Shattered Sanity

The moment Riven realized that the situation was hopeless, he saw only one path ahead to get out of this mess... which was to go straight through Gary.

If he could somehow chain [Lightning Step] correctly and take Gary down quickly, he could perhaps create an opening for the rest of his team to escape, as compared to the Second Years surrounding them right now, Riven much rather preferred his chances against a fellow First Year.

However, judging by the expression in Gary’s eyes, Riven knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

’Please, Minerva.... Grant me the strength.’

Riven prayed as his fingers tightened around Sky-Cleaver, before Aether suddenly surged through his legs.

[Lightning Step]!

CRACKLE!

Lightning erupted beneath Riven’s feet as his figure disappeared from where he stood, covering several meters almost instantaneously while he charged straight towards Gary.

For the briefest moment, Gary’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t expected the speed.

However, surprise did not prevent him from reacting.

[Light Flash].

A brilliant explosion of white light erupted directly before Riven’s eyes.

”ARGH!”

Riven instinctively recoiled as his vision disappeared, although the momentum from [Lightning Step] continued carrying him forward while his footing became completely disorganized.

He couldn’t see Gary.

He couldn’t see the road.

For several terrifying moments, everything around him became pure white until something unbearably hot suddenly slammed across the side of his face.

[Fire Fist]!

BAM!

Riven’s body twisted violently before his face crashed against the wet ground, sending muddy water spraying around him as Sky-Cleaver slipped from his grasp and landed beside him.

His vision gradually returned as he attempted to push himself upward, although black dots continued dancing everywhere he looked while a painful ringing filled his ears.

RINGG!

His face hurt, his mind felt heavier, while through shifting patches of darkness, he saw Gary standing above him.

’I must do something....’

Riven thought, as he tried to get back up, only for Gary to push him down with his foot, while he readied yet another spell.

”You will know pain, Dawnriver.”

Gary muttered, as there was no satisfaction on his face yet.... Only fury.

BAM!

The second punch buried itself directly into Riven’s stomach.

”KUAGH!”

A mouthful of spittle escaped Riven’s lips as his body curled instinctively around Gary’s fist, while the impact emptied his lungs so completely that for several seconds he couldn’t even force himself to breathe.

Gary grabbed Riven by the front of his soaked robes before he could collapse again.

”Remember this moment?” Gary asked, as he stared directly into Riven’s half-focused green eyes.

BAM!

Another fist crashed across Riven’s face.

His head snapped sideways.

For the briefest moment, his consciousness disappeared entirely before returning alongside the metallic taste of blood spreading across his tongue.

”Back then, you were on top and I was underneath you,” Gary continued, as his grip tightened around Riven’s robes. ”I wanted an honorable fight, but you fought like a fucking brute.”

BAM!

Gary’s fist struck him across the nose.

KRAK!

Pain exploded through the center of Riven’s face as his nose broke beneath the impact, sending blood streaming freely over his lips and chin before mixing with the rainwater running down his skin.

Riven barely reacted anymore.

His knees dragged against the muddy ground while Gary’s grip was practically the only thing keeping his upper body upright.

”This is nothing compared to what you did to me,” Gary said, as his breathing grew heavier while flames continued flickering around his clenched fist. ”You humiliated me in front of a packed arena, Dawnriver. Everyone saw me underneath you while you beat me like some fucking animal.”

Riven’s left eye had already begun swelling.

His right remained barely open.

”You know what the worst part is?” Gary continued, as his expression twisted with bitterness. ”My body healed. Every bruise disappeared. Every wound closed. Physically, I’m perfectly fine.”

Gary pulled him slightly closer.

”But my pride still fucking hurts.”

Riven stared back without answering.

”So I guess beating you down today might bring me some relief from that pain,” Gary muttered, as his burning fist slowly drew backwards. ”And perhaps when everyone sees you lying underneath me this time, you’ll finally understand exactly how that humiliation felt.”

Gary raised his fist again.

Riven made no attempt to defend himself.

One half-swollen green eye remained fixed upon Gary while blood continued streaming from his broken nose, his arms hanging almost uselessly beside him as though he had already accepted that the next blow might finally knock him unconscious.

—-------

Meanwhile, while Riven was being pummeled by Gary, the rest of his teammates did not fare much better.

The five Second Years surrounding them had attacked almost simultaneously, and whatever confidence Riven’s crew had gained from defeating Aureate’s First Years disappeared within moments of discovering what fighting their seniors actually felt like.

Jeff was the first to fall.

He barely managed to raise his weapon before the Second Year facing him slammed one foot against the ground and activated [Earth Tremor], sending a violent vibration through the mud beneath Jeff’s feet and destroying his balance before he could properly brace himself.

Jeff stumbled sideways, and the senior immediately closed the distance before driving an Aether-reinforced elbow across his jaw.

THUD!

Jeff collapsed into the mud without getting back up.

Matt saw him fall.

”JEFF!”

That momentary distraction cost him his own fight.

The Second Year confronting Matt surged forward using [Burst Step], appearing within striking distance before Matt could properly turn his weapon, as one hand knocked his blade aside while the other drove a palm directly beneath his ribs.

Matt staggered backward gasping for air, only for the senior to hook one leg behind his ankle and slam him onto his back.

Before Matt could rise, the senior’s boot settled firmly against his chest.

”Stay down.”

Matt looked towards the weapon pointed at his face before reluctantly allowing his head to fall back against the muddy ground.

Batista lasted considerably longer.

[Iron Skin] covered his battered body as he charged his opponent directly, throwing a heavy punch that the Aureate senior blocked with both forearms before sliding several feet backwards through the mud.

Batista grinned.

”Come on, motherfucker!”

He attacked again.

This time the senior didn’t meet him head-on.

Batista’s fist passed beside his face as the Second Year shifted half a step sideways, caught Batista’s extended wrist and twisted his entire arm behind his back before driving a knee into the rear of his leg.

Batista dropped onto one knee.

He immediately tried forcing himself back up.

The senior twisted harder.

”ARGH! FUCK!”

Whatever strength Batista possessed meant considerably less once his shoulder was being forced in a direction it wasn’t designed to move, and after several desperate seconds of resistance, another kick struck the back of his knee and forced him completely into the mud.

Flair attempted to help him.

[Flame Burst]!

Fire erupted from Flair’s hands towards Batista’s opponent, forcing the senior to release him and retreat, although Flair never noticed the Second Year approaching from his own flank until a shadow fell across him.

His eyes widened.

”Oh, fu—”

BAM!

A fist buried itself into Flair’s cheek.

His already swollen face twisted beneath the impact as he staggered sideways, while the senior followed with another strike directly beneath his sternum before sweeping both legs from underneath him.

Flair crashed onto his back.

He groaned and attempted to rise.

A boot pressed against his shoulder and pushed him straight back down.

”Yeah.... I’m staying down,” Flair muttered breathlessly, as his arms fell against the mud.

Randy was the only one who almost escaped.

The moment he saw Jeff and Matt fall while Batista and Flair were being overwhelmed, Randy understood exactly what Riven had meant when he told them to run if an opportunity appeared.

He stopped trying to win.

[Shadow Slip].

His body disappeared into the darkness beneath the surrounding trees before reappearing several meters farther away, immediately breaking into a sprint towards what appeared to be the only remaining gap between the Aureate seniors.

For several seconds, nobody stood ahead of him.

Randy ran harder.

Ten more meters.

Then five.

He was almost through.

Until the senior who had taken down Jeff stepped directly into his path.

Randy’s eyes widened.

”Move!”

He threw a desperate punch.

The senior caught his wrist.

Randy’s momentum did the rest.

His body continued forward while his arm remained trapped, allowing the Second Year to turn his hips and throw Randy violently over his shoulder.

THUD!

Randy struck the ground hard enough to lose his breath.

Before he could recover, a knee pressed between his shoulder blades while his arm was pulled behind him.

He struggled once.

Then looked around.

Jeff was unconscious.

Matt was pinned.

Batista was face-down in the mud.

Flair had surrendered.

And somewhere farther along the road, Gary was still beating Riven.

Randy stopped struggling.

It hadn’t even been close.

Six Argent students had entered the Northwatch Grounds together, carrying twelve prisoners after successfully defeating everyone Aureate had thrown at them inside the Northern Forest.

Yet against five experienced Second Years and Gary Ironveil, everything they had accomplished suddenly meant very little.

Within minutes, all five of Riven’s companions had been beaten into the mud, while the twelve prisoners they had fought so hard to capture were already being freed from their restraints.