Jinhai's hand tightened around the hilt of his dagger, the firelight casting eerie shadows on his face. His breath came in quick, shallow gasps. It reminded him of when he first met Ruoxue after the Trial of The Labyrinth.
They were originally enemies, while Jinhai was trying to use Jinshen to become stronger, on the other hand Ruoxue was desperately trying to become Jinshen's ally. But after Jinshen woke up after the Trial of The Labyrinth, seeing their immense potential as a group, Jinhai also decided to just become an ally.
That was my best decision yet. Jinhai thought to himself as his daggers ignited in white and black flames, the colors fluctuating.
The three stood silently, the atmosphere tense and heavy. The light from their aura was clashing with each other.
Yuxan was enveloped in a black and gold aura, one that switched colors with each pulse of the Qi.
Yuxan initiated the fight, leaping towards them. His flaming black hand already near Ruoxue's face.
"Get ready." He said in a soft whisper, like one would hear on their death bed.
He grabbed Ruoxue's face and threw him towards the edge of the arena but Jinhai reacted immediately and managed to catch Ruoxue's hand just in time to throw him high into the air where the latter charged up a large, golden arrow, akin to the one he used in the labyrinth, but its center was a cyan blue.
Yuxan attempted to leap into the air but he was pushed back by Jinhai whose mouth released roaring white flames that engulfed Yuxan tearing apart the arena and melting away the stone, turning it nothing but molten slag and magma.
There was a moment of calm and for a moment people believed that the fight had ended, the smoke rising into the air before it immediately dispersed in a small shockwave that shook the whole arena.
Yuxan flying out of the dust like a comet, punching Jinhai in the face, sending him flying towards the wall of the arena as Jinhai hit his back on the wall, his aura fizzling out as he gasped for air.
Yuxan stood a few feet away from him. A calm stoic expression on his face, but had an undertone of concern as well, since after all. Jinhai was his younger brother.
"You both are doing surprisingly well." He said before being hit with the arrow that Ruoxue had charged up.
The golden arrow slammed into Yuxan, its light exploding in a blinding burst of energy. But this time, it wasn't just raw power that destroyed, instead. It froze everything it touched, plunging the arena into an icy grip.
A large iceberg that towered over the arena itself now stood in the place where Yuxan was, burying Yuxan inside of its immense depth.
But then, it started rapidly melting, the temperature rising once more, just like when Yuxan activated his black flames as a large, black spear with a red cloth wrapped around its handle came flying towards the iceberg. Shattering it completely.
Yuxan stood tall, his movements bored as he wiped away the trace of a bruise that had bloomed on his hand. Within seconds, the purple mark faded, leaving no sign of the damage.
"You both did well. You-" He was cut off as he was struck hard in the back, catching him off guard and making him take a few steps forward.
Jinhai stood behind Ruoxue, Jinhai having abandoned his weapon. His nose and mouth dripping with blood, Jinhai's hands were on the middle of Ruoxue's back and his veins were now glowing golden.
Their aura's started rising once more, melding and combining together to become a mesmerizing yet deadly work of art that spiraled around both of their body, like a storm that was barely contained.
"Shut up." Jinhai said with a small mocking yet exhausted smirk.
One of Jinhai's eyes glowed a snow white, while the other gleamed with Ruoxue's icy blue hue. And on Ruoxue's face, it was the same — one eye white, the other flickering with Jinhai's fire. Their Qi had bled into each other, right down to the windows of their soul and heart, now a living testament to their bond.
Yuxan remained stoic as he saw Ruoxue charging up another attack, a last ditch effort that combined both of their Qi. An arrow that flickered from golden and cyan, to white and black.
Jinhai is pouring his Qi into Ruoxue.. I wonder what he will do.. Yuxan thought to himself, staring intently at Ruoxue who took a deep breath.
The arrow was released, as it rushed towards Yuxan like a tornado, ripping apart the arena there were fighting on, the temperature near instantly becoming cold before becoming as hot as a volcano.
Yuxan tried to block the attack, the arrow clashing with his hand as it met him before it exploded, shaking the whole arena, a small sphere of blue light forming, flash freezing the air around it.
Boom...
A tornado of white and black flames started rising from the light as the audience in the stands of the stadium watched on with bated breaths, seeing the tornado pick up pace, the air itself feeling like a furnace.
The tornado spun around rapidly, nearly destroying the arena they were fighting on as both Jinhai and Ruoxue fell to the ground, their aura dissipating, leaving them a mess of broken bones and sweat.
The tornado finally stopped as it went away, leaving the air hot and humid as Yuxan stood there, unharmed except the few burns on his body and a frost bitten arm, that again slowly healed, his leggings also torn in some places and he was standing tall like before but now he had something else in his eyes.
Approval.
He walked over to them both on the ground, standing over them and taking a deep breath before speaking,
"You both pass. You're now appointed to the Blood Moon. The Captain will decide your rank. You both work together well." His voice was approving and impressed, but still stoic. Not letting himself show any emotion. "But I need to know the name of the technique you both used at the end."
Jinhai had longed passed out from exhaustion and Ruoxue was just barely clinging onto to consciousness as he muttered.
"Infernal Ice Storm..." Ruoxue replied in a hoarse and out of breath voice before he as well passed out.
Two people wearing high collared black robes and tattered red cloaks came and picked them both up and walked into the tunnels towards the waiting room where Jinshen was now sitting alone, Yanwei having left to his Squad Captain's office.
They both looked at Jinshen in an uneasy way, exchanging gazes with each other before putting Jinhai and Ruoxue on the benches and starting to heal them.
A gray smoke coming out of their hands as it soaked into their wounds which started to knit itself back together.
Jinshen looked at them both stoically for a moment before walking towards the arena, determination flaring in his glowing blue eyes, his veins glowing a faint white.
Lets do this Nanomachine.
Nanomachine just chuckled in a scheming voice, its voice echoing in Jinshen's mind.
We're so beating that old fart's face in.