Battlefield of Betrayal

In the showdown, it's us versus Gideon, Arnold, and Aoki, armed and ready. The tension hangs thick as we exchange glares, expressions screaming heated menace.

I shoot disappointment at Aoki. Did she know we were part of Matthias' party? Did she play us? Damn it, Matthias must be behind this shady move.

Aoki won't do something dirty like that, it must be him the one that ordered her! Although I didn't know Aoki at all, but all of this must be Matthias's fault. I would definitely get him and tear him apart!

Gideon drops his sword unexpectedly. "I don't wanna fight you guys," he confesses, showing his goody-two-shoes side.

Garcia, not buying it, snaps, "Underestimate me?" Matthias' antics have her on edge and Gideon, trying to reason, makes Garcia even more irritated.

"Let's settle peacefully," he suggests.

But Garcia's having none of it. "No, you and I settle this with violence."

Gideon protests, "Or we can solve this peacefully if Matthias returns the cube."

"No! You betrayed me!" Garcia erupts.

"I didn't. You fell for Aoki's trick."

"But you and Matthias the one that planned all of this, right?" I interrupted their conversation. I was so sure that they were the ones planning all of this.

"No, we don't... We don't even know her. She just gave us the cube and told us how she got it. It's all your fault," he points at me.

Wait, what the hell? Aoki just played me? That stings.

"Umm... We actually know each other. I and Matthias met her before the game and separated because we have different teams." Suddenly, Jayden spills the beans.

I was right, it must be Matthias who planned all of this!

"Enough talk, let's settle this with fists!" Garcia demands, frustration boiling over.

She zooms in on Gideon, throwing a lightning-fast punch. Gideon, armored up, catches her fist, but his armor's crumbling. Despite that, Garcia's sheer strength has him stumbling backward.

"I know you wanna fight," she smirks.

"No, I just don't wanna die from your fist," he replies, struggling to hold his ground.

Meanwhile, Jayden's assassin skills kick in, making him practically invisible. Arnold's desperately trying to parry the unseen threat.

Yes, I couldn't see Jayden at all. He was too fast with his movement. He looks like a pro. Did Jayden have some kind of training? But he was just a child and it makes me even more uneasy.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoes. Gideon can't withstand Garcia's powerful punch, ending up slammed into a wall.

Damn, I didn't remember she was that strong when battling with the last enemy. Must be outraged kicking in. That woman really has a serious problem with anger.

This space was too cramped for all six of us to engage in a fight. It was chaotic, with computers and screens destroyed, and scattered documents everywhere. Below me lay the red Galactica cube, left unattended by Garcia in her anger.

Now, only Aoki and I remained. She gripped her double daggers, and my unease grew; assassins make me jittery, they're too damn fast for my liking.

Aoki moved swiftly, dodging my shots effortlessly. Frustrated, I threw my gun and caught one of her daggers with my hand. The clash echoed in the confined space, but my armor held firm.

I asked Tiamat to change my attribute to Material Arts again. I know it feels so wrong to punch a woman, but damn this woman here tried to kill me first!

With a swift kick to her stomach, I disarmed her, tossing away the dagger. Yet, she pressed on with the other as she moved like a shadow I couldn't quite see but sensed.

She struck from the left, and I dodged with a swift move. Suddenly, she was right in front of me, aiming the dagger at my face. A quick back roll and a kick to her chin mid-air had her falling to the ground. I stood, ready for what came next.

But, Aoki wasn't done. With her left hand, she maneuvered the dagger to my shoulder, exploiting a weak spot. The dagger exploded, shattering my armor and causing my shoulder to bleed uncontrollably. Damn assassin tricks!

Even with Niel's expertise in hand-in-hand combat, I still couldn't dodge or parry all of her attacks because of how fast she was!

But of course, I wouldn't just stop there, fuck with the bleeding.

Refusing to succumb, I ripped the dagger from my shoulder and tossed it aside. With no dagger left, right now we only could fight with hands and I was ready for that!

Aoki moved first, her movements were fluid, almost like a dance, as she aimed a series of punches and kicks at my vulnerable points. I parried and dodged, feeling the intensity of each blow.

Her agility was impressive, she was also strong, and she must at least know judo or even in a black belt with this kind of movement.

I countered with a powerful roundhouse kick, catching her off guard. The impact sent her stumbling backward, but she recovered swiftly.

Aoki continued her assault, launching a flurry of punches with precision and speed. Despite her skill, I managed to block and deflect, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Seizing the opportunity, I closed in and executed a spinning kick, connecting with her midsection. Aoki grunted, momentarily winded, but she retaliated with a sweeping low kick. I leaped over it, maintaining my balance, and countered with a swift elbow strike to her side.

Aoki, now visibly fatigued, attempted a final desperate move. She aimed a high kick at my head, but I anticipated the attack. Catching her leg mid-air, I twisted it, forcing her to the ground. With her momentarily subdued, I pinned her down.

Even with her helmet on, I could still see her beautiful eyes inside it, looking troubled.

"I... I give up," Aoki admitted, breath ragged.

Giving up was too easy. I couldn't let her off the hook. "Sure," then I let go of her.

But before she could wake up, I tore her helmet apart and struck her face until she fainted. I looked at my hand, feeling the weight of the terrible act.

Damn, that feels so horribly wrong!

{You got a soft spot for her, huh?}

Tiamat's unexpected question made me roll my eyes.

{I've noticed you're not going all out, like with the last guy I devoured. Unleash your full power, and she'd be down in one hit.}

{Teenage love, huh?}

Tiamat's laughter echoed, and I didn't know how to feel. She had a point about holding back, I didn't want to kill her.

Ugh, feelings, what a dumb thing.

With the Galactica cube in hand, I surveyed the aftermath. Garcia had triumphed over Gideon, delivering a mighty punch while perched atop him.

In my search for Jayden and Arnold, I stumbled upon a chaotic scene – broken screens, computers, and slashed marks everywhere. Arnold lay on the floor, bleeding, while Jayden stood nearby.

Checking on Arnold, relief washed over me – he'd merely fainted. Although we just met yesterday, it was such a great impression, I already consider Arnold my friend.

"Are you all right, Jayden?" I asked him.

He just nodded, "Yes. He is strong. Should I kill him?" his question was really creepy for a child.

"No, let him be."

I paid attention to Jayden, he didn't seem to have a harmful injury or anything. Although that armor was already tattered too, just like mine.

Out of the blue, a hand gripped my shoulder. Garcia, done with Gideon, spoke with fire, "Let's go, let's kill that asshole."