Lyka and Finn takes a stance. Escobar shouts: GO! Finn points his staff towards the ground, two golems made of dried soil were formed and immediately attacks Lyka. Lyka backs off, casting a magic seal on the ground where the golems stepped on. The seals lit up and tentacles made of shadows appear, tearing the golems into pieces.
Finn: I trapping seal? Let’s see how you can keep up.
Finn raises his staff once more. Magic circles appear on the ground, releasing gushes of fire and water taking a form of a man: elemental spirits. Finn raises his staff again, pointing to Lyka. On the ground where Lyka stands, vines began growing, tying her legs up and making her stop. Lyka clawed the vines and was able to release herself, but the elemental spirits were already surrounding her.
Finn: Yield, demi-wolf.
Lyka smirks. A bluish ball of condensed mana forms on her right palm. She aims her palm on the ground and releases the mana energy, blasting it upon impact. The shockwave covered the whole arena, and all of the elemental spirits vanished.
Finn: A – a magic cancelation?! Without casting it?! That’s on high level of spell activation! Casting a high-level spell without chanting?! That’s indeed impressive!
Lyka: Well, someone taught me that chanting takes time… and a bit useless in a fight.
Finn: Then, I should get serious now…
Finn raises both of his arms while holding his staff.
Finn: Oh, great spirits! Help thy servant, from the depths of abyss to the heights of the skies!
The whole ground where he stands was enveloped with a huge magic circle, enlightening the whole floor. Lyka backs off from the circle, and witnesses two silhouettes of fully armored knights coming out of the circle. The light went out, revealing the two armored knights Finn summoned.
Lyka: Lesser divine spirits?
Finn: You have keen eyes… and this summons are highly resistant to your darkness affinity, Miss Lyka. I suggest you surrender, or perhaps you want to fight more?
Lyka: This will continue as long as I’m standing.
Finn: Even I have the advantage?
Lyka extends her right arm. An aura of darkness surrounds her, then a grey claymore materializes on her right palm.
Finn: A weapon bound? Lesser divines, go and subdue her!
Lyka holds her claymore firmly, then she disappears. A small sonic boom, caused by Lyka’s sudden movement, startled Finn. He commanded his summons to protect him, but to his surprise Lyka already targeted one of it. She swings her claymore on the head part of the spirit. A single swoop, and the ethereal helm of the spirit shatters. After that, Lyka disappears once more. He looks up and he saw Lyka from high up, aiming her claymore towards him. He casts a spell using his staff, a magic circle appears, and a ball of fire was formed.
Finn: Saint’s Fire!
The fireball hits Lyka, but all he saw was a smoke dissipating. He then felt something sharp pointing at his nape. It was Lyka.
Finn: A copy?!
Lyka: Yield, mage.
Finn: I digress.
Finn’s staff glows and so his body. Lyka saw that the remaining lesser divine spirit charges at her direction, it stops and smashes the ground near the two. Lyka was moved from place due to the shock made by the spirit, making her to back off. She protected herself from the flying rocks with her claymore. She glances towards Finn and notices that he wasn’t affected by the attack of the spirit, realizing Finn encased himself in a magic barrier.
Finn: You’ve already had the chance, but still, I have the advantage.
Lyka smiles at Finn. Then a crashing sound, a loud bang, the lesser spirit falls down. Finn saw a shadow from the dusts of the fallen armor, it was Lyka who stricken a claymore on the helm of the spirit. He looks confused. Two Lykas? How?
Then someone trips him over, the sudden act made him drop his staff. He levitated himself to stop from dropping, but another someone kicked him down. He fell, face first. And when he tried to get up, he saw a third Lyka, holding his staff, and a fourth one, who’s readying to blast him with a condensed mana spell.
The Lyka who smiled at him walked up and pointed her claymore on his face.
Lyka: Yield.
Realizing the situation he’s in, Finn sighs.
Finn: Fine… I yield…
Lyka offers her hand to Finn and assists him on getting back up.
Finn: So, who’s the real one?
The other Lykas turned into shadows, and all went back to the shadow of the original Lyka, the one who assisted Finn on standing up.
Finn: Shadow copies?
Lyka: Familiars, but I guess you could call them the copies of myself.
Finn: Very impressive, Miss Lyka. I never met someone capable of casting different spells! From traps, to destruction, then to illusions! Even magic-based bound weapons! And you’re knowledgeable in close-quarters combat! You’re wielding that claymore like an experienced swordswoman!
Lyka: Akino taught me how to fight hand-to-hand and also in sword combat.
Finn: I see…
The two shook their hands and went to the seats where the others are residing.
All were in shocked at the display of Lyka’s power. The skills she showed made Lord Adrian and his guild members stunned. A jaw-dropping display of power. All were in awe, except for Akino who’s slowly clapping her hands and Alexa who kept on shouting and cheering.
Akino: Well done.
Alexa: Yeah! That’s so awesome!
Lyka: Thanks!
Diana stands up and went near to Alexa.
Diana: Guess it’s our turn now, kid. Don’t let me down.
Alexa: Heh. You won’t stand a chance!
Lyka: Alexa!
Akino: Manners, kid.
Diana: I don’t mind it, I mean, she’s got a fighting spirit!
Alexa: Sorry… umm, okay! Let’s start!
Diana: Sure!
Both Diana and Alexa went together to the center of the arena. Diana closely looks at Alexa. As they walk towards the arena, she notices that Alexa’s child-like body build slowly turns muscular, her height seems to be much higher than the time she saw a while ago, and scale like patterns appear on her skin. Is she hallucinating?
Diana slaps herself, making Alexa startled with the sudden act.
Alexa: WOAH!
Diana: Don’t worry… I think I’ve inhaled some kind of illusory potion a while ago… or, by chance, you’ve made inhaled one?
Alexa: Ummm, no?
Diana: But your body –
Alexa: Oh! Yeah, it’s my skill. I can morph my body to my very liking…
Diana: Like a morphos?
Alexa: I don’t know what a morphos is or what it looks like, but yeah, I guess…
Diana pulls her bow and arrow, slowly aiming it to Alexa. Alexa noticed that the arrowhead Diana holds began emitting fire.
Alexa: Same rules as the last one?
Diana: Yield, or if you can’t fight anymore.
Alexa: Got it!
Diana fires her arrow. The arrow has a magic circle at its end. The arrow hits the ground where Alexa stands, and it explodes. Smoke rises, fully covering Alexa.
Alexa dashes out of the smoke, but to her surprise she couldn’t see Diana anymore. Diana casted an invisibility magic on herself, but Alexa could still sense her.
Alexa: Camo, huh?
Alexa then drops on all fours. Her legs started to look like legs of a quadruped creature. She slowly walks, and slowly disappears, out of thin air.
Diana was shocked. She used another spell to detect Alexa but couldn’t. She starts to panic, then something trips her, then she’s being dragged around the ground. The dirt of the ground sticked on her, making her visible, and to her surprise, nothing’s dragging her.
Stolen novel; please report.
Diana pulled her dagger and tried to cut off whatever’s dragging her. She swoops her dagger, and she stops moving across the arena. She removed her invisibility spell and she stood. Still, she couldn’t see Alexa.
Diana: Playing games, huh? I didn’t know you could be this rough on your enemies.
Alexa: Sorry, nothing personal.
Diana pulled 10 arrows from her quiver. She aims and points at the ceiling of the arena.
Diana: Magma Ricochet!
A magic circle appears at the top. Diana shoots it, and the arrows went back hitting the ground. The arrows exploded as they hit the ground, and it turned it into a molten one, making the dragging stops. Diana immediately stands to ready herself.
Diana: I have a strong affinity to fire magic. Even this hot wouldn’t hurt me. So, I suggest you show up!
Out of nowhere, a large monster of white skin appears. She is oddly muscular, not totally huge and still slim. You could see some bulks on her muscle areas and these bulks seems to be a form of bone carapace. Her body is covered in scales. Then, Diana noticed it has the same left eye scar as Alexa and the same fleshy like hair with cat ears. Ultimately, the face is the same as Alexa’s.
Diana is confused. She asked herself: Is that Alexa? That kid? Is she a monster? The same questions struck with the other adventurers and the guild leader, watching the fight.
Alexa: Here I am.
The voice of the beast is like a child’s voice. Diana thought that the real Alexa must have been hiding, and she’s using an illusory spell like what Lyka did.
Alexa steps forward, with open arms, provoking Diana to take a shot of her arrow towards her monstrous form. Diana pulls another arrow. She aims it, she chanted, and the arrow glows brightly.
Diana: Volcanic Harpoon!
Diana shoots a fiery arrow. As the arrow progresses, its fiery trail quickly grows. Alexa stands still and receives the shot with open arms.
Then, BANG! A huge explosion occurred, covering the whole arena in smokes and dusts.
Diana: Hmmp, I know you’re using an illusion. That attack can remove any illusory spells that a low to mid-tier mage can cast. Now, show yourself!
The dust settles, and still Alexa stands with her arms widely spread. Her chest seems to char a little bit due to the explosion, but nothing happened to her. She didn’t cry nor scream in pain. It’s just Alexa, standing menacingly.
Alexa: What do you mean an illusion? This is real. Unlike you folks, I can’t cast magic or spells and stuff…
Diana: You took that attack like nothing?!
Alexa immediately dashes towards Diana. Diana quickly draws arrows on her quiver, casting it with explosive magic, and fires all of it instantaneously at Alexa.
Alexa didn’t care. She tanks the exploding shots, making the whole arena covered in smoke and dusts again. This didn’t bother Diana as she could see very well beyond these obstructions. A part of her gift. She prepares another arrow casted with her most powerful spell, but Alexa suddenly appears very closely, in front of her.
Diana prepares herself. She expects a sudden punch from Alexa, from there she will dodge making Alexa hit the ground. She will quickly jump on her gigantic arm, run towards the torso, and aim her arrow or point her dagger on Alexa’s eye, and then make her yield. If Alexa struggles, then she repeats the same thing until Alexa exhausts herself.
Diana stands still as Alexa raises her right arm. Diana thought she’s ready to counter. Then, a sudden swoosh. In an instant, Diana could see Alexa’s right arm next to the side of her face. Alexa already struck. The sudden attack made a loud bang, and a terrifying shockwave echoing throughout the underground arena. Diana was deafened, hearing only ringing sounds. She could feel something warm dripping on her cheeks, her blood, but she’s not feeling any pain.
Alexa punched fast and precise, intentionally grazing Diana’s cheeks that it only caused a deep paper cut. Alexa remained on that position to intimidate Diana, and Diana hasn’t moved since that abrupt attack. Two seconds passed, and Diana kneels on the floor.
Alexa: So, you surrender?
Diana: I – I yield…
Alexa reformed her body back to normal and assisted Diana from standing up. They both walk back to the seat area of the arena.
Alexa: You alright?
Diana: Yeah… yeah, I’m fine…
Alexa: Sorry…
Diana: No, no. It’s okay. You’ve performed very well. I just… got frightened, that’s all…
Alexa: That’s why I’m saying sorry.
Diana: People seeing that kind of power… it’s just overwhelming… but it will be very useful for us.
Alexa: So, from 1 to 10, how is it?
Diana: A solid 20.
They reached the seats. Both Akino and Lyka approached Alexa. The other adventurers immediately rushed to Diana.
Escobar: You alright?
Diana: Yeah. Thanks for the concern.
Kal: Looks like your asses are getting kicked by some newbies, huh?
Lord Adrian: And you’re saying that yours won’t be kicked as well?
Kal: Of course! Unlike these two suckers, I’m the best. Actually, I am the greatest in the fighter class of the Gold rank in this guild!
Diana: I hate you, Kal.
Finn: This is why nobody likes you…
Someone touches Kal’s shoulder, it was Akino. Kal immediately shrugs off Akino’s hand.
Akino: A fighter, huh?
Kal: We’re gonna win this round, anvil.
Akino: Anvil?
Alexa: He means that –
Akino: I KNOW!
Kal left the seats and went to the arena. As Akino follows him, Escobar stopped her.
Escobar: Hey, he’s pretty strong. You should be careful.
Akino: Heh, we’ll see.
Akino went to the arena. She sees Kal with his shining armor, shield taller than Alexa, and his mace. His face is full of confidence, smirking and glaring at Akino.
Kal: Your pet wolf seems to be a caster, and that cat is like a monster… what are you then?
Akino: WHAT DID YOU SAY?
Kal: You heard me, girl. Now, enough talk! This will be an easy one.
Akino is trying to calm herself. She’s clearly gritting her teeth under those closed lips and clenching her fists so hard that she wants it to turn into a plasma rifle.
But then, Alexa and Lyka talked to her via telepathy.
Alexa: (You mad?)
Akino: (I AM!)
Lyka: (Aki, please calm down.)
Akino: (I’m trying! But every time I he says an insult, it urges me to use a firearm and shoot him!)
Lyka: (This is only a test, remember?)
Akino: (Alright, alright…)
Akino sighs. She raises her fists and stretches her legs. A complete muay thai stance.
The watching adventurers were surprised with Akino’s posture. They’ve never seen anything like it. Kal is confused, but he raised his mace towards Akino. A provocation.
Kal: You’re not gonna fight with your fists, are you?
Akino: What? Scared of fighting an unarmed woman?
Kal: Tsk!
Kal also takes a stance. He guards up with his shield and positions himself, readying to charge at Akino.
Kal: Oh, wind spirits! Guide thine body! Gate of Howling!
Kal dashes at an incredible speed. Not as fast as Lyka, but still remarkably fast for someone wearing a heavy armor with his shield facing towards Akino.
Akino readies herself. The moment she was about to be hit, she punches forward with her right. The punch hits the shield, abruptly stopping Kal from charging. Kal tried to push off Akino, but Akino remained in position with her extended arm and closed fist on the shield, stopping him from moving further. Kal raised his mace and tries to hit Akino’s right arm. He swung and hit her, but it did nothing. The mace bounces back, Kal could feel his mace vibrating, like he has hit something very hard. He dashes away from Akino, still in her same position.
Kal: Mountain Tower!
He tried to hit Akino for the second time. Akino tried to counter his strike by doing an axel kick. Kal hits Akino’s leg, breaking her tibia. Kal follows up by bashing his shield on Akino’s unbalanced body, throwing her off the other side of the arena. She hits the ground hard, smattering dusts around.
Kal: HA! One hit and you’re done? You’re just all talk.
Lyka stands up and shouts at Kal, so is Alexa.
Lyka: HOW DARE YOU!
Kal: Hey! If I beat her, you’ll go out with me, busty wolf.
Alexa: Alright. I’m gonna beat him up! Wait me there, you jerk!
Lyka: Alexa! Hold on!
Lord Adrian and Escobar tried to stop Alexa from walking down the arena. Kal laughs out loud, until he sees a shadow from the clouds of dust where Akino landed. All were stunned at the sight, well, except for Alexa who knew Akino to pull-up some weird-ass stunts.
Akino is standing. With a single leg. Her other leg is bent like a broken twig, and her upper body is partially twisted. Her body violently jolts, her broken leg was put in one piece and her body rearranges in proper orientation, like nothing happened. She bends her neck and stretches, and casually walks towards Kal.
Akino: That damned hurt, huh?
Kal: H – how?
Akino: What do you mean?
Kal: Y – you didn’t even casted a magic barrier… let alone that my Mountain Tower can break through any medium tier barriers… and the magic you’re emitting…
Kal looks at Lyka, then back at Akino.
Kal: I see… you two don’t have any magic, do you?
Both Lyka and Alexa looked nervous as Lord Adrian and the other adventurers, except for Escobar, stares at them.
Escobar: Uhmmm, I think he’s misinterpreting…
Lord Adrian: Kal, explain yourself! You can’t just accuse people of not having magic! That’s impossible!
Kal: You haven’t look properly, boss. The magic they’re showing was the demi-wolf’s magic. And you heard it clearly from the cat-girl, she can’t cast magic!
All went silent as Kal points his mace towards Akino.
Kal: Well, a demi-wolf with powerful magic, and a tamed monster cat-girl who calls that demi-wolf mother would be USEFUL. But, how about you? You seemed to be relying on the demi-wolf’s magic to survive, huh? How can you enter this guild with nothing with that?! HUH?!
Akino smiles as she glances over Lyka.
Akino: Lyka, our little magic cloaking failed, huh?
Lyka: I know… I’m sorr –
Akino: No need to say sorry. It’s still useful for me.
Akino takes another fighting stance. Kal senses that the dark affinity magic from Akino is beginning to fade out, revealing a magic less human.
Kal: So, you’re going to fight me even I’m more powerful than you? Futile. Very, futile. You removed the demi-wolf’s magic for what? You’ve just casted out the only thing that protects you!
But Lyka sees something else. She felt that the magic she imbued in the bracelet she gave already faded, but she could see something condensing on it. It comes from Akino’s body. But she feels like she’s the only one seeing it.
Lyka: Alexa, are you – seeing that?
Alexa: Yeah…
Lyka: Really? What is it?
Alexa: I’m not sure… but it feels like it’s a magnetic field…
Lyka: A magnetic field???
Alexa: Wait… if she’s using that… oh shit! Aki! Are going to kill him?!
Lyka & the adventurers: WHAT?!
They see Kal charging towards Akino with his glowing armor and shield, ready to swing his mace for the second time.
Kal: Mountain Tower!
Kal is a few meters away from Akino. Two meters. Then one. His already raised mace is directed towards Akino’s head. Then, he slows down. His body suddenly stops. Everyone saw that. He can’t move, not even his fingers.
Kal: YOU - ! What did you do?!
Akino raised her arm, showing off the bracelet Lyka gave to her.
Akino: I just tried it out. You ever heard about magnets?
Kal: Magnets?
Akino: Never mind… you wouldn’t know that even if I explain it to you. But either way, your armor is made of metal. And assuming your armor is mostly made of iron and other earthly metals, the possibility of it being magnetized is likely. This bracelet, is surprisingly, can amplify magnetic fields. And you’ve entered that field, magnetizing your armor from each piece and locking it up.
Kal: YOU BITCH! LET ME GO!
Akino: Alright.
Akino turns back. Then she turns around towards Kal at intense speed, with her fists directed to Kal’s chest. She hits him, and that punch send him off flying across the arena until he crashes on the wall.
Kal fells on the ground, spitting blood. He stands, lets go of his shield and holds his mace with two hands.
Kal: Guardian Wall!
His body, or rather his armor, began glowing. The dents on his chest armor that Akino made from her punch ‘healed’.
Akino: A memory alloy?
Kal: Bring it on, anvil-chested bitch!
Akino partially squats, with her fists raised on her sides, like concentrating. Lightning arcs appeared around her and the ground where she stands begins to glow-molten hot. Kal looks surprised, his instincts tell him to stop, but he proceeds to attack Akino.
Akino: It’s a wrong decision to let go of that shield, pretty boy.
All the sudden, Akino disappears. Kal stops from moving to guards himself. He thought that she’s using the same technique as what Lyka did too Finn, but it’s too impossible. She doesn’t have any magic on her, and she can’t possibly cast complex spells like Lyka, right?
Then he gets hit on his face, on his chest, his stomach, the sides of his arms, his back, legs, and the whole body. All getting hit, like ten men were punching him continuously. He closed his eyes to protect his vision, he’s forced to raise his arms to further guard his upper body. His body can receive much damage, a great pain tolerance, an innate skill he had other than his paladin magic. But he can’t move. One step, and his guarded body will be further damaged by the non-stop hits. The only thing in his mind is to guard himself until it stops, and he knew he wouldn’t last long if this keeps on.
On the view of the others, they could see Akino moving so fast that she’s creating afterimages. Not an illusion or shadow copies like Lyka did. No magic, no spells. It’s just her, only her, attacking Kal on all sides at the same time with her strength and speed alone. She punches and kicks around, all instantaneously on Kal’s body.
Then Akino moves in front of Kal, and immediately barrages him with punches. They couldn’t see her arms, like it’s already transparent due to the speed of her rushes. She kept on punching very fast, not even letting Kal to make an opening. Her rushes started generating winds, each punch increases in intensity, and sonic booms forming each hit. She steps forward from time to time until Kal is cornered on a wall. She stops, then kicks Kal’s head towards the ground, piercing half of his body under the floor in an instant.
Everybody else is speechless, even Lyka and Alexa. Kal slowly dugs himself up, with bruises and wounds that is regenerating very slowly due to his magic, but he seems to be very exhausted.
Kal: H – how?...
Then he fells unconscious on the floor. Akino, without breaking a sweat, turns around and slowly walks away towards the others.
Akino: Are we done?