A sharp, burning pain filled my face as her punch connected. That's the moment I was sure that these two weren't joking. They were going all out on this "spar."
I get pushed back, planting my feet into the ground to slowly stop myself. I wipe my nose with the palm of my hand. Crimson red blood smeared across my hand down to my wrist. Although the punch was too fast to leave fire, I was still able to feel the quick and burning sensation when her fist made contact.
I look back up at Kia, who was clenching her fists in a boxing stance while staring back at me. She knew the extent of what I could do, so she was playing this fairly carefully. But as I said earlier, I won't be able to do anything if any attacks I make against her will just be reflected back at me. If that's the case...
Kia backs away from me, forming her hands into a Persian snap once more with her index fingers pointed at me. She snaps, unleashing a large, condensed blast of fire from the tips of her fingers in my direction. I dive to the side, quickly pushing myself up as I start sprinting in Kia's direction. I raised my arm, causing Kia to put up her fists to defend, except I didn't attack. I run past her and bolt straight towards Elena.
"Hey!" I hear Kia's flames roar, a telegraph indicating that she was charging fire under her feet to propel herself. But it was already too late. I managed to get in front of Elena. I activate [Health Strike], energy flowing through my body. Elena's eyes widen, looking straight at my fist. The punch connects. Not in the way I expected, though.
In the split second before my attack lands, she brought the screen around Kia to be placed right in front of her. Time stopped for a second as I see a blue copy of my hand emerge from the blockade, aimed right at my chest. I won't be able to dodge this, but I can definitely survive it! If I'm going to get hit anyway, I might as well take advantage of it.
Before the reflect punch connects, I activate [Angel's Gambit], increasing my damage taken but being able to heal back half of it. I should be able to rally more damage buffs with this.
Golden, translucent angel wings sprout from my back before I get hit by my own attack, pushing me backwards and forcing me on my back. I scream in agony, but the wings surround me, healing some of my injuries and relieving the pain. As they opened, I saw Kia right above me in the air, getting ever so closer to me. Another [Snap Flame]. It fires off, but not before I use [Health Strike] and hit the ground in front of me, sending me in the opposite direction with the shockwave and ultimately causing me to dodge the blast.
Kia lands on the ground in front of Elena. "Got any idea what those wings are for?" Kia asks aloud. Elena begins charging a spell, which seems to be her main method of attacking that's a part of her usual kit. "No idea, but it doesn't seem to be for movement purposes. I'll keep the guard around you, so feel free to attack. I'll cover you." She says with a calm voice. Despite being close to sustaining the same attack I took, she was fairly in control of herself.
Two orbs formed above Elena. Those were how she mainly fired off her attacks. From what I remember, they're completely automated since she has to keep focus on her barrier most of the time.
I rush towards Elena again, but not before getting stopped by Kia's roundhouse kick to my stomach. I was hit off to the side, still mid-air as two beams shot out from the orbs and hit my wrists. I wince in pain as I land, healing them up right away. At this rate, this fight will take forever! It's really starting to piss me off!
Kia comes at me again with a rush of blows imbued with fire. I dodge some and I block a few, and I heal myself again. I clench my fist tightly, launching an attack right at Kia's face. Just like fucking last time, my attack is reflected against me, hitting my face and causing my to flip backwards.
I push my feet into the ground and shove myself back up to see the two orbs firing off their lasers at me. I dodge one, but land right in the other's trajectory, a large baseball-sized hole searing through my arm. "SHIT!" I scream, heal myself up again after the wings refresh half of my injuries. It's just the same thing over and over and over again! I'm getting sick and tired of this!
Kia comes up in front of me again. I fire off another punch which she blocks with her left hand, counterattacking with her right and sending me back again, planting my feet in the ground to stay up. I look up at her, noticing something was off. That wasn't imbued with her fire, and it's so strong?!
"You look surprised! I don't think you remember, but I also have Pain Train!" Kia says laughing at me.
"So fucking what?! You think you're better than me?!" I yell at her. With genuine rage in my heart.
Wait. Something isn't right. Why am I so angry? This isn't as bad as what happened in the elevator, so why should I be so irritated right now? When did this all start?
It went after Elena but had my attack reflected. I activated Angel's Gambit and got forced away from the two. After that, they talked a little bit... and those orbs appeared! So that's it!
———————————
Cleanse of the Goddess activated.
Dispelled Elena Vermilyea's Enraged
Processing related skill information...
Skill Name: Manic Attack
Skill Rank: S
Skill Type: Activate Passive
Skill Description: Creates two energy orbs and Enrages life forms not in the user's team in a 200 foot radius. Enraged life forms become irrational and angry. Any person or thing inflicted with Enraged will be constantly targeted and attacked by Manic Attack's energy orbs in the form of beams.
———————————
So this was what causes the [Enraged] effect. I heard she also has other skills that causes this, but this seems to be the main one.
Gotcha. I look over at Elena to confirm something, and wouldn't you know it, the two floating orbs above her arms stop firing their energy beams. Her mouth opens slightly in surprise as she looks over shoulders and back at me. I smirk at her. Finally I have a bit of an edge now! That's what I believed for a moment at least.
Elena stared in my direction, but not specifically at me. My eyes widen and I quickly turn around, sadly not fast enough to see Kia coming at me with a fire-imbued kick. I get hit by it, but don't fly in the trajectory of it. Something stopped me. Elena had put up screens behind me and on both sides, my only option of moving being forward right into Kia's attacks.
"You're not ready for this one, Goldie!" Kia backed up, snapping with both of her hands, which if I remember correctly, charges up her next attack. She stood in front of me, preparing another Persian snap and jabbing her pointer fingers in my chest. The space around me was too tight to move my arms and my back was up against the wall. I shut my eyes, preparing myself for this attack when suddenly...
SNAP!
———————————
New skill learned: Interference.
Interference activated.
———————————