"Prism Flutter!" Raven's voice rang out.
Her butterfly's wings spread wide, and glowing. With every graceful flap, the wings released a surge of violet dust that sparkled in the air. The tiny particles shimmered, drifting together into a glowing mist. The dust spread across the battlefield, spiraling outward in a hypnotic wave.
It was beautiful.
Then the haze reached me. My vision blurred. Colors fractured into violet shards. My vision disappeared, and all I could see was violet crystals.
[Crowd Control: Blind]
» Duration: 10 seconds
» Accuracy reduced – enemies cannot be detected.
As I gripped my spear, something inside me roared awake.
[Passive: Scorching Aegis Triggered]
» Crowd control effects removed.
A scorching flame emerged above my head like a crown of phoenix wings blazing in my mind, a halo of light flaring overhead. The radiance grew sharper and hotter. I could see now. The effects of Raven's skill were removed.
Beside me, Dahlia was still rubbing her eyes with one hand, desperately trying to wipe the shimmering dust away. She blinked hard, still trapped in Raven's skill, hoping that clearing her eyes would somehow bring back her sight.
Raven's Prism Flutter shattered around me. My natural resistance to blindness and other CC effects is strong. I had fully developed immunity.
I snapped back into focus.
Clifton was just about to grab the flag from my hand.
I quickly shifted my stance, raised my spear, and leapt back. My eyes locked on both of them.
Raven blinked in shock. "What… how can you move when you're blinded by my Crowd control skill?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
She stopped fluttering her butterfly wings, ending the swirling iridescent light that had caused the blindness.
But she didn't lower her guard—dual fans materialized in her hands, snapping open with a sharp sound, her butterfly wings still spread proudly on her back.
Beside her, Clifton flexed his serpent-headed gauntlets. The coils rippled, scales glinting in the light.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dahlia was back too. She finally had her vision again.
I rushed over to her and gently handed the flag down beside her. She was still rubbing her eyes.
"Can you still run?" I asked, my voice firm but worried.
She looked up at me, her eyes tired but burning with determination.
"Listen," I said quickly, gripping my spear as I turned toward Raven and Clifton. "Leave them to me. Just take the flag and run it to our winning spot. If you do that, we win."
For a moment, she hesitated, glancing at the two enemies who were already preparing their next move.
"I'll hold them off," I promised, standing between her and the enemies like a wall. "Go!"
Clifton and Raven exchanged a quick glance… and then both charged straight at me when they saw Dahlia running again with the flag.
Fine. I could handle it.
With a shout, I charged forward to meet them head-on.
Dahlia began running, her footsteps quick and determined. I saw our opponents trying to cut her off. My heart pounded—I couldn't let them reach her. No matter what happened, I would stand in their way and protect her.
"Phoenix Flare!" I shouted, unleashing my skill.
I leapt into the air and slammed down a burst of fire on the ground, forcing them to keep their distance. I tightened my grip on my weapon, planting my feet firmly. My mana was low.
My first strike went for Raven. She crossed her arms—her right fan guarding the left side, her left fan guarding the right—forming a shield in front of her. My spear crashed into her defense with a loud metallic clang.
Before I could pull back for another strike, Clifton was already there. His right gauntlet shot forward like a striking snake, aiming straight for my head. I twisted my neck just in time, feeling the rush of air as it barely missed.
But he wasn't finished. With a loud, strong punch on his left serpent gauntlet —THWACK!—slamming into my spear. The force blasted me off my feet, sending me hurtling through the air. I didn't take damage from his weapon.
I twisted mid-flight, tucking into a backward flip before slamming down onto my feet, knees bent, spear locked in my grip. My boots dug into the dirt as I steadied my breathing, heat and adrenaline surging through me.
Raven flew straight toward me, her wings beating hard. Each flap drove another fierce strike from her dual fans. She moved so fast it was as if her weapons were everywhere at once. She swooped past, then charged again. Suddenly, she hurled one fan straight at me, its sharp edges spinning through the air.
I quickly struck at it with my spear, knocking it aside—only for her to leap and land on top of my weapon. She balanced there as if my spear were solid ground. Before I could react, the thrown fan whirled back into her hand.
Then I saw Clifton charging straight at me. Raven was still standing above me on my spear, and my arms were straining just to keep it raised.
With a grunt, I spun my body and spear together, swinging backward to throw her off. She leapt away and kicked the weapon midair, forcing me to step back to keep my balance.
Raven flew high above, her eyes fixed on Dahlia on the other side. She was about to swoop down toward her, but I wouldn't let her. I planted my feet, bent my legs, and launched myself into the air, preparing a powerful thrust.
Raven saw me coming and swung her fans at my spear, trying to stop me from reaching her. Raven flew back, forced away by the clash of our weapons. Her plan to pursue Dahlia was shattered.
Then, suddenly, she darted to Clifton's side, and the two of them charged at me again—relentless and determined.
"Viper's Sting!" Clifton shouted as both of his serpent-like arms shot forward. They stretched out like long snakes, aiming straight at my side.
The right gauntlet came at me first, lunging like a snake about to sink its fangs into me. I twisted my body just in time, and instead of hitting me, it slammed hard into the ground, cracking it apart.
But the second serpent arm was faster, and I was caught off guard. Its jaws snapped shut around the shaft of my spear, clamping down tight. With a violent pull, it yanked me off balance and hurled me through the air. My body spun, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to land firmly on my feet, sliding back a step.
Clifton dropped low, crawling swiftly across the ground like a hunting predator. The gauntlets on his arms seemed to slither with him again, their coils shifting and glinting.
Above, Raven hovered, her butterfly wings beating steadily as she closed the distance. Then, with a sharp twist of her body, her shimmering purple-and-blue wings dissolved into pure light, reshaping into two fans. At the same time, she raised the dual fans already in her hands. All four gleamed with deadly intent before she hurled them straight at me.
The air whistled as her weapons spun, four silver arcs cutting toward me in a whirling wind.
From the side, Clifton lunged, moving low and fast.
I did not move.
I raised my spear beside my head, my grip firm. My eyes closed, my breathing slowed, and the world seemed to fall silent around me. Even without sight, I could feel them—every shift in the air, every step, every flicker of movement.
Wind began to curl around me, at first gentle, then sharper. It twisted in streams and spirals as I spun my spear above my head. Faster and faster I turned it, until the air itself joined the weapon's dance, howling with power.
I snapped my eyes open.
"Wind Flap!" I shouted.
I swung my spear in a wide, powerful arc. A colossal blast of wind exploded outward, shaped like the mighty wings of a phoenix. The gale roared forward, the force as fierce as a legendary bird beating the air in a single, devastating flap.
Whoosh!
The blast slammed into Raven's spinning fans, scattering them high into the air. Clifton was caught in the same wind, his body sliding back across the dirt, his gauntlets digging furrows as he tried to stop himself.
The wind ripped across the battlefield, kicking up dust and shaking banners at the edges of the arena. When it finally died down, I was still standing in the center—my spear steady, the air trembling around me.
Thanks to Dahlia's Amplifying Pearl, I had received a boost during the battle. My own power, rising from deep inside me, flowed through my body.
The audience erupted into cheers, voices shouting my name, clapping so loud it felt like the whole arena shook.
Dr. Merlin shouted and cheered on the large screen.
"It looks like Team 2 can't fight anymore." I glanced at Raven and Clifton—Raven groaning on the ground, but Clifton stood there, his gaze filled with deadly intent.
The crowd roared even louder, and I allowed myself a single, deep breath.
Finally, it was done.
"Team 1 wins the challenge!" Dr. Merlin announced.
I saw Dahlia at the edge of our winning spot.
"These four Legendary Beasts gave us a wonderful battle today," he continued, jumping, his voice booming across the arena. "But they could never hope to defeat the Legendary Phoenix! That battle against the 8 Dire Wolves earlier!"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the crowd exploded. Gasps, shouts, and excited whispers filled the air. People leaned toward one another, eyes wide, talking so fast it was hard to keep up. The whole arena buzzed with surprise.
I stood frozen. My mind struggled to catch up with what I had just heard.
Wait… my eyes narrowed. How did Dr. Merlin know about the Dire Wolves? Was he watching the game?
I tightened my grip on my spear, the polished shaft warm in my hands. My heart was still racing from the battle—but now for a different reason. Questions swirled in my head faster than I could answer them.
This game felt so real that I even felt exhausted.
I glanced at my Player Status.
Malachi Paisley [Lvl. 8]
HP: 435 / 500
Mana: 80 / 500
EXP: 0 / 100