Chapter 81: A Cracked up Jace! (Super gift chap)
Chapter 81
"I will avenge him!" Kael, Jace and Vynn screamed in unison and like a thunderclap, Vynn bolted forward, lightning streaking around him.
A fierce amount of water swirled around Jace, launching him forward with anger bubbling inside him, his rage no longer contained but overflowing like a flood.
"ARGHHHHH!" Vynn roared as he leaped into the air, crashing down toward the beast with streaks of lightning crackling madly around his body and blade.
The beast glanced above with a wicked grin as it saw the C ranked Reaver almost upon it and prepared to move but then...
WOOSH!
SPLASH!
Jace moved. Water swirled around him like a raging ocean, a tidal wave compressed into human form, and he appeared right in front of the beast, thrusting his sword forward. The water coiled tightly around the blade like a serpent ready to strike.
BANG!
The sword shot forward with astonishing speed, forcing the Lycan to clasp both hands around the blade, straining to halt its advance. But the sheer pressure from Jace’s attack forced it skidding backward across the stone, its claws sparking as they fought against the water-enhanced thrust.
CRACKLE!
A sharp crack came from above, pulling the beast’s gaze upward. Vynn was upon it, descending like judgment itself with a lightning slash aimed clean for its neck.
Seeing this, the Lycan swung its foot toward Jace with immense force, aiming to swat him aside and create room to dodge. But unfortunately for it, someone was already in its path.
"I will make sure you pay for what you just did." Kael growled softly, his voice trembling with rage as he braced his shield. Earth encased it in jagged layers, and just in time, the beast’s foot smashed against it.
BANG!
The impact echoed across the battlefield like a thunderclap, forcing Kael to skid violently, his teeth clenched so hard they almost cracked. His legs quivered under the pressure but he refused to fall, his shield trembling in his hand.
Zip!
The block from Kael gave Vynn the opening he needed. His sword sliced downward, but unfortunately, the attack did not land where he had intended.
The Lycan tilted its head at the last second, avoiding the fatal strike. Instead, the blade cleaved into its shoulder, sinking inches deep with sparks of lightning bursting out in all directions.
A shockwave rippled outward as black blood sprayed across the ground. Vynn gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of his strength into the sword, desperate to push it deeper, desperate to take more from the monster that had taken so much from them.
"ARGHHHH!" Jace roared, fury in his voice. Water flared beneath his feet, propelling him forward with explosive speed. His blue eyes, once calm, now carried streaks of red as if blood itself stained his vision.
The coiled water around his blade surged even fiercer, swelling like a storm tide. He clashed with the beast’s claws, managing to force them apart before launching upward, swinging horizontally for its head.
The Lycan ducked low, narrowly avoiding the slash. Jace’s swing would have carried through, but it was now dangerously close to hitting Vynn, who was still pressing down with his sword.
"Shit." Jace muttered under his breath. With a flick of instinct, he shifted his Veil’s form, transforming the fierce serpent of water into a violent splash. It struck Vynn, knocking him out of the air and pushing him clear of danger. He landed hard but safely, rolling to a crouch.
"Damn it! How do we defeat this beast?" Erin asked as she approached, her silver hair whipping like a banner behind her.
Her face was cold, unreadable, but her eyes betrayed the storm inside her. Mist oozed from her blade as she took her stance, ready to fight beside the others.
"I don’t want anybody else to die." Jace said suddenly, his voice carrying across the battlefield. The others turned to look at him as he bowed his head low. His hands trembled, not only from exhaustion, but from rage and the creeping edge of fear.
"Which is why I’ve come to a decision." His voice hardened as he lifted his head. "If you are not a C ranked Reaver, step aside. I hate to say this, but this isn’t a battle for weaklings."
"Huh?" Zarin snapped, striding over. His face darkened as he bent down and picked up a fallen sword, gripping it tightly. "What do you mean? Are you counting us out already? Are you counting me out already?"
"Will you shut the fuck up?!" Jace roared as he shot his head up, his former blue eyes nowhere to be seen and now bloodshot, with tears streaming down his face.
In all the time he was alive, from his reality till now, Jace had never cared for anyone. That was because no one had ever cared for him either.
He had always been alone, and even when he grew stronger and joined the SilverFall Clan, he never once let anyone close to his heart. He had never seen anybody die right in front of him before, and clearly, Renzo’s death must have triggered something inside him that he didn’t even know existed.
"Do you think I’m happy saying this? Heck, we need all the strength we can get right now. But I need you all to step back because this isn’t your fight. I don’t want any more person to die. Is that so hard to understand!" Jace roared again, his voice cracking with a mixture of pain and rage, and this time, everybody was stunned.
Jace—the calm and powerful C ranked Reaver of the SilverFall Clan was raising his voice and crying?
Nobody had ever seen him like this. Not Kael, not Vynn, not even Erin. He was always the one who kept his composure, the one who held his emotions in check, but right now, they could see him for who he truly was. A human.
"You just said it yourself, you need all the strength you can get." Zarin said as he clutched his sword tighter and then took a stance, his eyes fixated on the beast which was now getting ready for the attack.
"And one more thing. Just as much as you care for the clan, I also feel the same way. And just so we are clear, you aren’t the clan master so I don’t need to listen to whatever you say." His tone was firm, but beneath it was fear mixed with pride.
BANG!
A deafening bang rang out and everybody looked up to see that the B ranked beast had already moved. Its next target was Zarin, who clutched his sword tightly waiting for it.
In less than a second, the beast was directly in front of him, its speed terrifying, and it swung its claws from the side aiming to take him out.
"Earth Veil: Slice and Dice." Kael calmly called out, his voice low and gritty, and without a second thought, he hurled his shield forward like a spinning frisbee, causing it to gather momentum in the air.
With a loud bang, it slammed straight into the Lycan’s already extended limb, pushing it away from Zarin.
"Just die!" Zarin roared as he leaped forward, his sword thrust aiming to stab the beast with everything he had, his muscles straining as he poured all his strength into the strike.
But then, all the hairs on Jace’s body suddenly rose up. A suffocating sense of dread crashed over him like a wave.
AWHOOOOOO!
The Lycan howled, a deep, bone-shattering sound that echoed through the entire battlefield, and instantly, an energy mixed with a shockwave exploded out.
The wave slammed into Zarin with merciless force, tossing him violently out of the air and sending him crashing into the dirt as blood spurted from his mouth.
Everybody’s heart thumped loudly in horror.
’Shit! It’s revealing its Veil.’ Jace thought as he quickly gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles turning white.
The atmosphere around the battlefield changed instantly. The playful grin on the beast’s face was gone, replaced by a savage seriousness. The very ground beneath its feet began to crack as its aura poured out like a raging storm.