Chapter Four

From where she stood, Amynta could hear the clash of magic. The field she stood on with Corinna and Emma was separated from the rest of the competing grounds by a towering wall of steel, lined with streaks of blue. Mounds of grass were scattered across the field of dirt, the stalks varying in length and thickness. Water gleamed beneath a large bridge that connected this part of the area to where they would be competing against Goran’s cell. Her sword Poison was sheathed at her hip, a sturdy weight that she hardly noticed. She could smell a slight smoky scent. A quick glance at the evening sky informed her of the source of the smoke: A rise of rostai.

Emma cleared her throat, drawing Amynta from her thoughts. The diminutive girl already had her sword unsheathed, the length of the steel tinted a lime green. That must have meant the blade was forged with a high concentration of kystia, a special ore mined from the region far out west. Corinna eyed her bow, pouch of arrows looped over her shoulder. The bow was quite large, evidently made from crymium, a metal known for its sturdiness. Even so, Corinna held it with an unusual amount of uncertainty.

“We should devise a plan,” Amynta said. “I’m not sure what we can expect when we face Goran and his teammates.”

“Can’t believe I have to work with you,” Corinna grumbled. “Ugh. Well, the arena is wide and full of trees, right?”

“Right. So you should have plenty of opportunities to shoot our opponents from afar.”

“Yeah….”

Emma eyed Corinna. “That bow. It’s made from crymium. An ordinary arrow would splinter if fired from that string. Which means you must use a different type of ammunition.”

Corinna’s brows inched closer. “W-well, yeah. It’s nothing too special, though. Soul Arrows are fast and strong, yeah, but—”

“But nothing. Own your techniques with pride. Since you’re using Soul Arrows, that makes this easier for us.”

“Is that so?” Amynta leaned in slightly. “What is your speciality, then?”

“I’m of Yethai blood, so I have a big rostai pool. It lets me channel and shape rostai directed at me into different shapes and forms.”

“Oh,” Corinna said with a slight smile. “Sorta like a...mirror, then? That’s cool.”

“Mostly. Whatever’s shot at me, I can return the rostai it is formed from at my opponent. But its strength is halved and each usage drains me. So I can’t pull it off that often.”

“I see,” Amynta said. “My sword Poison is a Channeler, so it works similarly to your strengths. However, I can’t redirect rostai aimed at myself. What I can do, however, is use rostai to enhance my own strikes. I am still refining this technique, but I can use it in a variety of ways. We should work on devising a plan. From what we know, the arena is indeed spacious. Corinna, as we do not know the extent of our opponents’ capabilities, I deem it best for you to keep them off our backs. All we have to do is land enough blows to whittle the crystal down. Victory will be ours if we can accomplish that.”

“So it’ll be us then,” Emma murmured. “Hmph. Whatever. We’ve wasted enough time standing here chatting.”

“What?” Corinna said. “You don’t want to make a good plan?”

Amynta frowned slightly. Why was Corinna being so relaxed and cordial now? It was odd seeing her like this. Emma sheathed her sword. The metal screeched slightly as it slipped back into place. The sounds of battle began to dwindle into a roar of applause. It appears the victor has been determined. Was Ari’s cell victorious? For some reason, she found herself rooting for the timid-looking girl’s cell.

“It’s a waste of time,” Emma said with a shrug. “Victory is only obtained by the strong. It’s that simple. Why waste my time planning with you two? This is what shows one’s aptitude for being a Saint or whichever path you have chosen. Just stay out of my way. I don’t work well with others…”

Before any further words could be spoken, mist shaped itself into a humanoid form. A figure whose body was wrapped in a thick bundle of cloth emerged from the body of mist, only a dark set of eyes visible. The darkness of their irises was almost overwhelming, nearly swallowing the whites of their eye sockets.

It was time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle would take place in a forest. The calls of animals could be distantly heard. Trees rose all around them, leaves colored a sharp orange and red. Clear paths had been cut through the forest floor, not a single tangle of tree trunks or vines able to be seen. The soft flow of water was audible, drifting through the gaps present in the trees. The figure bundled in cloth fired a gun. The starting signal broke the sky in the form of a stream of smoke.

Corinna, legs encircled by strings of gia, pushed herself back. She soared through the field of trees. Linnea vaulted over Amynta’s slash, planted a boot against the blade, and kicked off it. Amynta quickly recovered and clenched her gut, hand lifted; Goran charged, hands a blur. Pain flared in her arms. Knives. Grunting, Amynta readied her sword. Emma’s sword gleamed with a flare of white light. She swung it forward. A cut of white gia shot towards Goran. He flipped to the side, a trail of dirt kicked up from the scrapping of his boot. Taren leaped and brought his sword towards Emma’s head.

Amynta lunged with the tip of her sword aimed at Taren’s plate-covered arm. He stumbled back. The crystal, hovering high above their heads, began to shrink in size. Goran sank his hands into his pouches. Steel gleamed briefly before he flipped, flinging his arm at the ground. Gia soared forward; Amynta swung her foot at Taren. He grunted and flew back. Emma pulled herself back,swaying an arm in front of herself. Miniature globs of light set off in a row like fireworks, nearly blinding all who fought. Amynta clenched her jaw upon feeling the ground shake; Goran was ready, eyes surprisingly fierce and determined. Amynta swung for his neck; Goran’s eyes flashed as he, with gia-covered hands, clasped the steel of her sword.

“You’re annoying, man,” he grunted. “Better get rid of you.”

Goran swung his head forward. Amynta’s vision flashed white. Her sword clanged to the ground. Pain, hot and sharp, exploded in her gut. A trickle of blood dripped from a fresh cut. Her cell’s crystal was dangerously small, as was Goran’s. Amynta clenched her jaw. Not here. Vision still swimming, she concentrated. Poison trembled violently before the gia surrounding it bounced upward, piercing Goran’s cheek in the form of hooks. Goran merely grunted. It was enough. Amynta used her fading strength. She slammed her body into his. Goran tumbled. Amynta balled a fist and threw a gia-enhanced jab at Goran’s face.

The crystal whittled. Yes—

Just as Goran’s cell’s crystal burst, Amynta’s exploded into shards.

The reality of what just happened hit her immediately. Corinna must have fallen...

The cloaked figure popped out from a swirl of mist, hands raised.

“A tie,” they shouted. “A tie, a tie!”

More cloaked individuals emerged from pillars made of mist. She felt them pull her off Goran. He stared at the sky. As

Amynta was placed on a stretcher, she studied Goran’s face. It was the face of a broken man.