Marichi teetered on the edge of consciousness, left speechless. He could sense everything unfolding around him, even without sight.
He's back…
So that means…
Lezschill…
He fought to keep his mind awake.
How is he moving like that?!
Kacis instinctively increased his speed, swerving to dodge Burtu 1's attacks.
Shit!
Blut's down…
Acis's hair whipped around in the frantic movement.
And Kacis already has his hands full
…No…
His entire body.
Mine as well.
She looked around; everything from her shoulders down was already bound by threads.
The only thing he could do is…
Burtu 1 then leapt over them as they flew, diving his feet straight for them. Kacis slowed his speed, narrowly avoiding the impact as Burtu 1 landed on thin air. Without a moment's pause, Burtu 1 dashed forward, flailing his hands like a wild animal. Kacis barely evaded the blows, then quickly ascended.
"Ahh!" Kacis grunted in pain. Small cuts appeared all over his face and arms, and even on Marichi's back.
He looked down to see Burtu 1 staring back, a smirk on his face. Burtu 1 then squatted and launched himself upward, stepping on non-existent footholds whenever he lost momentum. Kacis and Acis stared in utter confusion, watching him seemingly fly and gain ground on them.
"This looks like a good time and place to take a good shot…" Blutsatchel said, struggling to wriggle her uninjured arm from beneath Acis's threads.
Acis felt the struggle in her threads, and an immediate sense of discomfort and irritation set in.
"Blut! What are you doing?!" she shouted, the wind whipping against them as they continued to gain altitude.
"Trying to keep us alive…" Blut freed her hand and tried to aim. Her vision blurred as she focused, then she pointed her index finger and extended her thumb, trying to get a sense of the distance.
"…But killing yourself?!" Acis countered, tightening her threads around Blut, straining her. Kacis slightly recoiled, feeling the pressure as well.
"You've already lost much blood from what he did to you." She maintained the pressure on her threads.
"Not to mention, what can your shards do?"
"They can slow him down at least." Blut still steadied her hand, this time closing her left eye.
"The man just got his head cut off!"
"By you, no less," Acis huffed, feeling a faint ache from the stress on her threads.
"What do you think those shards are going to do now?" she added, not expecting an answer.
Blut lowered her hand and slowly opened her left eye, then blinked both eyes as the grim situation pressed in on her pain-drenched nerves.
"The only thing we can do now…" Acis lowered her head as Kacis stopped ascending and began flying straight.
"…Is to run…" Blut finished, her voice shuddering.
Burtu 1, flying through the air and unable to stop, shifted into a swimming position mid-air, pressing his feet against something invisible. He pushed himself off, resuming his all-fours sprint. Kacis turned his head back, astonished, then began flying in random directions and patterns, trying to shake Burtu off.
But Burtu persisted, chasing them like a cat pursuing a mouse, defying the very wind. On the ground below, Burtu 2's head regenerated. A black liquid swirled in the hole before articulating with the remaining parts of his head, forming it back completely. He then stood up, immediately focusing on the direction of the aerial battle.
His mind echoed Burtu 1's thoughts and sight. Burtu 2 balanced himself as he walked forward slowly, shaking his head, then suddenly leapt up, falling face-first towards Burtu 1.
"You…" Burtu 2 growled, clenching his teeth.
Burtu 1 glanced in Burtu 2's direction, hearing his thoughts and feeling his presence move through the wind.
"What do you want?!" Burtu 1 chuckled.
"These are my quarry," he emphasized the
"my."
"So why don't you be---" Before he could finish speaking, Burtu 2 appeared directly in front of him, teeth gritted, brows furrowed.
Burtu 2 raised his fist, but instead of punching, he opened his palm and overshadowed Burtu 1's head. Burtu 1's eyes widened, his brows parting in surprise before he quickly regained composure.
BOOM!
SPLLT!
Burtu 1's entire upper body, from his face to his abdomen, was completely obliterated. Black blood sprayed everywhere as his body slowly descended towards the ground. Kacis and the others were stunned by the sight.
"Do you know how it feels when there's a hole in your face?!" Burtu 2 shouted, veins bulging on his head. He quickly calmed himself and lowered his hand.
Acis, lost in horror, bumped Kacis.
"Let's get going!" She hit him with her shoulder again, shrugging him in the opposite direction.
"But no matter…"
"As they say…"
"An eye for an eye."
"A hole for a hole." He chuckled and grinned, then faced his body towards them.
Falling directly at them, he struck what seemed like invisible air formations, precisely positioning himself for a direct approach. He caught up to them just as Blutsatchel slammed his back to get his attention. Kacis quickly spun around, flying backward as Burtu 2 reached out with both hands.
Burtu 2 smiled, believing Kacis had put enough distance between them, before feeling a slam on his back. Blutsatchel absorbed most of the shock as some of Acis's threads on her shoulder loosened, spilling more blood. Burtu 2 closed in, grinning in triumph, then felt a heavy kick to his stomach.
Kacis grunted, his foot embedding deeper into Burtu 2's stomach. But this only hindered Burtu 2 for a moment as he continued to fall towards them. In a split second, Kacis laid down, facing the sky with his back to the ground. He used his feet to kick and redirect Burtu 2 over his body, catching a glimpse of Burtu 2's surprised expression.
Redirected, Burtu 2 flew off well past them. He then conjured an air wall behind him to stop, but as soon as his back touched it,
SSSPOOOF!
Every inch of his body suddenly erupted into a mystic fire. Boils and lesions immediately formed all over him.
"Arghhh!" He screamed in pain as he plummeted, trying to pat himself out, but the flames intensified as the boils on his body burst.
Kacis and the others watched in confused, but relieved, horror as Burtu 2 fell towards the ground. Then, a familiar, unwanted, but unexpected groan sounded behind them.
---The end of chapter 47---