Scarlet

As it turns out, the other twin isn’t stronger than the first, and I deal with him just a tiny bit slower than the first. Although I do find it interesting that one twin uses electricity, while the other uses water.

An interesting combination.

Also, why do they still look identical even with their reality warp? Except the different colors.

“That’s simple,” Tar says, “because they’re siblings.”

I blink in surprise as I look away from the two remaining students, one of which is approaching me, at the ground.

So being a blood relative actually does matter in regards to the reality warp?

“Yes,” Tar answers rather quickly.

Interesting. Although if that girl with the electricity and speed had any good weapons, the match probably would’ve been much, much harder. But weapons are very difficult to get for Guardians, because there aren’t any materials on Earth that naturally are strong enough to be used in our fights. They wouldn’t even break a higher level demon’s skin, much less do damage. And same with a higher level – me included at this point – Guardian.

The only ones that actually use weapons are those who can create their own, enhance their weapon, or afford the astronomical price of having a specific magical metal created for them or get some of the parts from the demons in old world Japan or the Arctic and use them in forging their weapon. Which is a price so high that it could buy a damned city. A Tier 2 one at that.

I look up again as Sentinel reaches me and says, “Looks like it’s my turn.” And when I nod my head, he reaches out and for some reason grabs a lock of my hair that was going down over my shoulder, making me flinch in the process as he challenges me.

“Challenge accepted,” I state while stepping back and automatically pulling my hair out of between his fingers in the process. Then, when we’re both in the magical reality, I ask, “Please don’t do something like that again. Just the shoulder.”

He appears surprised for a moment before nodding his head in a stoic manner.

I blink in surprise at that, only to mentally shrug as I activate my skills for the umpteenth time today.

He’s either a creep or just has some odd social customs. I’d put my money on the second considering how nonchalant he seems to be about me saying not to do that again.

Because I do know some places that are very intimate for some bizarre reason. Even with complete strangers.

Places no one will ever find me getting anywhere near even with a hundred meter long pole.

“A pole that length isn’t really feasible to hold…” Tar mutters, but I ignore him.

Really wish these damned battles counted for leveling up my skills. But reality and the System apparently doesn’t count magical realities and anything that happen within them as viable, so…

Because if it did count then I’d probably have leveled up a lot of them by now.

Sentinel punches his fists together just like he did in the battle I watched him fight against Necro, then I actually feel the pulsating of the golden light pushing against me from where he is. But unlike the twins who specialize in speed, he just stands there with his eyes narrowed on me.

If I remember correctly, his strength is his defense and countering. He likes to take blows and return them with more force. Some sort of magic called Divine Retribution.

Even though it has nothing to do with gods or anything.

I narrow my eyes at him as I slowly begin to circle around him, pondering over how to take this battle.

If I try tearing him apart like the others, I’ll be hit with divine light in response. Then he’ll go in to attack me like he did any other physical attacker, since he does things a little differently against ranged attackers.

Which reminds me that my next skill I purchase will be a ranged skill. No doubt about that.

Blood boil is great and all, but it’s only good as a passive and slow damage dealing skill. Not a finisher or a single blow ranged hit.

The man just continues turning in place as I slowly walk around him, unsure of how to take this. But then I decide to test blood boil on him to see if I get hit with divine light. And I don’t.

My eyebrows rise in pleasant surprise.

The man grimaces and has a look of fear on his face that shouldn’t be there just from blood boil, making me realize that I just found his weakness.

“Looks like the guy is weak to passive damage like that,” Tar says, a hint of interest in his voice.

I quickly use life drain on him as well and find the same result as blood boil. The skill works without me taking any damage.

So I just kind of sit back while using the skills, very slowly draining my mana as I keep my distance from him.

“Are you seriously going to do this?” he eventually asks after ten seconds of me just standing in place and watching him. Eventually he himself tries to go forward, but I just keep backing up, proving that he’s much slower than me.

“Why not?” I ask with a shrug.

This’ll teach you to touch my hair.

“At least it wasn’t your ears,” Tar says, making my face soften slightly.

True. Could’ve been worse.

I lead the guy around for a couple of minutes, just draining him till the point that blood bubbles are popping on his skin and he’s breathing heavily, then I finally decide to give him a break and not completely embarrass him by rushing forwards out of nowhere while activating blood claws on my shifted arm. This startles him, but he’s ready for it and pulls his fist back to match my claws with his fist.

Right when I see him sending the punch forward though, I immediately pull back and twirl in a circle around him to claw at his side. Then the divine light shines down from the sky of the plains we’re in, making me feel a light burning sensation. But it’s nowhere near as bad as the large claw marks that I gouge out of his side, the process being made a lot easier due to blood boil softening his flesh.

“Shit…” Sentinel mutters with a grunt while falling to one knee. But he still manages to swing his fist out to slam into my side, sending me flying from the ray of divine light that shines out of it on the instant of contact. And the divine light torches its way through my jacket and shirt, burning a hole around the right side of my waist.

I grimace as I land on the ground a few meters away before glancing at the wound which is pretty badly burned.

Damn it.

When I look up again, I find him swiftly climbing to his feet as a golden aura suffuses his entire body.

The fuck? How’s he standing as if that wound – which is literally pouring blood down his side – is nothing but a scratch?!