Nineteen competitors remained after the third round. Due to the odd number, the fourth round would be another free-for-all between the remaining teams. But unlike the second round, anyone who died would be immediately eliminated until only eight competitors remained. Moreover, the arena would get smaller and smaller the longer the round went on, forcing teams into conflict.
Once again, the Akura faction gathered together to discuss strategy. It was now down to me, Mercy, Meira, Yerin, and Lindon. Although Mercy was technically in charge, she was happy to let me take the lead on strategy. "This is going to be a balancing act, and not just for us," I began. "Sophara is dangerous even by herself, but we know from the second round that she can't take down all of us. The cults aren't as dangerous individually, but they match our numbers. I'm confident we can take either of them on their own, which means they aren't going to be looking to pick a fight immediately. But we can't go after either of them ourselves either, because we risk the other stabbing us in the back while we're engaged."
"What if they work together?" asked Meira.
"They might," I conceded. "But keep in mind that they hate each other almost as much as they hate us. They have to consider that even if they successfully managed to eliminate us, whichever was left in the stronger position would turn on the other. And that isn't even considering the other competitors. Most of them don't have any particular grudge against the dragons, but everyone hates the cults."
"So what's the plan, then?" asked Yerin.
"The same as everyone else's plan: Wait for the other guy to make the first move. Whoever attacks first is likely to be eliminated first. If the arena keeps shrinking, everyone will eventually be forced into conflict. Our goal is to try and be the last ones forced in."
Lindon stepped forwards, then pressed his hands together and bowed formally. "I have a favor to ask," he said. I gestured for him to go on. "Naian Blackflame. I believe I can help him."
I raised an eyebrow. "Help him how? He is our enemy, isn't he?"
"I'm not sure he has to be," said Lindon. "If I can cleanse his madness, even for a little while, I believe he may turn on Sophara."
I nodded slowly. "I can see the logic, but there's no way to know for sure." I thought for a few more moments, then nodded again. "If I can maneuver him into a position where you can disable him without excessive risk, I'll do it. But I can't promise anything. He's dangerous, almost as dangerous as Sophara, if much less focused." Lindon bowed again and stepped back.
I turned to look at the rest. "I suspect I'm not the only one here who's been holding something in reserve," I said. In fact, I knew I wasn't, in at least one case. "I won't tell you this is absolutely the round to bring out any hidden tricks. But if you see an opportunity to eliminate one of our enemies, or save one of us, don't hold back. You likely won't get a better opportunity."
The battlefield for the fourth round was a multi-level stone maze. In front of us, stone terraces marched up in rings to an apex maybe a mile away. Each level was clustered with walls and pillars of various heights to provide cover. Behind us was an apparently endless sea of clouds, and the sky was colored in rainbow hues. A pocket world, then.
As soon as we arrived, I let out a swarm of scarabs. I located Lindon and Yerin almost immediately; it seemed allied teams had been started next to each other this time. That was to the advantage of both Malice and Reigan Shen, so I wasn't too surprised.
As we jogged towards them, my scarabs expanded. On our other side from the Blackflame team was a man with green horns carrying a huge warhammer. Ziel, if I remembered correctly, from the wasteland team. Lindon had mentioned in passing that he'd met the man before, and that he was suffering from some type of crippling spiritual injury. Given the way he listlessly dragged his warhammer behind him, I could believe it. He didn't seem like he was going to make himself a threat, so I moved on.
Beyond the Wastelander was Warband Ghost-Blade, with two competitors remaining. On the other side of the arena, past the Blackflame team, was a man with a two-handed sword and the characteristic blonde hair of the Arelius family. Then another singleton, the sole remaining competitor from the Ninecloud Court. Finally, there were two competitors from Dreadnought City, each in their bulky mechanical armor.
Our enemies had been placed at the far side of the battlefield. Closer to us were the Dreadgod cults: Two from Redmoon Hall, two from the Stormcallers, and one from Abyssal Palace. Finally, there was Naian Blackflame, who was already sprinting along the edge of the arena, and Sophara, who strolled leisurely towards the center.
It took us less than a minute to reach the Blackflame team. I quickly outlined the situation to them. Yerin seemed a little disappointed that none of our neighbors were eager to pick a fight, but agreed to sit tight for as long as we could.
It ended up not being very long. Maybe five minutes after we'd arrived, the ground started to shake. With my scarabs, I saw that the entire lowest ring was shaking, but nothing else. They hadn't told us how exactly the battlefield would be reduced in size, but I was pretty sure we were being given a hint. "Everyone up to the next level! Move!"
There were no stairs, but the next terrace was only about ten feet up, a trivial jump for an Underlord. The ring below continued shaking for about a minute, then slowly began sinking. It quickly picked up speed, vanishing beneath the surrounding clouds after just a few seconds.
I quickly took stock. Unfortunately, all of the other competitors had figured out what was happening, and none had fallen. More importantly, there were twelve levels remaining, including the central platform at the apex of the arena. That meant we probably had less than an hour until every remaining competitor was forced into a space only fifty feet across.
"Say that shook things up a bit. What now?" asked Yerin, coming up to stand beside me.
"The arena's shrinking faster than I thought it would," I replied, staring into the distance at the apex. "We have to thin out the competition, or we'll get swarmed."
"Best news I've heard all day. Who're we drawing swords on first, then?"
I glanced back and forth out of habit. The Wastelander had jumped up to the next level, but now he was slumped against a wall next to the new edge, his warhammer propped up next to him. If it was a ruse, it was a very good one. On our other side was the Arelius, and there was hardly any point in trying to ambush him. "The Ghost-Blades," I decided after a moment.
We set off at a jog. I kept a careful eye on the rest of the arena as we moved. The cultists were having a harder time getting organized, and hadn't moved far from their starting positions. Sophara didn't seem to be in a particular hurry to get anywhere, either.
Naian Blackflame, on the other hand, was already approaching the Dreadnought team, who'd started nearest to him. The Path of Black Flame was one of the least subtle Paths in existence, so the Dreadnoughts sensed him coming. But he was also fast, even without his Enforcer technique. They had only a few seconds to prepare their techniques.
To their credit, they didn't waste time. The lead sacred artist wove a net of fire madra and tossed it at Naian Blackflame just as he came leaping over a wall at them. He sliced it in half with a beam of black dragon's breath, which also forced his two opponents to dive for cover. The two halves of the net still brushed over him and singed him slightly, but he didn't seem to notice. He landed between the two Dreadnought competitors and immediately lunged for the one who had thrown the net.
The Dreadnought competitor was surprisingly fast given his heavy armor, but he couldn't keep up with the Blackflame. Worse, they seemed roughly matched in strength despite the presumably powered armor. Naian Blackflame left several deep gashes in his opponent's armor with his bare hands, ducked under a punch, then sent his opponent slamming into a wall with a strike from his tail goldsign.
The other Dreadnought competitor rejoined the fight, sending a barrage of lightning bolts at the Blackflame. He dodged with another burst of speed, dashing into a wall and bracing against it for a moment before leaping back at the second opponent. Again, the Dreadnought fighter was unable to keep up with the Blackflame. Naian savaged his opponent almost like an animal, tearing massive chunks out of the mechanical armor, until a burst of omnidirectional lightning blasted him away, his muscles spasming uselessly for a moment.
The lightning user also seemed to be having trouble moving, his armor badly damaged. The fire user was in a slightly better state, rising and sending a laser like beam of fire madra at the Blackflame. He rolled out of the way just in time, but the beam detonated where it hit, sending him tumbling again and scorching him further. Again, he ignored the pain and leapt back to his feet, immediately retaliating with his own Striker technique. He swept it across the battlefield like a sword, forcing the fire user to dodge. The lightning user was still struggling to rise, and the beam neatly bisected him. He vanished in a puff of white light.
The remaining Dreadnought competitor fought back as best he could, tossing another massive flaming net, but the Blackflame was just too fast and too strong. It was over in just a few seconds, the second Dreadnought competitor joining his teammate in elimination.
Meanwhile, our group was approaching the Ghost-Blades. We'd all veiled ourselves, but there were too many of us to have any real chance of sneaking up on them as a group. "The rest of you continue on, and I'll hit them from behind," I instructed after a moment. I received nods all around, so I wrapped myself in the Umbral Mantle and took flight.
The Ghost-Blades had clearly noticed our approach. I found them conferring with their heads together, their green will-o-wisp goldsigns whirling around each other. After a moment, they took position behind a short wall, one at either end.
The rest of our group approached cautiously. Yerin and Lindon led, with Meira behind them and Mercy at the rear. As they came to the wall hiding the Ghost-Blades, they split, with Lindon going left and Yerin right. The Ghost-Blades tensed, and I sensed them preparing techniques. I waited until the last moment to release my own.
A dozen soulfire-infused Dream Parasites burst from my hands, half heading for each Ghost-Blade. They reacted instantly, as I'd expect for any competitor who'd made it this far in the tournament, whirling and releasing their techniques at me instead. With barely an instant to aim at an invisible target, I was able to dodge easily, but wide gray-colored slashes did annihilated most of my Dream Parasites. The Ghost-Blades deflected my remaining Striker techniques with their swords, but the damage had already been done.
Lindon and Yerin burst around the corner almost simultaneously with techniques already prepared, and the Ghost-Blades were facing the wrong way. They tried to jump backwards to make space, but Lindon was using the Soul Cloak. He easily kept the distance closed and slammed an Empty Palm into one of the Ghost-Blades. The other just barely managed to deflect a Striker technique from Yerin, but she followed it up with the Endless Sword. His own sword burst with sword aura, cutting deep gashes into his arm and chest.
I released my new flying daggers from my soulspace and sent them darting at the injured Ghost-Blade from every angle. A desperate swing managed to knock one away, but the other eleven were undeterred. They were small weapons, each with a blade only a couple of inches long, and alone they probably wouldn't inflict serious damage on an Underlord. A dozen working in tandem was a different matter. The weapons had been well named; there certainly was a similarity to stinging someone to death with hornets.
Lindon finished off the survivor with a blast of dragon's breath, and that was that. "Save some for us next time!" said Mercy as she bounced up to join the rest of us.
"I doubt that will be a problem," I said, staring off into the distance. The Dreadgod cults had finally gotten organized and were headed in our direction. Sophara was still moseying towards the center of the arena, but I'd be surprised if she didn't jump in once a serious fight broke out.
On the other side of the arena, Naian Blackflame was approaching the Ninecloud Court competitor; Miara, I thought her name was. I knew she had to sense his approach, but she didn't seem even slightly concerned, continuing to casually stroll forwards.
He opened the same way he had before, by leaping over a wall and sending a beam of dragon's breath at her. Without even turning her head, she conjured a rainbow mirror in the path of the attack. It reflected his attack back at him, and he barely managed to dodge by manipulating wind aura with his soulfire. Undeterred, he charged at her the moment he hit the ground, but the delay had cost him. She tossed a net of rainbow light over him just as he reached her, and his Enforcer technique winked out. He stumbled, and she grabbed him by the neck and hoisted him into the air with one arm.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and attack someone else, hmm?" she asked. He snarled unintelligibly and beat at her arm, but there was no strength in it. It seemed like a similar effect to Lindon's Empty Palm.
Miara rolled her eyes. "The hard way, then." She reached up with her other hand and began weaving a complex web of rainbow madra around his head. I couldn't tell what effect it had, but after several seconds, she nodded to herself. Rainbow light surrounded her body in an Enforcer technique, and she hurled Naian Blackflame over several walls. He landed a good fifty or sixty feet away and rolled when he hit the ground. It took him a few seconds to rise to his feet, shaking his head. Then he leapt up and charged in the opposite direction from Miara… which happened to be directly towards us.
"Lindon," I asked, "Do you still want to try and cleanse Naian Blackflame?"
"I do."
"Well, you're about to get your chance. This way, we need to make some distance from the cultists before he arrives."
I led them back the way we'd come and further into the arena. Another level had fallen while we were dealing with the Ghost-Blades. We didn't have long to clean things up before everything devolved into a general melee, and Naian Blackflame was too much of a wildcard to leave in play.
It took less than a minute for the Blackflame to approach us. The Arelius competitor, who was between us, had seen the Blackflame coming and made himself scarce. "Here he comes," I told Lindon. "I can keep him blinded, but you'll need to subdue him yourself."
"Gratitude," said Lindon.
I activated the Immeasurable Swarm technique. The shadow aura in the pocket world was fairly thin, so it cost more madra and was less effective than usual. But the arena was now small enough that it covered nearly the entire thing. I hollowed out a sphere around us. "Alright," I said. "Now-"
On the far side of the arena, Miara let loose a pulse of rainbow madra. It was weaker than Lindon's Hollow Domain, but it kept going. It spread in a wave, and as it passed, my swarm dissolved away into nothing. Through my scarabs, I saw her smirk and wag her finger in my direction.
The cultists, seeing my Ruler technique be nullified, decided now was their moment to strike. They were right, too; the shadow aura had already been thin, and I doubted I'd be able to conjure another swarm that size before the round was decided. They charged in our direction.
"Shit," I said. "Alright, new plan. Lindon, Mercy, deal with Naian Blackflame. Cleanse him if you can, but make it fast. Yerin, Meira, with me. We'll hold off the cultists."
Mercy and Lindon nodded and ran off, separating so the fights wouldn't interfere with each other. I kept an eye on them as Naian reached them and immediately attacked. Mercy began trying to restrain him with Strings of Shadow, but his Enforcer technique made him a tough target. All I could do now was hope they didn't take too many risks trying to hold back. I had my own problems to deal with.
I used my Ruler technique again. With the lack of aura, I had to power the entire thing with my own madra. It meant my swarm was only a fraction of its regular size, but I couldn't risk letting it get near Miara anyway. "Stay together, I'll do my best to keep them off you," I said to Yerin and Meira, then activated my Enforcer technique and took flight.
The good news was, none of the remaining cultists had any techniques which were particularly effective against my swarm. The Redmoon Hall competitors wrapped themselves in their blood shadows to keep it off them, the Abyssal Palace competitor used an Enforcer technique which made his skin like stone, and the Stormcallers surrounded themselves with small Forged lightning dragons that devoured my insects. But none of them could actually dispel it, which meant I could bring my illusions into play.
I created an illusion of black dragon's breath coming at the group from the side, appearing to each of my opponents to be targeting them specifically. Abyssal Palace summoned a stone shield to defend himself, but the other four dodged. One Stormcaller dodged the opposite direction from his teammates, splitting him slightly from the rest of the group. I took immediate advantage, weaving an illusion that his teammates had gone in a different direction and were rushing to engage Lindon. He fell for it, isolating him further.
Meanwhile, I tried the same trick again on the rest of the group, showing them an illusion of Yerin's Striker technique coming from the opposite direction. Both members of Redmoon Hall dodged again, but the other Stormcaller had gotten wise and grabbed them before they could become separated.
Well, that was fine. I started barraging them with illusionary techniques from every direction. I kept it up for a few seconds, then signaled Yerin and Meira. They both launched Striker techniques at the group, and I launched a volley of my own from behind. The cultists were caught flat-footed, realizing too late that some of the incoming techniques were real. A Redmoon Hall competitor took Yerin's Rippling Sword to his chest, which cut through his blood shadow and seemed to give him a nasty gash, although I wasn't sure how deep it was. The Abyssal Palace competitor was hit by a spinning green scythe from Meira. It inflicted no physical damage, but he wouldn't survive more than one or two more hits like that. All of them except the Stormcaller also took at least one hit from my Dream Parasites. Against Redmoon Hall, it just caused patches of their blood shadows to hiss and dissolve like acid, but Abyssal Palace dropped to the ground and screamed for several moments until he managed to purge the technique.
The Stormcaller had apparently had enough, and unleashed his own Ruler technique. Like shadow aura, storm aura was scarce in the arena, so it undoubtedly cost him a lot of madra. But storm clouds still began gathering over his head, crackling with lightning and disrupting my swarm. I reinforced it with more madra and brought it lower to the ground, but it was a losing battle. As deadly as my Ruler technique could be, direct power was not its strong point.
The other Stormcaller, who had been separated, was nearing the edge of my swarm. He paused when he sensed his comrade using his Ruler technique behind him, probably trying to decide whether it was another illusion or not. I made the snap decision to take him out now, rather than trying to get fancy and trick him into attacking his allies. I darted over to him, preparing more Dream Parasites, and unleashed them at close range. To his credit, he managed to deflect three, but five more hit him. It was enough to reduce him to a screaming mess on the ground, and my flying daggers swiftly finished him off.
The storm was growing, and I doubted I had even a minute before it grew enough to wipe away my swarm. The cultists seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because they hunkered down, summoning red and yellow barriers to block our Striker techniques. I managed to slip a few of my flying daggers through the cracks, but they only scored a few small cuts before being swatted out of the air by blood shadows. I quickly withdrew them so they wouldn't be damaged. Even though they were Archlord-level weapons, their power was limited by my own.
Then things got worse, because Sophara decided now was the time to enter the battle. From the far edge of my swarm, she sent a massive wave of golden flame over the battlefield. She had to know the cultists were somewhere in there, and didn't seem overly concerned about their welfare. They were caught by the edge of her technique, but their barriers unfortunately held. I flew higher to avoid it, and Yerin and Meira were far enough to not be threatened. But the last of my swarm was incinerated.
Sophara didn't hesitate. She took a running leap which carried her high into the air, aiming straight at me. I sent a swarm of Striker techniques at her to slow her down, and dodged down towards Yerin and Meira. Without my swarm, I'd have to stick a lot closer to them if I wanted to survive this.
The cultists shot a few glares at Sophara as she landed nearby, but turned back to us afterwards. Five on three, then. With my Ruler technique up, I might have made those odds work even if Sophara could see through it. Without it, I was a lot closer to helpless than I liked. But we only needed to hold out until Lindon and Mercy could even the odds.
Sophara started it, unleashing another of her massive Striker techniques. We dodged; none of us had the defenses to block it. Fortunately, the arena provided plenty of cover, and not even Sophara could melt straight through a stone wall two feet thick. Unable to hit us, they charged us.
We didn't wait for them to reach us. Together, we jumped out of cover and sent Striker techniques back at them. None of them connected, but in the brief confusion, I managed to slip my daggers through. I scored a few shallow cuts on the cultists before techniques and weapons knocked them away, but it disrupted their charge for a crucial moment. Sophara, who hadn't slowed, jumped over the wall and landed in the middle of us.
She immediately found herself in a two-on-one battle against Meira and Yerin. She narrowly dodged a swipe from Meira's scythe while trading a flurry of blows with Yerin. I could tell right away that she wasn't using Ghostwater, perhaps wanting to save it for when the rest of our team showed up.
Still, she was matching both of them equally. Meira blocked a two-handed blow that still sent her smashing into a wall. Yerin used the Endless Sword, but dragons were tough, and it inflicted only minor cuts. Sophara leapt out of range of Forged roots which came bursting out of the ground and unleashed another Striker technique, but it went wide as she was forced to deflect a Rippling Sword.
Meanwhile, I was doing my best to delay the cultists, invisibly circling them and peppering then with Striker techniques. I sent my daggers slashing in every time I sensed an opening. They retaliated with Striker techniques of their own. They still couldn't see me, but the sheer volume they put out nearly made up for it. I took a painful hit on my leg from a blood-red Forged dagger which might have been crippling if I couldn't fly.
Even more problematic was the Stormcaller's Ruler technique. They'd left the storm behind when they charged, but it was moving towards us and growing in strength as it came. I had to swerve sharply to dodge a lightning bolt which lashed out from the edge, disrupting my tempo.
With the break in my techniques, one of the Redmoon Hall competitors and Abyssal Palace noticed the battle going on a few feet away between Sophara, Yerin, and Meira. They broke off, and I couldn't do anything to stop them, because the Stormcaller and the other Redmoon Hall competitor were still focused on me.
Under other circumstances I would've retreated, but I was the only thing stopping Yerin and Meira from getting completely swarmed. I stayed low, dodging and weaving between walls, but firing enough Striker techniques to keep the pair focused on me. The Redmoon competitor was playing almost entirely defense, but the Stormcaller's Ruler technique was now moving directly overhead. Even if he couldn't see me, the barrage of lightning bolts was going to get lucky sooner or later, and there wasn't much I could do to diffuse the technique.
Then a green meteor slammed into the Stormcaller. It moved so fast that at first I didn't realize it was a person, not a technique. The Wastelander had covered the hundreds of feet between us in barely a fraction of a second, and the blow from his warhammer sent the Stormcaller flying all the way out of his Ruler technique. The Wastelander ignored the Redmoon competitor, who had thrown herself backwards. Instead, he Forged a script circle in mid air and leapt onto it. He crouched sideways in midair for a moment, then rocketed off after the Stormcaller.
That made my situation better, but things weren't going well for Yerin and Meira. Both had taken multiple wounds, although Meira's were quickly healing from her Enforcer technique. I hesitated for a moment, then flew to support them. It meant the second Redmoon competitor would be free to join the fight, but she seemed like the most cautious of them, so hopefully it would take her a few seconds to realize I'd gone.
I announced my presence by volleying Striker techniques, and followed them up with my flying daggers. None of my attacks were particularly effective, but they did buy Yerin and Meira a little breathing room. Unfortunately, they also drew Sophara's attention. She abandoned her fight to come at me instead. Her sword extended like a whip and I was forced to block with the shield binding in my arm. It didn't completely wreck my shield, but I doubted it could take more than a couple of hits like that.
Sophara followed up with another Striker technique, and I barely managed to get behind a wall in time. I sent another volley of my own Striker techniques at her as she came over the top to delay her, and actually managed to connect with one. It was enough to make her stutter for a second as she purged the technique, and I followed up with my flying daggers while I made distance. She released a massive blast of omnidirectional flame, blasting them away, and my control over them stuttered.
The good news was that Sophara's abrupt departure had caught her erstwhile allies flat-footed. The Abyssal Palace competitor had been preparing a Ruler technique while Sophara kept Meira occupied. Suddenly exposed, he was forced to abandon the technique as Meira came at him. It was a particularly bad match-up; Abyssal Palace was hardly known for their agility, and the defense that his Enforcer technique normally would have provided was useless against Meira's scythe. He managed to dodge one swing and block the second with his Archlord weapon, a large mace. Then he tripped over a root which had coiled around his ankle. The third slash went straight through his torso, and he dissolved into white light.
That was fortunate timing, because I'd only bought myself a few seconds against Sophara. I was forced to block another strike from her whip sword, shredding my shield further. Then roots burst from the floor and wall, briefly impeding her while I got behind cover with Meira. A wave of golden flame annihilated the roots, and she leapt over the wall.
Meira took point. She used her Ruler technique only sparingly, trying to trip Sophara up like she had Abyssal Palace; it was an expensive technique with no real plants to manipulate, and she had to be running low on madra by now. I did my best to stay behind her, sending Dream Parasites on curving paths around her.
Meira's scythe was a deadly weapon even to Sophara, but unfortunately that was her only advantage. Sophara was faster, stronger, and more skilled than her. Even with the distraction of my continuous barrage of Striker techniques, Sophara was landing hits on Meira and receiving none in return. A quick glance showed Yerin holding her own against both Redmoon Hall competitors at once, but there'd be no help from that direction.
Without warning, Meira's Enforcer technique flickered out. She was completely out of madra. She staggered for a moment, and Sophara lunged forwards. Meira still managed to partially deflect the blow, and was stabbed on her right side instead of through her heart. I darted in, forcing Sophara to divert the blow that would have finished Meira off. It went through what was left of my shield and my prosthetic arm behind it, but it let me land a hit of my own on Sophara's chest. She went flying backwards, slamming into a wall some distance away. Instead of closing the distance again, she unleashed another massive Striker technique. I was caught by the edge of it before I could get behind cover, and the world exploded in pain. By the time I'd recovered, there was no sign of Meira except a few fading motes.
Worse than the pain, my wings had been damaged. With my already injured leg, I barely mobile. I pushed off the wall I'd hid behind with my good leg, my wings at least letting me glide, and managed to get behind another wall just before Sophara cleared the first. Throughout all this, she'd barely taken more than a few scratches. She smirked cruelly as she followed, taking her time, enjoying my helplessness. Through the pain, I smiled. There was no blessing greater than an arrogant opponent.
Sophara whirled just in time to deflect the arrow. She dodged a beam of black dragon's breath… and then another beam of black dragon's breath. Her face was a rictus of shock and fury as Naian Blackflame came over the wall at her. He was wielding a glowing orange broadsword, and there wasn't any trace of the previous animalistic fury on his face. Instead, he looked calm and focused.
I could tell the moment Sophara finally used her Ghostwater. She exchanged a blindingly quick series of blows with Naian Blackflame while simultaneously dodging Striker techniques from Lindon and Mercy by inches. Apparently deciding Lindon was the weakest link, she darted for him, but his Enforcer technique let him match her speed. His flying sword attacked her from behind, further splitting her efforts. Worse for her, Naian Blackflame began Forging some sort of dangerous looking technique around his hand the moment he wasn't being pressured. She was forced to dodge away from Lindon and focus on Naian again before he completed it, all while dodging or deflecting a steady rain of arrows from Mercy.
Meanwhile, Yerin was getting worn down by the Redmoon Hall pair, but they'd taken wounds as well. The man with the sword especially was bleeding from multiple deep cuts. Still, Yerin was worse. I was nearly out of madra and could barely move, but still started making my way towards them. I could do nothing against Sophara, but if I could ambush Redmoon Hall at just the right moment, I might be able to let Yerin slip a deadly technique through.
Before I could close even half the distance, one of the Redmoons sent Yerin slamming into a wall with a blow from his sword, his blood shadow extending out from it like a tentacle to extend its range. Yerin was slow to rise, but the pair still advanced cautiously, not wanting to risk her Striker or Ruler techniques.
She gave them a bloody grin and raised her sword in a salute. The Redmoon with the sword moved forwards to attack, and a wave of mixed sword and blood madra burst out of Yerin. When it hit the Redmoon, the blood he was covered with exploded into needles infused with both sword and blood madra. He was absolutely shredded, instantly dissolving into a cloud of white motes. The other Redmoon Hall artist was hit as well, although not as badly. Her blood shadow took the worst of it, and both of them screamed in pain.
At the same time, Sophara's battle with Mercy, Lindon, and Naian was growing even more frenzied. Sophara knew she'd lose a three-on-one if her Ghostwater ran out. She was pushing harder, taking injuries to land hits of her own. As I watched, she knocked Naian Blackflame away with a kick, then took an arrow from Mercy in her shoulder to land a deep slash across Lindon's chest. He went staggering backwards, and she followed it up with a lunge.
Naian Blackflame tackled her away, and they went down in a tangle of limbs. Sophara rose from the pile, pulling her sword free from the Blackflame's chest as he dissolved into light. She turned back towards Lindon…
And the entire world vanished in blue light. My pain disappeared, and I found myself standing in the middle of the arena with seven others. All of use looked around wildly for a moment, taking defensive stances, before realizing what had happened. Naian Blackflame had been the ninth competitor remaining.
The fourth round was over.
