The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 60: Somone Else Arrived

If the blood of both Deities run within this person's veins then how would it change or affect their abilities?

My eyes shifted from their silhouette to my arm that has started to actually be painful. They have extraordinary strength that I was not prepared for, even their speed was unmatched and I have been training with both Cocytus and Leigh. Although Leigh has always been cautious around us kids, he never exceeded to the point that we cannot keep up any longer.

But this person... they were trained to be this skilled.

"The Lady of the Death Doors and the Spirit of Viridescent," I uttered under my breath, "how did you fool them into giving, nay," I corrected myself, "sacrificing their blood to you?"

I have a suspicion that this person might be one of those people who blindly fought in this war and lost everything. I could hear the remorse on their voice and the anger. It was not a random emotion. It had built up within this person and now that they got a chance to get closer to me, they seized it ever so aggresively.

They even went to go far as to collect the blood of the Deities which, I would guess since I have been in the presence of the Deities myself, was no easy feat. Not to mention that they were beyond and deep within the Dalcanotian Territoroes.

Just pinpointing the location of each of the Deities was already an arduous stunt, what more about acquiring their blood?

"I have nothing to lose any longer, my fair lady," they sneered at me, the black ink that snaked on their arms produced a dark sheen, seemingly alive on their skin. "What I do is none of your interest, what I had to lose does not concern you. But if you seek that same power, then I dare to go deep in the land of magic where you shall find them."

Power, I thought.

Was it not the very reason why I was training and training myself? To get more that power? To fight power with power?

"Are you with Haefen? With the mercenaries or bounty hunters? Whose side are you on?"

"I remember," they muttered, so low that I could not even hear it that properly, "I remember how you said that you are on your own side. That you will... fight for yourself."

I knotted my forehead, not daring to even shift any part of my body. My eyes was just pointed at them, at this person whose magical energy was brimming to the fullest. With sudden vigor, my attacker, actually, my opponent let out a burst of magical powerful. Although I felt it wavered with its impact on my arms, it was still rather forceful and I had to tactically retreat.

Yes, that was a euphemism for running away.

Integrating the wind with energy, it stiffened underneath the soles of my feet and I was launched towards one of the trees around. It provided me with no shade nor did it provided any sort of hiding spots but it was high enough that I could see my opponent's firing towards me. The fire on the lines of the seal made it possible for me to see them clearly.

But even when I have the advantage of being on the higher ground than them, I was still on defense. I dodged the magical energy being thrown at me.

I realized earlier that they were just like me. Half a Warrior and half a Mage. They could use magic just fine but their strength lies on their physical capabilities. I could feel the magical energy around my opponent waning and fading in waves.

Unlike me who has gained proper control of my magical abilities, I realized that my opponent has better grasp of their physical abilities and combat fighting moves than their own magic.

And that was an advantage to me.

Since my advantage was that I have better control of my magical skills, I stayed up on the arms of the trees. With my every jump, there was a hidden invisible force aiding me to get it higher and a more powerful grip on each of the bodies of the trees.

I sighed and closed my eyes momentarily.

When I opened my eyes, my hands were also poised to counterattack to my opponent. Rounds upon rounds of magical force rained down on them while I was still moving behind the shadows of the trees. I was getting tired but they were also countering my counterattack, deflecting and dodging every force with just an impactful arm.

I cannot win against them in combat, that much was true based on the ache all over my body. We have exchanged dozens of moves earlier and I have gauged and estimated the extent of their strength. I would lose, even with the reinforcement of magic, I was still inferior. Earlier, I was still rather confident. After all, I have gained some experiences and I have reached new heights with my training. Just a couple of months ago, I was a helpless little damsel but since regaining more power, I felt that I could take care of myself and not be too dependent of anyone else.

"Whose side are on?" I asked them yet again.

"Does that even matter?" they asked in return which only frustrated me more. "Ah! You are part of a very long and very greedy family of politicians. No wonder why the Elliot and the Alaric families have stayed in the nobilities since the ancient times! Both of your families, deep within your very roots, deserves the highest level of the Inferno! I am my on my own side, my fair lady."

A defector? I asked myself.

The spear glinted on the iced ground. With no intention to pick it up off the ground, I knew I coukd use that to gain more leverage. Finally, I went down from the branches of the trees, a shield was already rising as my opponent lashed out to me with pure magical energy. Although I managed to deflect it with my own, there was still a setback on my body and blood was forced out of my throat.

I coughed a few times without taking my eyes off them.

Only after scrutinizing them carefully did I found out that I was not the onky one that was being affected eith the excessive use of magic. I saw blood pouring down their robes. At first glance, it was not entirely noticeable since the robes were in the blackest color but I saw the glistening wetness of red fluid against the fire that I created earlier.

My move was fast, I don't think I have ever ran in this speed before, but my legs directed me to the spear. I was so close to them that I could smell the scent of blood off them. I know that I would never win in terms of physical strength but I still dared.

"Now," they said in a cold voice, "who is the one who's bold?"

They knew that I could not win in this way and I could hear the amusement and mockery on their tone. I threw the spear at them with all of my strength. As expected, they moved fast and the spear did not pierce through them.

There was a sound of ripping flesh as what I had laid on the branches of the trees managed to finally stab them. Their back arched in an unnatural angle while my solidified magical energy, almost crystal-like, went through their shoulder. They did not even cry out of the pain, the only indication that they have been hurt was the twitching of their hands.

"So that was what you did up on the trees," they surmised.

What I was not expecting was that they suddenly turned around, making the fire on the lines of their seal ablaze even further, and fled out of the forest. They have been caught off guard, I know that since I was the one in the most advantage here. I have memorized the whole layout of the forest, patrolling it every night after night.

I guess that sacrifice of my time paid off.

I was also too spent to give chase although I would like to know who were they and how come they were inside of the Academia Amitiel. My legs almost gave out although they still carried me with declining speed, dodging the oncoming trees and the roots but they were too fast for me and I could not even keep up.

At the end, I stopped and decided to go back to the seal. With the absence of its owner, it also declined in power and was slowly fading away. The fire that was blazing fiercely earlier was now turned into small and pitiful flame.

"Tsk, the blood," I scoffed at myself, looking at the seal which was made out of the blood magic. "They were able to get in here without alerting the Blessing because of the blood."

Even Leigh and specially Deo coukd sneak in and out of the Academia Amitiel just fine without alerting the Blessing or being kicked out.

I groaned out loud, wht should I call that person? The Warrior? The Mage? I sighed. When I thought Deo said that hybrids like me, who would be able to manifest more than just one ability, was rare, I thought it was actually that rare. It seemed it was not so.

I looked at the spear, left behind by its original wielder. Although the spear seemed to have been out of great material, my opponent was not bothered just leaving it behind of them.

They were well-funded then, I thought suddenly.

To move back and forth between the in and out of the Dalcanorian Territories would definitely require them to spend endless amount of money, and there was also the matter of moving about the Dalcanorian Territories just to find the Deities.

It meant that it must have taken my opponent a while to stage this platform.

But just who exactly were they? I could not even tell base solely on their voice what ever gender they were since their voice and tone revealed nothing. Their voice was androgynous, not too low to be easily identified as male and not too high to be easily identified as a female. While they also revealed their blood magic marked arms, those arms were very slender packed with muscles.

Even my arms could be mistaken as a male's with the amount of working out I have ben doing.

And I could not just draw up a conclusion when I have nothing at hand, not even a single information. Actually, my opponent revealed enough. First was that they were well-funded. Second was that this plan was planned and orchestrated since a long time ago. Third was that they were neither on the side of Eirini and Haefen.

And, finally, lastly was that they did not want to kill me immediately but they definitely intend to do just that maybe after what they were planning to do with me. And they have an accomplice, that was for certain.

A rustle of leaves behind me made the hair on my skin prinkle. Before I could do anything stupid, a light butterfly approached me and relayed a message. I saw the image of Cocytus and Leigh speeding through the forest. Cocytus' face was obviously distressed while Leigh's expression was unreadable.

I sighed yet again and raised my hand towards the seal. I tried banishing it with a cleansing spell, I was unable to though since it was particularly powerful.

"Seraphin," Coctyus greeted me. Grim replaced his distress when he saw the seal that was fading away already. Cocytus himself does not know many things about magic but I knew that he could understand it even just a little.

"Blood magic," Leigh remarked with that kind of expressionless face.

"I thought you'd never arrive," I told them both. There was not any sarcasm on my voice, I knew that if that attacker have found somehow a way to avoid my final attack, an intricately woven arrows of magical force drawn out of my own energy, they would certainly overpower me. "Someone is here," I announced, "and attacked me. They were trying to get me to the seal, but I managed to injure them. The attacker went to south where the border of the wall ends."

Leigh turned to his foster son and nodded.

"Give chase," he ordered and Cocytus was already positioning himself to run but I held him off on his arm.

"You can't." I panted heavily while the light butterflies started to flock over to me. I could feel their anger with the fluttering of their wings, being commanded to get out of my way and let me deal with the attacker was against the order that Deo gave them which was to protect me. "You have arrived too late. The attacker is a Hybrid of Mage and Warrior, and he is incredibly strong. Also..."

I paused, hesitating a little whether I would tell my great uncle or not, but then again this was about the Deities.

And that was their problem if there was an internal conflict among them.

"There is something the attacker revealed to me that you must know."