A blast of wind from the Emperor tore apart a tree to his right, and he was caught with an enhanced gust of wind that tossed him thirty feet back and peppered him with sharp splinters.
He managed to land on his feet and block his eyes with an arm, but his body was covered with tiny cuts and scratches. If the attack had been a few yards closer, it would have shattered every bone in his body. At best.
Jai Long plunged forward.
Lightning dragons screamed through the sky and hands of wind hurled trees, but he kept his eyes and perception ahead. So he saw immediately when a beam of pink light streamed into the sky at an angle.
Jai Long brightened and kicked off again as soon as he could. That was Fingerling’s fire breath; he would know it anywhere. Then the light flashed red, and he felt a sudden surge of overwhelming power.
It was Redmoon Hall. He was certain.
Through sheer will, he squeezed every ounce of speed out of his Enforcer technique. There were no more signs of battle coming from that direction, and he tried not to think about what that would mean. His heart pounded in his throat, and his breath was harsh. He gripped the spear so tight he thought he might snap it.
He crested a hill, and thus saw the source of the blood madra at the same time as he sensed it.
Yerin sat with her arms crossed in the center of a circle of blasted trees, looking sullen, as Eithan danced from one side of a narrow pass to the other at Archlord speed to cut off the retreat of a bunch of Stormcallers. Who looked very frightened.
Jai Long’s squad was battered and burned…but they were alive.
Mercy was there, holding Orthos and Little Blue, and it seemed like she was lecturing Yerin about something.
Jai Chen was on her knees, catching her breath, while an agitated Fingerling swirled in the air over her head. Kelsa was nearby, her Foxfire tail lashing. She faced a Lowgold Stormcaller who shuffled from foot to foot nervously and kept glancing behind him.
Jai Long’s relief almost disrupted his breathing and cut off his Enforcer technique, but he seized the cycling pattern at the last second and dashed down. It only took him a moment to arrive.
He awkwardly tucked away his spear and wrapped his face as he ran. He wouldn’t want to disgust anyone.
“…least he was an Underlord,” Yerin muttered. “Not like I threw a Copper into the sun.”
Mercy shook her head. “No, I’m not saying your heart wasn’t in the right place! But he was as helpless against you as our team was against him.”
“They can keep his Remnant, supposing they still want it.”
A miniature Remnant version of the Weeping Dragon slunk along the ground, shooting fearful glances at Yerin. Nearby, an unidentifiable pile told Jai Long what had happened to the spirit’s body.
“It’s very important that we adhere to the rules of fair play!” Eithan called, blocking another escape attempt by the handful of Golds. “Speaking of which, how’s the duel going?”
Kelsa gestured to her opponent, who was on his knees. “He surrendered.”
“That makes one victory for us! Or…Yerin, do you think your sudden ambush of an Underlord should count as a victory?”
The dragon-Remnant whimpered.
“I don’t feel good about this,” Kelsa muttered.
Eithan nodded in understanding. “Ah yes, by all means let us return to murdering each other more honorably.”
Mercy slammed her staff into the ground, and shadow pulsed out from the base. The Stormcallers flinched back. “There are reasons for this, and you know it! No one wants a slaughter where only the most advanced sacred artists survive!”
“I wish that were true…” Eithan said wistfully.
But he did stand aside and let the Golds rush off. Kelsa’s opponent bowed to her one more time before retreating, and the Remnant slithered after him.
“Not lining up to cut Jades into pieces, am I?” Yerin complained. “We’ll take your path, then. Who’s a match for me?”
Mercy hesitated. Eithan shaded his eyes and made a show of peering around. “You’re a bit of an exception, but by common understanding…him!”
He pointed to the battle between Overlords through which Jai Long had just crossed. The fight was winding down as the Overlords ran out of madra, so larger techniques weren’t as common as they had been minutes before.
Yerin took a moment to take aim. “Neat and tidy,” she said. Then she unleashed a line of bright silver-red madra.
The Stormcaller Overlord had a moment to turn and put up a block before he was obliterated.
Yerin glared at Mercy. “You want me to go fight his Remnant with one hand behind my back?”