The Extra's Reincarnation-Chapter 74: Free For All (4)

WHOOSH!

Before the dragon could slam into Tiberius and Cullen, Marlon had stepped forward.

"Spell Arts Of Magica: Mana Veil!"

BAM

The wind dragon collided against the mana barrier. The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, kicking up dust and debris.

Marlon gritted his teeth, straining to maintain the barrier against the relentless onslaught of Kyra’s spell. Cracks began to spider-web across the surface of his shield as the wind dragon pushed against it with unrelenting force.

"I... can’t... hold it!" Marlon gasped, his arms shaking with the effort.

CRACK!

Suddenly, Marlon’s barrier shattered under the pressure of the wind dragon.

The spell, no longer restrained, surged forward with determination, ready to explode upon those within its reach.

ROAR…

HEUK!!

It slammed into Marlon full force, lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing through the wall of the decrepit building.

BOOOOOM!

The dragon had exploded into the air with green energy raining down from the sky.

But the damage was done. Marlon laid motionless in the quiet rubble.

POOOOF!

[Marlon Devora #0,012 - Has Been Eliminated.]

"That bastard told me he didn’t know real spell arts…"

Tiberius muttered in anger, mocking Marlon, who had lied to him about not knowing how to use Spell Arts Of Magica.

"No matter, we have our target just ahead of us,"

"…"

"Can you stand Cullen?"

Cullen groaned, pushing himself up from the rubble.

"Yeah... I’m fine. Just caught off guard."

He glared at Kyra, his eyes burning with malice.

"That little trick won’t work twice."

Kyra’s heart sank as she realized her most powerful attack hadn’t been enough to eliminate all three of them. She was exhausted from channeling so much mana, and she knew she couldn’t cast another spell of that magnitude.

Tiberius cracked his knuckles, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "I have to admit, you surprised us there, little mouse. But playtime’s over now."

Kyra backed away, her legs trembling. She had given it her all, but it wasn’t enough. Tears of frustration and fear welled up in her eyes as Tiberius and Cullen advanced on her.

-Fight back…

Those were the words she was hearing in her head.

"Fight…back?"

If those were the words of encouragement she needed, what must be done needed to be finished here and now.

HWAM…

Her green hair glowed once more and again Tiberius and Cullen were caught off guard.

She poured out her hands and the intent behind her green glowing eyes told them that if she’s going down, then one of them has to go with her.

The moment the Cullen and Tiberius realized their same mistake, they braced themselves ready to defend her attack.

"Spell Arts Of Magica: Forceful Hand (Maximum Output)"

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

BOOOOOM!

The shockwave of energy exploded outward, slamming into Cullen and Tiberius with devastating force.

The blast sent them flying backward, their bodies crashing through crumbling walls and debris.

Kyra, propelled by the recoil of her own spell, was thrown violently in the opposite direction. She tumbled through the air, unable to control her trajectory.

CRASH!

Her body slammed into a partially collapsed building, the impact knocking the wind out of her lungs. Pain exploded through her right leg as it twisted unnaturally beneath her.

Her body felt broken, her mana reserves completely depleted. She knew she couldn’t move, let alone defend herself if anyone else found her.

As the adrenaline began to fade, the full extent of her injuries became apparent. Her right leg was definitely broken and the pain that came with it intensified with each passing moment.

The head wound, while not deep, was bleeding profusely, clouding her vision.

Kyra tried to push herself up, but her arms gave out, and she collapsed back onto the rubble-strewn ground. Tears of pain and frustration welled up in her eyes.

"I did it, Mother," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn’t give up. I fought back."

But now, lying broken and alone in this desolate wasteland, Kyra wondered if it had been worth it. She had eliminated one of the targets but still didn’t hear any announcement on the other two.

But now the question begged, how far is she willing to go in this state?

She needed to escape as far as possible in order to not get caught by them and she ended up crawling away.

She had no idea if Tiberius or Cullen had survived her final attack. For all she knew, they could be right behind her, ready to finish what they’d started.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was likely only minutes, Kyra spotted a partially collapsed building ahead. With the last reserves of her strength, she dragged herself inside, collapsing against a crumbling wall.

The cool darkness of the building’s interior was a small relief, but Kyra knew she was far from safe.

"Can’t... sleep..." she murmured, forcing her eyes open. "Not... safe..."

But it was a losing battle. Her body had been pushed far beyond its limits, and consciousness was slipping away despite her best efforts.

Just as her eyes were about to close, a sound from outside made her freeze. Footsteps. Someone was approaching.

The footsteps grew closer, then paused just outside her hiding place.

"Kyra?" a familiar voice called out softly. "It’s Julian. Are you in there?"

Kyra’s eyes widened in surprise and relief. Julian? But could she trust him? In this challenge, everyone was a potential enemy.

After a moment’s hesitation, she replied weakly, "J-Julian? Is that really you?"

"Yes, it’s me," came the response. "Can I come in? We need to talk."

Kyra swallowed hard, weighing her options. She was in no condition to defend herself if this was a trick. But if Julian was truly here to help she wouldn’t mind seeing how reliable he was back in the previous challenge.

"Okay... but please, don’t hurt me," Kyra replied hesitantly.

Julian stepped carefully into the building, his eyes adjusting to the dim interior. When he saw Kyra’s condition, his eyes widened in shock.

"Kyra... W-What happened to you?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Kyra whimpered, almost in tears as she saw Julian approach. She was in no condition to defend herself if he decided to attack.

Julian raised his hands slowly, showing he meant no harm. "Kyra, I’m not here to hurt you. What happened? Who did this to you?"

She flinched as he took a step closer, but didn’t try to move away. "T-Tiberius and his group," she stammered. "They ambushed me as soon as the challenge started. I barely managed to escape."

Julian’s jaw clenched in anger. "Where are they now?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger.

Kyra shook her head weakly.

"I don’t know. Marcus showed up and started fighting them off. That’s when I ran."

Instinctively, Kyra had to lie to Julian as she needed to figure out whether his intentions were out of pure kindness or just convenience.

***

[Julian’s POV]

I tried to keep myself calm and steady while holding Kyra in my arms, trying my best not to move her injured leg or cause her any more pain.

It had only been a few minutes since we had fled from the area we were at and she let out a small whimper occasionally as we moved.

We moved through the ruins as quickly and quietly as possible. I used my Divine Eyes to scan for any signs of other participants or danger, the familiar red glow enhancing my senses. The faint trails of mana left behind by others glimmered in the air, but none seemed fresh or close enough to be an immediate threat.

After what felt like an eternity of cautious navigation, I spotted a partially intact building that looked promising. It was a squat, concrete structure with fewer windows than the surrounding skyscrapers, offering better cover and defensibility.

"I think I found us a safe spot," I told Kyra softly. She nodded weakly, her eyes fluttering as she fought to stay conscious.

As I rushed towards the building, I felt a sudden disturbance of energy within the area.

[Faustino Skye #0,006 - Has Been Eliminated.]

My eyes widened in surprise at the announcement. Faustino had been eliminated?

He was one of the stronger participants - for him to be taken out this early was unexpected.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Kyra softly as we entered the concrete building.

She nodded weakly, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"But... how?"

"It must’ve been Marcus then..." I muttered, carefully setting Kyra down in a corner of the room.

"He’s the only one I can think of who could take out Faustino."

Kyra winced as I gently propped her injured leg up on a piece of debris.

"But why would Marcus eliminate Faustino? Weren’t they on the same side?"

I shook my head, frowning.

"In this challenge, there are no sides. Everyone’s out for themselves."

As I spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. Here I was, talking about alliances and betrayal, when my own objective was to eliminate the very girl I was trying to protect.

But I pushed that thought aside. Right now, Kyra needed help, and I wasn’t going to abandon her.