OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Wit's words hung in the air like a death sentence, but the cohort had no time to dwell on them. He finally moved, approaching them with slow steps, hands clasped behind his back.

A blurred Elijah tried to flank him again with his Spectral Scythe ready to strike, wanting to repeat the success of last time.

But Wit saw him from a mile away, sidestepping the attack and slamming his fist into Elijah's chest.

"Bah!"

The force of the blow sent him crashing into a nearby wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

He struggled to rise, but the pain radiating through his ribs made it clear he'd be slower from here on out.

"Elijah!"

Aria and Junior screamed, their voices tinged with fear.

She quickly cast Root Surge, and he summoned his second Aetheric Bulwark, protecting the barely standing Elijah.

The root snaked across the ground towards Wit but he was too quick, disappearing and reappearing before Quinn, slapping her to the ground.

Seeing that, Aria's face paled, realizing just how ineffective her magic was against him. She tried to retreat, get behind Junior, gaining her some distance, but Wit was too fast. He appeared before her in a flash, his Lava Whip crackling with flames as it lashed out, wrapping around her arm, burning through her force shield like it didn't even exist.

"АААААААААННННННННННННННН!"

Her skin was instantly torn off and the searing heat on what remained echoed through her body, making her scream in agony.

With a brutal yank, Wit threw her to the wall, dislocating her shoulder and shutting her up, her lungs momentarily collapsing.

Her vision blurred from the pain, and before she could do anything, Wit's foot came down hard on her back, crushing her ribs and leaving her gasping.

Quinn, who just stood on her trembling feet, watched as Aria went down, unable to do anything about it as she took too long hesitating whether or not to use her Aether Blast.

But once the sound of Aria's crushed bones resounded, she instantly pointed at him and screamed:

"AETHER BLAST!"

A torrent of Aether shot towards Wit, crackling like lightning-much faster and more potent than before, as she poured more of her reserves into the attack in a desperate bid to get him off Aria.

Wit barely reacted.

He raised his flaming arm, effortlessly catching the blast in his palm.

A brilliant flash erupted at the point of impact, momentarily brightening everyone around him.

But just as quickly, the light flickered and died.

The attack was snuffed out.

It didn't even make him flinch.

He turned his gaze to Quinn with a delighted look that sent chills down her spine.

This man was reminding her of Emir, and she didn't like it one bit.

Before she could react, Wit closed the distance between them with a single step.

His hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the ground. "GRR!"

Quinn struggled like an animal, growling, trying to break free, but his grip was ironclad. With her sword, she slashed at his arm again and again, the blade glowing due to her Aetheric Blade, but it barely affected him, his flames acting like a shield.

Frustration welled up inside her like a dam about to burst.

Was she really going to die to this nobody?

Unlike the others, she was still an Ascendant Elite, not yet a Knight-the weakest a Celestial could be, the lowest.

Unless she went all out, even scratching him felt like a pipe dream.

The difference in rank was too great.

But she already did that and failed.

No cards remained in her sleeve.

Wit tightened his grip, and her vision started to fade as darkness crept in at the edges.

Her strength waned, and the sword slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground.

"HONORABLE DUEL!"

And just when death was a moment away, Junior had finally intervened.

He attacked from Aria's direction with his glaive, recently done tending to some of her major wounds.

Elijah, who had also approached in the time Wit spent choking her, reached forth, activated Distant Grasp, and clutched the air, trying to hold him down. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Wit was frozen and would likely remain so for no more than a second, but that was all Junior needed.

Since he was currently the only one in the process of harming Wit, his ability, Honorable Duel, activated in its fullest form, increasing his strength even further.

His glaive, already coated with his Aether, went forth, tearing through the cloak, aiming for

Wit's liver.

Once it touched his skin, it paused for a moment, shook, then continued, piercing it, the nearby fire, and the muscle underneath, letting blood flow.

But the progress was short-lived.

Before it could even reach the bone, Wit's free hand shot up, gripping the bottom of the

glaive's blade, stopping it dead in its tracks.

Without a change of emotion in his pale, white eyes or on his face, Wit yanked the glaive out

of his body with ease.

His movements were casual almost as if the pain meant nothing.

Then, his grip tightened, and he shook the weapon from Junior's hand effortlessly, twisting it

free.

In one swift motion, he turned and drove the glaive straight into Quinn's stomach.

She barely had time to react.

The force was overwhelming, and the weapon slid through her augmented suit like it was

nothing.

"Gah-!"

Her breath hitched as the cold steel impaled her.

All of it happened in under a second-far too fast for Junior to process.

By the time he realized what had occurred, it was already too late.

His eyes widened in horror as Quinn's body was lifted into the air, the glaive having pierced

clean through her.

Blood dripped slowly to the floor, and her limbs hung limply as the weapon exited the other

side of her body, raising her to the ceiling.

Junior could do nothing but watch.

There was just nothing he could do.

They had met a force too strong. It was their bad luck.