Encounter

--Sky's Perspective--

The forest grew silent as I muttered that I heard something, and it caused Ruby and Faith to look around.

"Are you sure? I don't sense anything." Faith said, looking around even my position.

No... I'm definitely sure.

As I scanned the area more and more, I felt it, but this time, it made my body hot.

And I immediately stepped backward, going so fast that I kicked up dirt and pulled Ruby with me while my right arm was catching up to meet my body.

"What the hell?!" Ruby shouted out again.

I slid onto the ground and I heard a loud, impact noise right in front of me, and a slight chuckle that followed.

"Leave it to Sky Asterio to have a reaction time faster than my attack speed," Fico said.

There she was again... that weird outfit, those weird feathers on the outside of her body... and that terrifying gaze she carried around.

"You waste no time at all. What are you doing back here?" I asked her, trying to defuse the atmosphere.

[25:19]

I'm close... if I can stall, maybe a win would be in sight...

"I'm here to kill you. Won't you fight me?" Fico asked.

She pulled out a weird, claw-like blade that emerged from her knuckles, and licked the ends of them. Faith took a defensive stance, and Ruby started to reach for her blade.

"I would leave that alone if I were you." I heard from behind.

My warning system wasn't going off, so I kept my eyes fixated on Fico.

I've used the strategy of distraction to win some fights, and I know as soon as I turned my head away from Fico, she would kill me. I have to leave whoever was behind me to Ruby.

"Sky... he has the key..." She told me.

I kept my eyes forward with an intense stare, knowing that my chances of survival are now extremely low. Ruby's bad decision making skills would end my life.

"Genesis was right, Ruby is very impulsive, predictable, and borderline stupid. Alright then, shall I kill her first to free you?" Fico asked me.

While I was considering it, I shook my head.

"I would stay away if I were you. We can forget about this if you leave right now." I offered one last escape to Fico, and it looked like she considered it, before returning her gaze to my eyes and shaking her head.

And then, she charged forward again.

Her body moved way too fast for me to keep up. I had to use every ounce of prediction in my body to dodge her attack.

But, I didn't...

And she hit Ruby right in her left arm.

Completely severing it off of her body, Ruby's left arm slammed into the floor with a juicy slap that echoed throughout the empty forest. However, she didn't make a single sound.

Ruby only sat with blood pouring from her wound, and the same look on her face as before.

My hand was at least freed from Ruby's handcuffs... but I still couldn't use my strands. The metal in them somehow disabled them in my right arm... but only my right arm.

I could feel strands coursing through my legs.

"Fico, My Eye of Providence is picking up activity in Sky's legs. It looks like he still has some power... but they're very weak... kind of lackluster. So, you don't have your full power anymore." The person behind me said.

This must've been Cole... the opponent Illya was talking about. If he was that stronger than Illya, then I would lose here.

"Do you want to assume, or find out? I told you, I would give you one last chance to leave here." I repeated myself.

I still have tricks up my sleeve... I just need to stall. How can I stall? Shike's ability might be a good use...

"Dad... we need to retreat..." Faith muttered.

"Dad? So, that is your father? That's your relationship with him... and Dani is connected too..." Cole said behind me.

Things were being revealed at a fast rate, one I couldn't keep up with. And now, I can finally confirm my one suspicion.

"I take it that you were Naomi all along, weren't you, Fico?" I asked.

"Correct! You at least have some of your intelligence. Okay okay, enough talking, this is killing me! I want to kill you now and bring your head back. Do your job and stand still, will you?" Fico asked. Her claws enlarged and she vanished again.

And I immediately used Shike's ability.

I took a hit, somewhere near my chest, and it absorbed the kinetic energy... but some was able to pass through, and cut open my skin.

This Fico person had the capability to surpass the absorption of Kinetic energy, and the only thing that stopped her from killing me was the second layer of support from Golden strands that I concentrated onto the point that I received the blow from.

Fico was far too fast for my perceivable range. This opponent... is too strong...

"FAITH! RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION!" I screamed out.

I slammed my foot into the ground and split Faith apart from Fico and Cole with a burst of ice from Belle's Ability. My lifespan was further shortened, and I grabbed Ruby by her remaining arm and pulled her out of the way.

Cole was making his attack, and he wasn't just aiming for me now. Ruby was a target as well.

Defending three people with one arm that I can't use strands in, and exhausted legs... I just need to stall.

"Cole, head for Faith. I got Sky and Ruby. No survivors," Fico told him, cracking the ice with her claws and forcing through an opening.

"Ruby, I can heal your wound with my strands, but you need to leave. Get back to the city and get everybody out of there. Let me deal with this alone." I told her.

"..." Ruby kept her mouth silent and grabbed onto my handcuffs with her hand, clenched it, and disintegrated the metal.

"I'll leave it to you. No matter what, keep them out of the city." I told her.