Chapter 38: Xain Vs Mellow Part 1

The moment Quincy's hand came down, Xain took off running, his eyes darting across the newly-formed cityscape as he mentally mapped out potential advantages. Alleys, rooftops, debris—anything that could be used to gain the upper hand.

On the other side of the arena, Mellow Wilde did the same—except he wasn't wasting time making notes. He just ran. And he was fast.

Xain barely had time to register the speed before Mellow was already upon him, closing the distance before he even made it a quarter of the way across the battlefield. His eyes widened in shock.

*Crap—!*

A fist crashed into his chest before he could react, the impact hitting like a battering ram. The force sent him flying backward, his body rolling roughly across the stone ground.

"Wow! We just began the match, and Mellow Wilde immediately lands a punch!" Quincy's voice rang through the arena as the crowd roared.

Even though most wanted to root for Xain over Mellow, the crowd couldn't help but cheer. They were here for entertainment above all else.

Up in the stands, X hummed. "Huh. Guess he really doesn't have magic."

Beside him, Sarandel shot him a side glance. "He doesn't," she confirmed, eyes flicking back to the fight. "But I'm sure he can still use it via Ercale."

Back in the arena, Xain finally stopped rolling, his movements surprisingly smooth as he pushed himself back to his feet. He was shaken but unharmed.

"Like I suspected," Samwell muttered, watching intently. "No damage… just what is that armor made of?"

Meanwhile, Mellow grinned, hands on his hips as he studied Xain. "You sure know how to take a punch," he mused. "Makes me wonder if you even needed his help."

Xain blinked. *What is he talking about?* The thought lingered for only a moment before he pushed it aside. The angelic armor had saved him this time, but if Mellow landed a hit somewhere unprotected, things could go south fast.

Mellow's grin widened before he shot forward again, his speed a blur—

But this time, Xain was ready. He rolled away just as Mellow lunged, causing the hardened criminal to miss completely. Mellow stumbled, nearly losing his balance as if struggling to control his own speed.

Xain's eyes narrowed.

"...Wait a second." His gaze flicked to the man's erratic footwork, the speed, the imbalance—his mind made the connection. His expression twisted into a glare. "You're the purse snatcher!?"

Mellow let out a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he straightened. "Heh. Heh. Heh. Was wondering when you'd figure it out."

Xain scowled. Without a word, he turned around and ran.

Mellow blinked. "What the hell?"

Then, he scowled. "Oh no you don't!" He took off after him.

"What's this!?" Quincy exclaimed, wings flapping as she swooped down for a better view. "Instead of a fight, this match has turned into a chase!"

Up in the stands, Zee leaned forward, eyes filled with concern. "Eh? Why is Xain running? That guy's faster than him—he can't outrun him!"

Larkin scratched at his beard. "How'm I supposed to know?"

"He probably has a plan," Nori signed, though his worried gaze never left the battlefield.

Back in the arena, Mellow quickly closed the gap, his superior speed making it impossible for Xain to gain distance—

But just as he reached out to grab him, Xain suddenly veered sharply into an alley.

Mellow cursed, skidding as he nearly lost his footing again. "Tch—!" He turned, eyes narrowing as he watched Xain vanish into the shadows.

"Looks like a repeat of our first encounter!" he called, taking off after him. "Except this time—I'm the chaser!"

Kicking up dust, he pushed himself forward, wind magic rushing around his legs as he surged into the alley—

Only for something to slam into his face the moment he turned the corner.

Pain exploded across his nose and mouth as Xain's elbow drove into him, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Blood dripped from his nose, his lip busted open from the force.

Xain loomed over him, seething. "You're the entire reason I'm in this mess!"

"What do we have here? Looks like Xain led Mellow into an alleyway so that he only has one way to go!" Quincy announced as the crowd cheered again.

"Smart. Now his running speed doesn't matter," X commented with a nod of approval...?

Meanwhile, in another part of the stands, Clara cupped her hands around her mouth. "Yes, Xain! You can do it!" she yelled, nearly tempted to use her fire magic to send up literal fireworks in celebration.

Back in the arena, Mellow held his bleeding nose, his expression twisting in frustration as he quickly pushed himself back to his feet. Without hesitation, he unsheathed a dagger from the belt across his chest, pointing it at Xain.

"I didn't do shit! You're the idiot that participated in the tournament!" Mellow snapped.

Xain rushed in without a word. Mellow jabbed the dagger at him in defense, but Xain sidestepped, twisting his body just out of range. Before Mellow could retract his arm, Xain's right hand clamped around his forearm. In the same motion, his left fist rocketed upward, slamming into Mellow's elbow joint.

"Gah—!" Mellow grunted as his fingers spasmed, the dagger slipping from his grasp. Before it could hit the ground, Xain kicked it away, sending it skidding across the stone.

"If you hadn't injured Roland, he would be here right now!" Xain snapped.

Still gripping Mellow's forearm, he wrenched him forward and drove a left-hook straight into his ribs. Mellow coughed violently, pain shooting through his torso—but Xain wasn't done. Shifting his stance, he coiled his leg before yanking Mellow toward him, launching a brutal kick just below his armpit. The force sent Mellow stumbling back, his back slamming against the alley wall.

"Wow, wow, wow! Xain isn't even giving Mellow time to breathe! Is this it for the hardened criminal!?" Quincy exclaimed.

Back in the fighter's waiting area, Even crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Yeah, this is going about how I expected," he muttered. He knew firsthand how annoying that armor was to deal with and how good of a fighter Xain is.

Bryanard, however, observed with more interest. "The way he fights… it's tactical, cunning—brutal. What sort of life has that boy been leading up to now?" he mused, rubbing his chin.

"He doesn't seem to be exceptionally fast or strong, but he's clearly durable," Zeva noted.

Mae, meanwhile, had her face pressed up against the glass, eyes gleaming. *Is this how you fight? Oh~ I'm getting more excited now~* she thought, though if anyone were to see her expression, they'd assume she was thinking about something very different from hurting Xain.

Back in the arena, Mellow coughed hard, his body slumping against the wall. He lifted his head to glare at Xain, his expression twisting between disbelief and anger.

"Fuck, you aren't kindhearted. You're brutal as shit!" he wheezed.

Xain merely scoffed. "Humph. As if I'd be kind to you."

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, ready to finish the fight—but Mellow's eyes flashed with desperation. Raising both arms, he swung them outward like blades.

Xain had no room to evade.

The blades of wind struck him dead in the chest, sending him hurtling backward. His body crashed through the wall of a nearby building, shattering wood and stone before finally slamming onto the 'streets' of the battlefield.

*Ooh, that looked like a bad hit,* Ercale commented in Xain's head, his tone amused.

Xain's head spun, his bones aching. The angelic armor had protected him from being cut by the wind, but it wasn't the true armor—he still felt the impact of crashing through the structure.

"Huh!? The upper hand switched so quickly! Xain doesn't look good at all!" Quincy shouted.

Groaning, Xain forced himself up onto one knee—only to see Mellow already rushing toward him. There was no time to dodge. Gritting his teeth, Xain raised his arms just as Mellow's boot slammed into him.

"Ugh—!" Xain grunted as he hit the ground, the armor absorbing the blow—but his head struck the stone hard.

"Where'd all that energy go, brat?" Mellow taunted, grinning a bloody grin as he cracked his knuckles. "Time for payback!"