"Kapten Raiders telah melakukan yang mustahil! Aku tak bisa mempercayai apa yang kulihat..."
Kata Gamemaster Evidia dengan penuh semangat, namun katanya tak lama terbangkai oleh sorak Sorak gemuruh seperti badai, yang menelan suaranya sebelum bisa tersebar ke peta permainan.
Whooooaaaahhh!!!...
-"Wah, kontol! Bagaimana seorang Warden Daywalker bisa memanipulasi energi aether alami dari banyak kilometer jauh?!
-"Ini... aku tahu dia adalah Anomaly Class Psik bakat, tapi tetap, ini berlebihan!
-"Para Psik Daywalker terbaik pada rangkingnya bahkan tak bisa melewati separuh kilometer tanpa kehilangan kebanyakan kekuatannya!"
Tak peduli dari sisi mana saja, para penonton secara keseluruhan gagal memahami apa yang mata mereka lihat... reaksinya bisa dimengerti.
Mereka bisa menerima Levi membantu sekutu dengan kontrol aetherik dari jarak yang jauh... seinsan itu... tapi ini? Mengendalikan energi aether dengan ketepatan yang menakutkan dari banyak kilometer jauh dan tetap mempertahankan kekuatannya penuh?
Itu sekadar mustahil.
Di tempat lain, begitu Levi menyadari Blake sudah menjauh dari Fang, ia akhirnya melepaskan napas... jatuh ke lutut, lengan yang terluncur gemetar dan hidungnya berserakan tak henti-hentinya.
Badai aetherik di sekitarnyapun pupuh, kembali memwarna rambutnya ke warna semula. Sesaat kemudian, Jasmine, Jojo, dan para Daywalker lainnya membungkumnya dari kekejutan dan kekhawatiran.
'Makhluk... jangan berlebihan.'
Jasmine dan Jojo yang pertama kali mendukungnya, mehelparkan ia untuk berdiri agar tak terlihat lemah... mereka tahu mata Nightcrawler selalu mengintip, dan bila mereka melihat tanda-tanda kelemahan, ia akan menjadi sasaran begitu ia mendaki tali tersebut.
"Aku baik-baik saja... agak melayang saja,
Jawab Levi dengan senyum yang tenang untuk menghibur mereka... kemudian ia beralih fokus ke Fang, yang langsung memutuskan jaringan aetherik di saat ia goyah.
Saat ia mengarahkan perhatiannya ke Fang, tatapan serius dan pelan Fang teguh menatapnya... ia tak mengejar Blake atau kehilangan kawannya. Ia hanya terus menatap Levi, banyak pikiran bergulir di kepalanya.
Salah satunya adalah peringatan dari Sang Uskup... yang mengulang di benaknya, seperti gong penyadar.
'Kau bisa melakukan apa saja terhadap yang lain... tapi jangan, hendralah tidak boleih memandang rendah anak itu. Ia adalah sumur yang tak kering-kerinian, dan bila dipaksa di mana-mana, ia tak ragu mengorbankan satu untuk menyelamatkan banyak.'
Ketika Fang menyadari senyum sekilas, dinginnya Levi, ia tidak bisa mencegah kecuaian tertawa kecil.
'Aaah... manusia kecil yang menarik... tapi sayangnya... aku sudah selesai bermain.'
Tiba-tiba, seluruh penampilannya berubah... dulu ia memancarkan aura seorang serigala yang kejang, tak peduli selain gairah dan masa kecemasan.
Tapi sekarang? Wajahnya adalah jiwa yang telah melalang puluhan medan perang dan bertahan melaluinya semua.
'Fang... tolonglah jangan membuatku harus sekaligus.'
Suatu suara pelan, pelan seperti lambat, terdengar di benak Fang...
Fang menoleh ke arah partnernya, yang sedang berdiri di tengah kamp Pel uncur dengan memeluk seutas katana.
'Tsk, baguslah diam-diam, Rain... apakah kau pikir sekelompok anak-anak mampu melawan aku?'
Fang mencibir, tak terlalu menyukai rasa curiga dari partnernya... tanpa ragu, ia mulai berjalan sambil memenggungkan gigi berantai di lengan kanannya. Dalam sekejap, gigi itu lenyap seperti debu tak kasat; tak lain hanyalah dentang dahak teriak yang mengamuk di sekitarnya.
Matanya pun memutih pucat sepenuhnya, mengubah penglihatannya ke dalam tatapannya hitam putih, kecuali makhluk yang memiliki nada darah di dalamnya... penglihatan serupa dengan Shia.
Dengan tiba-tiba mengabaikan segala suara di sekitarnya, hanya bentuk Blake yang tergerak di matanya... meskipun ia meluncur dengan jalur zigzag dan bahkan di bawah tali untuk menghindari armada mayat hidup, namun ia tampak jelas seperti siang hari dalam pandangannya.
'Ya Tuhan... kapten benar-benar berhasil! Gila!'
Ekspresi Blake merupakan campuran antara kecemasan dan kegembiraan saat ia meluncur menjauh dari pemangsa... ia sudah bisa melihat Nurah, Tyrese, dan sekutu-sekutunya bergegas menuknya untuk memberinya dukungan bila ia tertangkap oleh armada mayat hidup.
Wajah mereka memancarkan sentuhan rasa lega dan kegembiraan, menyadari bahwa kecepatan Blake di atas tali tak tertandingi dan mayat hidup yang lambat tak bisa menjadi ancaman besar... kecuali Fang.
Dengan manuver yang anggagap licia, Blake meluncur di bawah tali, mengelilingi intihan yang terbesar dari mayat hidup di antara ia dan teman-temannya...
Kreeee!!
Mayat hidup berkembang bisa tidak biar ia lewat dengan tenang saat mereka mengejarnya dengan hembusan beracun kabus...
Szlzlzlz!!
Di saat ia kembali ke permukaan tali, armada mayat hidup pun sudah tertinggalkan di kejauhan. Ketika Blake melirik ke belakang dan melihat ia sudah berada dalam keadaan aman, ia menghela napas panjang lega dan perlahan-lahan mengekalkan kecepatannya.
"Hahaha! Seperti yang kuduga, aku berhasil menyinggungkan monster itu dan kembali dengan selamat..."
Sebelum ia bisa menyelesaikan leluasannya, telinganya mendengar sesuatu...
Sebuah tchhrrrkk tajam dan kompresif membelah udara di belakangnya.
Bukanlah sekedar seunyian tipis obor yang dilempar... terdengar seperti udara sendiri telah retak oleh sebuah proyektil secepat peluru.
Blake refleksif mulai berbalik... dan inilah saatnya ia melihatnya. Benda merah tua yang tajam seolah pisau roti, sedang berputar, sudah berjarak beberapa meter dari wajahnya.
'Begitu...'
Ketika pupil dia membesar kebingungan, dampaknya datang dengan ledakan nyaring... ledakan brilian bahkan darah dan tulang meledak keluar!
Kepalanya hancur seperti keramik yang retak, seprei fragment melayang ke udara, sementara gigi itu langsung menembus lurus maju, hampir menyentuh wajah Tyrese yang tertamakan, membuatnya beku.
Nurah, Shia, Arthur, dan Rakai secara otomatis memperlambat langkah, kemudian berhenti... telinga mereka menangkap dentang gigi yang sirna ke kejauhan, sementara mata yang paling kafal tak terbelahkan tetap menatap mayat Blake yang berguling di sisi tali yang berputar.
'...'
-...-
"..."
Semua orang tewkirim diam, mata yang kagum mereka menyusul mayat Blake yang jatuh ke jurang, bahkan postur tubuhnya masih tampak bingung... ia hanya beberapa langkah dari surga, lalu... BANG! Tangga runtuh, dan ia jatuh lurus ke neraka.
"Setelah aku menandainya sebagai mangsa, kepadanya pasti ditentukan diam ... tak satupun...
dengar baik-baik... tak satupun di bawah langit ini bisa selamat dariku."
Fang kembali tatapannya sekilas dingin ke Levi, yang tampak cukup terguncang... hanya bisa menatap rantainya, yang tak lagi memiliki gigi.
Masih saja tak bisa percaya... ia bahu melihat Fang melemparkan senjatanya dan menembus beberapa mayat hidup di jalan pulang sebelum
"The Raiders’ Captain has done the impossible! I can’t believe my eyes..."
Gamemaster Envy spoke with fervent intensity, but his words were instantly swallowed by a thunderous wave of cheers that erupted like a storm, devouring his voice before it could fully carry across the game map.
Whooaaaaaah!!!...
-What the hell! How can a Warden Daywalker manipulate natural aether energy kilometers away?!-
-This... I knew he was an Anomaly Class Psych talent, but still, this is too much!-
-The best Psych Daywalkers at his rank can’t even cross half a kilometer of range without losing most of their power!-
Regardless of which side, the spectators as a whole failed to understand what the hell their eyes were feeding them... their reaction was understandable.
They could accept Levi assisting his allies with aetheric control from such a distance... as insane as that already was... but this? Wielding aether energy with such terrifying precision from many kilometers away and somehow maintaining its full prowess?
It was just unbelievable.
Meanwhile, the moment Levi noticed Blake putting a decent distance between him and Fang, he finally let go... he dropped to his knees, his extended arm shaking and his nose bleeding nonstop.
The aetheric storm around him died off, returning his hair to its normal color. Right away, Jasmine, Jojo, and the rest of the Daywalkers surrounded him with looks of utter astonishment and slight concern.
’Levi... don’t push yourself too hard.’
Jasmine and Jojo were the first to support him, helping him stand up to avoid showing weakness... they knew that the Nightcrawlers’ eyes were always on them, and if they spotted a tint of weakness, they would target him once he ascended the rope.
"I am fine... just a little dizzy,"
Levi replied with a serene smile to comfort them... then, he switched his focus to Fang, who instantly broke off the aetheric entrapment the moment Levi buckled.
As he focused on him, Fang’s silent, serious gaze was affixed to Levi... he neither chased Blake nor lost his cool. He just kept staring at Levi, many thoughts coursing through his mind.
One of them was a warning by the Bishop... it repeated in his mind, akin to a wake-up call.
’You can do whatever you want to the others... but do not, I repeat, do not look down on that boy. He is a well of secrets, and once pushed to a corner, he won’t hesitate to give up on one.’
When Fang noticed Levi’s faint, cold smirk, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. ’What an interesting little human... but, too bad... I am done playing.’
Abruptly, Fang’s entire demeanor changed... previously, he gave off the air of a feverish werewolf who cared about nothing else but excitement and the hunt.
But now? His visage was that of a mature soul who had gone through hundreds of battlefields and survived them all.
’Fang... please don’t make me do all the work.’
A sudden, slothful, soft voice resounded in Fang’s mind... Fang turned his head to face his partner, who was standing amidst the Nightcrawlers’ camp while hugging a katana.
’Tsk, just keep sleeping, Rain... you think a bunch of kids can handle me?’
Fang scoffed a little, not too fond of being doubted by his partner... without hesitation, he started walking forward while swinging the chained fang rapidly in his right arm. In no time, the fang disappeared in a blur; only the dreadful swoosh of the spin echoed around him.
His eyes turned fully crimson, changing his vision to a scenery of black and white except for any creature with a tint of blood in it... a similar vision to Shia’s.
He deafened the noise around him until only Blake’s sliding form appeared before him... although he was sliding in a zigzagging motion and even going under the rope to avoid the undead army, he appeared as clear as daylight in Fang’s sight.
’Holy shit... the captain actually pulled it off! Insane!’
Blake’s expression was a mixture of nervousness and excitement as he kept pulling away from the predator... he could already see Nurah, Tyrese, and his allies rushing in his direction to support him in case he got caught by the undead army.
Their faces displayed a hint of relief and delight, knowing that Blake’s speed on top of the rope was unmatched and that the slow-moving undead could not pose much threat... only Fang.
With a swift maneuver, Blake slid under the rope, circling the biggest lump of undead between him and his friends...
Kreeee!!
The winged undead refused to let him pass peacefully as they chased after him with deep breaths of misty venom... Blake used his electrifying whip to evaporate the misty clouds, piercing through them with a look of utter concentration.
Szlzlzlz!!
The instant he returned to the surface of the rope, the undead army was already left to eat his dust... When Blake looked behind him and saw that he was finally in the clear, he let out a long exhale in relief and slowed down a little at last.
"Hahaha! As calculated, I have pulled that monster away and returned in one pie..."
Before he could finish his boastful joke, his ears caught it... a sharp, compressed tchhrrrkk tearing through the air behind him.
It wasn’t the lazy whistle of something thrown... it sounded like the air itself had been split open by a speeding bullet.
Blake reflexively began to turn... and that’s when he saw it. A crimson object, razor-edged and spinning, was already a few meters away from his face.
’Huh...’
As his pupils widened in confusion, the impact came with a deafening crack... a brutal explosion as bone and blood burst outward in an intense spray!
His head shattered to smithereens, fragments scattering like broken porcelain through the air, while the fang tore straight through and continued forward, missing Tyrese’s stunned face by an inch and leaving him frozen in place.
Nurah, Shia, Arthur, and Rakai slowed down instinctively and then came to a halt... their ears captured the fang’s shrill fading into the distance while their mortified eyes remained affixed to Blake’s bloody corpse rolling across the side of the spinning rope.
’...’
-...-
"..."
Everyone was left silent, their stunned eyes tracking Blake’s corpse as it fell into the abyss, his body language somehow still displaying a tint of confusion... he was just a couple of steps away from heaven, and then... bang, the staircase shattered, and he fell straight back to hell.
"Once I mark someone as my prey, his fate is sealed... only one ending awaits him. No one... hear me well... no one beneath these heavens can save him from me."
Fang returned the same cold smirk to Levi, who had a stricken expression... all he could do was stare at Fang’s chain, which was missing a fang.
He still couldn’t believe it... he saw Fang firing his weapon and piercing a couple of the undead army in his path before it killed Blake... Levi wanted to warn Blake about it, but everything happened so fast that the moment he opened his mouth, Blake was already a goner.
As for the Daywalkers behind him, their hearts chilled at the sight of Fang’s collection of horns jumping from three to forty at once... the number was displayed on top of his head for all to see, making him the Rifter with the highest number of horns in this game.
Yet, most of them felt utter dread rise within their hearts at the notion of going after him to reclaim them... Blake’s sudden death replayed in their minds nonstop, and they still couldn’t understand how the hell he managed to headshot him with a fang so perfectly despite the hurdles: spinning rope, distance, Blake’s movement, and the undead army blocking the path.
Yet, he had done it... and made it look effortless, as though it were nothing more than another ordinary day at work.
"Blaaaakeeeee!!!"
Tyrese’s furious roar resounded across the rope, awakening most of the viewers and the Daywalkers at once.
His eyes were bloodshot and heated... Arthur and Rakai swiftly held him back with solemn expressions, knowing that in his drunken state, he was highly emotional and might foolishly go after Fang.
Ting!
Luckily, the second round concluded right away after the rope fulfilled its tenth spin, forcing everyone’s attention to land on the screen above.
A moment later, four names were illuminated from both sides.
The moment the viewers saw the names, they exploded into frenzied cheers... meanwhile, the opposite was for the Daywalkers and Nightcrawlers.
A stern silence took hold.
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