The friction of water against the ship's hull slowly began to feel faint. Fog came enveloping the ship, now appearing thicker than before. The moonlight was unable to penetrate the mass of fog.
"The talking session is over, kid,"
The entire deck of the ship was covered in fog and the glow of Anima energy was quickly suppressed.
The sound of footsteps trembling on the floor. The sound of the wind blowing. The sail cloth fluttering. Within the fog, all of it sounded faint.
Ascella stepped back, something was wrong with her.
The three teenagers with their hands and mouths tied quickly stepped forward. Moving closer behind Ascella. One of them had his mouth untied and walked closer to Ascella.
His wavy blonde hair moved irregularly as he walked.
"Thank you sorcerer," he said softly near Ascella.
Ascella heard the voice from behind her right. But, she only glanced at him without an answer.
Right after he spoke. His steps stopped in front of Ascella, with his bound hands supporting on his right knee. A splash of blood was slightly visible on his cheek. Cold sweat was visible on his forehead.
"I-I think me and the others can help!"
The thick fog made the skin hidden beneath the clothes feel damp.
"..."
After going through various things just now. Ascella's mental state was still somewhat held back to start talking with someone she had just met.
"Stay away from me."
Ascella tried to step away. Her mind unfocused. Both palms opening to push him away.
As Ascella was looking at the blonde man behind her. Something came suddenly.
From a blind spot within the fog, a yellow shadow appeared. Its movement was slow and unhurried. Sensing something coming, Ascella's reflex made her face forward again.
It felt very close.
...
Since when!
"Watch out!" shouted the blonde man. His hand moved closer quickly.
A striking stick with a hard surface. It swung fast—splitting the fog. Dark yellow Anima energy enveloped it—forming sharp wires.
The sharp wires were very close. Ascella felt a cold sensation on her skin.
The stick struck empty air and Ascella's body was instantly thrown away, pushed far...
Her chin lifted high. Her shoulders rotated loosely.
"Almost a Home Run....," said R'ogues with a smile as he was swallowed again by the fog.
On the deck floor, Ascella who had fallen tried to push away the man's hand, her body attempting to stand again.
Her breath was ragged. The surge of Anima energy looked to be thinning. The movement of her hands as they supported her body to rise. They were seen trembling violently.
"Are you okay?!" the man asked Ascella.
Ascella raised her hand, the small tremor did not stop.
"Can you be quiet...," replied Ascella.
"S-sorry...," whispered the blonde man.
Ascella's eyes moved to the edge of her vision.
Within the fog, R'ogues' shoes stepped calmly. With each step, the fog opened and closed. R'ogues saw that glow, a faint deep red behind the fog.
The back of Ascella's neck tensed. Her eyes observed in all directions, until she fully began to be certain of one thing.
Difficult...
I can't feel the trace of his energy.
This fog is disturbing.
Ascella's eyes began to stare in one direction. From where she stood, her eyes looked to the left.
I'm sure it's that direction.
The pressure is different there.
Ascella fell silent for a moment.
"Listen I think, I need help...," said Ascella softly, turning her back to the blonde man.
As he bent forward, his body leaned closer. The sound of his breathing might have reached Ascella's ears. His eyes were also alert, after what had happened to the sorcerer in front of him.
"Help?" he asked.
Ascella once again suppressed the Anima energy within her body. Though not as perfect as before, in this thick fog. It was enough.
"By any means, I want you to break that man's focus. I have a plan to defeat him." said Ascella clearly.
"A plan huh..."
The man's head turned in various directions, observing the surroundings. Something quickly crossed his mind.
"My friends, I think they can also help you...,"
As he turned back toward Ascella who did not give the answer he was waiting for. The blonde man's eyes caught the emptiness where Ascella's figure should have been.
"W-where did she go?"
The blonde man's confusion made him stand upright, hoping to see something as his view rose higher. A small light shone and reflected in his black pupils.
Quickly it grew larger. The fog split. Reflexively he raised his hand.
The stick with Anima energy came again. R'ogues' hand swung quickly, his stick slicing through the fog.
Blood splattered everywhere. The thorned ends pierced his skin. Hooking before tearing away. The pain made his hand drop.
His body jerked backward. The blonde man's breath was cut off.
Once again R'ogues smiled, one stomp of his foot on the floor caused the fog to split wide and moonlight illuminated the deck again. The sound of wind scraping against hard surfaces, from within the fog a yellow shadow shot forward rapidly.
"Don't worry you will die the same way."
The blonde man tried to refocus on R'ogues' figure standing casually. Clearly visible as the fog was blown away by R'ogues' stomp.
Those words entered through his ear, the blood flow within him somehow surged.
His eyes blinked and opened slowly. R'ogues' figure charged quickly. The stick swung again toward him.
His heart felt like it stopped for a moment, then beat strongly. Pain surged in the man's chest. Driven by that pressure, he quickly moved his head backward. His body was thrown backward as well.
R'ogues' attack struck empty air for the second time.
The blonde man's eyelids half-closed.
This person...
If I lose focus even once.
I could die.
His eyelashes slightly blocked his vision, staring at R'ogues. Trying to stay alert, he opened his eyes wide. For a moment his eyes observed the fog moving to close the space.
When the fog began to close quickly, he shifted his gaze back to where R'ogues stood.
The yellow Anima energy light in front of him disappeared. Just a moment after he turned his gaze quickly.
"Where?!"
The fog closed— the moonlight vanished. His eyes moved to the edge of his vision.
From the right!
The man felt a cold and piercing sensation on his face. Trying to do something, both his elbows rose quickly.
From the direction the blonde man predicted, yellow wires struck—piercing and tearing. He collapsed onto the floor. Red blood began to spill heavily. Slowly pooling.
"Still holding on? Your reflexes are decent," said R'ogues calmly. But his eyes could not stay still in one place.
R'ogues' steps shook the floor. Both his feet stood on the blonde man's stomach.
"The game is over...,"
Even though he knew what was coming to him. A smile instead appeared on his face. His mouth opened slowly.
His chest expanded.
"DELULU IS SOLULU!"
That voice spread, reaching someone far beyond the fog. The sound of gunpowder exploding rang loudly. The fog was pierced— a large lead ball, the bullet shot rapidly.
"NO WAY?!"
R'ogues glanced quickly toward the source of the sound. The wire manifestation disappeared. Quickly all his energy output was used to reinforce himself with his Anima energy.
His arm swung, the striking stick lashed toward the source of the sound. Two solid objects collided with force. The impact pushed away the surrounding fog. The bullet was slapped to the left. Moving away into the silence of the fog.
Enduring the pain, the blonde man smiled.
This... is my chance!
"Haghh!"
With his remaining strength. His leg kicked R'ogues' knee. A painful impact sound was heard. R'ogues was pushed backward.
"You little pig."
R'ogues' eyes glared angrily.
The blonde man rose quickly. With staggering steps he ran away from R'ogues.
Driven by anger, R'ogues would not let the prey in front of him escape. One step of R'ogues shook the deck floor.
But at that moment, his heavy step stopped abruptly. From within the fog, an object was thrown slowly toward him.
Its shape was round with small ropes tied all over its body. That hand-sized object floated in the air. In the silence, it fell right in front of R'ogues' face.
The smell of burning gunpowder reached his nose.
A small flame appeared from within— then EXPLODED. Burning all the ropes binding it. The pressure violently opened its contents.
Rogues had no time to avoid it
Small fragments.
That rough object carried sharp air.
At the same time.
The blonde man with his strength, jumped as far as possible onto the floor.
The surrounding fog was swept far in all directions. Forming a large circle.
Those small fragments scattered everywhere. The air also cut through the Anima energy layer. R'ogues' body was scratched by those fragments.
Blood splattered into the air. His Anima energy output dimmed for a moment.
The fog was pushed away, forming a circle from the boundary of the explosion. In the center of that circle it was clearly visible, R'ogues crouched with his face facing the floor.
"Sydeq! You're still alive right." someone's voice echoed loudly.
At the edge of that circle, a man looked at his blonde friend who was collapsing on the floor.
The blonde man called Sydeq turned his head. Trying to look at the person speaking to him. Even though trembling violently, Sydeq slowly raised his thumb.
"Nice solution... Yefk."
Yefk's right hand cupped around his mouth.
"Keep going Sydeq!"
Sydeq's breath caught hearing Yefk, with blood pouring onto the floor he steadied his steps again. His heart pounding, pushing away the piercing pain in every movement toward his friend.
Why am I still alive until now. It feels like I'm only delaying the countdown. But the strong push when seeing that sorcerer girl—made me feel something.
Even though R'ogues' skin was full of open cuts, his bent legs slowly tried to rise. R'ogues' yellow Anima energy returned to stabilize around him. In a matter of seconds the Anima energy shifted pressing into R'ogues' legs.
His forehead frowned. A slight smile formed on his face. His heartbeat increased rapidly.
"You damn goblin gang!"
The manifestation on his weapon returned, but the wires looked larger and sharper than before.
The sound of a hard impact shook the wooden floor. Wide and fast steps. That sound was heard behind Sydeq's back.
R'ogues ran quickly toward Sydeq.
R'ogues' body leaned forward, both hands gripping his weapon tightly. The stick with Anima energy stood on his shoulder.
The sharp wires scraped the air. In an instant only a few steps remained before R'ogues landed his attack.
However, just after seeing R'ogues' rapid movement. There was no tension in Sydeq's eyes, no movement of his feet to shift from where he stood. Only preparing with a slight smile on his face.
R'ogues got closer, only one step away.
Sydeq tilted his head quickly. R'ogues' eyes widened. Right from behind Sydeq, in front of the fog Yefk aimed the barrel of his firearm. Even though his aim trembled, the sound of gunpowder exploded. A small lead ball shot thinly past Sydeq's neck.
R'ogues did not flinch seeing it.
Instead he smiled.
Anima energy quickly enveloped his body again. The hot bullet successfully struck his forehead.
But it was too late.
The bullet shattered into fragments in empty air.
"Sydeq!"
Even with his eyes closed. That powerful strike still hit Sydeq. The attack was aimed at his head, but just before that his hand managed to block direct contact to his head.
Sydeq was thrown six steps away from R'ogues and fell to the ground. The large wire manifestation also stabbed into him, before disappearing and leaving a hole.
Sydeq's vision went blank.
It feels like being stabbed by thousands of needles, it hurts. My hand... can't move. My head and my vision. What just happened.
R'ogues' arm quickly swung again, flowing strongly in one direction. The place where the sound of the firearm came from. Yefk began to be in danger.
R'ogues' face seemed to realize something was coming.
No way!
A small ripple appeared on the dark yellow layer of his Anima energy, the same feeling he felt again.
From the direction of the large mast towering within the thick fog. A red silhouette shot out from within the fog.
Turns out I was wrong!
R'ogues' smile appeared. Even though the smile looked admiring, but— he still understood nothing.
-When I Open My Eyes: My Journey Begins-
Next ch10.1: Archer's Paradox Technique