The remaining five didn't hesitate before turning towards him with their hands on the trigger and their weapons pointing at him, their expressions tightening as tension filled the air.
Shot ×5
Another round of bullets came again, rushing towards Socrates from all directions, slicing through the air with sharp whistling sounds. He was in the middle with nowhere to escape to. If he veered left, he'll be struck, and the same applied for moving right. Even front and back offered no safety, only certain impact.
Still, he can't just stay in the center or he'll be struck by all the bullets at once, his body instinctively rejecting the thought of stillness in the face of death.
Without wasting any second, Socrates exerted force into his legs as he leapt up, nimbly throwing himself into the air as he flipped backward, his red hair trailing behind him. He landed behind two aspirants with precise control, his feet barely making a sound against the ground. Before they could turn around, his fists had already found their way into their backs, pushing them forward violently while the bullets fired from the aspirants on the other side seared through their flesh, tearing through them without mercy.
Many aspirants came again as they started firing consecutively at Socrates, their gunfire creating a chaotic storm of projectiles, but the red-haired teenager was skillfully dodging everything while also counterattacking whenever he got the slightest chance, his movements fluid and precise like flowing water.
"How's he moving so fast?"
"I can't sense any energy from him.. How does he have such high agility.."
"Everyone use your energy. Engage in melee combat.." The aspirants saw that guns were not doing the job they wanted, their frustration evident, so they switched to melee weapons, drawing blades and blunt instruments with grim determination.
One aspirant pulled out a heavy club while the other dragged out a sword, the metallic edge glinting faintly, as they rushed towards Socrates with killing intent.
"Two can play this game.." Socrates also pulled out his Antler daggers as he dashed forward with fast reflexes, his grip firm and his gaze steady.
The two candidates slashed out with their weapons, aiming to corner him, but the latter skillfully evaded them, his body twisting at impossible angles. He appeared behind them in a blink and tore his daggers into their backs with ruthless precision. They crashed on the ground instantly, their bodies going limp, unable to move as pain overwhelmed them.
An arrow whooshed through the air heading straight towards him, cutting through the chaos, when he turned around and deflected it to another direction with his daggers, sparks flying upon impact.
He flung his two daggers towards the two aspirants that were jumping down from the roof, their descent interrupted mid-air as the daggers penetrated into their stomachs, causing them to drop heavily onto the floor.
Before he could turn, his gauntlet hummed softly, emitting a faint vibration that resonated through his arm, causing the Antler daggers to vibrate and return back to his grip as if pulled by an invisible force.
"Wow.. It's really magnetic.." Socrates stared at his hand in amazement, momentarily distracted by the seamless motion of the weapon returning to him.
"Socrates watch out.." Mr. Jaggers cried out, his voice cutting sharply through the battlefield, and at that same moment Aspirant 1 pulled the trigger of a hand cannon as a devastating blast traveled towards Socrates' direction.
He quickly turned towards the direction as he crossed his daggers right in front of him, using the antlers to block the damage, bracing his entire body for the impact.
But the force of the blast was more than what the antlers could handle.. It was only able to subsidize the effect as it hit him hard on the chest, the shockwave rippling through his body and sending him flying backward violently.
Three candidates surrounded him instantly as they activated gloo walls.. The fluffy white walls formed in a triangular shape, rising rapidly and trapping him right in the middle as he struggled to get up, the enclosure cutting off all escape routes.
Aspirant 1 pulled out a grenade from his inventory as he uncorked it instantly without wasting time and threw it into the barrier that they had used to trap Socrates, the object spinning as it descended.
Mr. Jaggers' eyes widened as he made his move instantly, his body surging forward with urgency, but his distance was still a far cry from Socrates... No matter how fast he was, he couldn't reach him before the explosion.
The grenade landed on the ground right before Socrates, bounced up again, and then landed on the ground.. The force of gravity wasn't still able to hold it as it bounced up the third time, spinning slightly in the air, but before it could touch the ground that third time which would trigger its explosion...
Socrates' eyes widened, his heartbeat accelerating violently as the image of his death flashed before his eyes in vivid clarity.
Not an easy death.. Not a death where his body could be found, but a death where his body would be torn into pieces by the level of explosion—
When his passive skill suddenly got activated.
STEAM BURST!
A violent burst of orange-like heat oozed out of his body, swirling intensely around his legs as a terrifying force pushed him forward, causing him to burst forward at a speed that defied time itself, leaving behind a trail of orange, crackling sparks that scorched the air.
BOOM!
The explosion rang out instantly as it concentrated at the middle of the gloo wall at first before spreading out violently, scattering the white fluffy walls into fragments as the force tore through the roof, sending debris flying into the night sky.
Aspirant 1's face crept into a smile, believing Socrates to be dead, until he suddenly sensed someone coming from behind him, a presence sharp and overwhelming.
He turned around, and his eyes widened in surprise to see Socrates dashing towards his direction at a terrifying speed, orange, steaming sparks trailing behind him like a blazing comet.
"Take this..." The red-haired teenager stated as he launched a punch straight at Candidate 1's face, the sheer force of the impact driving the man into the air as his body twirled violently in a horizontal manner.
But Socrates' speed was just too uncontrollable as he caught up with the Candidate in no time, grabbed him by the leg mid-air, pulled him down with brutal force, and sent a terrifying kick to his stomach which sent him flying away across meters, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.
Socrates turned sharply towards the other aspirants who didn't hesitate but ran away immediately, fear overtaking their earlier greed as they scattered in different directions.
He then turned to Mr. Jaggers as the steam he was emitting slowly cooled down, the heat dissipating into the air.
"Boy.. You've grown much powerful..." Mr. Jaggers stroked his beard, his eyes reflecting both approval and quiet astonishment.
"It's only due to your help, Senior." Socrates bowed respectfully, his tone sincere despite the intensity of the battle that had just ended.
[The Double Battle Royale has finally come to an end.. Aspirants with tokens will now be transported out of the Bermutha island.]
The golden token in Mr. Jaggers' pocket flew out as the golden glow enveloped both him and Socrates, the light wrapping around their bodies and lifting them gently as it transported them out of Bermutha Island.
The duo had successfully passed through the first test after going through countless trials... both life and death experiences that even someone from the same family didn't share, their journey forged through blood, pain, and survival.
Unbeknownst to them, their bond had already gone so deep as they smiled at each other, a silent understanding passing between them, before their bodies dissolved into illusory streaks of light, ready to face the next challenge that awaited them.