CHAPTER 335: WHEN BLOOD TURNS AGAINST BLOOD [6]

THRRUMMM

The earth trembled, and massive crystalline spires erupted from the soil like jagged teeth, branching out in a deadly forest.

Brandon dodged left as the first spire shot toward him, but another grazed his arm, slicing a shallow gash that sizzled with blue energy.

Grunting his teeth, he quickly healed it but Kiera was already moving.

She thrust her arms forward, and the spires animated, twisting and lunging forward as they stabbed at him from all angles.

*swoosh* *swoosh*

Brandon summoned his crimson chains, whipping them out to entangle the nearest spire.

SHING!

The chain wrapped around it, and with a pull, he shattered the crystal into a shower of glittering fragments.

But in the next second, dozens of spires rained around him, forming a cage around him.

He clenched his fists, and the chains ignited brighter, spiraling outward in a vortex of silver flame that collided with the encroaching spires.

BOOOOM!

The explosion lit up the morning and shards flew everywhere as the ground cratered beneath them.

Kiera leapt through the chaos and closed in fast, delivering a spinning kick to his side.

THUD!

Brandon blocked with his forearm, but the impact jarred his bones, cracking the air with ether discharge.

He countered instantly, grabbing her leg mid-kick and twisting it viciously.

KRAAACK!

Kiera yelped, "Urhh-"

But she adapted and crystalline ether surged to reinforce her joint as she flipped backward out of his grip.

Landing on one knee, she slammed her fist into the earth again.

THRISSHH

A wave of smaller spikes rippled outward from her position, forcing Brandon to leap onto an ether disc, hovering just above the deadly field.

The spikes grew taller, morphing into lances that hurled themselves upward like missiles.

He twisted midair and chains lashed out to deflect them- CLANG! CLANG! -but one pierced his thigh, drawing blood.

"Grrhh..." Brandon ripped it out and threw it while the wound was soon healed by the glowing green energy.

He landed with a punch aimed at her head, clenching the chains tightly against his knuckles.

Kiera crossed her arms, forming a thick crystal shield.

THOOM!

His fist cracked it, sending fractures spiderwebbing across the surface, but she held firm.

Pushing back, she shattered the shield outward in a burst of shards.

*sleesh* *sleesh*

Brandon shielded his face, but cuts opened on his arms and chest.

Gritting his teeth, he charged through it, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her into one of her own spires.

BOOM!

The spire crumbled under the force, and Kiera gasped, ether mask forming over her face to absorb the impact.

But Brandon didn’t let go and headbutted her, shattering the mask and splitting her forehead.

Blood sprayed, and she counterattacked with a point-blank palm strike to his chest, exploding crystalline energy outward.

FWOOM!

The blast sent him staggering back, aching his ribs but he caught himself and lunged again.

This time, he feinted a punch, then swept her legs out from under her.

She hit the ground hard- THUD!- and rolled away as his boot came down, cratering the flagstones where her head had been.

Kiera flipped to her feet, and the air around her crystallized, forming floating orbs of ether.

With a wave, she sent them hurtling toward him, each one detonating on approach like grenades.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Brandon dodged through the explosions and his chains whipped out to snag and crush the orbs mid-flight.

SHING!

One got through, blasting his shoulder and singeing his skin.

He winced but pressed on, closing the gap.

Kiera met him head-on, encasing her fist in crystal gauntlets.

She spun low, kicking at his knee, but he jumped over it and drove his elbow down into her back.

KRAAACK!

Kiera arched in pain, but twisted around, slashing with ether blades extending from her forearms.

*sleesh*

The blade grazed his side, drawing a line of blood, but Brandon grabbed her wrist, pulled her forward, and kneed her in the gut.

THOOM!

Air whooshed from her lungs, and she doubled over, coughing.

He followed with a brutal hook to her ribs- CRACK! -feeling something give under his fist.

Kiera staggered, blood trickling from her mouth, but her eyes blazed with defiance.

She raised her arms high, and the remaining spires in the courtyard converged, merging into a colossal crystal monolith that towered over them both.

With a downward slash of her hand, the monolith split into massive spears, raining down like artillery.

THROOM! THROOM!

Brandon’s chains erupted in full force, forming a barrier around him as the spears hammered down.

CLANG! BOOM! CLANG!

The impacts shook his barrier, but he held and the silver flames reinforced the chain links.

Breaking free, he shot upward on either disc and wrapped the chains around the nearest spear, using its momentum to swing himself toward Kiera.

She summoned a barrier, but he shattered through it with a flaming punch.

THOOOMMM!

His fist connected with her chest, sending her flying back into the rubble.

"Graarghh-" She crashed through debris and groaned as she pushed herself up, crystalline armor cracking and reforming.

Brandon landed nearby, breathing heavy with muscles rippling under torn skin.

’She’s pushing her limits... but so am I.’

Kiera wiped blood from her eyes and she charged again, forming twin crystal whips that lashed out.

*swoosh* *swoosh*

One wrapped around his arm, slicing deep, but he yanked it, pulling her off balance.

As she stumbled, he drove his free fist into her face *THUD!* followed by a knee to her midsection.

"Kghuk-"

She spat blood, but countered with a headbutt of her own, their foreheads colliding in a spark of ether.

CRACK!

Both reeled back, dazed, but Brandon recovered first.

He grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and slammed her face-first into the ground.

BOOM!

Dust billowed, and Kiera’s body went limp for a split second before ether surged, pushing her back up.

She rolled away, summoning a barrage of crystal darts that peppered the air.

SHING! SHING!

Brandon deflected most with his chains, but a few embedded in his arms, drawing grunts of pain.

"Urgh..."

He ripped them out and healed it before rushing in, closing the distance.

THOOM!

Their hands met in a grapple, their fingers interlocking as ether clashed.

"Grhhh..." they both growled, pushing against each other.

Kiera’s crystals grew over her hands, trying to crush his hands, but Brandon’s fire melted them away.

With a surge of strength, he headlocked her and drove repeated knees into her side.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

"Augh- Gugh- Augh-" Each blow elicited a gasp and her ribs cracked audibly.

Finally, she broke free with an ether burst *FWOOM!* knocking him back.

Panting, she formed another massive spire, channeling all her remaining power into it.

The spire glowed blindingly, then shot forward like a battering ram.

THRRUMMM

Brandon met it head-on and pulled back his fist, clenching the chains on his knuckles.

He punched straight through the center *THOOOMMM!* shattering it in a cascade of fragments.

The backlash hit Kiera, sending her to her knees and she coughed blood, staining her thighs blood red as her vision swam.

The metallic tang filled her mouth, and she gasped, struggling to draw breath through the haze of pain ’Damn him... how much more can he take?’

Brandon stood over her, breathing heavily "Huff... Huff..."

Sweat and blood matted his hair, trickling down his brow and mixing with the grime on his skin.

He cracked his knuckles, chains dangling loosely from his forearms, ’Haa...’

At this time, he heard a faint whisper "Kael..."

He quickly turned his head and saw Florence limping toward him through the debris.

"Florence..."

A faint smile appeared on his face as he quickly walked to her.

*FEEN*

But in the next instant, the air hummed with a high-pitched whistle.

From the shadows behind Florence, a sharp ether projectile materialized and the projectile pierced clean through Florence’s chest from behind, erupting out the front in a spray of blood and ether sparks.

SPLURCH- The wet, tearing sound echoed as it tore through flesh, muscle, and bone, leaving a fist-sized hole on her chest that smoked with residual power.

Florence’s eyes widened in shock and a gasp escaped her lips.

Blood bubbled up her throat, staining her lips red as she stumbled forward and clutched at the wound in futile desperation.

Her knees buckled, the world tilting sideways in her blurring vision, "Kael..." the whisper died on her tongue as darkness clawed at the edges of her sight.

"FLORENCE!"