C35

The boy that had been hit stumbled back from the sheer speed and power behind the blow, blood staining his cheek as he stared at Liu with wide eyes.

"You should have attacked as soon as you saw us. You're so damn slow.", Liu growled in annoyance, glaring at the boy as she raised her weapon, ready to strike again.

"You think we can't handle you two?", another person suddenly interjected as he pushed himself through the crowd, making his way to the front.

His hair was blonde and messy and he had a somewhat rugged appearance to him. He looked strong but also quite lazy and he had a smug look on his face.

"Who are you?" Liu asked, annoyed, but the man didn't seem to notice as he continued, "I'll be the one to defeat both of you."

He brandished his wooden sword and readied himself for battle.

"Then I guess you should show off first.", Liu taunted, raising her wooden sword once more.

The man smiled cruelly and attacked in one swift motion. His sword collided against Liu's blade and Jian Li watched closely as the strength behind the attack was tremendous.

Liu barely managed to defend against the incoming slash and gritted her teeth and as she blocked, the man grinned, pushing forward with his attack. Liu’s wooden sword shattered into pieces as the force behind his strike was immense, sending splinters flying everywhere.

"A broken weapon? That means you lose!", the man announced happily, his face still twisted in an evil smirk.

"How did you manage to break my weapon?" Liu asked, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the man.

"I just used the same technique as I do with the weapons of weaker fighters.", the man answered, a hint of pride in his voice as he looked at Jian Li.

"I see. I'm impressed.", Jian Li replied, her voice filled with disdain.

"You're not even worth the effort. But I might consider you for our party if you're willing to give up your life to me. Are you interested?" The man asked, smiling.

"I don't need you to tell me that.", Jian Li responded, narrowing her eyes as she took in a deep breath.

She raised her wooden sword and charged the man. Her body moved quickly as she closed the distance between them, her eyes focused as she swung her sword down. Her movements were precise as she aimed to slice the man in half.

However, the man didn't move as he stood there calmly, waiting for her to make her move.

As Jian Li swung her sword down, she heard a soft noise and the sword stopped in its path, unable to pass through the man's defences.

There was a soft brown glow on the man's skin, exactly where Jian Li had struck.

"You used an Art on your skin?", Jian Li asked, her eyes shining brightly as she stared the man down.

"Yes.", the man responded simply, a hint of curiosity in his voice, "Your weapon is too weak so it cannot penetrate my skin.", the man explained.

"I suppose I should make it stronger then."

Faster than the man could react, her wooden sword’s edges shone with a bright light.

There was a sharp metallic sound and a loud screeching as the man's stomach was split in two, blood gushing out as the sword slid through the man's flesh.

Jian Li stepped back, her face pale. She felt like she had overdone it.

The man let out a scream of pain as the rest of the people nearby backed away, their faces full of fear and confusion.

Suddenly, a soft whistle blew around them as the man’s body got restored to normal. But before the man could say anything he vanished without a trace.

"Quick reminder for the contestants, if you get close to dying without admitting defeat you immediately get disqualified.", a disembodied voice said as it echoed all around them.

"W-Who are those two!?"

"They are not humans. Something is wrong."

"That other girl is scary, to think she would go for the kill in a tournament."

The small group stepped a few steps back as Liu rushed forwards with her shattered sword, her eyes wide as she stared at Jian Li, who stared back at her.

"They don't seem like human beings.", one of the people said, his voice shaking with fear.

Jian Li nodded as she raised her wooden sword.

”Yes, we are aliens. You got us.”, Jian Li said jokingly.

”What!?”, another person yelled, his face pale as he backed away from the group. Jian Li was stunned as she resisted the urge to facepalm.

“Just admit defeat and leave us please.”, Jian Li said.

”How can I accept defeat when I have yet to face one of you!?”, the boy replied, his face contorted in anger.

There was a thud and a grunt as Liu attacked with her bare fists, smashing it down on the boy's wooden sword. The wooden sword shattered and splintered into several parts under the assault. Liu smirked and raised her hands, ready to deliver a beating he would remember for years to come.

“I-I admit defeat.”, the boy said as a small 1 appeared above his head.

“There is a 10-minute grace period between Wang Lin and Liu.”, the disembodied voice spoke once more.

The boy struggled to get back up and glared at Liu who smiled cruelly as she put down her fists again. He quickly realized that he and Jian Li did not have any grace period between each other and ran away. The rest of the group quickly followed suit.

"Hahaha! This is good!", Liu laughed loudly, jumping in joy as she watched the group run away with their tails between their legs.