Chapter 25: The First Fight

They were rained with mocked glances, except for Deno, who had more greedy and envious looks enough to crush a mountain. The team didn't wait there for long, as the master who wore a cap shouted after couple of minutes:

"Both teams head to the arena and let the dragons be on your side."

Jim inwardly cursed and didn't repeat the blessing everyone else here repeated, even his fellow team members.

'Dragons? They are sh*t to me,' he cursed inwardly while heading with the rest to the arena.

And the other team just got himself there as well. They looked vigilant toward Jim and his team; they knew nothing at all about them.

For everyone, they weren't that much to care about; yet that Bulltor caused them enough trouble already. The shade clan members knew they couldn't beat him alone, and so they planned to go all on him, eliminating him early on.

"Start!" and the master just gave the word.

"Lan," Jim shouted and Lan moved at once to touch Deno's back with both hands. He already stored the lightning ore in a small bag around his waist. The moment he touched Deno, a brownish aura appeared on his body.

And his muscles bulged slightly while the air he gave seemed quite scary.

"I will go first," Deno moved towards the five aiming at him. 'They are underestimating us,' Jim muttered while noticing the tactic of the other team, 'you have made a grave mistake from the beginning.'

"Jenny, move last, Ashley, go ahead," he shouted and Ashley waved her two new swords and ran towards the front.

Her goal was to intercept that wolf clan member. Her speed wasn't on par with the other team, yet she managed to reach just in time to stop the wolf from hitting Deno.

"What? A pathetic human girl is trying to stop me? Tsk," the youth sneered before he waved his claws simply towards her head. He wanted to grab that head and lift her in the air before throwing off the arena!

Yet what his claws met were nothing but the air!

"Watch, she is really sneaky," Jenny laughed before adding, "she seems nice and kind, yet in the fight… she turns into such a maniac."

Jim waited to see what she meant before saying: "Get ready to help her the moment she hits him."

"On it."

Jenny moved towards the front, in slow and steady steps, while Ashley ducked to evade the strong claws.

"Trying to evade? Let's see how good you will dance then," the wolf youth said.

"It's you who is going to dance for me," and the next moment she ducked more to the ground, bending her waist and stabilizing herself on one leg before turning around in full circle.

"Boom!"

And the other leg moved fast like a whip to hit the wolf youth in the head; sending him flying in the air for a couple of meters; losing his balance.

And she wasn't finished, she was just getting started.

She bent her knees to the limit before releasing her body high in the air. Her body was much lighter and more agile than the wolf youth. So she reached midair just above him.

"Let me see your funny smile again," she sneered before her two swords started to shine strangely in bright light as she slashed them with all the speed she could muster over the wolf's body.

And her swords kept hacking the strong skin of the youth, creating many wounds at him. At first all her sword attacks were deflected, then shallow wounds appeared, before some deep wounds started to emerge here and there.

"Tsk, can't you keep some fun for me?" Jenny laughed while watching the swords of her friend turning into a series of afterimages. She knew Ashley had used one of her strongest attacks, yet Jenny didn't know if she could finish him or not.

So, she held the fiery ore and started controlling the fire wisps coming out of it.

On the other side, Deno was facing the four youths alone. Lan stood far on the back watching the three shade clan youths emerge their dark fog and blend into it.

As for the Leivy race youth, he just stepped back waiting for his right moment.

"Are we going to let him fight them all alone?" Lan turned to Jim while feeling worried over Deno.

"Nah," Jim replied, "I will go and help him now," he muttered while moving forward, in a slow calm pace.

"Can't you go any faster?" Lan urged.

And Jim just kept moving on his usual slow pace while watching the two fights up ahead.

He was waiting to assess the two fights better, as Deno previously assumed to crush the three alone, and now he had Lan's boost.

So he might not be needing any help from him so soon.

Just the two girls, he didn't know how strong their attacks would be, or would they be enough to take that wolf youth down or would need his help.

So he marched slowly while waiting for the first clash in the two fights to end to determine his target.

Deno was feeling much confident about his odds. The three shade clansmen went into hiding behind the veil of their smoke, and he just had the perfect counter to them.

He raised both hands in the air, clenched his fists hard and waited. The smoke kept drawing near him, while he kept his gaze upon it and the Leivy youth standing behind.

He dreaded that youth the most!

"Boom!"

The moment the smoke was in reach, he landed both hands fast while gritting his teeth. It was like he was dragging two heavy rocks, and the moment his hands touched the smoke; it exploded directly in a loud bang.

The three youths hiding inside were sent flying, each in one direction. They seemed hurt, even one of them coughed blood before landing heavily on the ground and rolling for a couple of meters.

And the three kept landing there motionless.

One hit, only one hit from Deno had eliminated three of them directly like that.

"Tsk, a Bulltor is really a headache," and that Leivy muttered before he started to move. Deno knew he had strong defense and rocking offense, yet in terms of speed he fell short than this Leivy youth.

"Leave him to me," and just as the youth turned into afterimages, creating illusion shadows like three of him was coming at Deno, the voice of Jim rang in his ears. "Go and help the girls," he added before the two swords hit the Leivy youth's two hands perfectly, stopping them inches away from Deno's neck and waist!

Deno had his armor covering almost his chest and back, yet it was short at the neck and waist. That was where the Leivy youth targeted, and that was where Jim stopped him.

"Tsk, you have good legs," the youth commended before moving fast again, retreating a couple of meters away from the reach of Jim's swords while watching him in vigilance.

He thought his toughest opponent would be the Bulltor, yet this weak human was just like him; feigning weakness!

"Go now," Jim said as Deno started to be a liability to him. He couldn't focus on protecting Deno and attacking the youth at the same time.

"Be careful," Deno muttered before he went towards the wolf and the two girls.

"Where do you think you're going?" and the Leivy youth appeared in the next instant blocking the path of Deno.

"Your opponent is me," yet Jim was faster and intercepted his two claw-like hands with his two swords.

Deno didn't wait for a single moment there as he continued running towards the other direction with his fastest speed.

"Annoying," the youth said before retreating again, "if you are so tired of living then I will gladly accompany you."