Chapter 83:
The endless stretch of ruined buildings carried the distant echoes of battle, with the sounds of destruction occasionally breaking through the otherwise desolate streets as another confrontation unfolded nearby.
Lucien and Clarisse stood side by side, struggling to maintain their balance after the injuries they had sustained. Blood dripped onto the ruined pavement beneath them, while stains covered their already damaged clothes as they faced the approaching Iris.
Lucien suddenly charged toward her, his expression tightening with determination despite his battered condition. Clarisse immediately called out, warning him against acting recklessly, but her voice failed to reach him before he had already committed to the attack.
Then, everything seemed to stand still.
Iris moved with such extraordinary speed that the surrounding world appeared frozen in place, leaving Lucien and Clarisse seemingly motionless as she crossed the distance between them. Even light appeared to fall behind her movements, making her approach almost impossible for either opponent to perceive.
(I would have used my Unique Skill, "Mordrath, Lord of Dissolution", but the Death Mechanism would not have enough time to activate before its effects took hold.) Iris considered as she approached the two helpless opponents, deciding that a more controlled method would be sufficient.
She passed Lucien without the slightest hesitation before driving her fist through his chest, defeating him before he could register the attack. The Death Mechanism activated immediately afterward, removing him from the battlefield.
Iris then manipulated the blood covering her hand, swinging her arm sideways as it extended into a whip-like formation that swept toward Clarisse. The attack struck her neck, securing another defeat before the Death Mechanism activated and teleported her away as well.
"Uhh... A surprisingly large number of them are still alive on the opposing side," Iris remarked, casually wiping the blood from her cheek with the back of her hand as she assessed the remaining situation.
Above the ruined city, the sky gradually darkened as night began to spread across the horizon, its growing shadows slowly covering the buildings and streets surrounding her. Iris remained beneath the fading light for a brief moment before disappearing into the encroaching darkness.
Inside the ruined building, Renji and his teammates had gathered in a circle around a small fire. Its flames provided a steady source of warmth without producing any light, leaving the surrounding room in darkness as Takumi began explaining the strategy he had been considering.
"Our opponents consist of four individuals: Selene, Elion, Eira, and Maribelle. Although we have the numerical advantage, relying on that alone would be a mistake," Takumi explained, resting one hand against the floor while leaning slightly toward the others. "Each of them is strong enough to pose a serious threat individually, so we need to approach this carefully."
"Our objective is still to eliminate every opponent," Shizuku added, sitting with her hands neatly folded in her lap. "After all, this tournament is decided by whoever remains standing at the end."
"Exactly." Takumi shifted his attention toward Renji. "Renji, you are the strongest among us, so I want you to handle Elion. I expect you to overcome him."
"Elion will not be an obstacle," Renji replied, his eyes narrowing slightly with quiet confidence.
"Even so, do not become so focused on defeating him that you lose awareness of the wider confrontation," Takumi cautioned. "You will need to remain attentive to what happens around you, especially if the situation begins developing differently from what we expect."
Renji acknowledged the warning without arguing, while Shizuku straightened slightly as Takumi turned toward her to assign the next opponent.
"Shizuku, Eira is yours. Concentrate on defeating her, but make certain you keep track of how the other engagements are progressing."
"Of course. Noticing inconsistencies is one of my specialties," Shizuku answered with a faint smile, accepting the responsibility without hesitation.
Takumi then rose from his seated position and addressed the remaining three members of their group. "Ayame, Aya, and Amara, the three of you will work together against Maribelle. I do not want unnecessary individual confrontations when we already have an advantage in numbers, so make proper use of your coordination."
The three acknowledged their assignments, although Amara appeared considerably more enthusiastic than the others, her eagerness momentarily standing out against the serious atmosphere of the meeting.
Takumi turned toward the nearby window, where the remaining light beyond the ruined skyline was steadily fading, before another question came from behind him.
"And what about you?" Ayame asked, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity.
"Yeah, what are you planning to do?" Aya added, following up on her companion's question.
"Selene is mine," Takumi answered, glancing back over his shoulder.
His declaration left a noticeable silence in the room, as everyone understood the significance of challenging the leader of the opposing group without assistance.
"Are you certain about that?" Renji asked, studying Takumi with a serious expression. "Selene is their leader, after all."
"I do not know much about this, but she possesses a Divine-class weapon," Amara remarked, rubbing the back of her neck with a slightly nervous smile. "We really cannot afford to underestimate her while she is carrying something like that."
"That is an excellent observation, Amara," Takumi replied, turning fully toward the group. "We do not know the full extent of what that weapon can do, so I intend to observe Selene before making any assumptions about its capabilities."
(Hehehe. I am not useless after all.) Amara thought happily, a broad smile spreading across her face as she quietly enjoyed receiving praise from Takumi.
(That sounds rather reckless. Does he genuinely believe he will have enough time to study her weapon while fighting against someone like Selene?) Shizuku wondered, watching Takumi with a degree of concern that she chose not to voice.
"Once everyone has eliminated their assigned opponent, regroup and assist whoever still needs support," Takumi instructed, slipping both hands into his pockets. "However, do not assume everything will unfold according to this plan. You must be prepared to adapt if something goes wrong."
"We are going to take all four of them down," Aya declared as she rose to her feet, her confidence seemingly unaffected by the warning.
The others soon followed, bringing the strategy meeting to its conclusion as they prepared to leave the building and put their assignments into action.
(Just as we discussed earlier, we need to separate Selene from her subordinates. Their coordination is one of their greatest advantages, and allowing them to maintain it would make this confrontation considerably more difficult.) Takumi considered as he led the group toward the stairwell.
One by one, they descended through the darkened building, their footsteps gradually disappearing into the lower floors until the room they had occupied was left completely empty.
Yet their departure had not gone unnoticed.
A figure quietly emerged from behind one of the pillars, having remained concealed throughout the entire discussion.
Selene.
"Quite a wonderful plan," she remarked, her composed gaze directed toward the staircase through which the others had departed.
Before she could say anything further, a figure suddenly materialized above the floor and collapsed directly in front of her feet. It was Iris, returned by the tournament's Death Mechanism after being defeated.
Selene glanced down at her, showing little surprise at the unexpected arrival.
"Unfortunately, I have already seen through it."
(Is she still following us, Amara?) Takumi asked through "Thought Communication", directing the question toward his teammate while the group continued making its way through the darkened streets.
(No, I cannot sense her anywhere near us anymore. She might have used some kind of Teleportation ability to leave the area.) Amara replied through the same mental connection.
(I see. Then I will have to adjust our approach, especially since she most likely overheard our original assignments.) Takumi considered after ending the communication, already anticipating that their opponents might respond differently from what he had initially intended.
Night had settled over the ruined city by the time the group reached an enormous intersection, where several damaged streets converged between rows of towering buildings. Their progress came to an abrupt halt when four familiar figures appeared across the road, their unexpected arrival catching everyone off guard except Takumi and Amara.
Selene stood at the centre of the opposing formation, with Elion positioned to her left and Eira to her right, while Maribelle remained slightly behind the others. Despite the distance separating the two groups, none of them appeared particularly interested in concealing their intentions anymore.
(So she has decided to confront us together rather than allow herself to be separated from her subordinates.) Takumi observed, studying their formation as he reconsidered how the encounter would unfold.
"You knew, didn't you?" Renji asked, glancing toward Takumi through the strands of hair hanging over his eyes.
Takumi simply nodded, acknowledging the question without offering an unnecessary explanation.
"I dislike being kept in the dark, but I suppose you can explain yourself later," Shizuku remarked, directing her attention toward the four opponents waiting across the intersection.
"Hey, Takumi has his reasons," Aya interjected, speaking in a mildly defensive tone as though she wanted to prevent the others from questioning their strategist any further.
"So you intended to separate us and eliminate each of us individually," Selene observed, her expression remaining composed as she addressed Takumi from the opposite side of the street.
"That was indeed the intention," Takumi admitted, taking one measured step forward as he positioned himself at the front of his group.
"Unfortunately, I happened to overhear your little discussion. My apologies for ruining your arrangements," Selene responded, placing both hands behind her back with an air of effortless composure.
"So that explains why we encountered them so early," Ayame remarked, a faint trace of irritation appearing on her face. "Still, whether they know our intentions or not, it changes very little."
"Quite right. Whether we separate them or fight together, we still have opponents to eliminate." Takumi allowed a slight smile to form as he raised one hand, signalling his teammates to begin moving.
Selene responded with a similar gesture, and the two groups surged forward almost simultaneously, their movements dividing the intersection into several separate confrontations.
Renji was the first to reach his assigned opponent. Moving in a blur, he seized Elion by the neck before the latter could properly react and hurled him toward the street branching off to the left, forcing their engagement away from the others.
On the opposite side, Eira shifted toward the main avenue, seemingly intending to assist Maribelle, who was about to face Ayame, Aya, and Amara together. Shizuku intercepted her before she could reach them, cutting off her path with a sudden kick that forced the two of them into the street to the right.
Their respective opponents having been drawn away, the remaining group continued toward Maribelle, while Selene and Takumi stayed behind at the enormous intersection.
(I cannot allow her to interfere with the other engagements. That would make an already complicated confrontation considerably more troublesome.) Takumi considered as he prepared himself for the encounter ahead.
Selene advanced at the same moment, and the two leaders launched themselves toward each other, meeting in the centre of the intersection as their battle finally began.
Meanwhile, Renji wasted no time pressing his advantage against Elion, leaping forward and driving his knee directly into the man's face with enough force to send him staggering. As Elion's upper body dipped from the impact, Renji brought his elbow down against the back of his head before following with a powerful kick that sent him crashing through the side of a nearby building.
"I will have to end this quickly," Renji remarked, lowering his leg as he prepared to pursue his opponent.
His attention sharpened when Elion suddenly burst through the damaged structure, emerging with a glowing white dagger decorated with golden trims. The weapon reflected the faint light of the surrounding ruins as Elion rushed forward, directing its point toward Renji's chest.
"We are ending this with you dead at my feet!" Elion declared, driving the dagger toward his opponent's heart with a determined expression.
Renji avoided the thrust by twisting his upper body just enough for the blade to pass beside him. Elion attempted to correct his trajectory, but Renji had already seized the back of his head, preventing him from completing the follow-up attack.
A black hole manifested beside them and swallowed Elion before he could break free, removing him from the confrontation as the tournament's Death Mechanism activated almost immediately afterward.
Renji released his opponent from his attention and turned toward the remaining battles, recognizing that there was little reason to waste time when his teammates were still occupied.
Without another word, he sprinted toward Shizuku's position before disappearing beneath the street, leaving the ruined pavement undisturbed for only a brief moment before his presence vanished completely.
On the adjoining road, Eira had already formed countless fire arrows above her, sending them raining down toward Shizuku in a concentrated barrage. Rather than retreating from the attack, Shizuku extended both arms outward and summoned a spiralling tornado of icy wind, which swept through the incoming projectiles and extinguished them before they could reach her.
Taking advantage of the temporary opening, Shizuku moved into range, but Eira met her approach with a powerful kick aimed directly at her upper body. Shizuku narrowly avoided the strike by bending backward, allowing the attack to pass above her while its tremendous force tore across the road and scattered chunks of stone.
Shizuku immediately retaliated with a punch that connected squarely with Eira's face, carrying enough force to overwhelm an ordinary opponent. Eira endured the impact, however, and was merely driven backward by the blow before she regained her footing.
Shizuku lowered one hand and touched the ground, releasing a surge of freezing energy that transformed the road into a launching point for an enormous shark-shaped construct of ice. It surged toward Eira with its sharpened jaws leading the attack, threatening to overwhelm her before she could establish a proper defence.
"Hahaha! Do you honestly believe that is enough to kill me?" Eira laughed, displaying a confident smile as she prepared to avoid the incoming construct by leaping into the air.
She bent her knees and began gathering momentum for the jump, but before her feet could leave the ground, a pair of hands emerged from beneath the street and seized her, dragging her back down with unexpected force.
"What the hell?" Eira exclaimed, her confidence momentarily breaking as she struggled against the hands holding her in place. Only then did she realize that the icy attack was already approaching, leaving her with almost no time to escape its path.
Eira raised both arms to protect herself, attempting to endure the impact through a hurried defensive stance. However, the sharpened projections of the ice construct pierced through her guard, overwhelming her defence as the attack continued forward, expanding into larger formations that shattered several buildings along its path.
The tournament's Death Mechanism activated as Eira was defeated, teleporting her away from the battlefield and leaving Shizuku as the victor of their confrontation.
"I win," Shizuku announced, lowering her arm as the enormous ice formation gradually settled across the ruined street.
A moment later, Renji emerged smoothly from beneath the ground beside her, having finished his own engagement without any apparent difficulty.
"Let us go," Renji said, directing his attention toward the main avenue where their remaining teammates were confronting Maribelle.
Shizuku nodded, and the two promptly set off toward the others, leaving the intersection and its adjoining streets behind as the remaining battles continued.
Along the main avenue, Aya, Amara, and Ayame were engaged in a difficult confrontation against Maribelle, whose ability to hold her ground against all three opponents was proving considerably more troublesome than they had anticipated.
Maribelle suddenly closed the distance with an upward side kick, directing the attack across all three opponents at once. Although they managed to raise their guards in time, the tremendous force behind the strike sent Aya and Ayame soaring into the air, while Amara was driven backward across the ruined street.
Before either of the airborne girls could regain control of their movements, Maribelle extended one hand toward them and activated "Crystal Magic", summoning enormous, radiant crystals that shimmered with several colours above the surrounding buildings.
She slowly closed her fingers into a fist, and the enormous formations immediately accelerated toward Aya and Ayame with extraordinary speed, leaving the two with almost no opportunity to escape their trajectory.
(No, we are both going to get hit!) Aya realized as she descended alongside Ayame, recognizing that neither of them would evade the incoming attack in time.
Without hesitation, she pushed Ayame away from their shared trajectory, deliberately redirecting her companion toward a safer position.
(Ayame is stronger than me. It is better to make sure she survives.)
Ayame's eyes widened as she realized what Aya had done, and she turned toward her companion just as the crystal formations passed her position and struck Aya directly.
The impact would have been fatal, but the tournament's Death Mechanism activated before the attack could claim her life, teleporting Aya away from the battlefield. The enormous crystals continued forward until they crashed into a ruined building, embedding themselves within its structure and bringing their destructive advance to a halt.
(That is strange. Their momentum should have carried them considerably farther.) Maribelle observed, studying the formations lodged within the building as she considered the unexpected result.
Her attention was drawn away when Amara suddenly approached from above, descending with her fist drawn back and preparing to strike Maribelle before she could react.
(Just as expected. They respond quickly whenever they believe their opponent has become distracted.) Maribelle considered, shifting her attention toward the approaching attacker without displaying any apparent concern.
She immediately activated "Crystal Magic" again, causing a sharpened crystal spear to erupt from the ground beneath Amara's position. Its pointed formation rose directly toward her, threatening to strike before she could adjust her movement.
(Oh no! I cannot avoid that in time!) Amara realized, biting her lower lip as the attack rapidly approached, her expression changing when she recognized that her current position left her with almost no room to manoeuvre.
Before the crystal could reach her, someone seized the back of her collar and pulled her out of its trajectory. The person then lowered her safely onto the ruined pavement, allowing her to regain her footing before she could fully process what had happened.
"Renji...?" Amara muttered in surprise, recognizing her rescuer before quickly directing her attention toward Maribelle again, unwilling to lose sight of the opponent responsible for their current predicament.
(Wonderful. Their numbers are back to three.) Maribelle thought with mild irritation, looking between Renji, Amara, and Ayame as she reconsidered the situation. (Did the others lose their engagements?)
Before she could reach a conclusion, her expression changed as a sudden impact registered in her chest. She lowered her gaze and discovered an icy blade protruding from her body, its unexpected appearance leaving her momentarily unable to respond.
("Icy Magic"...?) Maribelle realized, turning her head just enough to identify Shizuku standing behind her. (There was another one.)
Shizuku immediately withdrew and leaped backward to create distance, while Ayame took advantage of the opening by directing "Thunder Magic" toward Maribelle.
A brilliant discharge descended upon the already injured opponent, engulfing her position in crackling electricity before the tournament's Death Mechanism activated and teleported her away, leaving only fading sparks suspended above the damaged street.
"Well done, everyone. We need to reach Takumi as quickly as possible," Renji instructed seriously, already turning toward the direction of the intersection where their leader had remained behind.
The others acknowledged his words and followed, abandoning the avenue as they hurried toward the final confrontation.
Meanwhile, Takumi had been forced down onto one knee, his clothes stained with blood as he struggled to maintain his remaining strength against Selene. Despite the disadvantage he had reached, his attention remained fixed on the woman standing before him.
(Damn it. She is considerably stronger than I expected, and she has not even needed to draw her weapon.) Takumi thought, frustration settling beneath his otherwise controlled expression as he tried to assess how much longer he could withstand the confrontation.
"It is unfortunate that you will not be killed by Twilight," Selene remarked, standing calmly before him as an energy sphere began forming within her palm. Her voice carried no excitement or hostility, only the measured certainty of someone who believed the confrontation had already reached its conclusion.
(So this is it for me...) Takumi thought, watching the growing sphere as Selene directed her hand toward him at point-blank range. (I will not be able to escape this one.)
Selene was about to release the gathered energy when something unexpected began emerging from Takumi's body.
A dark mist seeped through his clothes, spreading around his kneeling form and gradually obscuring the space between them.
"Hm?" Selene's expression shifted ever so slightly as she paused, her attention settling on the unfamiliar phenomenon. "What is this?"