/Jennifer Apex/
The moment I landed outside the ruins of Old Spectra Core, my heart hit rock bottom. Smoke filled the air alongside the scent of scorched steel and ozone that was thick enough that I could taste it. Flames licked the shattered remains of what looked like it was once a makeshift defence center. The shield dome was gone and the turrets were offline. It was obvious someone had already laid waste to this place.
Then I saw him.
Contrario, the NPC brother. I've only heard of him, the player with only one avatar. This was my first time seeing him.
He was crushed beneath a broken stone with blood smeared across his cheek, barely breathing. In that moment a figure jumped over him with its weapon drawn. It was the devil himself.
Vance Julio.
"Step away from him!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the crumbled corridors.
He didn't flinch. His eyes turned slowly, his crimson avatar gleaming beneath the flickering light. His eyes were like dead stars, they were cold, hollow and old. That damn Phoenix Blade shimmered in his hand, the edge humming with heat.
"Ah. Who do we have here? The Queen of Trees finally shows up," he snarled. "Finally ready to fight instead of hiding?"
I didn't respond as I was already moving.
He swung fiercely.
"Let's go, Ellie!!"
"Ellie, Thunderclap!"
The gust before the shockwave had already sent Vance flying but as soon as he landed, he jumped back at me.
"Living up to the legend, I see" I said as I stood ready.
"Attacks like that have nothing on me but a peasant like you wouldn't understand" He yelled as he swung at me again.
I ducked under the first slash, leapt over the second, and drove my knee into his chest. The sound of metal meeting metal cracked through the air. He stumbled back half a step but that was just enough for me to drag Contrario out of reach.
His pulse was fading. His avatar, Stray had already disappeared.
"You're too late," Vance smirked. "He's already finished, that one is a weak one. When did you start mingling with losers Jenn?"
"He won't die.....Not while I'm still breathing."
At that moment, a surge of wind swept through the ruins, followed by two familiar shadows levitating behind me.
"As usual you picked a hell of a place to start a party," said Maxi, cracking her knuckles as she landed. Her combat avatar was one with bone armour and twin fang blades. "Where's the booze, mothersukka?"
Arielle rushed past her, already pulling up her interface. "Forget the booze, Maxi, this one's bleeding out."
Her healer avatar, Luma, appeared beside her in an instant, glowing soft yellow with a staff of starlight. She immediately knelt beside Contrario and pressed a hand firmly to his chest. Her healing aura radiated from her palm with a soft beam.
"Hey, you" Arielle muttered. "Can you still fight?"
Maxi let off a scornful laugh. "Can *he* still fight? He looks like a half-cooked bird. Maxi that is The NPC brother in your hands right now. How don't you know him?"
I could see it on his face, he didn't like what Maxi had just said.
Contrario forced his eyes open with blood still on his lips. He made his way up from Arielle's hands. He didn't speak. He just slowly raised one arm and summoned his only avatar.
Stray materialized beside him, battered, scarred, but standing tall.
Stray looked at all of us, but when he looked at Maxi, he had disgust in his eyes. Then he looked at Vance and the other Nova City elites stepping out from the shadows three of them, all dressed in silver and red.
Stray exhaled through his nose as he looked at Contrario. "It's do or die now, no?"
We didn't wait.
Maxi drove in first, her fangs flashing as she locked blades with one of the elite assassins. Arielle stayed back, sending support buffs and chain heals through her twin avatars.
"Let's flank, miss....."
"Jennifer. Jennifer Apex" I replied when I noticed he was talking to me.
"If we flank and attack him now he's distracted, we might win" he said as he took out his broken dagger.
I and Contrario flanked Vance, who was dancing through the flame like a demon born of fire.
Every clash in that moment was deadly.
I ducked a blade aimed at my neck and lashed out with a wind kick that sent one of Vance's men straight into a wall. Stray fought beside Contrario like they were one, taking hits only to counter with devastating speed bursts.
Vance ignited his Phoenix Blade, sweeping fire in a wide arc.
I screamed and was too slow to block. I wanted to switch my avatar at that moment, but Contrario moved faster. Pushing me away, Stray took the full brunt of the strike, the fire searing across his body.
"No!" I shouted, reaching for them both.
Stray was shaking from the impact, one knee down, smoke rising from his armour. He looked up at Contrario and gave a very weak grin.
"We still alive, Cee. Barely."
Yelling and moving in with pure rage and determination, Contrario struck back. His blade, cracked as it was still drove into Vance's side. It wasn't deep, but enough to send him sliding back.
The Nova elites hesitated seeing Vance had been hit.
Vance switched to his Flako avatar immediately and with one fling of his hand, sent Contrario flying. Stray dived in to catch him. Both of them landed against a wall.
I have never seen anyone bond with their avatar that much. I gaze lingered on him for a while with a relaxed smile spreading across my face.
Then a low hum echoed across the battlefield. A golden icon blinked across every player's HUD.
**[GLOBAL SYSTEM UPDATE: TOURNAMENT BEGINS IN 290 DAYS]**
**[DETAILS WILL BE REVEALED TO CLAN LEADERS IN 12 HOURS]**
Vance looked up, grinning like a man who loved chaos.
"Well, now...that's interesting," he muttered, brushing off ash from his armour.
He sheathed his Blade and turned.
"I let you win this one, Jenn" he said. "But the real war's just getting started." he said as he let off a cold grin.
Then he vanished in a burst of flame, his elites retreating with him.
The area became almost quiet except for the quiet, pained breathing of Contrario beside me.
I knelt beside him, brushing the dust from his cheek.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He didn't answer.
But in his eyes, I saw a faint spark. A fury. And something else I hadn't expected. As he released Stray, I could see it in his eyes, A reason to keep fighting.