Chapter : 373
:0:
Chapter : 373
The sharp steel cut directly across Risa's arm. It delivered a painful, bleeding gash. Bright red blood instantly welled up from the wound. The blood dripped down her pale skin. It fell onto the green grass.
Risa cried out in pain. She dropped to her knees. She clutched her bleeding arm. Tears flooded her bright green eyes. She felt overwhelming pain.
Mo Yuna smiled. She raised her knife to strike again. She wanted to finish the job.
Risa's panic immediately spiked. Her heart hammered wildly inside her chest. Her breathing became fast and shallow. She felt absolute, pure terror.
This level of fear was incredibly dangerous for the young healer. Risa possessed highly unstable nature magic. Her magic reacted directly to her emotional state. Her intense panic triggered a catastrophic reaction. The terrifying "botanical bomb" condition started to activate.
The green grass around Risa suddenly turned completely black. Thick, dark vines erupted violently from the dirt. The vines possessed long, razor-sharp thorns. They grew at an impossible, terrifying speed. A sour, toxic smell filled the entire area.
The toxic plants threatened to explode outward. They threatened to swallow the beautiful arena in a massive, poisonous jungle. The explosion would doom the entire stadium. It would hurt everyone inside the walls.
Ken Eliot stood right next to Risa. He wore his wrinkled navy blue suit. His shirt hung totally untucked over his belt. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.
Ken saw the dark vines growing. He smelled the toxic air. He let out a long, quiet sigh.
Ken really hated yard work. He hated pulling weeds. He did not want to deal with a toxic jungle. He just wanted to stand in the back and do nothing. He wanted to take a nice nap.
However, from the shadows, Ken acted instantly without anyone noticing. He could not let the crowd see his true power. He could not let the enemy know about his magic. He needed a perfect distraction.
Ken suddenly waved his arms wildly in the air. He let out a loud, goofy, highly exaggerated scream.
"Ahhhh! A giant flying bug!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs. He acted like a complete, clumsy fool. "Get it away from me! I absolutely hate bugs! They are terrible for my skin!"
Ken pretended to stumble over his own feet. He fell forward. He crashed into the dirt right next to Risa. His hand brushed against her wounded arm for a fraction of a millisecond.
The movement looked like a total accident. But it was entirely deliberate.
Ken secretly hit Risa with a microscopic, temporary magical seal. The magic was completely invisible. It did not glow. It did not make a sound. The seal pressed directly into her skin. It artificially suppressed her volatile mana. It locked her magic down tight.
The dark vines instantly stopped growing. They crumbled into harmless dust. The grass turned green again. The toxic smell vanished completely.
Risa stopped shaking. A sudden, strange sense of calm washed over her mind. She breathed slowly. She was stabilized just in time. The apocalyptic explosion was prevented.
Ken sat up on the grass. He dusted off his suit pants. He gave Risa a goofy, lazy smile.
"I think the bug flew away," Ken announced casually. He completely ignored the deadly assassin standing right there. "Are you okay, Risa? Bugs are very scary. They have too many legs."
Mo Yuna stared at him. She looked totally bewildered. She could not believe a person could be this stupid. She thought Ken was an absolute clown. She completely dismissed him as a threat.
Ken slouched his shoulders. He looked at Risa's bleeding arm. He coldly noted internally about the fragile seal.
The temporary seal was just a quick fix. If she took any more severe damage, his temporary seal would break. The suppression would snap. The massive, toxic explosion would be entirely inevitable. The arena would turn into a deadly disaster zone.
"If she gets cut again, I will have to buy a massive lawnmower," Ken thought to himself lazily. "I refuse to mow a toxic lawn. That sounds like way too much cardio. I need my teammates to handle this."
Ken did not have to wait long. His teammates were already moving.
Naomi saw the bright red blood on Risa's arm. Luna saw the blood too.
The sight of their innocent healer getting hurt changed everything. The playful mood vanished completely. The defensive strategy was totally thrown out the window.
Naomi and Luna were completely enraged by the cowardly attack on their innocent healer. They totally abandoned their defensive postures. They stopped protecting the rings. They stopped worrying about the stadium clock.
They unleashed the absolute, terrifying peak of their combat training. The 7th Unit had just made a massive, fatal mistake. The real fight was about to start, and it was going to be incredibly painful for the attackers.
---
Before charging, Naomi glanced back. "Risa, heal that cut immediately and stay behind Ken!" Risa nodded, her trembling hand already glowing with soft, green healing magic to close her bleeding wound. Seeing her safe, Naomi planted her combat boots firmly on the grass. She stared directly at Junpei. Her green eyes burned with intense, unyielding anger. She spun her twin silver daggers in her hands. The metal blades clicked sharply.
Junpei laughed a cruel, arrogant laugh. The destructive enemy fire user thought he had the upper hand. He thought Naomi was scared of him. He slammed his fists together. Bright, massive flames erupted around his hands. He wanted to burn her to ashes. He wanted to secure a quick victory.
"You are totally trapped!" Junpei shouted loudly. His voice echoed across the field. He threw a gigantic wave of roaring fire straight at Naomi. The flames were incredibly hot. They turned the air bright orange. The heat warped the space around them.
Naomi did not run away. She did not raise a shield. She faced the fire head-on. She engaged Junpei with absolute confidence.
Ken sat on the grass near Risa. He watched Naomi. He put his hands in his pockets. He let out a loud, dramatic yawn.
"Wow, that fire is very bright," Ken complained lazily. He wiped a fake bead of sweat from his forehead. "It is making me sweat. I really dislike sweating. You should probably turn that off, buddy. It is bad for the environment."
Naomi heard Ken's voice. She knew he was safe. She knew Risa was safe. Naomi smiled a tiny, confident smile. She liked his goofy jokes. They made her feel calm. She focused all her attention on the enemy fire user.
Naomi moved. She did not just run. She executed a flawless, high-speed dash. Her green wind magic swirled powerfully around her legs. She flawlessly dodged his massive flames. She sidestepped the roaring fire with absolute perfection. The flames missed her completely. They scorched the grass safely behind her.
Junpei gasped in shock. He tried to throw another fireball. He raised his hands again. He was entirely too slow.
Naomi closed the distance in a single heartbeat. She stood right in front of him. She was ready to end the fight.