"Animals and monsters kill each other. I caught him red-handed; he's one of them."
THIRD PERSON'S POV
Heavien's nth sense is taste. At first, she was discouraged about how to taste that she couldn't really use, but what else can she do? This is what was given to her, which she should be thankful for.
She sticks her tongue out as if she's licking the air. When bitter, it will be big trouble. When sweet, it is safe. And there are many other flavors. She thought their nth senses didn't match their weapons. She used to think that she should have sight as her nth sense because of archery. So maybe that's for the two partners to work together. First must help her because he has sight.
"Oh, look what they have here." It was a girl's voice.
First and Heavien peered around to see who was speaking.
"It's Sectwen and Ninezen," He pointed to where the two were.
They are approaching them. They are facing them. There's a wrapped cloth on Nadine's right shoulder. She stuck out her tongue for a moment and tasted the air... b-bitter indeed. This is bad. First saw her facial expression and knew what it meant. He holds her hand.
"Holding hands, really, huh? Haha!" What is going on with Nadine? She doesn't seem to be the former Nadine she met.
She tried to get rid of First's grip on her hand, but he tightened it even more. She didn't do anything because somehow her agitation is relieved every time she feels First's warmth.
"By the way, didn't you do this to her?" Nadine is referring to her injured right shoulder. So that's the casualty Heavien caused her. "The rest is from a far distance, so it's probably you, Heavien. The weapon can't be lent, so it's you."
Nadine must be finding out that it was they who attacked them, and she's right. Heavien still feels guilty.
"What are you doing here?" Trake asked. His aura also seemed different.
"What are you two doing here?" First dodged and returned the question. He has really changed since the fight started.
"Okay, I'll answer your question. We're looking for a competitor, and we have found you."
They both saw that Trake is holding a sword, the same as First's.
"We're also looking for a contender, then you showed up yourself." First's answer was toneless.
"What a coincidence! Then why don't we fight against each other?" Nadine has challenged them.
Maybe Nadine wants Heavien to repay her for what she did to her. She understands. Forgive her, Nadine.
Trake and First have already advanced their respective weapons. First warned to be ready for this fight. He will fight Trake, and she will fight Nadine. He didn't want her to fight in the first place, but that wasn't possible; she had to fight. Nervously, she prepared the bow and arrow that was now focused on Nadine's neck, and she planned to penetrate it and also hit her nape—their target area.
"Attack!" Nadine proclaimed.
Heavien was just about to release the arrow when Nadine threw a grenade, and it exploded in front of her. Heavien ran several meters away from her. She sat down on the ground because she inhaled the chemical in the air. She coughed, and her eyes were itchy.
First was a bit far from Nadine, and Heavien, so they weren't hit at all by the explosion, and they continued to fight. Good thing, it was a mild explosion.
It seems that she has a variety of grenades, ranging from mild to fatal.
She can feel the pain in her left leg that had been bruised by the grenade. She took a deep breath first when someone took her right arm and supported her...
Trake?
"Cy, are you okay? Your forehead is bleeding!"
Heavien scratched her forehead, and there was blood.
Why is he here?
Trake still seemed to be gasping when he supported her. She thought he was fighting First.
She was taken aback when someone grabbed Trake's collar.
"What do you think you're doing? You're thinking of ditching and harming her? Don't you even dare." He glared at him.
"No!" Heavien shouted when First punched Trake, causing him to fall.
First approached promptly and helped her to stand up.
"You're bleeding. You really are a defiant one. I already told you not to fight." He tore the ends of his long sleeves and wrapped them around her forehead and leg.
"I'm fine. Go on with Trake. I'll handle Nadine."
"But-"
"You have nothing to worry about, First." Then she forced a smile at him.
She ran so that he would not stop her.
Heavien just noticed that while they were fighting, both were exchanging deep stares. They seem to be communicating with their eyes alone. Maybe that's a man's talk. She dared to run even though her leg was still aching, and she searched for Nadine where she last seen her.
"Over here, yohoo!" Nadine suddenly appeared behind a tree while waving, so she alerted herself. "I'm sure those two are fighting for one dense and naïve person."
She ignored her comment and aimed an arrow at her.
"Whoa, slow down, lady. I'm not gonna hurt you. Actually, I already hurt you, and you already hurt me, isn't that fair?"
Heavien composed herself. "Yes, we're fair, so I have no regrets."
"What's done is done." Nadine went near her.
"Hyaaa!" Heavien screamed.
Heavien was shocked when Nadine kicked the bow she was holding. Her arm is in discomfort. Because of that, she finally let go of the bow and arrow to touch her sore right arm. While doing something, she received a kick to the stomach and a punch to the face. She lay down while writhing in pain.
"You got too confident," Nadine smirked at her. She brushed her long, light brown hair.
You are so different now, Nadine. You are no longer the former Sectwen I once knew.
Heavien got up and adjusted her stand. Her hair bun is messy. This has to end.
"Yah!" She preceded Nadine in punching. She used techniques she remembered when her brother taught her basic self-defense.
"You b*tch! Do you really think you'll win this because of your boyfriend?"
"Huh?"
"Even if First is there for you, this game shall only have one winner. So, you still think that he'd save you till the end?"
Heavien's eyes widened.
If the game reached almost the end, where First and she remain, what is he going to do?
"I-I don't care…" She stuttered. She doesn't know how to respond to her properly.
Nadine scoffed. "Yes, you shouldn't care about your life and end it now!"
"Ah!" Heavien screamed when she pulled her hair.
They continue to fight using only their physical bodies. They refrained from using their weapons and settled it down with a woman-to-woman fight.
Heavien often tweaked her, so she got annoyed because it was not fair, so she also retaliated by tweaking her too. She beat her, and so did she until her hand took the relatively sandy part of the ground and threw it in her eyes. She shouted and rubbed her eyes. She's really sorry.
"Heavien!"
She heard someone call out her name. She searched around and saw Myriana on the right!
Myriana is lying down, and she's holding out her hands to her. Her forehead and arm are bleeding! She got concerned about her situation. She licked her bleeding lips and accidentally tasted a mixture of bitterness and sweetness. This doesn't taste like blood, but why is she tasting two tastes at the same time?
Heavien was about to run closer to her when she felt a sharp object touch the bottom of her nape.
"Sh*t!" It's Nadine.
Nadine was behind Heavien on her knees, holding her arrow down. She twitched because of the electric shock. She must have forgotten that it is forbidden to touch or use other people's weapons.
Heavien rubbed her back. Her clothes are torn on the back. She felt there was some liquid dripping; it was blood. She parted her hair when she felt something strange in her hair. Wriggling in pain, she removed the arrow, an inch deep, buried in her flesh. Nadine targeted her nape using her arrow. She stabbed her already when the arrow electrocuted her.
She suddenly remembered Myriana's condition. She needs her help! She was about to step toward them when she saw that Seyah was behind Myriana, who was still lying on the ground. Seyah lifted her glowing katana.
"Nooo!" Heavien shouted at Seyah.
Although she wanted to go to her, her feet were stuck in her position. Nadine didn't let her go running to her.
Her neck feels cold, and her hands and knees are shaking. She got on her knees and shed tears one after another. She was just stunned as she watched Seyah leave after she killed her now lifeless friend. She feels like the world has stopped running, as if everything shown to her is bad and tragic events.
"Get ready for this, b*tch!" Nadine is furious.
Heavien slowly turned to her as she knelt. She is back to normal after being electrocuted by her arrow. She leaned over her and touched her neck.
"You will die in my hands." Nadine declared.
Heavien coughed while Nadine was choking her.
Nadine's eyes glazed over. "Papa will come back if she wins, so she'll take you one by one. She'll start with you!"
Heavien was pale and in tears as Nadine strangled her.
She picked up her fallen arrows and aimed at her nape. She tightened her grip on her even more and she continued to catch her breath. She doesn't know why she can't fight back. She can kick her easily, so her hands will be loosed, but something is hindering her. She has no longer has any strength with her. She can't anymore. She-She can't do this.
She saw someone running closer behind Nadine.
He aimed his sword at her nape and struck. She could clearly see Nadine's wide-open eyes in shock. The gruesome pain she felt when he cut her neck must have been distressing. Her blood splattered on her cheek. She is now lying on her chest— lifeless.
Why does this have to happen?
Even though Nadine was mean to her, she was also bad to her. She stared at whoever killed Nadine.
He still holds the sword with blood dripping from the tip of its sharp and glowing blade. He stared at her without any reaction.
Heavien gulped at the same time as a tear dripped from her right eye.
Animals and monsters kill each other. She caught him red-handed; he's one of them.