Standstill (Erityian Tribes Novella, #3)

14 : A Humdrum's Resolve

Elites were really hard to deal with.

We were just fighting him for a few minutes but I already felt exhausted. He could utilize his skill as well as the Black Dimension efficiently even while facing three opponents.

'Behind you!' I alerted as I felt the opening of the Black Dimension near Kana.

Takeshi appeared a split second after I warned her, his sword already at her neck, but she maneuvered swiftly and got away from him with just a graze.

Meanwhile, Ariel was having a hard time keeping up with us. He was breathing heavily after continuously attacking Takeshi with his explosives. However, he successfully evaded critical injuries by using the Black Dimension as his escape and ambush routes.

"This suit is slowing me down," he muttered and I was confused by what he meant.

He was just wearing black shirt, jeans and cap, and I wasn't sure if that was the suit he was talking about.

"Continue engaging him," Hayate said. "We're going to seal his exit routes."

"Got it," I replied even though I was already breathless.

I could feel the presence of the Black Dimension lingering everywhere. It was getting harder to focus but I had to, or else, the three of us would end up dead. The three of us continued attacking him and I also served as their eyes, warning them of his presence and where would he appear.

With the night getting deep, it would be beneficial for him to move and incorporate Black Dimension to his ambush and attacks. I let out a sigh, thinking about how we could turn this to our advantage, when I felt a bone-chilling sensation behind me. The next thing I knew, I was already holding my neck that almost got decapitated by him.

"Quick reflex," he muttered as my blood dripped from the edge of his sword.

I felt the stinging pain from the cut I received from him and if it hadn't for my reflex, my head would be rolling on the ground right now.

My head was still buzzing but Takeshi's sudden scream made me alert. Looking at him, a sickle was already protruding on his left arm.

"Too slow," Kana said and Takeshi roared in pain when she pulled it out of him.

His blood splattered on the ground as Kana stepped back. I didn't even detect her presence and it felt like she was keeping herself as small and invisible as possible to maximize her attacks.

"Damn brat!" he bellowed but before he could attack, the ground where he was standing blew up. The impact was so strong that I got thrown away from my position even though I was several meters away from it.

Kana and Ariel landed harshly beside me and they both groaned as they tried to stand up.

"You should've told us first if there are any explosives in the vicinity, you humdrum," Kana growled as she glared at Ariel who was still in his knees.

He was slow to get up but what happened next made us silent.

"That was the point," he snickered as his face melted, a puddle of sticky liquid pooling the ground.

"H-how . . ."

"That's why . . ."

Amidst the chaos from the explosion, Kana and I were silent for a few seconds, just staring at Ariel after what happened.

That was why the intelligence agencies couldn't get a hold of him. He wasn't just elusive.

"I wasn't planning on revealing this at all, but it will take everything to bring him down," he muttered as his voice turned thinner while removing a device around his neck.