Crimson Rose

»♣« Cinque:The Battle (Hunter)

Scarlett's POV

"Do you want me to choose the stage, Scarlett?" Hunter asks as he straps something on his thighs and forearms.

I took a chocolate bar from my pocket and munch on it, "If you may."

"I think we will use the ghost city set up." He finally finish strapping the thing. It looks like a holster but slightly bigger. "I can't wait to fight you, Scarlett. I hope you're prepared to lose. You were maybe lucky with Shawn but not so lucky with me. I assure you that." He put the bell on his neck making its look like a necklace just like mine.

Pocketing the garbage "You will see yourself how lucky I'm with your own eyes. Just don't cry afterward when you lose" I gave him an innocent smile.

"Why...you...I will make sure that the one that will be shedding a tear, in the end, is you." His face was red, as he stomps away in a different direction.

I start to saw sand beneath my feet. This ghost city maybe more interesting.

"The rule are same as before. Do your best" Bennett announced through the intercom.

Abandoned buildings start to appears. The building looks old and has many cracks on them. Some of them even have half way crumbled to the earth. The name ghost city suit this place. A minute later the simulation finishes making the ghost city. The sky looks brick red. The sand flies as the wind blow like there's a sandstorm coming.

I look around. At least in this place, I have more room to move my scythe around. As I look around I found a crumbled building and decide to sat there while waiting for the battle to start. The wind is strong but not too strong for it to block my sight. But it kind irritated me.

The wind made the bell jingle. Swaying it back and forth as the wind blew it like was dancing.

"This battle will be starting in 3...2...1" the siren sound signaling that the battle has begun. I decided to take a different approach from before. Instead of luring Hunter out, I decided to wait for him to lure me.

I sway my feet as my eyes focused on the deep red sky. Brushing my hair back the wind blew it in front of my face. Pulling my hood over to stop my short hair getting on my face. I focused on my surrounding, that when I hear a faint sound of the bell not too far away from me.

I quickly stand up and jump over the destroyed building to go find Hunter. I tried to find the highest building there to find Hunter and observer him from above. Finally, I settle on 3 stories high building that look almost destroy if I hit it full force with the scythe.

Slowly walking to the edge of the rooftop I saw Hunter a few meters from where I stand. Making sure to hide my presence, I look from afar. He stops on the street in front of the building next to where I stand.

"I know you are here somewhere Scarlett!! I can hear the bell jingling here before!!" he bellows. "Come on, don't be a girl. Come out and fight me like a man!!".

Did he not notice that I was a girl? I just shook my head. I just watch him when he keeps spreading his arm out and took the things out from inside the thing he straps on his thighs. I tilt my head to the side. What is he doing? Or maybe what in the world he planning to do?

Suddenly a strong wind blew and make my bell jingling. He looks at the direction I was standing and smirked. "Got you now Scarlett!" Busted.

It looks like he was pulling something when suddenly the building I was on started to crumble. I jump. Okay, maybe not my best idea jumping from. 3 stories high building but I don't want to get caught with the building crumbling to the ground. I swing the scythe on the building, trying to slow myself down before I become human pancake from the impact.

My planned work it does slow me down but now I have a new problem. I have to dodge these chunks of bricks while safely planning my landing. When I saw the brink was about to hit me, I swing the scythe slicing to half before jumping on it.

When I thought I was safe to land, I jump from the crumbled bricks and rolled to the ground to softer my landing. I quickly jump on my feet and look at Hunter in front of me.

"That was quite a dangerous trick you have there, Hunter. It could possibly kill me if I was careless or miscalculated anything" I say without breaking eye contact. The hood has fallen over my head from the rolling.

Hunter smiled "I must say, Scarlett. I, myself was impressed that you got out without any scratches".

"Why thank you. I'll take that as a compliment. Is that all your plan, Hunter? Make me come down from the building and then what?" I hold the scythe in front of me just in case unexpected thing happen.

He laughs "Ouch. You scar my ego deeply Scarlett by thinking that". Then he suddenly smirks. "Getting you here just the beginning of my plan. My real plan starts now" with that he throws something at me.

I look behind me to see what he is throwing. I saw a silver danger rooted on the building behind me. He kept throwing the dagger in my direction I dodge and block it with the scythe. After keep dodging and blocking for a while I realize 2 things. First, he never aims the daggers to my body. More like a few inches from touching my body. Second, was that I saw a few daggers have been impelled on the places I didn't even stand.

Hunter finally stop throwing the daggers when he saw me look around. "I think you have caught on to part of my plan" he smiled.

"If you are speaking about the unwanted daggers impelled at the building. Yeah, I saw that. The question is why is that?" I made sure to put my guard up. Don't want to be careless now, do we?

"All of those are for this," he said while pulling the thin air. I was confused for a few seconds before I saw something shining between his fingers.

Before I could move I feel myself being tied up by something. I can't even move a muscle. My legs and arms were being tied by something. My leg can barely touch the ground. My whole body was tied up while both of my hands that were still holding on to the scythe in the front of my body. The blade of the scythe was facing away from me which I'm grateful. When I tried to release myself, I felt something trail the side of my neck.

"Nu-uh, it's not a good idea to move Scarlett. If you don't want to be minced meat, I think you better stand still and let me take your bell" Hunter was quite far from me.

I look around without moving my head "Transparent string. Not bad for a guy. I didn't realize you tie the transparent string at the end of the daggers. I must admit that was my careless mistake for not noticing."

"Thank you. You should be grateful that you have the chance to saw a brilliant guy like me on the act," now he has smug look on his face. "Now, let me take the bell and you will be free when Bennett announced that I won". I laugh when I heard that. Hunter seemed pissed with my reaction and stopped walking "What are you laughing at?".

I just smiled meeting his glare. "Sorry to burst your bubble but the name that Bennett will be saying is my name". I don't know why but it came out quite wrong.

"What can you do? You can't even move a muscle without the string hurting you" he raised his eyebrows.

"I'll just do this" taking a deep breath I start to chant "Crystal water in the winter air. I begged for thee to aid me. Dropped the temperature and blew the fire out. Freeze everything thee touch and help me to reach my goal" with that being said I try my best even getting slice by the string, to hit the bottom of the scythe to the ground.

When it hit the ground, ice floor starts to form where it touches. "The hell?!" Hunter quickly jumps back when realizing that.

The ice spread all around us. When Hunter realize that the ice wouldn't affect him, he just stood there looking around. The temperature drops when the gray cloud starts to form above where we stand. The wind that blows before start to turn icy and prick my face. Then it happened, small snowflake start to fall and our breath starts to come out as puffs.

"What have you done?" It didn't sound like he was blaming me, more like he was just curious to what just happened. The tip of his nose turned red from the cold. He looks around us.

"Just the thing I have to do for this" I break free from the transparent string. With the string being frozen it made it a lot easier for me to break it.

"How...why...can...you" Hunter lost in his words.

"That's easy. Simple physics" I wink at him. I brush all the ice off my body before looking at Hunter who is still dumbfounded. "Now let's finish this thing".

I quickly glide at him while letting the tip of the scythe touch the icy ground. Before Hunter can recover from his dumbfound moment. I swing the scythe on his direction. Making the ice move and freeze his leg to the ground.

Hunter throws his remaining daggers at me but I keep blocking it with my scythe. Gracefully glided on the icy I stop in front of Hunter. Before he could do anything I straddle his waist. Taking both his hand above his head, I look at him in the eyes. The scythe falls beside us.

His cheek starts to turn red. "Are you cold Hunter? Your cheeks are turning red" I asked.

"You are too closed" he only muttered. I tilt my head to the side. I don't quite understand what he is trying to say.

"I don't know what are you saying but just let me take the bell so you can be free" Because both my hands are full by holding Hunter's hand. I have to resolve using my mouth to bite the bell off. On the process. My lips accidentally brush against his collarbone.

"Scarlett got the bell. She has won the battle" Bennett announced. I quickly jump off Hunter. I give him a hand to stand up.

The ice starts to melt and disappear as the ghost city. Not once Hunter looks at me.

"You don't have to be so down Hunter. You did quite good back there" I cradle his face with my hand. "To tell you the truth I was quite shocked when you tied me up with those transparent strings" I touch our foreheads together. I close my eyes. When I open my eyes I saw his face was flushed and his red eyes were wide. He quickly turns around.

"You are good" then he gets something out of his pocket. "Take that" he threw that thing in my face "Today just your lucky day I was careless but I swore next time it will be me that won" he then march to the door.

I look at the thing that he threw at me. It was a band aid. "Thanks, Hunter".

Hunter turns around, I swear his face became redder than before he said "Stupid little girl" I just smiled.

"Scarlett, you can come ups-" I cut Bennett off. "Wait a minute Bennett because I have a proposal for Xavier" I pick my scythe up and look at the camera on the wall.

"What is that Scarlett?" I heard Xavier voice on the intercom.

"I know you said that if I win 2 out of 3 you will accept me in your group right".

"That's right. After you won against Shawn and Hunter as in our agreement, you'll be accepted in our team".

"Truth be told when I say you are interested to fight against me, right?".

"It's true. Watching you fight made me want to feel your power" Xavier confess. "So what are you planning on Scarlett?".

"Let me fight you. This will show that I'm worth to be on this team. Besides, It doesn't feel right without fighting you" I said.

"I accept the challenge. But let's make this more interesting don't we" from his voice I know he is smirking. What is he planning?