Chapter 35: Teamwork

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: TeamworkThe air vibrated with tension, the whistle of the wind accompanying the lingering echo of the threatening slash. Lian crouched low, his heart pounding in his chest, as a lock of his hair slowly fell to the sand, severed by the unseen blade. Seline, a few meters away, had her eyes narrowed, mana swirling around her in spirals of water ready to strike. The unknown swordsman’s voice rang out again, cold and sharp as his blade. "Not bad, kid. You dodged by a hair," the man said, emerging before the duo. He could no longer stay hidden; after all, he wanted a fight, not senseless killing. He was tall, with a muscular build, wrapped in a tattered black tunic. A long, thick sword gleamed in his right hand, its metal etched with faint runes glowing green. His steel-gray eyes scanned them with a mix of curiosity and disdain, a predator sizing up his prey. But before Lian could attempt to reason with the man, Seline attacked without a second thought. Her motto remained: hit first, talk later, her impulsiveness as fierce as her reputation. A powerful, razor-sharp jet of water surged toward the stranger with unprecedented ferocity. The man used his massive sword as a shield, deflecting the attack with ease. "Not bad at all!" he replied, locking eyes with Seline. "But I know you can do better. Come at me together!" His challenge was bold, almost taunting. Lian clenched his fists, mana boiling within him. Was this guy insane? He had never seen a human act so aggressively before. The world outside Dustwall was truly terrifying, a realization that shook his small-town perspective. Lian glanced at Seline, exchanging a nod. They had fought together and knew each other’s abilities—at least on the surface, their trust built on shared battles. "Enough talk..." Lian didn’t waste time. "Geometric Spell, Circle!" he shouted mentally, visualizing several circles side by side in his mind. "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus!" Three fiery projectiles shot from his hand, aimed at the man. The projectiles were fast, leaving a trail of heat in their path, but with a swift swing of his sword, the man sliced them in half, causing them to explode harmlessly away from him, his skill undeniable. "Too weak," the man said, advancing with terrifying speed. His sword moved in a perfect arc, and a wave of wind mana surged toward Lian. The boy rolled to the side, the sand exploding where he had stood moments before. He is fast... Lian thought, eyeing the sword’s faintly glowing runes, which seemed vaguely familiar, though he couldn’t focus on them, his mind racing under pressure. Seline, however, didn’t stand idle. "Aqua Vivax, Aqua Lamina!" A water blade materialized in her hand. With a quick dash, she intercepted the man, but the swordsman had anticipated her move, his reflexes sharp as his blade. The two clashed in close combat, but it was clear who had the upper hand. The water blade wouldn’t last forever. Meanwhile, Lian prepared another spell. This time, he would unleash a larger fireball. But he didn’t launch it immediately, waiting for the right moment—when Seline began to retreat. "Here it is! Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus!" Lian muttered, summoning a fireball larger than usual but slower. Seline had already grasped his plan. They had fought together long enough, after all. The man noticed the fireball flying a few meters from him. "Pointless—" Just before the fireball hit the ground, a wall of wind rose from nowhere, blocking the explosion that would have engulfed him, his artifact’s power a formidable defense. The battle paused for a moment as Seline reached Lian’s side. Lian’s brows furrowed as he assessed how to win this fight, his mind working overtime. "You kids are strong. But I know you can do better. Come on, don’t hold back! You’ve already seen I’m pretty tough," the man said, his tone almost encouraging. The muscular man wasn’t joking. His strength didn’t come from being a Mage but from being an Iron 5 Knight. It was only his unique sword, an artifact, that had made them mistake him for a Wind Mage. This wasn’t a weak Iron 5 monster; he was a trained, powerful, ruthless human. They were just Bronze 1 Mages, outmatched but determined. "Seline, cover me!" Lian shouted, preparing a new formation. "Geometric Spell, Circle!" The circle in his mind shrank as he readied a barrage of attacks against the man. Seline unleashed three water blades—one from each hand and one launched at the man. With a shout, she charged, aiming for his left flank while the thrown water blade hurtled toward his head. The man merely smiled, dodging the thrown blade with ease and engaging Seline effortlessly. Seeing this, Lian decided it was time to strike. Completing his circles, he murmured, "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus!" Fiery projectiles sped toward the swordsman. "Always the same tactic... if it didn’t work before, it won’t now," the man said, dodging and slicing through Lian’s continuous projectiles while effortlessly fighting Seline. Seline wasn’t adept at close combat and couldn’t keep being humiliated like this. "Stop bragging!" she shouted, brows furrowed, stepping back. "Your power comes from that artifact in your hand. Without it, you’d be dead already!" Surprised by her bold statement, the man shrugged and laughed lightly. "This sword? I bought it with my own money, earned through blood and sweat. It’s part of my strength, not some external tool. So don’t make up stories—you’re just weak Mages who think you’re superior." "Part of your strength?" Seline smiled sweetly. "You should know you can’t use that artifact forever. It needs mana to recharge, and you’re not a ’weak Mage.’ What’ll you do when your sword stops being so useful?" Her words struck a nerve, exposing a flaw. Her point hit the mark—one of the weaknesses of artifacts wielded by non-Mages. "You’re right, but I can still take you both on without my sword," he replied, undeterred, his confidence unshaken. Before Seline could respond, a fireball flew toward the man. "Pointless," he said, swiftly swinging his sword to unleash a wind blade, detonating the fireball mid-air. "You’re an idiot..." Lian said suddenly, a sly smile on his lips as he locked eyes with the man, his confidence a calculated taunt. The swordsman tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt, his body tensing. "Say that again if you dare!" He was ready to charge at Lian, his anger provoked. Lian shrugged, launching another fireball, which was sliced in two by another wind blade. "See, you’re an idiot..." His voice carried a mocking edge. The boy’s intentions were clear, to have the artifact in the man’s hands consume all the mana. "Damn you!" The man clenched his jaw and lunged at Lian, but as he moved forward, a sharp jet of water struck his side, slicing his body with several shallow cuts, a perfectly timed ambush. "Yes, I got you!" Seline shouted, jumping with glee, her triumph infectious. As the man rose, soaked and furious, his body covered in superficial cuts, several fiery projectiles flew toward him simultaneously. "Damn it!" he cursed, slicing two with his sword but taking the explosion of the third. Luckily, it wasn’t precise, or it would’ve hurt more, a narrow escape. "So? Ready to give up? You can only keep fighting us because of that artifact. Without it, you wouldn’t be so cocky," Lian said seriously, staring at the man with a hint of disdain, his words a challenge to the man’s pride. --- Author Note! Lian and Seline are the real bullies here?!