Wicked Reincarnation

Chapter 162: Attack 3

Timo's apathetic face clashed with Lia's chilly one. Two sides of blue, winter and forst collided with each other, each not backing down, threatening to assert dominance over the other.

"For someone without power, you got quite the combat experience. This isn't very usual, but someone who's able to steal the ring, manipulate others to take the fall for them, isn't a normal person anyway," Timo said it with his usual bland voice and all mockery from before faded.

Lia, however, didn't feel flattered at all. Timo made her out to be a person she despised being recognised as. Indeed, at first, she has used Zero but later on, he grew on her and she became protective of him. No one should question what she did and her own motives, because no one knew it better than her.

And for someone like him to make false assumptions about her, it only lit the string of not even a candle but a whole explosion.

"I wonder if you know who the real bad person is," Lia humoured him before she dodged the attack he threw at her.

Lia didn't even have time to be shocked. Timo could not only produce electricity around his sword but he could actually throw them in waves like a field that, once Lia would be caught in it, relentlessly electrocutes her. If he had this hidden, what else did Timo have up his sleeve? What else could the commander of an entire army do?

Since Lia couldn't use the sword, she rolled on the ground to dodge each strike that was sent her way, while her hands, behind her, fumbled for anything she could use, that wouldn't allow electricity to pass easily through it.

Anything rubber, plastic or glass that she could use as a weapon. Glass. The broken windows.

While Lia tumbled on the ground as an attack almost got her, she actually sliced her hand on glass. Taking the few shards cutting deep into her flesh, Lia also coated them with her life force and while Timo was just in the motion of another attack, Lia released the shards, sending them straight flying to Timo.

However, Timo's reflexes were absurdly fast, with just half a swing he broke out of his stance and with the other half he sliced the glass away for him, but a surprised expression lingered on his face.

The moment he got rid of the glass, Lia closed the distance between them and tackled Timo to the ground. A large shard in her hand at an insane speed was brought down yearning for Timo's chest when he stopped it with his blade.

The blood from Lia's fingers dropped onto Timo's face as she huffing glared at him. Her fingers squeezed the shard harder to penetrate the blade and she used her life force to shield the little bit of electricity that made it to the glass.

"Didn't you say you don't have powers? Someone who knows how to use their life force-"

Timo was unfazed and jerked up, resulting in Lia falling to the ground. Quick, quick, quick.

She needed to move away from him but the impact she was met with was not the hard ground but actual wooden splinters that bore into her body.

"-is not ordinary, what else are you hiding? Teacher Kim?"

A new pain infiltrated her nerves and she, by a hair, was able to evade Timo's next attack. Lia knew she couldn't fight against him anymore, right now she wasn't prepared at all and she was just wasting time. Instead of fighting him, it was more logical to find the opportunity to escape and look for Xavi and the others to save Zero.

Deciding to change the course of action, Lia focused her attention on escaping from Timo now. However, Timo noticed the shift. The flow of the fight was disrupted.

"I was long enough in the academy to pick up at least how to use one's life force," Lia drew out time to pick out the splinters in her sides.

"Who are you really and what do you want from Min? In addition, return the ring," Timo held out his sword and another wave of electricity came with a force towards Lia.

Lia had no time to dodge, so she used a corpse next to her to take the damage. Lia was really tempted to use her power but she couldn't be found out, not after she has managed to put distance between her and Timo.

The only thing she needed now was an opportunity to escape.

"This ring doesn't belong to the Ghost King in the first place," Lia's eyes secretly searched for the opportunity.

"Then it belongs to you?"

"Yes."

This stunned Timo and he raised his eyebrow, "You know what the ring is?"

"Better than you do. Tell me what is it?"

"Something that belongs to the Ghost King."

"Talking to you is worse than talking to a little child, ring around the rosie type. Does Maria really enjoy your company?"

Having struck a nerve, Timo froze for a second before he threw his robe away. Lia knew she had provoked him. Each step Timo took towards her, sent a shiver down her spine. Despite his dead eyes, there was a terrifying storm trapped inside them.

"Don't mention her name, you filthy traitor," Timo was enraged and changed his attitude as quickly as rain could fall, "You betrayed the trust in her and shamed her."

"Does she think so too or are you always speaking for her?"

Once again, Lia hit the nail on the head. Timo froze for a second time and couldn't retort. He seemed to realise that he didn't even know what Marie thought of Lia. But on the other side, he hasn't talked to her yet about Lia being a potential thief. He knew that this news would break the delicate and kind Maria. The friend she trusted in actually used her. How could Timo tell Maria that?

Lia had no idea what tumult went on in Timo's head but this was the perfect chance for her to reach for the spear she has been eyeing for a while. She poured her life force over it. However, she didn't throw it at Timo nor ran away, instead, she went straight for him.

Timo noticed her oncoming attack and cut her spear in half but the next second while Lia took the small sparks burning her body, she grabbed the first half of the spear and stabbed it in Timo's shoulder, then she pressed her hand on his chest and injected a bit of her life force before he threw her away.

Timo coughed blood and turned around to glare at Lia but saw that she has already started to run away. He wanted to raise his sword but the spear stuck in his shoulder stopped him for a brief second.

This brief second was enough to delay his attack and Lia turned around a corner, hopped onto a roof of an almost collapsing building and rushed across the air towards the second layer. The small wounds on her body started to heal but the sting of electricity was devastatingly painful.

At least, Lia was able to escape. The wind mingled with the smoke and was heavy on her lungs but the reason why Lia chose to hop onto the roofs was precisely because of the smoke giving her coverage so Timo couldn't track her.

Luckily, the way to the second layer was peaceful. She didn't come across any soldiers, managing to evade their lines of sight. Once she arrived in the second layer, she jumped down the roofs and landed on the marbled ground that was only to 30% covered in the nasty red.

The buildings were also more or less intact and fewer corpses laid around but there was still no sign of any people. Lia wondered if the guy she saved earlier made it here or has long left the capital.

Strolling across the ruins of the capital, Lia couldn't find anyone. Not a single soul. There was no one. Her allies couldn't be here. Lia decided to head for the third layer when a dull sound caught her attention.

She quickly whipped around but saw nothing that was suspicious. Yet the dull sound appeared again. Cautiously she made her way over there. Inside the ruins of a house, the dull sound got louder. As if something was pounding on something.

When Lia entered the sound faded and it got quiet. Lia was sure it wasn't a soldier, so she discarded all cautiousness and asked, "Hello?"

In an instant, a swoosh swept past her legs and from behind a sword was held against her neck, "Everyone has evacuated, why didn't you?"

The blade was held against her skin but it didn't penetrate nor drew any red lines. This person wasn't going to harm her, even more than that his voice was familiar.

"Noel!" Lia pushed the knife away in his brief shock of hearing his name and hugged him. But seeing that he made no movement, she raised her head to look at his surprised face before his next words made her furious, "We know each other?"

"It's me, Lia!" Lia was happy to see him and know that he was alive. The hope she almost lost reignited again.

"You are Li- oh, you're still in that disguise?" Noel scratched the back of his head causally as if the current situation wasn't severe.

"It's more convenient, I can't have them know who I am right now."

"Makes sense," Noel nodded and then grinned, "Glad you're fine!" then he pulled her in his arms again.

"Where are the others?" Lia muffled out.

"About that-"

Oh no, Lia had a bad feeling.