," Zero replied nonchalantly, leaning on the ropes of the root-bridge. He got comfy, turning his back on the green-haired boy, and looked down at the clouds. 

The cool breeze rustled his clothes, carrying the distant scent of rain.

Nefasi's eyes narrowed, "Yoo, you serious? We're in the middle of a fight."

Zero didn't appear to hear him. He looked lost in the sound of wind whistling past. 

2:45… 2:44...

With an exasperated sigh, Nefasi launched his assault. He waved his cedar-toned arms and within seconds, gusts of wind flew out stro—ng e-no-ugh to cut through w-ind, b-r-e-a-k—th-r-o-u-g-h—small debris… and b-l-o-w-

wo-r-d-s—

-a-wa-

y.

Against the odds, Zero remained anchored on the bridge. His white hair was tousled slightly, but for the most part, he looked unfazed. The sensation of the wind, now strong and chilly, whipped at his face, but the only response drawn out was… a… blink? 

2:15… 2:14…

Not deterred, Nefasi kicked up the power, his palms glowing green as he summoned larger gusts that morphed into miniature tornados. The deafening roar of swirling winds filled the air, drowning out every other sound.

Zero got lifted a few inches, swirled around like a leaf in the wind, only to plunk back onto the bridge. 

"Come on, man!" Nefasi said, exasperated. He switched tactics, trying to lift and toss Zero off the bridge physically. Each time, it seemed like an invisible force pulled Zero back to his original position, like a ragdoll tethered by an unseen string.

1:30… 1:29… 

Letting out a frustrated roar, Nefasi put out a rapid flurry of hand signs. His hands wove an intricate dance of symbols in the air—faster, faster—until they were almost a blur. With each sign, ethereal totems emerged from the void: a hawk, a panther, a stag. They circled him like guardians, filling the air with an electrifying surge of raw power.

As if answering the call, the sky fractured. A tear ripped through the heavens, a jagged line that punctured the tranquil clouds, leaving trailing wisps at the rupture point. The world itself seemed to recoil: trees bent low as if in submission, leaves torn from their branches and sent swirling into the maelstrom. The bridge beneath them issued a low, mournful groan and trembled… and… 

1:00… 0:59...

…Zero? Zero? What was he doing up there? Within this storm's eye, Zero became a mere speck! Swallowed by the gales and concealed by the raging tempest, he flew around like a twig caught in an unrelenting whirlpool. 

'And he was never seen again…' Steven muttered to himself. 

Unfortunately, that was when the winds dispersed. A couple seconds passed and then… the white-haired boy landed back onto the bridge like a dropped marshmallow. Squish… Plop!

…0:00

A phone timer rang out. Nefasi, panting and visibly drained, his breath creating little misty puffs in the wind, could only stare in disbelief. Three minutes were over, just like that?

Nefasi watched as Zero languidly got up, unharmed. 

- 'Ding!'

| 'DRAW!' |

[+100 Experience Points (EXP)] 

'1/3 Opponents Defeated. 1/3 Opponents Drawn. Final Round Pending: Secure a win to achieve a FULL VICTORY BONUS!' • • •