Kay wiped the blood running from his nose and picked up his sword from the ground, under the gaze of the two teenagers.
— This guy just won't die…
Atela was questioning everything, while the protagonist seemed to not give a damn at all, yawning with his hand over his mouth.
— This boy…
Kay brought a hand to his cheek, recalling the blow he had just taken.
— He turned his body into stone using his Chaos energy…
— And yet, I only sensed his power at the very last moment.
— That's not normal…
Noa, clearly concerned, turned toward the one he had just saved.
— That wound on your arm looks pretty deep. Are you sure you're okay ?
— Ah, this? Yeah, I'm fine. It's not that serious.
Noa closed his eyes.
— If you say so…
Atela didn't quite understand.
— Is it just me, or is he only asking out of politeness…?
Meanwhile, Kay was grinding his teeth.
— These brats are completely ignoring me…
As he adjusted his footing, he launched himself toward them, ready to cut them in two.
But before Atela could even react, the protagonist had already thrown her into the air.
— What…?
Noa dodged his enemy's attack and used the trees as footholds, bouncing at superhuman speed before delivering a kick charged with Chaos energy that sent him flying far away.
As he landed, he caught the princess, who was falling back down, in his arms.
— What's wrong with that guy…?
Atela, in his arms, couldn't find the words.
— That speed… He's even faster than I am…
Maelle intervened in her mind.
— Correct. In terms of speed, he is vastly superior to you. However, according to my analysis, when it comes to energy control and physical strength, you remain above him.
Noa stared at Atela.
His blue eyes shone in the darkness of the storm as the wind blew through the girl's hair.
Atela was completely lost in his gaze.
She didn't know how to explain it, but she felt something familiar about him… a sensation she hadn't experienced in a long time.
Noa set her back down on the ground and slipped his hands into his pockets.
— I'm going to have to get rid of this guy, otherwise this will never end… I'm sleepy anyway, might as well finish it quickly.
Atela couldn't tell whether he was serious or just exhausted.
— Maybe both, I guess…
At the edge of a cliff, Kay struggled back to his feet, clutching his stomach and coughing up blood that mixed with the puddles of water.
— It's happening again… I didn't feel anything before the attack hit me. How is that possible…?
Footsteps approached.
He slowly lifted his head.
Noa was walking toward him, his blue gaze glowing beneath his black hood, like that of a wolf ready to take down its prey.
— You little bastard… you're going to pay for this…
— That, I'm not so sure about.
Noa raised his hand and pointed two fingers at him.
A sharp sound echoed through the air.
Kay froze, eyes wide open, as blood began to stream from his eyes.
He couldn't even speak anymore.
Noa simply slipped his hand back into his pocket, still wearing that detached expression.
— I'm sorry… but you can't really say you left me much of a choice. I genuinely pity you for what's about to happen.
He had barely finished his sentence when Atela landed in front of Kay.
Her feet were covered in her red chaotic aura.
She delivered a violent kick to his face in an explosion of blood, sending his body hurtling into the void of the cliff.
The storm finally dissipated.
The orange light of the nearly setting sun pierced through the clouds, illuminating the area.
Its rays reflected off the puddles of water and the droplets clinging to the leaves of the trees.
Atela straightened up calmly.
Noa was watching her, saying nothing.
— Sorry… You told me your name, but I forgot to introduce myself.
Atela turned toward him with a smile, as the sunlight reflected in her hair and along the side of her face.
— My name is Atela. Nice to meet you, Noa.