Alice huffed, tired. She had been holding back from utilizing the technique she received from the Thousand Layer All-Encompassing Sword God due to it being incredibly mana extensive.
However, she could not pick and choose whether or not she wanted to use it or not--the situation she was in - dire and dreadful - demanded her to use absolutely everything in her arsenal to live.
Stepping to the side, Alice narrowly avoided a spike of blood that slithered from upfront. However, branching off of the first spike of blood was another one. It erupted from the side, seizing the chance to pierce her skull.
She was too slow to dodge. And, for a moment, her eyes could almost flash with her life.
"Snap out of it."
A voice.
A calm, collected voice called out to her as a glimmering dagger of azure blue cut down on the branch of blood. Grace did not say anything else, only continuing to rush towards Benjamin.
Behind him, a total of five daggers of light were readily to be used.
Five of them.
Not six.
She stared at his back as even though he was not able to keep up against Benjamin the same she was--he was determined. She threw herself forward, backing Grace.
A shield of blood was motioned, protecting Benjamin. Then the shield of blood unleashed devastating needles that pierced Grace's skin. But he remained steady, steeling his mind as he refused to let his back fall on the ground.
No. Grace thought, his eyes wide. From behind Grace, Alice appeared and began to unleash an assault. But Benjamin was quick to respond, stepping back and shielding himself in ways that prevented the many strikes from piercing his skin--or worse, his heart.
Alice jumped up slightly, imbuing her body with mana and unleashing a kick to Benjamin. Though while the kick was blocked as quickly as it was shoved, Alice threw her blade to her other hand and shot as much flames as possible down the shield that was separating them.
"Insolent fools!"
Benjamin let go of the wall of blood that was his shield and pushed it forward. Caught in the wave, Alice's body was flung away. Grace appeared by her side and caught her by the wrist. Pulling her to him, he did not say anything more and merely protected them with the five daggers.
Clash!
Blood collided with the shield of daggers. Motioning with his free-hand, he redirected the blood upwards. Once done, Grace let go of Alice and nodded to her. He stayed silent, his body and mind burning.
Too much.
Far too much to think about.
Benjamin appeared in front of them, a fist of blood forming. The fist was large and the moment it shot forward, Grace and Alice could see a certain future.
Death.
Grace moved instinctively, two layers of ice appearing in front of them in order to soften the blow.
They could not dodge, so the most optimal way was to merely survive!
BAM!
The fist destroyed the walls of ice and it met Grace and Alice, sending them back many meters away.
Rolling on the ground, their bodies ached.
But their bodies did not ache enough for them to give up.
Immediately, they got back up without a second thought. Even if their bodies did hurt and ache, simply staying down was not an option for them.
Grace huffed.
Almost... there. Imagine. Create. Imagine. Create! Unknowingly, his nose began to spew out thick mountains of blood. He's been pushing himself to his limits far too long and simply maintaining this level was ludicrous.
Dodging to the side and rolling, Grace felt his legs tremble. But he ignored it--he simply must continue. Benjamin rushed towards Grace, discerning him to be the weaker individual that had to be taken out. But Alice was attentive and moved directly behind Benjamin, twelve consecutive slashes appearing.
Blood gushed from Benjamin's back in this moment of weakness. He jumped to the side, dodging a the army of daggers that had been sent his way during that split moment of weakness.
Grace smiled weakly as he forced himself upwards.
"Just... a little more." Grace threw himself away, creating the much needed distance between himself and Benjamin. Grace calculated the space between them, seeing that the distance between him and Benjamin and Benjamin to Alice was almost equal.
Good... Grace thought sluggishly.
His hand swept upwards
"Ice wall..."
"Ice wall..."
Two of them simultaneously rose from the pits of the earth. Benjamin saw this and narrowed his eyes as he dashed to the blocks of ice. But Alice stopped him before he could destroy the walls of ice. Flames stopped him midway and Alice was now running on pure autopilot.
Her body was giving up.
But her will remained firm.
Gnashing her teeth, her eyes shot the devotee a dangerous glare.
"Until you are nothing but incinerated flesh," Alice muttered. "I will not stop." She entered what could be said to be a dance. She twirled, unleashing swirls of slashes that Benjamin met. The older male's face flickered with anger.
He was at a crossroad.
He could not pull off another tsunami of blood due to the extensive amount of mana that had to be used. Which meant that he had no way of pulling Grace back to towards the fray. Which also meant that he was going to be stuck in this one place.
Dueling it out with Alice.
"Pests... all of you!" He yelled, countering the blows that flourished. Their eyes met, glares meeting. A fist to the right then to the left, clashing with the slashes that came from the right and left.
Then blows from above and down below met the downward and upward slashes of Alice's blade. Her blade had long since left the ideals of fire, now returning to its formal state of pure iron.
But the strength difference was clear.
Psshhh!
Alice gritted her teeth, pushed back. The soles of her feet dug into the ground, but with an exhale, she renewed her vigor. Alice did not know where Grace was at either, but at the back of her mind she knew--
There was only one way of winning.
A small smile cracked on her face.
"The fuck are you smiling at?!"
Alice looked at Benjamin.
"You lost."
His blows, lathered in blood, intensified as the incredible power of a Normal-Grade 3 - while temporary - was now being unleashed. With that, Alice's body finally let go, two fists burrowing into her stomach and sending her back.
Fwooom!
Light.
Not any light.
But an azure light was glowing to his left.
"Benjamin Lan," a voice called out from the side. Benjamin turned to the source of the voice and light and saw Grace standing all alone.
Below him, a Magic Amplification Circle.
And above him, a swirl of azure.
Benjamin widened his eyes and instinct took over--he shot forward.
"Devotee for the Vampiric Lord of Blood," Grace's face was calm and even, his heart shaking but also collected.
The azure light expanded, forming a large sword.
No--
A great-sword of light.
It span a total of fifteen meters, oozing strength.
His eyes steeled.
"Grace Walker hereby sentences you to death."
An Intermediate-Grade level skill had been unleashed.
The great-sword hung overhead and then it slashed down. The slash was quick, much quicker than Benjamin could see.
It had surpassed his strength completely.
Ssphhhhh!
His body was sliced in two.
Grace held his hand tightly, his hair swaying under the guiding light of the moon and great-sword of light.
He cracked a grin.
"Thank you for the lesson, Benjamin Lan."