Chapter 160: Book 3: Acceleration
Versa stares at me. She doesn't snatch her wrist out of my hand. Instead, all four of her eyes fixate on me then scan me slowly from head to toe.
It's... uncomfortable. I get the feeling that she's assessing me—deciding whether or not I'm a threat. Unlike Naru and Whisper, she doesn't immediately flinch away from me. Instead, the spines along her arms and shoulders bristle.
I can't tell what that signifies. Excitement? There's definitely a sense of interest in her eyes, and it's the kind of interest that makes
"Trialgoer." There's a distinct series of clicks in her voice as she speaks. She straightens, pulling her wrist easily out of my grip; it's a moment before I realize she disabled Phaseslip to do so. "I'm surprised to see you here. Figured you'd be off doing... whatever Trialgoers usually do. Fighting monsters? Looking for the exit?"
"Do you know where it is?" I keep my tone casually disinterested. The whole thing about the Trial's exit is pretty low on my list of priorities, but I'm not going to pass up information that might be valuable.
"That would be telling." Versa grins at me, something sparking in her eyes. "You could always make me tell you."
I narrow my eyes. She's spoiling for a fight. I don't think she's as hostile as Naru indicated, but more likely than not...
Her eyes flicker to Naru, and I see a clearly recognizable emotion. Distaste.
She's about to attack, but not me. Naru realizes it a second after I do, and Firmament flares up around him defensively; I feel it being channeled into a skill a fraction of a second before all his feathers turn silver. Versa whips past me a second later to deliver a punch—her feet dig into the ground hard enough to leave a crater behind, and she swings two arms directly into Naru's chest.