CHAPTER 100: NOIR LIGHTNING

The moon continued to move as the eternal night of Azor completed its four quarters. Anna stood within a clearing behind the mayor’s mansion. She wore black armour which stuck to her like a second skin, the armour gave her both protection and mobility, her twin daggers were sheathed in the side dagger pockets on her tights. Her silver hair was styled elegantly and effectively, making sure that it didn’t become a hindrance in combat.

She stood with ease as she shifted her eyes at Neo, who stood beside her and also wore a similar armour; his armour, however, was much heavier and had solid plates covering it. At his left hip, a sword was dangling inside its scabbard.

Unlike Anna, his armour was to assist him in what he was known for the best. His monstrous physical abilities.

Anna was more of a technician, as her threads allowed her to perform crowd control and weave traps against her opponents. Neo, on the other hand, relied solely on his monstrous physical prowess, and the armour given to them by Lavina ensured to assist them in their combat styles.

The trio – Anna, Neo and Lavina – were waiting for Hanna; tonight would be the time for her to make her final decision if she wanted to follow Anna within the rift or not.

However, Hanna hadn’t come out nor had she given a direct answer to it, so they could do nothing but wait.

Time passed as the trio waited for her to come, and seeing her nowhere near, Lavina stated.

"There’s no need to waste precious time anymore, we just have three months after all."

She turned towards the duo and spoke before her eyes turned sharp.

"If she wanted to join you, she would’ve been here already."

Anna looked at her with a frown. She wanted to deny her words, but... she couldn’t, she knew that Hanna would come. She had seen her do so after all.

’Where is she? Why is she so late?’

Neo nodded at Lavina’s words and unsheathed his sword, pointing it at her. He asked.

"Shall we start then?"

Lavina nodded as her lips arched up She moved her limbs around and added.

"You both already know about combat... but have you ever fought against something you couldn’t make sense of?"

Neo and Anna raised their eyebrows at her question. They turned to look at each other for a moment before shaking their head. Lavin’s smile widened as black lightning began to crackle around her.

"You see... we Midnigthers don’t follow the rules of combat that you both have practised with your blood and sweat."

"Like..."

Just as she spoke, her body blurred into black, and a heavy gust scattered Anna’s hair, and soon after, the sound of wood cracking echoed throughout the clearing. Anna turned to her left, and her eyes widened as Lavina stood there with black lightning crackling around her.

She turned her head to look at Neo, who was sent flying from Lavina’s punch. But just as she turned her head, Lavina’s words echoed in her head.

"Are you ignoring me, angel?"

Her eyes widened as she gritted her teeth and turned back to block Lavina’s punch. A blurry golden visage of Lavina appeared before her eyes, but Lavina’s punch landed on her chest even before the golden visage took a step.

Her lungs burned as her chest caved in before she was sent flying towards the forest. She flew towards the tree at a staggering speed, but just as she was about to hit the tree. Neo appeared before her and caught her body. Blood was dripping out of his mouth, but he gritted his teeth and managed to stop her body from flying any further.

He placed her on the ground and looked at Lavina, who stood at their previous location with a cold and indifferent look on her face.

She took a step as her eyes glowed with an ominous black, black lightning slithered around her body, and she lowered herself before leaping towards the duo. The black lightning trailed her body as she flew towards them like the heavenly judgement.

Neo tightened the grip around the sword’s handle and stood up while gritting his teeth. Suddenly, golden threads began to cover his sword and forearms before they flew towards Lavina to grab her mid-air.

Lavina turned into a streak of black lightning and dogged all of the threads and punched towards the duo. Anna looked at her with sharp eyes before pouring her star essence into the threads. The crack within the star core responded to her as a harrowing headache assaulted her. Anna gritted her teeth against the pain and continued pouring all of her star essence.

The threads turned brighter and brighter as Lavina neared them. She suddenly grinned and shouted.

"I can just dodge it, you know?"

She looked at the duo as if she was looking at two clowns, but at that moment Anna grinned and suddenly vines erupted from under Lavina and grabbed hold of her right before she was about to reach the duo.

Anna turned her head and looked at Hanna, who stood a few meters away from them, wearing an armour similar to hers, with determination burning in her eyes. It appeared that she had made up her mind.

’Finally, you are here.’

Neo swung the sword with all of his might, and a bright light flowed out; the light was sharp enough to cut the nearby trees and Hanna’s vines, but just as it was about to reach Lavina’s waist, she turned her waist into black lightning before jumping back.

She looked at the trio with approval before turning into lightning nd attacking Hanna. The punch landed as Hanna was sent flying.

Neo and Hanna looked at her with vigilant eyes before she clapped her hands and announced loudly.

"Okay! I know the level of all three of you now..."

Hanna also lifted her head as she looked at her with blood dripping out of her lips.

Lavina’s smile turned near devilish, and seeing that smile, a single thought appeared in the trio’s mind.

’We are done for...’