SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Stay and play with me.”

The tentacle suddenly tightened around his leg, threatening to snap his bones if he moved.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

He spread his wings with a surprising force. A burst of wind exploded from beneath them, forcing Fayera to take a step back. The tentacle loosened for a moment.

Kael immediately pulled his leg free.

Fayera clicked her tongue. ”Good.”

Kael rose into the air again, not quite leaving, but just hovering.

Her second arm twisted, turning into tentacles like the first one. The dark tentacles shot toward him.

Kael tilted his body midair. One passed beneath him. Another came from the side.

He folded one wing against his body and spun, narrowly avoiding it before spreading both wings again.

He raised his hand. A bright light gathered in his palm.

Fayera’s smile widened. ”Oh?”

Kael shot it.

She dove behind a tree, and the light struck the ground.

BOOM!

Leaves and dirt flew into the air.

Kael hovered above the forest, scanning through the smoke.

”Come out.”

No reply.

His eyes narrowed.

Then—

WHOOSH!

A tentacle burst from the ground beneath him. Kael barely moved his wing in time. The tentacle grazed his side and sent him tumbling through the air.

He recovered before hitting the trees.

Fayera stepped out from behind the tree. ”You’re relying too much on those wings.”

Kael stared at her. ”Are’nt we supposed to test the abilities we’re not familiar with?”

”...”

She suddenly remembered that that was the point of the duel. A grin escaped her lips. ”Fair point.”

Several tentacles emerged, growing out of her arms. Her skin began to turn dark.

Kael’s wings spread wider. He turned and placed his bare feet on the tree, using it to propel himself forward. A gust tore through the forest.

Fayera’s eyes followed, as he appeared above her. He swung his foot downward.

Fayera crossed her tentacles in front of herself.

CRASH!

The impact sent her sliding backward through the dirt.

Kael landed several meters away, wings still spread.

Fayera slowly straightened, then she laughed.

”Okay...that hurts.” A tentacle fell down, and regrew a second later. Her transformed arm began producing even more tentacles. ”Now is the time to get serious.”

Fayera’s tentacles came from every direction. The trees narrowed his movements.

Kael flew upward, but one wrapped around his wing.

His eyes widened. Another caught his ankle. Then another wrapped around his waist.

”Got you.”

He threw back his hands and pulled out two long feathers, slicing everything into little chops.

”Haha.” She continued to deploy more.

He slashed several, but some still managed to sneak past him. As soon as she got a hold, she pulled. Kael was dragged from the air and slammed into the ground.

He immediately tried to get back up, but the tentacles pinned his arms.

His wings struggled beneath him.

Fayera walked closer.

”Looks like your flying days are over.”

Kael gritted his teeth. ”Not yet.”

He forced one wing free and struck the ground with it, creating enough wind to push the tentacles away. He rolled to the side and stood, but Fayera didn’t give him time to recover. The tentacles rushed forward again.

Kael dodged the first.

Then the second.

The third caught him.

He was thrown against a tree. Before he could move, another tentacle wrapped around his chest and pulled him back.

Fayera appeared in front of him, her skin turning dark completely. Her pink lips parted into a grin.

”I win?”

She blinked, and he was gone.

”What?!”

He appeared behind her, and swung a kick. The attack drove her into the trees. He didn’t wait for her to recover before light gathered in his hand, bigger than the one before.

He shot it at her, clearing out a part of the trees with her. Dust covered the surface.

He stepped back and narrowed his eyes. For a moment, it was silent, until he heard something shifted.

”Oh my...” the dust cleared. ”It has been a while since I went full transformation.”

He staggered back.

A giant tentacle wrapped around a huge tree and uprooted it along with the root. Tentacles began to spread, latching onto trees and ground surfaces.

Her bare feet touch the ground. First hand grabbed a tree and crushed it. Second hand brushed her hair behind her head. Third and fourth hands were on her cheek, framing a wide smile.

”What...” he narrowed his eyes.

She had a single eye.

”What ...are you...”

”A Kadil.”

”Ka...dil?” He took another step back.

She stretched her hand and suddenly it was raining tentacles.

The forest took a heavy hit as he ran and dodged. Whichever he sliced, it regrew.

Meanwhile, she didn’t move. She only grinned and stared at him.

”May Omeo guide your poor soul.”

”Crap!”

He created a ball of light and blasted through it, all at once. They regenerated immediately, forming a ball around him and restricting all movement.

He began to struggle.

The tentacles tightened around him. Kael’s knees buckled. His wings slowly fell.

Fayera pulled him down.

”Let’s end it.”

His back was only inches from touching the ground.

Kael’s eyes went up, and met the sky through the trees. For a moment, he was completely still. The noise around him faded, and for a moment he just stared at the scene before his eyes.

Slowly, the feeling of the tentacles faded, and he felt a voice drifting past his ears.

”Beautiful, right?”

A sudden burst of energy erupted from him, burning through the restraints.

Fayera’s eyes widened. ”What—?”

The tentacles were blown away.

He didn’t fall. Instead, he hovered, in the air, eyes deeply focused.

Light gathered in his hand and something appeared.

Fayera stared at it.

”...A flute?”

Kael lifted it past his head and finally looked at her.

She took a step back. ”Kael, don’t—”

He swung it.

It was a sound attack. The sound was almost impossible to describe.

The entire forest shook. Trees bent violently as a massive wave of force tore through the area.

BOOOOOOM!

The ground trembled. Branches and leaves were sent flying. Half of the forest was completely destroyed, leaving a wide stretch of broken trees and open ground.

Fayera was thrown backward.

She landed hard and rolled several times before finally crashing into a pool.

Silence followed. Smoke and dust filled the air. For a long time, the ringing echoed in the forest. Loud, at first, but thinned into something bearable.

”Puuaah!” She came out of the water.

Her skin had already returned to its human form.

”...What the hell was that?”

She looked around. He was lying several meters away. The flute had fallen from his hand. His wings were completely still.

Fayera stared at him. ”You idiot...”

She dragged herself to her feet and walked toward him. She crouched beside him.

”Hey.”

Nothing.

Fayera sighed. ”You destroyed half the forest just to win a duel?”

She looked at the enormous clearing around them.

”...Actually, I’m not even sure you won.”

She glanced at his position. He was lying on his side.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

”Whatever.”

She carefully lifted him onto her back, adjusted his weight and began walking through the ruined forest.

”I wonder how Davon is doing.”