"Where are you guys?"
Tuan asked his raid partners for voice communication after coming out of the distorted dimension with Katalina. They were in the safe zone. There was still a few minutes before the dawn of the seventh day announced its arrival.
Katalina looked less worried about the competition than before. As if all her stress had been taken away from her. As if she didn't worry about winning the Titus tournament anymore.
'WHERE ARE WE, YOU SAY? Where were you guys? We couldn't reach you. Neither could we find you."
Tuan raised his eyebrows as he heard Lily's distressed voice. Then he glanced around him and stretched his mana sense in all directions. He immediately noticed that there was some disturbance in the area that wasn't previously seen. There were a lot of residual mana signatures along with the debris of fallen buildings that were previously standing, if only barely.
'Let's say I was held up in some serious work. I have no idea what has happened here. I and Kat are inside a safe area just a few minutes away from where we were supposed to meet.'
Lily took her time before replying.
'What the hell are you still doing in the safe zone? Do you even know what has happened after you last saw us?'
'Nope. As I said, I was out of the grid for a while. Now stop beating around the bush and tell me what's going on.'
Tuan spoke to Lily without making any noise. He and Katalina moved quickly after realizing there was something wrong.
'The safe zone is no longer safe. At midnight, safety was revoked. The notification was sent directly to our wristbands.
We knew we would be targeted by Bianka's group as soon as that news was made known. So we ran into the hunting area to wait for you guys. But it's only a matter of time before Bianka finds us.
I don't know how you managed to stay off the grid while we were all in the same subspace participating in the same tournament. But you better watch your….'
'Kat, talk with Lily and meet up with her. I'll tell you what to do after this mess gets over.'
Tuan said and stopped executing his movement spell. All his plans were thrown down the drain when the safe zone stopped being a safe zone. So there was no point in discussing plans that couldn't be done now.
He also cut his communication with Lily and let Kat handle the talk. That's because there was a group of two rankers standing right in front of him.
"Tuan… let me help you…"
Katalina tried to stay with Tuan instead of following his orders blindly. This was the consequence of him retaining her personality for the most part. He sighed before cutting her off.
"Don't worry about me, Kat. You know what I can do. Let me handle them. You help out Lily. Go.!"
Tuan said in a low voice before narrowing his eyes on his new opponents. They were two guys who stood at a sufficient distance from each other. It was apparent that they were not only wary of Tuan and Kat but also each other.
This was the competition's last day after all. The temporary raid partnerships the rankers made were supposed to expire today. The betrayal could come from anyone and anytime.
"Tuan Aag. Hahahaha! It's nice to finally meet you on the battleground."
A man with long, dark-cider hair greeted Tuan with extreme haughtiness in his voice and body language. He had his hands folded as he watched Tuan with keen interest. As if he wanted to dissect him and search for something within him.
This man had a reptile-like face. He had an average build and stature. But his expensive mage-type clothes were what set him apart.
He also released a mana sense and tried to scan Tuan completely without worrying about the rankers' code of conduct. Tuan had to interfere with him using his own mana sense to make him back off.
"Tim Westmoor, right? You say it's a pleasure to meet me, but your actions are telling me a different story. I won't ask you why you want to battle with me. I just want to know why me first."
Tuan asked as he urged Katalina to retreat. The latter tried to do just that. But seeing her leave, Tim's associate showed signs of activity. He released his mana sense and did the same thing Tim had tried to do with Tuan.
The second man that was with Tim was yet another baldy in the competition named Langdon Lark. But unlike Wilder, he had a Melchett mustache that he liked to caress with his hands from time to time. He wore a gaudy dark green overcoat. All his other apparel and accessories also matched the color of his overcoat, making him look like a relic from a bygone era. That's because he did not have an eye for today's fashion sense at all.
Kat got angry at the mustached baldy's rude behavior. She was about to turn around and engage with him. But then she found out that she didn't have to. Because Tuan sent a flying slash at Tim without considering the consequences he may receive from Langdon or Tim.
Langdon pulled away from his mana sense and was forced to focus on the incoming flying slashes. He waved his hands in front of him and suddenly a wall of water was erected between him and the incoming attacks.
Sizzle!
The Invi Blaze slashes that Tuan had released from his Anduril swords were easily blocked by Langdon's water wall. All they could do was exhaust some of his water-element mana and make sizzling noises as they disappeared.
But Tuan's surprise attack had done the job it was meant to do. Katalina had taken advantage of her being left out and retreated to the back; she then activated her movement spell and her flying wearable artifact– disappearing from the scene. She was ordered by Tuan to do her task. And that was what her soul was urging her to do.
Tim didn't mind Langdon getting stopped from hunting for Katalina's Titus points. He folded his hands and spoke out with great confidence.
"Hahahahaha! Forgive my pal Langdon for being such a goofball. He doesn't like it when someone interferes with his hunt. He had come here to fight with your new girl.
As for why you first? That's an even simpler answer. Who is a better fire-element ranker between us? The Flame Feathers– Tuan Aag or King of Fire Serpents– Tim Westmoor? I just want to know the answer to that."
