Gods & Mortals

The resonating clang of metal filled the air as X meticulously reloaded his high-caliber sniper rifle. The whispering winds rustled through the surroundings, shrouding everything in a momentary stillness that enhanced X's focused state.

Positioned prone, his eye aligned with the scope, X gained a comprehensive view of the southern expanse where Klaus, Trent, and Quinn were situated, approximately four and a half miles away.

Surveying the terrain, he noted that his energy reserves had dwindled more rapidly than he had foreseen. The toll of his ability on his body was staggering, even when utilized for a mere fraction of time.

Despite his waning energy, X chose to maintain his sniping posture, his resolve unwavering. He held his vantage point, awaiting the opportune moment for his next shot.

X had identified a ranger tower-like structure strategically positioned at the center of the arena. From this vantage point, he had successfully scouted the majority of the forested terrain. This reconnaissance led him to the confrontation between Team Lunar and Team Astra, located over three miles from his position.

Aware that his capacity for utilizing his ability was dwindling, he understood that he had just one more chance before exhaustion rendered him immobile. He recognized the urgency of seizing a clear opening.

"We're doomed," Quinn muttered under her breath, acknowledging the near-impossible odds they faced.

Klaus found himself unsettled by Quinn's reaction, an unexpected manifestation of her distress.

"Calm down," he urged her, his mind racing to formulate a solution.

X's ability to strike Ace despite Ace's extraordinary speed rattled Trent, who recognized that outrunning X was improbable. Hope appeared to dwindle until Klaus took the lead.

Amid the prevailing sense of inevitability, Klaus recalled a crucial factor.

"Trent, I think you should teleport back to the tower," Klaus reminded him, pointing out the potential escape route Trent possessed.

Given the circumstances, Trent's teleportation could provide a direct retreat to the tower for him, eluding X.

"And what about you?" Trent inquired, concern lacing his voice.

"At this point, having more team members around is better," Klaus answered, acknowledging the slim odds of his own escape.

After a brief contemplation, Trent recognized the practicality of Klaus's proposition. Accepting the dire situation, he initiated his teleportation.

Back at Team Lunar's tower, Trent had used the puddle of water he had left behind to create a sigil-like mark at the tower's apex. Illuminated by a faint blue aura, the mark emitted a radiant glow. Within its center, water coalesced, forming a structure resembling a rising arm.

Meanwhile, at Klaus's location, Trent's original form liquefied, gradually transforming into water. This metamorphosis began with the same water-formed arm that emerged from the tower's mark. Gradually, his entire being underwent the change, turning into a fluid state directly before Klaus's eyes.

With a sigh, Klaus shifted his gaze to Quinn, who appeared to have regained a measure of composure during the intervening moments.

"Seems it's just us now," Klaus mumbled, his countenance maintaining its remarkably calm and collected demeanor.

"So it seems," Quinn replied, a hint of regained confidence returning to her expression, though it was tinged with a sense of facade.

"Though, in reality, we're just prolonging the inevitable," she continued, acknowledging their challenging circumstances.

Klaus took a moment to ponder before responding, his reply carrying a glimmer of uncertainty.

"I'm not entirely sure about that."

Quinn's confusion was palpable as she regarded Klaus, attempting to decipher the meaning behind his words. She sensed a hidden implication in his statement.

"Wait, you have a plan?" Quinn inquired, curiosity lacing her voice.

"I guess..." Klaus replied thoughtfully.

Quinn fell silent, her attention fixated on Klaus. His claim of having a plan held her intrigue, a beacon of hope in a dire situation that seemed devoid of alternatives.

Klaus turned his gaze northward, toward the presumed location of X. Amidst his thoughts, he realized the precarious nature of his plan – a single opportunity to execute it correctly, and the risk of elimination loomed should he fail.

CONVERSATION

Klaus: The plan isn't entirely foolproof, but what other option do we really have? Although, assisting you isn't a priority, given that we aren't teammates.

Quinn: Guess you aren't ignorant of that fact, huh?

Quinn then cheekily returned her smile. Klaus pondered the situation for a few more moments before deciding what to do about Quinn and whether he should include her in his rescue plan.

Klaus: I'll help you, but we're gonna strike a deal.

Hearing this made Quinn a bit skeptical, but she knew her options were slim at that moment.

Quinn: Fine. What are your terms?

Klaus: It's pretty simple, really. I know that you and Ace were making your way to my team's tower earlier. Given your expectedly sharp intellect, it's likely you deduced that my team might be the weakest among your opponents. But that's kind of an issue for me if I let you continue in the game. Can you see where this is going?

Quinn's expression shifted as she heard Klaus lay out his conditions. She had a feeling he might figure out their intentions, but she had hoped it wouldn't come to this.

Klaus: And out of all the demigods, you're likely the only one I believe will honor their word, so just saying yes is enough for me.

And he was correct. Quinn wasn't the type to backtrack on her promises, so if she agreed, it would be sincere. However, she understood that by accepting, she would be altering the potential for her team's victory.

Quinn: And what if I decline?

Klaus: Well, I'm pretty sure you can't. I already know that one of your abilities has telekinetic traits, meaning you can choose to manipulate the trees and potentially obstruct X's line of sight. However, you chose not to do this, probably recognizing that moving the trees would cause more water droplets to fall to the ground, giving X an advantage rather than a hindrance. Also, I believe that you can use telepathic communication to signal others from your team for assistance, but from your initial reaction, I'm guessing your range may not extend far enough to reach your tower where your teammates are.

Quinn glanced at him with a subtle grin.

Klaus: But you already knew that the second X sniped Ace, and you panicked because you knew I was your only way out. Also, if we both do get eliminated, your team loses fifty percent of their members, and mine, only twenty-five percent. So you need this chance for survival more than I do.

Quinn let out a sigh in frustration.

Klaus: But you already knew that.

Quinn struggled to maintain a composed expression despite realizing that Klaus's deduction was entirely accurate.

Quinn: You're too smart for your own good, Klaus Walker?

Klaus: I'm sure you get that a lot.

After a lengthy conversation, Quinn found herself compelled to yield to Klaus's wishes.

X maintained his vigil through the sniper scope, his focus locked onto Klaus and Quinn's concealed location. He sensed their attempt to strategize an escape, deducing it from the extended time they spent in cover.

Yet, X remained unswayed. His singular goal was a clear, unerring shot.

Suddenly, his attention was captured by a small, yellowish spherical object ascending from Klaus's vicinity, into the sky. X instinctively reacted, activating his True Accuracy with a mere thought. His pupils contracted, endowing him with pinpoint precision to discern the small orb's attributes.

However, before X could discern its nature as a ball of light, the solar ball came to a sudden halt. In the blink of an eye, an explosive burst of light engulfed the area between X and his targets. The intense illumination took X by surprise, particularly amplified by his True Accuracy and the focus of his scope.

Overwhelmed by the blinding glare, X withdrew his gaze and disengaged the ability, left with only residual vision after the luminous flare.

Aware that time had elapsed since the deployment of the solar flashbang, X endeavored to regain sight through his scope, hoping to find his targets. Yet, his hopes were dashed as both Klaus and Quinn had vanished from view.

Weakened by the strain of sustaining True Accuracy, X could barely move. He remained on the ranger tower to recuperate, aiming to restore his strength and reduce his vulnerability before reentering the fray.

The footsteps of Arthur reverberated through the expansive forest encompassing the battlefield. His search for rival team members had been fruitless, leaving him isolated for an extended period.

Finally, after covering considerable ground, Arthur stumbled upon a tower-like structure. As he entered the tower, a pair of staircases greeted him, mirroring the layout of his initial spawn point.

Ascending the steps, Arthur reached the tower's pinnacle, where the coveted flag awaited. Yet, an odd sensation compelled him to dodge an incoming assault launched from the direction of the flag. Reacting swiftly, Arthur leaped back, narrowly evading the attack.

Rising to his feet, Arthur turned toward the origin of the assault.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you have that." the stranger muttered, revealing their identity to Arthur.

"Siren, I assume?" Arthur responded, a flicker of recognition lighting up his features.

"Correct," Siren affirmed, his right knuckle still clenched and aimed at Arthur.

Arthur continued, "The son of the God of Sound, huh? That attack just now, a sonic boom generated from your hands?"

"I'm not particularly interested in chatting at the moment if that's fine," Siren replied tersely.

Clad in his all-encompassing suit, Siren's expressions remained inscrutable. His right hand remained fixed on Arthur, displaying three small boxes on the back of his palm. One of them emitted a blue light and emitted a faint, charge-like sound.

"It seems he's about to attack again," Arthur thought to himself as the second small box on Siren's hand lit up, accompanied by a higher-pitched sound.

As the third box glowed with blue light, producing the final, highest-pitched sound, an intense force, propelled by a deafening sound, surged from Siren's knuckle directly toward Arthur's lifeline. It was as if Siren had harnessed the power of sound within his body and unleashed it toward the precise location his hand was pointed at.

Observing this rapidly advancing force, which appeared to have exceeded the speed of sound, Arthur reacted almost instinctively, narrowly evading the sonic boom aimed directly at him. As he hit the floor, a powerful explosion-like noise erupted behind him, and when he turned to assess the damage, a section of the wall appeared broken through.

With this, Arthur realized the destructive potential of Siren's sound-based attacks, ones that he couldn't afford to underestimate.

Struggling to regain his footing, Arthur found himself the target of another charged shot from Siren. Reacting swiftly, he narrowly avoided the attack once more.

Siren unleashed multiple supersonic assaults, and Arthur dodged them all with agility and determination. However, he couldn't elude the final shot, which struck his back and sent him sprawling to the ground.

Seeing his adversary immobilized, Siren ceased his attacks, the parts of his suit on his arms emitting a powering-down sound, signaling a temporary cessation of hostilities.

Arthur took a few moments to rise to his feet, brushing off the dust from his left shoulder, which had impacted the ground during his fall. He turned his attention to Siren, whose concealed emotions were masked by his suit.

"You're strong," Arthur acknowledged. "Those attacks could incapacitate almost anyone on contact."

"But regrettably, I'm your opponent."

With those words from Arthur, Siren wasted no time. He immediately charged another shot and fired it straight at Arthur. However, this time, Arthur casually extended his right forearm to intercept the shot.

Siren, momentarily taken aback by what he saw, realized that Arthur's arm bore no mark or injury from the attack, even though the force had shredded the sleeve of his shirt where the shot had landed.

"What?" Siren exclaimed in disbelief. Before he could react, Arthur was already closing the distance between them at a rapid pace.

Panicking, Siren recognized that he needed to amplify the intensity of his attack, even if it meant risking potential harm to both Arthur and himself.

"How would you like ten percent, then?" Siren shouted, doubling the intensity from five percent to ten and unleashing it at Arthur.

Undeterred, Arthur thrust his right palm forward to intercept the attack, his momentum unbroken.

"Impossible," Siren muttered as Arthur reached him without being affected by the blast.

Attempting to launch another point-blank attack before Arthur reached him, Siren found his suit overheating, forcing it to go offline for a ten-second cooldown.

Unfortunately for Siren, ten seconds was an eternity when facing Arthur. In those moments, Arthur surged forward, his fists raised, and struck at the location of Siren's lifeline.

Siren tried to shield himself with his arms, but the force behind Arthur's blow was far beyond ordinary human strength. The impact sent Siren hurtling into the wall several yards away, his back slamming into it.

Pain radiated through Siren's body as his arms felt as if they were shattered. The force of that single attack nearly knocked him unconscious. He struggled to move his arms, feeling the strain of his injuries.

"Any more of your last attack could have been a problem, so I had to end it quickly," Arthur remarked, shifting his stance as if preparing for another strike despite the distance.

"But I appreciate your effort," Arthur concluded as he swung his fist forward, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that struck the space between him and Siren.

The force of the wind slammed into Siren's lifeline, causing it to instantly turn red. The impact was so forceful that it propelled Siren through the wall and out of the tower.

Luckily, Siren was spared from further damage and was transported away from the battlefield before his body could hit the ground.

After his intense battle with Siren, Arthur took a moment to catch his breath. His breathing gradually normalized as he walked toward the flag that still stood in the center of the room.

"Guess I have to bring this back to the base and secure the win," he muttered to himself, extending his hand toward the flag.

However, just as his fingers were about to grasp it, a voice cut through the air from behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Startled, Arthur spun around to see who had spoken, only to find no one there. Perplexed, he scanned the room, searching for any sign of the mysterious voice.

He brushed it off as his imagination playing tricks on him, but the voice spoke again, echoing around the room.

"Looks like your time in this competition is about to end."

This time, Arthur was certain that someone was present with him.

"Show yourself!" he shouted, his gaze darting around the room, seeking the source of the voice.

"Your heart is racing. Is that fear I see in your eyes?" The voice taunted, causing Arthur to whirl around even faster.

"Fear? You must be joking. Why don't you come out and face me, coward?" Arthur retorted, his impatience growing as he yearned for the stranger to reveal themselves.

Then, after a brief pause, the voice echoed once more, this time from directly behind him.

"Boo."

Startled, Arthur instinctively swung his arm in the direction of the voice, but upon a second of witnessing who it was, his target dissolved into smoke and disappeared.

"A-Ash Brimstone," Arthur muttered, recognizing the presence. He realized that the tower he was in belonged to Team Astra.

After uttering the name, he noticed that the room had become enveloped in smoke, obscuring his vision. Arthur then raised his arms, positioning himself in an offensive stance.

"You think I'm afraid of mere smoke?" he retorted, challenging Ash.

"Even the mighty fear what they don't understand."

These words shattered Arthur's composure. He turned frantically, attempting to locate Ash and heightening his senses in preparation for the next attack.

"Reveal yourself, coward! You're not in control here!" Arthur snapped, his impatience or perhaps fear making his words harsh.

Ash's voice echoed once more, "That is unnecessary since the battle has already concluded."

In that instant, Arthur's lifeline abruptly turned red, a shocking realization washing over him.

"What?" Arthur exclaimed, astonished by the sudden turn of events.

Despite no apparent contact or force, his lifeline had been pressed, eliminating him from the game. Even his readiness for Ash's attacks hadn't been enough.

Arthur dropped to his knees, a profound sense of disappointment settling over him as his form began to fade away.

"How?" he asked, his eyes falling upon Ash, who materialized before him in an ethereal form before vanishing completely.

Ash's response lingered in the air as the smoke dissipated, leaving no trace behind.

"I'm stronger."