The events that transpired in this year's Apprentices Cup could only be labeled as world-shocking. First was the Calamity Spider that has started a war and worsened the relationship between the two countries and there are today's events: Mistletoe's appearance and the Nether beings.
"Have you seen that attack, Grandmaster Jumana?" Grandmaster Kiren asked as he stood with the woman. The reason that the association wasn't hell-bent on chasing after the members of Mistletoe was that attack exactly. "Do you think they got their hands on one of the artifacts?"
"Do you think those artifacts grow on trees?" Jumana snapped at him with her hair slithering in the wind. "I don't know what it is, but if they have one of the artifacts, then we'd have seen more than just these ruins."
Her eyes lingered on the arena. She had felt it, the power contained in that single punch. It was something otherworldly, overbearing, and terrifying to behold. She craved it but also feared it, thus wanting to destroy it lest it falls into the wrong hands.
'Mistletoe, what is your secret?' Jumana wondered to herself as she allowed herself to be immersed in the lingering, vibrating existence of that power.
"What do you mean?" A voice dragged her out of her thoughts. It held confusion and terror. She looked at the pair of old man and girl standing a distance away as the girl asked again. "What do you mean Arthur is gone? Has he left the city?"
"No," Grandmaster Venkov shook his head. "We tried, Emma. However, it's useless to use mana against these creatures. By the time we were able to break through, Arthur has already chosen to sacrifice himself."
"No," Emma shook her head as she took a step back. "No. No. No." Her eyes welled with tears. "This is a lie. He can't be dead."
"Emma, I'm sorry."
"No." Emma used her sleeve to wipe away her tears. "I'll find him. He can't be dead. There's no way that he's dead."
With that, Jumana saw the girl try to walk into the flames that were left by Arthur as if burning with his rage. They burned so powerfully that she wondered how can a runes apprentice create something so destructive.
'A shame.' She shook her head regretfully. 'He would have ruled Runera with his talent. The past is gone now, and all we can do is revenge his death. We failed to protect him, so it's time to compensate his family and protect them instead.'
With that in mind, Jumana began giving orders to take care of the mess. The crowd was evacuated from the coliseum and was taken to a proper shelter until the ordeal passes. The broadcast that shook the world was cut off with an apology as the association began to assist the damage.
Multiple causalities and missing people. The arena was obliterated as even the runes were destroyed. The space-locking artifact was damaged as well by the distortion of space that rendered it defective.
"Grandmaster, we should chase after Mistletoe."
"No, simply monitor the Paladins. They said they were here to apologize and mend the treaties they have broken with the war, but I doubt that was their only aim. The whole thing feels too orchestrated to be a coincidence."
"Should we treat them as suspects as well?" Grandmaster Kiren asked with hesitation.
"Hah," Jumana laughed helplessly. "Do you think those geezers would approve? We would simply stir the stick up their asses and a load of shit would fall off."
"Grandmaster, please mind your language."
"Whatever," Jumana said with displeasure. "Simply monitor them for now. Make sure that Mistletoe's members aren't hurt if captured, especially the one with the demonic mask. He might have the answer that we have been seeking."
***
The moment the flames touched his skin, Reece severed the connection he had with the snake. With this, he should have achieved his goal. He stood up from the capsule that Ruby has created for him as his body dripped with mana fluid.
"You're back early." Ruby glanced his way as she kept working on a prosthetic arm. "Did you get the newbie out of there?"
"No, junior refused." Reece shook his head. "He surprised me with his plan, but I can't say I didn't like it."
"What plan?" Ruby turned toward him and asked curiously. Reece simply smiled and pointed at the TV. With a frown, Ruby pressed a button on her bracelet and the TV was on.
"Urgent." The reporter held his finger to his head as he held a microphone with the other. "The anticipated Runes Apprentice Cup has been attacked by an unknown group of fallen ones. We have just received notice that the envoy of Ilios Empire, sent there to renegotiate peace, has taken it upon their hands to stop the unknown group."
"What?" Ruby's eyes widened. "The Ilios Empire are there?"
"Yeah, I've seen them try to get past the Enders." Reece nodded his head. "I think they're looking to redeem themselves in the public's eyes?"
"Robo!" Ruby suddenly shouted making Reece flinch.
"Yes, boss." A small robot dressed as a butler came forward on its tires.
"Prepare the jet. Summon the other members." Ruby threw her jacket on as she adjusted her safety goggles over her eyes. "Reece, you dumb shit. There's no way the Ilios Empire would allow them to leave easily. They have been set up."
"What?" Reece looked at her with confusion. "They were there to negotiate peace. I didn't know they would be there, to begin with."
"Enough talk. We need to go." Ruby started walking as Reece followed after her. She reached the deepest parts of the basement where an iron door was locked by a passcode. Four beeps later, the door was unlocked.
"Four zeros aren't a strong passcode, Ruby."
"The best place to hide a tree is in a forest. No one would think it's four zeros. Plus, if someone made it here, getting here is the least of my worries." Ruby walked into the room that a giant circular platform with runes inscribed on them.
"Still, to protect one of our strongest artifacts using a four-zeros passcode is…" Reece stood next to her on the platform as the ground started glowing.
"Shut up, Reece. Now is not the time." Those were Ruby's last words before the two got teleported.
***
When Arthur opened his eyes again, his body was shaking so much that he thought there was an earthquake. It has been nothing but a moment since they were standing in the arena. After he had disturbed the space-locking artifact, he used the teleportation rune on everyone sending them toward the same spot, with himself being the last one.
After the dizziness, came pain. He felt his organs shrink and tremble as if they were being peeled from the inside. His blood was boiling so powerfully that he feared it would cook him alive.
This was the price for biting more than he can chew. Jizo has already warned him from getting close to this power, but he refused to listen, and now he was suffering for it.
"Newbie!" Hua held him by the shoulder and he couldn't help but scream, making her flinch. That simple gesture made him feel like his shoulder would fall at any second.
'No,' Arthur realized. 'It is dislocated.' His shoulder turned square and his arm limped as he couldn't use it anymore. What kind of mess was his body in? For a very brief moment, dying was a tempting escape way.
They were still in Runera and Arthur had to summon every strength he had not to pass out. He had teleported them all to the top of a building in the city. His rune could only get them as far as three kilometers from the coliseum, so the danger was fast approaching.
"He's coming," Ivy said with gritted teeth as her mana tried to heal her wound. When the bleeding ceased, she started to use her mana on Arthur.
His body felt better for a moment under the effect of the characterized mana. Zas came forward and pulled everyone together.
"I'll be useless after this one, but it'll buy us enough time." He said with an ominous voice as his mana enveloped everyone present.
Arthur looked at the coliseum for one last time and saw that the white spear was flying their way, as destructive as ever. Behind it stood the Paladin and Arthur engraved his face in his mind. The moment before the spear reached them, they disappeared from the rooftop.
Another round of pain came as Arthur found himself rolling across grasslands. He gritted his teeth until they bled, refusing to scream. He looked around and spotted the city of Runera far away, now resembling another part of the landscape.
Zas fell to the ground the moment the teleportation was done. He was feverish and Li had to carry him up on his back.
"We need to run," Ivy said with a worried voice. Arthur shook his head and took out what he had prepared for their escape plan.
"Each one of these can teleport you up to three kilometers." Arthur handed every one of them six runic cards. These were the limits of what he could prepare for their escape. Use five to get farther away and leave one for emergencies."
"What about you? Can you move?" Hua asked with worry. It seems the sight of Arthur's hand limping with a single touch made her worried.
"It's alright, my body is better now." Arthur didn't lie as his stamina was working now to restore his body. Despite the devastating pain, he could move.
"We need to run, now. Go northeast. Let's try to stick together as much as possible. If one of us doesn't teleport close to the group, we'll keep going. Just head northeast." Arthur said and the rest nodded before activating their cards.
Arthur also used his rune as he looked at the city of Runera for one last time. Unlike what he had said, he headed in the opposite direction.
He kept using his rune over and over again until he was a far distance away from the others. He gritted his teeth as he summoned the power of existence again.
'Come on, one last time.' Arthur gritted his teeth as the pain ripped him apart. He knew there was no hope for all of them to escape the Astra-ranker. That's why he'll take responsibility and divert their pursuers.
The heavenly presence descended again as the clouds started gathering around him. With this, he was sure that he was noticed by the Astra-ranker. A moment later, he saw a white flash in the sky.
'He's here.' Arthur saw the spear cut across the sky as it headed his way.