Thud! Isdis rushed forward, pulling the string of biwa and sending a shockwave that froze everything it touches.
At that moment, Arad wasn't focusing on creating a fireball, and he could cast spells.
SWOSH! His body burst into flames. [Flame Cloak]
The ice melted as Arad immediately canceled the spell and started creating a fireball.
Thud! CLANK! Lydia and Isdis jumped to his sides, brandishing their swords.
[Holy Smite]
[Freezing Slash]
As the two blades approached Arad, he canceled the fireball and activated [Gravity Magic: Null Gravity]. With a single push from his leg, his body floated upward while horizontally on his back.
"He's hard to hit," Lydia growled, "Aella! Get him!"
SWOSH! Six arrows emerged from the trees, the ones she fired before, and with an extra three. They still flew with her wind magic.
Arad looked at the arrows, ^Those things will chase me forever unless I can do something about the cast,^ His eyes shifted to glare at the forest, instantly picking Aella's location and sending shivers down her spine.
Thud! Arad twisted his body, catching one of the arrows and throwing it at the forest.
***
"He knows where I'm hiding," Aella gulped, "I'm within the range of his vision. I have to move," she stood and started running silently between the trees.
SWOSH! THUD! An arrow blazed through the forest, landing in front of her with a thud. She stopped, looking at the fight, "He knows, and more are coming!" She cried, seeing the other four arrows she fired rushing at her.
"HALT!" She extended her hand, trying to control them with her wind, but it was too late. The arrows flew faster than her magic could be applied.
PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! Two arrows missed her, and the other two knocked her two quivers away into the forest.
Aella turned around, searching for the quivers.
***
Arad smiled. ^With this, she's out for a few seconds.^ Within the timeframe Doma gave, this is enough to count Aella out without actually hitting her.
"Lydia!" Isdis shouted, pulling her Biwa string. DING! DING! An ice mound emerged from the ground. "Hit him hard!" She started playing her biwa, [Enchanted Moral]
Lydia felt lighter, as if her still armor turned into a leather one, and she couldn't feel the weight of the sword in her hands. THUD! THUD! She ran forward, using the mound as a jumping stone to reach Arad mid-air.
"It's over! Vampire!" She swung her sword at his neck.
"[Time is up.]" Doma's voice came out of Arad's chest, and Lydia gasped. She has no way of stopping mid-air.
FLAP! Arad expanded his wings, catching her before she hits the ground. "Are you all right?" He asked with a smile.
"Yeah," Lydia sighed, dropping to the ground and leaning on the sword, "That was exhausting,"
As Arad flew, his wings got pulled into his back, and he plunged head-first onto the ground, panting and sweating like a hog. "That wasn't so bad," He gasped for air.
"You look like you're at death's door," Isdis stared at him skeptically.
"I'm not. I'm fine," Arad smiled.
"[He isn't fine. He suffers from dizziness and a headache.]" Doma spoke, "[He never pushed his brain to the limit, but now he did.]"
"Can you not speak?" Arad sighed.
"[And he feels like throwing up, bring him some water.]"
Isdis shook her arms, "See? She can speak for you," She turned toward her tent and brought a jug of water, "Here you go, drink slowly."
Arad sat up and took the jug from her, "Thank you,"
Arad started drinking, staring at the sky.
"[Don't worry about failure, you're learning, and it's natural to fail.]" Doma said from inside his chest, smiling inside.
"It's harder said than done. It's as if I don't have control over the Mana that escaped my body," Arad sighed, putting the jug down.
"[You have an infinite potential. Your body is naturally strong. All you need to do is learn and train.]"
"How strong exactly? I doubt it's much as I'm still a very young one," Arad stood, taking the jug back to Isdis. "And S-rank adventurers are powerful. I won't be able to reach their level any time soon,"
"[Hehe]" Doma laughed, "[If I were to take over your body, I would win against most S-ranks except the first ranked."
"Stop joking,"
"[I'm not joking. The potential in your body now, without any extra additions is already stupid. Just work hard, and don't neglect any training.]"
Arad walked back to his tent, seeing Aella walk out of the bush with leaves all over her head, "I finally found them," she carried her quivers.
"Ah! Aella, you're back," Arad waved his hand to her, and she rushed toward him.
"How are you feeling?" Aella smiled, looking at Arad, "Your clothes are dripping with sweat. Should I get you a change?"
Arad looked at his shirt, "Please do if you can,"
Aella rushed toward the tent with a smile, "You knocked my quivers away. I found them several meters away."
"Sorry about that. I wanted you out of the fight. Your arrows are really hard to deal with." Arad scratched his head, walking inside behind her and taking his shirt off.
***
Outside, Lydia walked to the carriage and looked inside, "We didn't hear from you for a while. Are you still alive?"
Eris growled, covering her face with the blanket, "It's still noon, don't wake me up,"
Lydia stared at the half-asleep Eris and remembered Arad, "You two don't act anything alike,"
Eris opened one eye, "Don't compare me to someone who has scarlets' blood. He doesn't have to sleep during the day and cannot be harmed by the sun. I can't even see him as a vampire," She rolled into the blanket.
Lydia looked back at Arad's tent, "He's different,"
"There will be a day when he will concur holy magic, just like the sun," Eris mumbled, "You might regret letting him live, as such power shouldn't be wielded without supervision. Especially in the hands of the cursed witch,"
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