Born in Blood



Liam had blocked out every noise that wasn't related to him or his opponent.

Even the sound of his own heartbeat was ignored.

Forcing a long breath, Liam narrowed his gaze at Rishe, who didn't engage and kept his distance due to his pale complexion.

As the seconds passed, Liam's deltoid had more or less healed, reformed into an acceptable shape.

Unreeling his Dark Chains, he wrapped it around his shoulder and quickly tightened it.

A low grunt of pain escaped his lips, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the disturbing agony.

Liam grimaced as shards of cracked bone tore through his flesh, digging deeper with each slight movement.

Despite using Cartilage Brace and Obsidian Skin in the nick of time, the beam of water still shattered through the layer of hardened darkness and thick skeleton.

After all, it was a Rank 4 spell. Liam doubted that was the last of them, too.

Although Liam could have used his mist ability, against water, it wasn't exactly effective – the dark mist would precipitate and turn back to its normal state upon contact with liquid. In other words, nullify the ethereal state.

Rishe looked ready to resume the clash, smiling as he saw Liam's dire straits.

By then, Liam had finished wrapping his chains around his shoulder.

Although it would help in slowly conjoining the cracked bone fragments, his fighting ability had still lessened.

Rishe began first.

Wind and water condensed and mixed all around him.

Pieces of ice started to form in the air with no particular form, then slowly took the shapes of more than two dozen razor-sharp icicles.

Although Liam wanted to, he couldn't rush in at once and stop them from forming.

The pieces of ice were floating mid-air and Rishe's mental energy was connected to them… which meant he could control them.

Then, Rishe spread his arms and held out his hands upright.

Dense wind rushed from every direction, compressing on his right with a sharp churning sound.

On his left, thick azure liquid sloshed around and slowly grew to twice the size of a basketball.

Wind.

Water.

Ice.

Impenetrable and piercing all at once.

Rishe became as pale as a ghost, but he managed a mocking smile. "Do you see now? The difference between us? Let the people witness!"

Ignoring his remarks, Liam's eye constricted vertically, analyzing every tiny detail regarding Rishe's spells.

'He can't use the ice for long range attacks, those are just in case I attempt to get close.'

'That leaves his wind for one killing move, and his water for defense or ensnarement.'

Either way, the noble was incapable of using anymore spells, judging by his weakening complexion.

As if to confirm his theory, Rishe slightly moved the fingers on his right hand, and the compressed ball of wind shot four arcs of nigh-invisible air towards Liam.

WOOOSH!

If Liam didn't have the King's Eye, the arcs would have instantly severed off his limbs instead of flying past him as he sidestepped and ducked.

More arcs and bullets of air followed, but Liam sidestepped, leaped back, ducked and dashed away to dodge.

'No other choice except to get close!'

As soon as he dodged another round of attacks, Liam tensed and started to run in with lithe steps gradually increasing in speed. 

As he deflected the wind arcs aiming for his vitals, he let the weaker ones tear apart his skin, spraying lines of blood over the field. 

When he got ten steps in, the blob of water exploded into tendrils that came at him from all sides, attempting to engulf him. 

The membrane under Liam's skin vibrated.

That ability, paired with Vanishing Steps and Fleeting Foot, allowed him to pass through the body of water and close the distance in an instant. 

At that moment, the icicles surrounding Rishe began to shoot and home in on him one by one.

Ten more steps away.

As he continuously moved forward, Liam let loose his needles to exactly where the icicles were. They smashed against the attacks and slowed down their speed by a little. 

Seven steps away.

Of course, that did little damage to the ice itself, but allowed Liam to continue his trajectory, deflecting the rest and allowing the others to tear through his flesh. 

Five steps away.

The wind attacks didn't relent either, creating a whirlwind around Liam that formed countless cuts on his figure.

Three steps away.

Liam weaved in between the two icicles that aimed for his face, grazing his left and right cheek and slashing through his ears. His blades shattered right after deflecting another pair of attacks.

One step away.

Time seemed to slow down.

Liam's right hand pulsed unstable and chaotic darkness as he finally arrived beside Rishe, bursting with dark flames and rapidly compressing all at once.

To Rishe's dread and horror, Liam grinned and clenched his fist as he punched the former's face.

BOOOOOM!

As though a shotgun had gone off, Liam's fist burst into a condensed blast, blowing away Rishe's figure as though he was made of plastic. 

The noble tumbled the distance and smashed against the walls of the Battle Hall, falling limp and barely conscious. 

Disturbingly, the side of his face had been melted off and corroded. Any previous handsomeness was replaced by a grim appearance that could make an adult man squirm.

Academy doctors instantly rushed to his side, tending to his wounds.

Liam steadied his footing, grounding his teeth as he felt his shoulder cracks worsen. 

Using the Rank 4 'Surging Blast' spell had a heavy recoil that ripped off the skin from Liam's right hand, leaving his knuckle bones bare. 

Blood dripped and trickled down Liam's shredded clothes. The gashes on his body slowly healed, but sapped him of his energy.

That said, the stilling silence inside the hall was strange. Liam imagined that he was just too focused to hear anything, but quickly realized that was not the case.

He creaked his neck to look at the spectators, just to see them staring at him dumbfoundedly with slacked jaws. 

Even Nord, Rin and Nessa who knew Liam personally couldn't force a reaction.

Looking towards the right where the professors were, they were just as silent, shocked and aghast.

'Yeah… I don't see myself staying here for much longer.'