Chapter 8: Mad Dash

The sun rose again, announcing the start of a new day. None of the stars had moved an inch. The perpetual sunset had returned. What made this specific day different from the last, was the Supreme level beasts now roaming the land. A massive titan marched across the plane. Its head pierced the clouds. Everyone could see it and hear it. Booms accompanied its every step.

Shu, Eldan, and Faye could be seen in a spacious cave. It was the same lair that belonged to the dead dragon outside. They had only moved for convenience. Faye could be seen stirring a smoldering pot with a makeshift spoon. Dragon meat was cooking inside.

"Dragon Stew! A dangerous new recipe!" Faye exclaimed.

As promised, the innocent girl had become the group's private chef. The Supreme level food was actually a dangerous thing, but not to the two powerful fighters. They were abnormal. Irregulars. Outliers amongst the average. The two had agreed to eat first then watch over Faye as she ate last.

They needed to be able to absorb any excess mana in case she couldn't handle it. If done correctly, she'd grow a bit in strength. Faye handed them two makeshift bowls. Right when they got ready to eat, an unexpected voice reverberated throughout the plane.

"Lala-erm…Is this working? Good morning contestants! Vance here. Just a heads up! Once night falls, please return to the clearing where you first arrived. Supreme level beasts have left their habitats. Keep your guard up because one or two low tier Legendary beasts will soon awaken from their slumber. They'll be on the hunt as everyone returns to the platform tonight. Good luck!" He announced.

All of the contestants couldn't help but frown. Legendary beasts? Do they expect the majority of Gold and Silver participants to survive that?! Just because they had better potential than most, didn't mean that they were already powerful. A choice had to be made immediately.

'Head back now and possibly encounter a Supreme, or head back at night and die without knowing how it happened?'

It was an obvious choice. Both options carried a high chance of failure. Unfortunately, there was no win in this situation. At least a Supreme would give you the chance to witness your death.

Eldan and Shu ate their meal in silence. Both of them had a refined aura as they calmly wolfed it down. Faye struggled to suppress a nosebleed while watching the lazy samurai. The way he munched on food evoked the image of a rabbit eating a carrot.

'Oh Goddess! It's too much!' She exclaimed mentally. A weird giggle escaped her lips.

"...Hmm?" Shu tilted his head in confusion. What was up with her? Ignoring her antics, he kept eating.

"We should probably head out soon. It will take almost a day to reach the starting area." Eldan spoke up. The group nodded in agreement. A smart choice. It was also the choice that every other contestant would probably make.

Once they finished eating, it was Faye's turn. Both fighters concentrated on her body as she ate. Shu sat in between them with his palm on both of their backs. With every bite, torrents of mana flooded the innocent girl's body. The young samurai would direct the excess to himself and Eldan.

"Big Brother…It hurts!" She cried out. The blind man spoke up.

"Don't give up, little Faye. This moment could be what changes your life." He said. Shu hummed in agreement. Her mana capacity was increasing by the second.

About an hour later, the innocent girl could be seen sleeping against the wall. Her clothes were drenched in sweat. Three quarters of her stew was gone. It was commendable that she lasted that long.

Time passed and she didn't wake up. Both fighters could sense the ominous changes in the environment. The two were growing impatient. It was time to go. In a few more hours, night would arrive.

"We need to leave. I'll carry her." Eldan exclaimed. The sleepy swordsman nodded.

After draping her on the blind man's back, they left the cave. The dragon's corpse was still in the same place collecting dust. Shu walked over to its head before slicing off a tooth and some scales. He then stored them in his kimono pockets. It didn't make sense how the items fit. He'd used a space pocket.

"...We should run. More ground will be covered by the time she awakens." He said.

"Let's take a direct route. Hail Mary?" The white haired fighter suggested.

"Hmnn."

Without wasting any more time, the duo jumped off the cliff. A clear barrier materialized around Eldan to protect Faye on his back. Shu's clothes fluttered violently as he fell from the sky. It was a long fall since they were initially touching the clouds.

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The ground eventually grew close. Both Shu and Eldan tapped their feet, and a ripple appeared in the air. Their momentum began to slow as they stepped through the sky. This technique is known as [Airwalk.] It's a skill that requires perfect control over mana. Any competent fighter would add this to their list of skills if they wanted to survive certain situations. Of course, not everyone could just learn it.

The duo landed on the ground with forward momentum. Their speed only increased now that they could dash normally. Trees flew by as they sped toward the starting point. They were side by side. Suddenly, Eldan frowned.

"Two monsters on our tail. They're catching up fast." He announced.

Shu peaked behind them to see two humanoid figures sprinting after them. A translucent shroud covered their bodies. It was as if they were fading in and out of reality. The only noticeable thing about them were the massive daggers in both of their hands. Their arms trailed behind them as they ran.

"...Phantoms." The swordsman exclaimed.

Phantoms were known as the silent killers. They were mindless, but had an innate advantage in close combat. It was as if they were normal people before becoming…that. To make it worse, they were Supremes.

Eldan clicked his tongue at the revelation. He couldn't fight them with Faye on his back. That would be suicide. Shu cracked his neck.

"Go. We'll meet back on Mortem." He said. The blind man nodded.

"Alright. Stay on your toes. Good luck."

The young samurai immediately turned around and dashed toward the two assassins. His thumb slightly unsheathed the katana. In only a second, they were point blank. He drew his blade in one smooth motion.

SLASH

One phantom flipped over the quickdraw, while the other slid below. Both monsters immediately locked on to the young man. The phantom below vanished while the phantom above swung down with both daggers.

Shu's sheath blocked the attack. His senses remained on high alert for the other assassin. As the two exchanged moves, the other phantom placed its hand on the ground. It formed a seal with two fingers.

The focused samurai was mid swing when the ground shattered beneath him. A deep, massive hole appeared below. His balance faltered as he tried to airwalk out of the trap. His attempt was unsuccessful. The main phantom kept pressing the advantage.

CLANG CLANG WOOSH

The sound of metal colliding reverberated as they fell through the air. Both phantoms jumped off the walls mid fall and launched toward Shu. He was forced to dodge midair, flexing his abdomen for increased momentum.

More and more attacks were exchanged before they finally crashed into the ground. Shu was facing upwards while falling, and landed on his back.

BAM

The air left his lungs from the impact. A small drip of blood could be seen on the corner of his mouth. A painful landing that was.

The samurai rose to his feet immediately. His surroundings resembled an underground ruin. Unknown writing covered the walls. Now that he was below ground, the constant feeling of being watched had disappeared.

'Nobody is watching. Let's end this quickly.' He thought.

It was time to use his inherent mana. With only a thought, his body erupted with radiant light. A glowing circle appeared in the middle of his silver pupils. Its color changed constantly. Fangs grew on each side of his mouth.

Both Shu and the phantoms readied their blades.

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