Chapter 175: Zabal vs Zala

Zala looked at Zabal. 

"Marianne, can you take off his men?" Zala asked. 

Marianne nodded. "Yes, I can," Marianne replied.

"I will keep Zabal busy then you join," Zala said. 

"Okay, be careful," Marianne said. 

"I will," Zala replied.

Zala jumped over the men and headed towards Zabal. Zabal prepared his sword.

"So you want to get me?" Zabal asked. He paused and said, "Fine be it," added. 

Marianne looked at the men around her. 

"She left you behind," a pirate said. 

"So small," another pirate insulted Marianne. 

Marianne shot a look at the pirate.

"Keep your eyes down, brat," the pirate said again.

Marianne grabbed her backpack and opened it. She took her paint pallet and paint brush out. 

"Are you going to paint us a picture?" the third pirate mocked. 

Marianne dipped her paint brush in the yellow paint. She then threw it at the first five men. "Laughter Yellow," Marianne said. The five men got hit by the yellow paint. 

"You got my shirt dirty," said another pirate. He looked mad then started laughing.

The other four men started laughing. The pirates who did not get hit laughed, seeing their crew laughing. They all laughed. 

Marianne looked at them. They continued to laugh. The pirate who did not get hit with the paint stopped laughing. The others continued laughing. 

"Hey, why are we laughing," said a pirate who did not get by the yellow paint. The five pirates laughed constantly. 

"It's getting creepy," a pirate said. The five pirates laughed. 

"Hey," a pirate said. He saw his crew mate laughing. He grabbed his crewmate and saw he was laughing. There were tears in his eyes. He was smiling widely and laughing. 

"Something is wrong," the pirate said. 

Marianne smiled. She then dipped her paintbrush in the black paint. She threw it at the pirate with the yellow paint already. "Betrayal Black," Marianne said. 

The pirates laughing picked up their sword and slashed their crew mates. They laughed as they slashed their crew mates. 

"Stop it," the pirate said, looking at his crew mate laughing and slashing them. He tried to defend himself but was overpowered and slashed on the chest as he went down. Blood was leaking from his body. 

Out of the ten original men only two stood. They both were panting and had a few scratches on their bodies. Their swords were covered with their comrades' blood. They were laughing. The pirates had tears in her eyes as they looked at Marianne.

Marianne dipped her paintbrush into the red paint. She threw it at both of the remaining pirates. They looked at the red mark. They both slashed each other at the same time. They screamed and went down. "Red of Bullfighting," Marianne said as all the pirates were down. 

"Time to go and help Zala," Marianne said with a smile. 

While Marianne was fighting the pirates, Zala was fighting Zabal. 

"Stinger Finger," Zala said as turns her fingers into long spikes and clashed with Zabal's sword. 

Zabal tried to stab Zala however Zala used her long finger spikes to defend herself. Zabal kept trying to stab Zala. He aimed for her chest. Zala blocked with her spikes. Zabal aimed for her stomach. Zala blocked again. Zabal then aimed for her head. Zala pushed the blade upwards with her one hand and then quickly with her other hand aimed for Zabal`s chest. Zabal saw this and edged back however the tip of her blade pierced him. 

Zabal looked surprised and jumped back. "You have some skill," Zabal said.

"You are not bad yourself," Zala replied. 

"You devil will be a waste for him to consume," Zabal said.

"Consume?" Zala questioned. 

"Once I capture you, you will know," Zabal said. He smiled.

"That will never happen," Zala replied. She did think about the word consume.

Zabal charged at Zala. "Vital Strike," Zabal said. He focused on precise strikes, aiming for pressure points and vital areas. Zabal used his extensive medical knowledge to target them.

Zala got hit. She used her spike like fingernails to block again however Zabal was quick. Zabal was able to hit the pressure point in her arm and leg quickly. Zala noticed this and jumped away.

"Pressure points, while not causing permanent harm, the cumulative effect of these strikes can wear you down," Zabal explained.

Zala was panting. Her leg and arm felt a bit weak however she can keep going. Ben was not going to be happy she got hurt again. 

Zala looked at Zabal who was smiling. He charged towards Zala again. "Vital Strike," Zabal said again. 

"Stinger Balls," Zala said as she clenched her fist and grew spikes from her hand. They looked like spike balls. Zabal approached Zala and aimed for her chest. 

Zala saw this and used her left hand to punch the sword away with her spiked hand. She then swung her other fist and punched Zabal in the face. He got hit and stumbled back. His left side of the face was bleeding. 

"You," Zabal said. 

Zala ran up and tried to punch Zabal. Zabal dodged. Zala kept punching. Zabal dodged again. Zala aimed for his chest. Zabal jumped to the right. Zala then aimed for his face. He jumped back. 

He jumped again. Zala looked at him jumping away.

"You are fast," Zala said. 

"You are annoying," Zabal said. His face was still bleeding. Her spikes do hurt, he thought.

 Zala turned her hands back to normal. "Stinger Lance," Zala said as she turned her hand into one single spike-like lance. She charged towards Zabal.

"Nerve Parry," Zabal said. Zabal used his blade to parry the attack. He successfully stopped the attack from Zala. He then pushed her back and was about to strike her chest when Zala jumped back narrowingly missing his blade. 

"That was close," Zala said. 

"You are also nibble," Zabal said. 

"Vital Surge Slash," Zabal said as he ran towards Zala with his sword. He was aiming for multiple pressure points rapidly. Zabal was focused on Zala. 

Zala saw him charging towards her. She ran towards Zabal, she jumped and turned into a ball and sprouted spikes in all directions. She looked like a sea urchin. She rolled towards Zabal at speed. Zabal saw this however he was too slow and got hit by Zala rolling on to him. "Stinger Hedgehog," Zala said. His chest and face got with the spikes. He took the full brunt. 

Zabal spat blood out. His face had spike imprints as he went down. Zabal was unconscious after taking the hit.  

Zala stopped rolling. She got up and saw the unconscious body of Zabal on the ground. She sighed. "He was annoying," Zala said. She touched her arm and leg which had a few scratches on them. There was some dried blood on her arm. 

Marianne came to see Zabal lying on the ground. She looked at Zala. "You are hurt," Marianne said.

"There are a few scratches," Zala said. She dusted herself off. 

"But, we should have it looked at," Marianne replied.

"Yes, but for now I am fine. I am a big girl," Zala said. She smiled at Marianne.

"Okay, but Kaya will have a look when we see her," Marianne said.

"Yes madam," Zala teased. She giggled.

Marianne smiled and laughed. "Okay," Marianne replied.

"Let's see what the rest are doing," Zala said when she heard footsteps coming towards them. They both turned around and saw Honey and Robin running towards them. 

"Hey," Honey said. Honey and Robin approached them.

"Is that robot down?" Marianne asked.

"It is a bonfire right," Robin said. She smiled at Marianne. 

"Yes, it is," Honey added.

"It looks like those dozen men and he is down," Honey added. She looked over to see Zabal's unconscious body. 

"He is," Zala confirmed. 

"But you got hurt," Marianne said. 

"A few scratches," Zala corrected. 

"Re-energy blast," Honey said as she shot her golden liquid at all the girls. 

They all felt their energy come back. The girls thanked Honey. 

"This is a good ability," Robin said.

"It is for combat and training," Marianne added.

"Should we catch-up to Lexie?" Zala asked.

"Yes, let's keep moving," Honey replied. They all nodded and headed towards the temple ruins.