Chapter 37 - Outbreak (1)

The blade, drenched in scarlet blood, frees Jenna from its grip. Memba, impassive, watches her sink into nothingness. Under the pale moonlight, we witness with tragedy the imminent disappearance of our comrade, our voices choked with grief.

_ Son: “ Jenna, I beg you, don't go!! ”

_ Jenna: “ I'm sorry... everyone… ”

Son, his fingers clenched over the gaping wound, tries to stem the bleeding. His efforts to stop the flow of life prove futile, the wound defying all attempts at healing. "

_ Jenna: “ Mistress Ay... I'm sorry... I won't be able to give you back your scroll. ”

In a final burst of desperation, Son attacks the wound, but death seems to have already left its mark.

_ Son: “ FUUUCK!! ”

This forest, in which we find ourselves, is the scene of our lamentations. Most mourn bitterly the death of our friend, swallowed up in its depths. Indifferent to the chaos around them, their leader casts a furtive glance at his comrade.

_ Memba: “ Your turn, Pico. Take her out. ”

_ Pico: “ I never thought he'd execute a little girl. But hey, orders are orders. ”

A glowing projectile shoots out of the depths of the forest, heading straight for Pico. With an instinctive movement, Pico deflects the projectile with one of his bars.

_ Pico: “ What's that? ”

Closer up, a stylus stands out. A small dagger with a very thin triangular blade, about 20 cm long. Opposite this scene, a silhouette appears. A brown armband catches our eye. Sparkling purple pupils take shape. Our village chief enters the scene.

_ Son: “ Boss? ”

_ Ayden: “ How did the boss find us? ”

Moana, a helpless witness to a tragedy, watches Jenna, her life extinguished. Not far away, Shailly, seriously injured, struggles.

Finally, several poorly dressed orphans fill his vision. His gaze, frozen with hatred, falls on the perpetrators of this crime. Boiling with rage, his skin seems to radiate heat, and his lips emit thin wisps of steam.

Determined, she rushes toward Pico. With Shailly abandoned as a target, he materializes a cone and throws it to halt Moana's advance.

With boundless agility, she parries the blow with one hand by activating her Source. A particle projection is released from her hand, stopping the cone's momentum. With a muffled cry, she increases the pressure, reducing the cone to nothing.

_ Pico: “ What on earth? ”

She resumes her run, breathless. Panicked, the Reclu, in a sudden movement, attacks directly with the bars on his back. With a fluid and precise gesture, the bars dissolve with a backhand.

_ Pico: “ That's impossible!! ”

Now just a few meters away, Pico materializes a prism to counter the next assault. Upon contact, she sets the prism ablaze.

The surprise freezes him for a moment, then he deliberately cancels his prism, hoping to stifle the blaze. But the fire, faster than his reflexes, spreads along the entire length of his arm.

_ Pico: “ AHHHHH!! ”

Frantic, he struggles desperately against the uncontrollable fire. Amidst this visual and auditory chaos, Moana, her eyes glowing with hatred, grabs a second stylus from her pocket and, with a sharp thrust, plunges it into her opponent's chest, taking advantage of his vulnerability.

The bars on his back break in the process, signaling Pico's critical condition. A sneaky trip follows. His balance broken, Pico falls to the ground, his body heavy and inert. Without hesitation, Moana bends down to grab the other stylus from the ground and plunges it into her target's skull, a brutal move that brings the fight to a definitive end.

The shock of Moana's stunning victory leaves us frozen. The brutality of her assault reveals a previously unsuspected side to her personality, hinting at a heart as cold as her gaze.

As soon as the fight is over, I tear off my tunic with feverish haste. At the same time, Maïko and Hazel rush to Shailly's aid, then, with the improvised bandage, I run towards them. I apply the bandage to the gaping wound, trying to stem the bleeding.

_ Memba: “ Hmm, very interesting. ” he said, without showing the slightest emotion for his lifeless comrade.

With her styluses still bloody, Moana pulls them out of the lifeless flesh. She gets up and slowly walks toward her next duel. Then, her pupils, two black abysses, rise and fix themselves on Memba, ready to engulf her.

_ Moana: “ You're next. ”