The frightening part was that Rave was clearly holding back. He could've sent Za'Fia and Avarice flying if he chose, but he hit them hard enough only to knock them unconscious.
Killing is prohibited in the challenge. Compared to him, you all are like bugs. It is difficult for him to measure how much force will be too much force, Viraa chimed in.
"You don't know it yet, but you're a talented kid," Rave praised Avarice. "Sadly, you lack the strength and power to be a proper threat with those talents. But I do commend you for not passing out."
"Now...," Rave turned to me. "You're their Crest Head, right? Since we're doing a challenge of my choice, I'll give you the respect of going first," he said before charging toward me.
I raised a reinforced Stasis Field that stopped his fist mid-flow.
"That won't be enough," he stated as he applied spirit enhancement to his fist and instantly broke through, but the shield had still done its job of reducing the strength of his blow, so I was able to somewhat thwart the worst of it with spirit enhancement of my own.
"What was that?" Ripclaw growled. "This is a test of might and durability."
"It's fine," Rave waved him off. "I didn't specify that she couldn't use techniques. That's why I let the golden one use his ability. Girl, you have good defense. What's your offense like?"
"Pretty good. Against people not several times more powerful than me and made of energy," I replied as I gathered reinforced telekinetic energy on my fist. Once it was charged to max, I gave him a look to let him know I was ready.
"I won't be defending. Unless you want to die, you need to do your best, so don't falter from uncertainty."
"Alright, well, when you put it that way. Here goes...," I leaped forward and landed the strongest punch I'd ever delivered. The force from my blow was strong enough to rip away the area directly behind Rave, even Ripclaw, who wasn't in its path, stepped back to avoid some of its force.
Despite this, Rave still stood tall before me...except there was a line in the ground that showed he'd been pushed back a few feet!
Rave spat some yellow blood and rubbed his cheek as he grinned with acceptance. Never been hit with spatial energy before...too bad you're too weak to give me a proper challenge with it. But you managed to move me so...not bad."
"Hm. Follow me," he turned to walk away.
Avarice was barely able to move, so I used my power to carry him and Za'Fia as I quietly followed the big guy. Eventually, Avarice couldn't hold out any longer and fell unconscious as well. As I followed Rave, Ripclaw took up the rear. When we came across the path of Barrett, who lay unconscious as well, Rave gripped her small body in one hand and tossed her listless body over his shoulder before continuing.
After a little while, we entered a big cave where he dropped Barrett and flopped down on a big rock.
"So, since you won, let's have that discussion. Why'd you willingly come to a place like this? Not much for you to learn from us."
"I agree. Had Pown not forcibly sent us here, we might've flown right over after reading the brochure," I responded frankly. "No offense."
"So you came from Pown's district?" He asked next, ignoring my comment. "How was the tournament? I'd have entered myself just to face him again, but the Ryfi Theos forbade us from entering each other's districts even beyond my vow."
"But they still make sure to include that detail in the conditions of each of his duels," Ripclaw added.
"We had our most glorious battle yet not too long ago..." Rave lifted his head as he recalled the memory with nostalgia. "A simple battle of might and physique. No tricks, no confusion, just us..."
He looked down at me and the other two, who were unconscious, and sighed in despondence. Then he moved on from the subject.
"I couldn't care less about people's personalities, but I know one's spirit. When I first saw your small group in the Royal Palace, I saw each of you had fighting spirits, some more than others. Then the children went missing, and I became hopeful," he sighed before continuing, "but now that I've interacted with you, I can tell you aren't involved in any way."
"Why do you seem disappointed by that?" I asked him.
Rave leaned forward and rested a large hand on one of his knees, and spoke with admiration.
"Someone willing to do must have the goal of chaotic disruption—the sort of chaos we need to stir up our complacent world. I'd hoped that was you – a group of foreign klevonians who came to raise hell. But I was wrong."
"You...You're rooting for chaos? You want to help the culprit?"
"Help? No. Benefit. Thrive. Whoever's responsible, it's brought the two nations the closest we've been to war in a while," he said with anticipation. "One more push and we all will find ourselves in a battle that'll spread across the whole planet. Cindar will become a warzone where only the strongest survive."
I imagined that taking place. The beautiful forests I'd seen reduced to ashes, millions of people and homes destroyed because of someone's desire for war... I'd only just gotten to this world, but it was Viraa's home. Now it was our home as well—our legacy. I couldn't let it be destroyed.
"I won't let something like that happen. I'll do everything I can to prevent that," I told him fiercely with determination.
A look of livid disapproval flashed across his face. His demeanor turned threatening and unapproachable.
"Leave my domain. And don't come back unless you want to die."
I was about to speak again, but Viraa quickly stopped me from continuing.
It is best you leave, Lisa. Having lost the Duel of Dexterity, he must abide by the conditions of not pushing you to fight, but you should not do anything that may antagonize him any further. Rave is not someone you want to see you dead.
Without saying anything else, I gathered the other two and flew out of the cave. I really wanted to tell him how throwing everyone's lives away was wrong, but Viraa was right. I held my tongue and rushed off before the goliath could grow any more irritated and became violent again.
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Fun fact: Iridescence - a eutierric cintracy that gives the user the ability to manipulate one of Cindar's 16 elements, the illusive iridescent element. For full details about lore you may have forgotten, such as locations, characters, items, and to check out every up-to-date cintracy, visit the series' Patreon!
Legacies Saga Layout:
The Primordials: New World (Volume 5)
The Primordials: Transcended (Volume 6)
The Primordials: Culling Phase (Volume 7)
The Primordials: Secret Vendetta (Volume 8)
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