Chapter 30: No more Games

The battle resumed.

And from that point onward, there was barely a moment where someone wasn’t attacking.

Sonne launched ice lances from a distance.

Lucy rushed forward whenever she was done charging her skill.

Kael fought at the front, forcing the mercenary to block.

Eden moved around them, striking whenever the man’s attention shifted.

Sonne froze sections of the floor beneath his feet.

Kael used those moments to attack.

The mercenary shattered the ice.

Lucy rushed in.

He blocked her fist.

Eden appeared behind him.

His blade struck.

The mercenary twisted.

The sword cut his side.

Not deeply.

But enough to draw blood.

The mercenary laughed.

"You four actually work pretty well together!"

"Shut up!" Kael shouted.

The mercenary backhanded him through a stack of crates.

"Kael!"

Sonne immediately launched three ice lances.

The mercenary swatted two away.

The third struck his shoulder.

Lucy appeared from the side.

"Now!"

Eden understood instantly.

He and Lucy attacked together.

Eden’s red Essence-coated blade slashed toward the mercenary’s ribs.

Lucy struck from the opposite side.

The mercenary crossed his arms.

Boom!

The two attacks hit simultaneously.

The resulting shockwave shattered windows throughout the warehouse.

Dust poured from the ceiling.

For a moment, the mercenary disappeared.

Eden took a breath.

’Did that work?’

The dust cleared.

The mercenary was still standing.

Blood ran from his side.

But the wound was smaller than it should have been.

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

He wasn’t imagining it.

Their attacks were becoming less effective.

Lucy noticed too.

"He’s taking less damage."

Kael wiped blood from his mouth.

"Yeah."

Another attack.

Another explosion.

Another impact.

And again—

Less damage.

Sonne suddenly spoke.

"Don’t worry about it."

Eden looked at her.

"What?"

"Keep attacking."

She launched another ice lance.

The mercenary dodged.

Sonne continued.

"I have a passive skill."

She sent another.

It struck his shoulder.

Frost spread across his body.

"The more my ice attacks hit someone..."

Another lance.

"...the more their attributes temporarily decrease."

Eden’s eyes widened slightly.

That changes things.

"So his physical strength is dropping?"

"Strength, speed, durability. Everything."

Sonne’s eyes remained focused.

"It takes repeated hits to build up, though."

The mercenary suddenly smiled.

"Oh."

He stopped.

Sonne’s eyes narrowed.

He looked directly at her.

"That’s useful information."

Sonne realized her mistake.

Her expression changed.

"...Shit."

The mercenary crouched.

"Thanks for telling me."

He disappeared.

Sonne’s eyes widened.

"Move!"

Eden and Kael reacted instantly.

They both rushed toward her.

The mercenary tore through the distance between them.

Eden swung his sword.

Blocked.

Kael attacked.

Dodged.

The mercenary pushed between them.

His shoulder slammed into Kael.

Kael was sent flying.

He crashed into the floor hard enough to create a crater several meters deep

"Eden!"

Sonne raised both hands.

Massive ice walls erupted from the ground.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The mercenary didn’t stop.

He threw a punch as he laughed in excitement.

All Ice barriers immediately shattered.

His fist punched through them all.

Sonne’s eyes widened.

The punch reached her.

She crossed her arms.

The impact hit.

Sonne was launched backward.

She crashed through a concrete wall and disappeared into the other side.

Eden’s heart jumped.

"Sonne!"

The mercenary was already charging after her.

Lucy intercepted.

She thrust her right hand forward.

Pink Essence exploded around her arm.

"Not so fast!"

She struck.

The resulting explosion was enormous.

But this time, it barely did anything.

Lucy hadn’t had enough time to charge properly.

The mercenary walked straight through the explosion.

"What?"

He grabbed her.

Lucy barely had time to react before he threw her aside.

She crashed into the floor and rolled.

"Eden!"

Eden’s eyes sharpened.

The mercenary continued toward Sonne.

Eden activated Burst Step.

The world blurred.

He appeared above the mercenary.

His sword came down.

The mercenary raised both hands.

Clang!

He caught the blade.

Eden’s eyes widened.

The mercenary smiled.

"Gotcha!"

He pulled.

Eden lost his balance.

The mercenary slammed his forehead into Eden’s face.

Crack!

Pain exploded through Eden’s skull.

He fell.

The mercenary followed him down.

Eden’s back hit the floor.

Before he could recover, the mercenary was already above him.

He held Eden’s sword with both hands.

Then began pushing it downward.

Slowly.

The blade moved toward Eden’s throat.

Eden’s arms trembled.

The mercenary grinned.

"You’re strong!"

The sword moved closer.

"But not strong enough."

Eden’s teeth clenched.

The mercenary’s grip tightened.

The blade came closer.

Eden could feel the cold edge against his skin.

’Damn it!’

The mercenary was simply too strong.

A tiny golden light appeared behind him.

The mercenary’s eyes moved.

Just slightly.

That was all Sonne needed.

[Ice Manifestation]

A lance of ice shot forward.

It slammed directly into the mercenary’s face.

He released Eden.

Eden immediately activated Burst Step.

He disappeared and reappeared several meters away.

He touched his neck.

A thin red line of blood ran down his fingers.

’That was close’

The mercenary slowly turned.

His eyes fixed on the golden light.

Kael stood there.

But something was different.

His golden Essence wasn’t simply surrounding his blade anymore.

It was pouring from him.

Brilliant.

Dense.

Almost blinding.

Kael looked down at his weapon.

His old single blade had changed.

A second blade had appeared in his opposite hand.

Two golden swords.

The Essence surrounding them burned with an intensity Eden had never seen from him before.

Kael slowly raised both.

"Justice..."

His eyes widened.

A smile spread across his face.

"...you finally recognized me."

Eden stared.

The System window flickered briefly in front of Kael.

[Skill Rank Up!]

[Judgement Blade A-Rank] "[Judgement Blade S-Rank]

Kael’s eyes shone.

"S-Rank..."

He looked toward the mercenary.

The dramatic grin returned.

"Looks like justice isn’t finished yet."

The mercenary stared at him.

Then smiled.

"Now that’s interesting."

He rushed forward.

Kael met him.

Their collision produced a shockwave that even outside the building.

Golden blades flashed.

The mercenary threw a punch.

Kael blocked with one sword.

The second cut across his ribs.

Blood sprayed.

The mercenary’s grin disappeared for a moment.

Kael swung again.

The mercenary dodged.

Another slash.

He blocked.

Another.

He stepped back.

For the first time since the fight began, the mercenary was being pushed backward.

Kael pressed forward.

"You wanted to humiliate me?"

Slash.

"Then remember my name!"

Slash.

"Because I’m not losing twice!"

The mercenary blocked the next strike.

His arm shook.

Then he grinned.

"Now you’re fun."

He drove his fist forward.

Kael crossed both blades.

The impact sent him skidding backward.

His boots carved trenches through the cracked floor.

"You’re not getting away!"

The mercenary rushed him.

Kael’s arms trembled as he raised his swords.

The mercenary swung.

Kael blocked.

Another punch.

Blocked.

A kick.

Kael twisted away.

The mercenary was forcing him backward.

Ice wrapped around his feet.

The mercenary looked down.

Sonne stood several dozen meters away.

Blood ran from the corner of her mouth.

Her blonde hair was covered in dust.

But she was standing.

"Got you."

The mercenary pulled against the ice.

It cracked.

But it held for just long enough.

Lucy saw the opening.

She sprinted forward.

"Kael!"

Kael immediately understood.

He jumped backward.

Lucy planted her foot.

Her fist erupted with pink Essence.

"Move!"

Kael did.

Lucy punched.

A massive pink explosion engulfed the mercenary.

The ice shattered.

The floor beneath them collapsed.

Kael was thrown backward by the blast, but he twisted in midair and landed on his feet.

He immediately put distance between himself and the explosion.

Eden watched through the smoke.

His breathing was heavy.

So was Lucy’s.

Sonne was visibly injured.

Kael’s clothes were torn and his arms were bleeding.

The mercenary walked out.

He wasn’t breathing nearly as hard.

Not even close.

But this time, something had changed.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

He noticed it.

Touched it.

Looked at the moisture on his finger.

His smile slowly returned.

He turned his head.

The four of them stood scattered across the ruined warehouse.

Eden.

Lucy.

Sonne.

Kael.

The mercenary looked at each of them.

Then he laughed softly.

"Well..."

He rolled his shoulders.

The sound of his joints cracking echoed through the warehouse.

"I was starting to wonder if you four could actually make me work."

He wiped the blood from his forearm.

His eyes became sharper.

The playful expression disappeared.

"I’m done playing around."

Eden tightened his grip around his sword.

The red Essence coating its blade stirred.

A few malformed teeth briefly surfaced within the crimson energy before sinking back into the glow.

Kael raised both golden blades.

Sonne gathered ice around her hands.

Lucy clenched her fist.

The mercenary lowered his stance.

"I’m going to fight you seriously from now on."

The warehouse trembled beneath his feet.

Eden stared at him.

’Shit...’

’I think we pissed him off.’

His stomach sank.

The mercenary smiled.

Then vanished.