Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 16: Blue Heaven

July 24, 4021 08:00 [Manzhouli- Matriarch 04 Sun Rock]

Indra stared, eyes transfixed as he strained his vision to follow Tengri's movements. The man weaved his lean frame effortlessly through hordes of bloodthirsty Homunculi, his cloak flowing elegantly behind him. It was as if the wind created by his attackers' movements only served to carry him further. He wasted no breath on retaliation, simply redirecting attacks from one individual to another with surgical precision. As the Homunculi were routed into one another, a number lit up above their heads, projected by their Nerve Cords. Static red [20]s and [30]s emerged above many of the defeated Homunculi, with a scant few [40]s peppered into the group.

Not a single hit landed on the instructor as he deftly avoided every attempt to harm his person. It seemed like inflicting any amount of damage upon the Hyena would prove to be a Herculean task. Many tried closing the gap between themselves and Tengri, though none managed a successful maneuver. Amidst the chaos, however, a single Homunculus charged onto the battlefield with the speed of a locomotive, breaking through the ranks like a bullet train. He sent them flying and leapt towards Tengri, using the momentum he had built up to throw a single punch, causing the instructor's eyes to widen momentarily before he quickly brought up his guard. The air ruptured as the impact of their clash created shockwaves that erupted around them, eroding the very ground they stood on, and pushing the surrounding Homunculi several meters away from the two. The attacking Homunculus grinned wildly, his auburn hair flying back, revealing a large scar running across his left eye and down his cheek.

"WOAHHH!" Indra cheered alongside the other excited newcomers watching the fight.

Tengri's eyes locked onto his attacker, deftly swiping his extended arm in a crescent-shaped arc, colliding with the Homunculus' ribs.

"Half-moon," he said calmly.

The attack rippled with energy as the Homunculus flew past Indra into the wall behind him, breaking through the stone.

Tengri scoffed. "More damage to my arena. I'll be charging Kǔ Shén extra for this."

A [56] was projected in static yellow from the unconscious Homunculus' Nerve Cord; the highest score so far. Prasanna and Emil walked past Indra towards the center of the field, stretching nonchalantly.

"Guess we should try and score some points too, right Emil?" Prasanna grinned, cracking her knuckles, her eyes glowing a brilliant sapphire. The blue flecks on her hair started to shimmer as she made her way closer to the fighting. Emil nodded, smiling, as his own emerald eyes started to glow. The pair's Conduits lit up to match the intensity of their eyes, brimming with energy.

As Tengri dispatched the last of the initial assault, Homunculi from the newest batch approached the instructor. As he examined the next round of attackers, his eyes twitched. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh dear, this group looks like trouble," he said as he shifted his stance, extending his folded arm.

Among the attackers, a few caught Indra's eye. A silver-haired man angrily gnashed his teeth just like Akula, bending down low like a runner preparing for an all-out sprint. A woman with plumed hair stood further back, her sharp eyes following Tengri closely. To their right stood a jittery-looking individual who clasped his hands together, muttering some sort of prayer under his breath, his eyes darting back and forth between his peers. Near the jittery individual stood a stern-looking Homunculus, unmoving as his body began to dissipate into thin air. The last Homunculus that Indra took note of had a calm demeanor like Tengri himself, locks of purple shrouding his pale face, making it difficult to see his expression. Indra imagined a serene look of confidence on the man, whose skin began to emit a sludge-like gas.