CHAPTER 224: HUNTING GAME 2

Then, the hunt truly began.

A low, guttural growl rumbled from a thicket, and a boar-type spirit beast, its tusks gleaming like crystalline ore, charged. Elreth was a blur of crimson motion. Her aura flared, and she met the charge head-on, her spear a bolt of lightning that pierced through the beast’s form. It dissolved into a shower of harmless, glittering motes of light.

Azalea offered a slow, deliberate clap.

"Impressive. A bit theatrical, but effective. You do announce your presence to the entire forest, though."

"Better than hiding in the trees like a nervous squirrel," Elreth retorted, spinning her spear with a practiced flick of her wrist.

In response, Azalea simply drew, aimed, and released in one fluid motion. An arrow split the air with a soft thwip, striking a large, screeching bird-beast directly through its eye, the creature vanishing before it could hit the ground.

"Score’s even," she stated, her voice sweet as poison. "One to one."

What began as a friendly competition rapidly escalated into an all-out war of attrition and wit. They became flashes of color—crimson and emerald—weaving through the ancient trees. Elreth’s spear became an extension of her will, a whirlwind of precise, powerful strikes that left dissolving light in their wake.

Azalea was her perfect counterpoint, a phantom in the greenery, her arrows finding their marks from impossible angles and distances. Each successful kill was punctuated by a verbal jab, each near-miss by a triumphant smirk.

Their laughter, though still laced with mockery, lost its bitter edge and became genuine, echoing through the woods as a strange, competitive duet.

When the sun reached its zenith, they found themselves standing side by side on a grassy hill, looking out at the vast, glittering expanse of the ocean. Both were breathing heavily, clothes damp with sweat, but the dark cloud over Elreth had lifted, replaced by a weary, satisfied calm.

Azalea stretched her arms over her head, wiping a bead of sweat from her temple. "I suppose we could call it a draw. For now."

Elreth folded her arms, not looking at the elf, but a faint, genuine smirk touched her lips.

"You wish. But... fine. I’ll allow it." For a long moment, they stood in silence, watching the waves crash against the cliffs below, the unspoken truce settling comfortably between them.

Meanwhile, in the deeper, more densely wooded heart of the island, Nero’s group had embarked on their own brand of hunting. Theirs was less a competition and more a synchronized display of casual prowess.

Adam was the first to spot the quarry—a pack of sleek, silver-furred wolves gathering near a chattering riverbed. A wide grin spread across his face as he unsheathed his twin daggers, he opted for this type of weapon, he wouldn’t use hammer for hunting game after all, the blades catching the filtered light. "Finally! My legs were starting to fall asleep. Time for a proper stretch."

Lux cracked his knuckles, a soft, holy light already shimmering around his fists. "Just try not to make a mess of the place, yeah? We’re supposed to hunt, not giving the groundskeepers nightmares."

Nero followed at a more leisurely pace, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the surrounding wilderness. The air here was rich with the scent of wet stone and decaying leaves. The first wolf lunged from the undergrowth, and Nero moved with breathtaking economy. His leg swept up, wreathed in a faint, controlled halo of flame, and connected with the beast’s midsection. It vanished into motes of light before it could even snarl.

"Show-off," Adam muttered, even as he became a whirlwind himself by controlling gravity around him, his daggers dispatching two wolves in a series of fluid, acrobatic moves.

"Efficiency," Nero corrected, a smirk tugging at his lips.

For the next hour, they moved as a single, devastating unit. Nero’s controlled bursts of flame carved paths and broke charges, Adam’s agility and Law of Earth’s control allowed him to harry the flanks and eliminate stragglers, and Lux provided support with concussive bursts of holy light that stunned larger creatures, making them easy targets. The banter flowed as freely as their movements.

Between skirmishes, Lux resumed his role as chief interrogator, he couldn’t stop his curiosity anymore. "So, come on, Nero. A little hint. Did you finally melt the Ice Queen’s heart? Or did she just decide to defrost you a little?"

Nero’s response was to flick a small pebble with pinpoint accuracy, striking Lux squarely on the forehead. "Focus on the hunt, Lux."

’’Ouch! You’re so mean. Share with your brothers ’’ Lux pouted, his silver and silver eyes gleaming, making him appear cute.

"He’s gone, I tell you," Adam declared with a dramatic sigh, leaping over a fallen log to dispatch a wolf mid-air. "The mighty flame knight, laid low. Conquered by a queen of ice. It’s almost poetic."

"Better her than a dagger-happy rogue with a death wish," Nero shot back, and the resulting laughter echoed warmly through the forest, a sound of easy, uncomplicated friendship.

As the afternoon waned and the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, the boys’ team had amassed a small pile of spirit beast cores. They gathered by the riverbank as the golden light of dusk turned the water to a ribbon of fire. Nero sat on a large, smooth rock, his gaze drifting from the horizon back in the direction of the distant estate.

In the quiet of the approaching evening, his thoughts inevitably drifted to Khione. He wondered if she was in the estate’s vast library, seated in a pool of lamplight with a book, her white hair a silver cascade in the gloom. He pictured the serene, focused expression on her face, the one he had seen so often, but could now appreciate without the barrier of hostility. The memory brought a quiet, private sense of peace.

Lux, ever observant, noticed the distant look in his friend’s eyes and nudged Adam. "Look at him. Adrift in a sea of thoughts, and I’ll bet they’re all the same color blue."

Nero didn’t bother to deny it this time. He simply smiled, a small, genuine expression.

"Maybe."

Adam snorted, shaking his head. "See? Completely gone."

They burst out into laughter together.