Chapter 69: From Bait To Prey - Part 5

One after another, flame arrows rose into the dimly lit sky. Explosion after explosion, they illuminated the surroundings like fireworks on the night of a festival. "Now that we can see each other... how about a little talk?" —"Waaaargh!"— Arezu's attempt at intimidation was met by the hooded assailant, who charged toward him, brandishing a sword. Despite facing an armed opponent without his halberd-axe to defend himself, Arezu took relief in the fact that at least his opponent didn't run. That alone proved that as long as Lynn didn't join the fight—or even make an appearance—the hooded assailant would continue fighting, or at the very least, wouldn't immediately flee. Still, even though Lynn wasn't at his side, her Flame Arrows, still being cast and fired into the night sky to light up the surroundings, was more than enough for Arezu to realize that he wasn't fighting alone. "Her timing could've been a bit earlier, though," Arezu muttered to himself. Ignoring the details—like where Lynn was while casting the mystic spell, how she knew his current situation, or whether she was even watching—Arezu focused on the incoming opponent. Before the hooded assailant reached him, within range of the sword, Arezu charged forward to intercept. The assailant swung the sword, imbued with the combat skill Cleave, to cut him off, but Arezu slowed his pace just enough to make the strike miss, the blade passing right in front of his face before he entered the sword's range. Seizing the moment, Arezu boosted his speed, closing the distance in a blink to land a strike. Halting his charge, he delivered a powerful body blow—his right fist landing in the assailant's stomach, followed immediately by a left strike to the right flank. Before the hooded assailant could hit the ground—knocked off balance by the punches—Arezu grabbed his arm holding the sword, lifted him up, and slammed him. The impact disarmed the attacker and left a visible crater in the ground. The hooded assailant let go of the sword, writhing in pain from the blow as his back struck the ground. Arezu moved to pin him down. But just as he locked the assailant's arms behind its back, his opponent hastily cast another mystic spell to push him away and break free. "Whirlwind" Upon hearing the invocation, Arezu immediately retreated, recognizing the nature of the mystic spell. But as he did, he grabbed the assailant's robe and pulled it off while leaping backward—just in time to escape the violent gust forming around his opponent. "So it really is you..." Arezu said, staring at Alex, who slowly stood up, now revealed behind the swirling wind. Compared to how he looked before—when corrupted by the Curse of Lust—Alex's current expression no longer showed pain or agony. At least he looked recognizable now, Arezu thought, seeing Alex's still-handsome face and light blonde hair. But even so, something about his current look felt deeply wrong. A face twisted with despair and resentment—one that told him Alex wouldn't be reasoned with. "Give it back, you bastard!" Alex screamed. At the same time, multiple wind blades launched from the whirlwind, all aimed at Arezu. "If it's those twin swords, then take them if you want!" Arezu shouted, running in circles to dodge the incoming wind blades. "If it's this robe—then here! Take it!" He tossed the robe ahead of him—just as the light from the most recent flame arrow faded from the surrounding. That trick, as the robe blocked Alex's view, made it seem as though Arezu had vanished. When the last flame arrow exploded, Arezu was already at Alex's left—just outside the range of the whirlwind. Before Alex could fire another wind blade, Arezu charged in, pushing forward with brute force, attempting to break through the violent winds. If Alex's Whirlwind was anything like Sylvia's, Arezu would've been shredded the moment he got close. But that wasn't the case. Sylvia was far more terrifying and skilled—so much so that Arezu couldn't understand how Lynn ever dared to challenge her, let alone try to hit her in the face with a block of ice. Still, Arezu took several cuts—through his coat, clothes, and skin—as he broke through Alex's Whirlwind. The moment he reached him, he landed a full-force punch straight to Alex's face. Alex stumbled back, thrown tens of meters away, while Arezu stood at the eye of the dissipating whirlwind. "If you're still not in the right mind to talk, then you're getting more of that." —"Waaaargh!"— In response to Arezu's threat, Alex charged like a madman. No skill, no tactics—just raw force, trying to tackle Arezu and pin him to the ground. That move shouldn't have worked. Arezu was far more skilled in hand-to-hand combat. But Alex endured every punch thrown at him, refusing to fall. Arezu, meanwhile, began pulling his punches out of pity. Finally, Alex managed to push Arezu down and straddle him, wrapping his hands around Arezu's throat. "Give it back!" "What the heck do you want...?" Alex's screams left Arezu confused. If it wasn't the twin swords or the robe, he had no idea what Alex wanted. Or so he thought—until another idea popped into his head. You didn't mean... your chastity... right? The moment that thought crossed his mind, Lynn's teasing grin flashed in his memory, and it annoyed him so much that he landed another punch on Alex's face—this time without holding back. Alex collapsed to the ground. His face was swollen and bleeding, but he still refused to give up. Getting back to his feet, he cast another mystic spell. A cyclone of flames blazed around him, burning everything nearby. Grass, the benches, even the trees at the edge of the park began to catch fire. Arezu stood a bit farther away, shielding his face with both arms, holding his ground as embers swirled in the scorching wind, setting his coat and clothes aglow with heat. But even amid this dangerous situation, Arezu had no intention of retreating. After all— "I guess you didn't notice the fireworks stopping a while ago." "What—" "Glacier"