Chapter 555 Reactions
The symphony showed traces of the Ilqiex's sudden escape. The monster was still nearby, but each passing second made it put more distance from the hole.
Khan and Amox shared the desire to exchange another smirk before getting back to the [Hunt], but something else attracted the former's attention. Khan glanced to his left to inspect one of the hole's edges, and the sound of tires eventually reached the area, updating Amox about the situation.
A series of bikes appeared on the hole's edge. Humans and Thilku peeked into the big cavity only to remain stunned by the sight that welcomed them. The many maimed corpses of the Orze created a disgusting scenery, but the two standing figures caused more shock.
Khan and Amox had dropped the upper part of their clothes long ago, but that only worsened their appearance. A lot of the Orze's muddy blood had fallen on them, adding a dark and disgusting touch to their overall presence.
"Go after the Ilqiex already!" Khan scolded, pointing in the direction where the monster had escaped.
"[Don't stand still]!" Amox gave a similar reprimand, also pointing toward the channel dug by the Ilqiex.
The two teams snapped back to reality and turned their bikes toward the Ilqiex before accelerating. Khan even heard a single jeep in the distance following along. Soon, the hole's edge became empty again, leaving only the two scouts.
At that point, Khan and Amox finally exchanged their smirk, which ended in a joint snicker. They were in no hurry to chase their teams, and Amox seized the chance to show his respect.
"[You are a formidable warrior, Captain Khan]," Amox stated, performing a customary Thilku bow even in the absence of his mantle.
"[You too, Amox]," Khan announced, imitating that bow. He had practiced it in the previous weeks, leading to a flawless performance.
"[Good bow]!" Amox praised, laughing in approval. "[Shall we]?"
"[Of course]," Khan responded, tapping the ground to send himself into the air. "[I'll go first]."
Amox didn't mind that gesture. The two had reached an understanding there. They knew how fast they were, and that slight advantage couldn't change the situation.
Khan sprinted toward the woods, flying above the trees while Amox half-crouched. He planted his hands on the ground and summoned his black sparks before thunder resounded in his spot.
The symphony kept track of Amox, but Khan could easily do it with his eyes too. Amox's inhumane sprint moved the trees and burned the grass, creating a fuming trail anyone could notice.
Khan felt no surprise when Amox surpassed him. The Thilku caught up with the teams in no time before running past them. That insane sprint was impossible to match, and Khan could play a battle of endurance with it.
'He can't have much mana left,' Khan considered, sprinting at full speed above the woods. He soon surpassed the teams but remained behind Amox, and the latter put more distance between them.
That wasn't an outcome Khan could affect. Amox was simply faster than him. Yet, possible plans formed in his mind. If Khan managed to make Amox run out of mana, he could leave him behind for good, gaining a stark advantage over the [Hunt].
Implementing that plan wasn't easy. With killing out of the question, Khan had to hold back his deadliest moves, which also happened to be his best. Even if he wanted to, he didn't know if he could win that game, especially since a lot depended on his team.
'Those things should have recorded enough already,' Khan thought when a buzzing noise reached his ears. 'Maybe losing won't be bad as long as I keep myself busy.'
Khan made peace with his internal struggle and decided to pursue the only path to victory he could find. Either way, the blame wouldn't be on him.
Louder thunderous noises eventually resounded, marking an event that the symphony conveyed to Khan. Truth be told, he could predict the nature of the matter even without his senses, but Acarro's natural mana confirmed his guess.
Khan flew toward the noise source, descending through the crowns at full speed to meet his opponent. Amox was waiting for him, standing next to the fainted Ilqiex. He had caught up with the monster again, but his arm was on the sky, ready to unleash his fast spell.
Amox adjusted his aim as soon as he noticed Khan and more sparks surged as he pulled the mana between his thumbs. Something flew after Khan in the next second, but he had predicted that outcome, and two needles were already blocking that trajectory.
The Thilku's spell destroyed the needles, barely slowing down at all. Still, Khan didn't need anything else. The fraction of a second gained over his opponent's attack allowed him to dodge it and disappear.
Amox didn't even consider pressing on with that tactic. His left arm didn't only hurt due to the injuries on his shoulder. He had also lost track of Khan, so he knew he wouldn't get the chance to keep his distance anymore.
As Amox had predicted, Khan appeared behind him and stabbed his knife into his left shoulder. Khan planned to render the entire limb useless but sparks thundered, allowing Amox to react as soon as he felt pain.
The Thilku stepped forward and turned, stretching his arms in an attempt to catch Khan. Yet, the two had already gone through a similar exchange, and the experience didn't lead to different outcomes. Khan stomped his feet to launch himself upward before ricocheting through the air and reaching for Amox's back again.
Amox's attack missed, but his insane reactions made him turn again as soon as Khan's knife touched his skin. Due to the incoming thick arms, Khan couldn't remain in his position anymore. He kicked the air under him to escape once more, but his leg stretched at that time.
The Thilku had already accelerated his reactions to respond to the knife, so the leg took him by surprise. He tried to lean backward, but the tip of Khan's foot hit his chin, lifting his head in the impact.
Khan rose in the air and let himself turn upside down to dive directly toward Amox. His previous blow had opened a window he didn't hesitate to seize. However, Amox wouldn't let himself be passive anymore, and a large quantity of mana accumulated inside him.
Khan's eyes widened. He had seen a similar move during the previous battle. Amox wanted to release his explosion again to interrupt Khan's offensive. Khan could deal with it, but a prolonged clash would create problems since the Ilqiex was so close.
A snort left Khan's mouth as he suddenly changed direction, ricocheting through the air to land on the fainted Ilqiex. His steps were so light that the monster didn't feel anything, but he didn't look at the creature even once. His eyes remained on Amox, who turned to show his confident smirk.
"[You are smart]," Amox commented.
"[You could have killed it]," Khan groaned.
"[Could I]?" Amox feigned ignorance, but his pretense worked since it instilled doubt.
Khan couldn't be sure about Amox's control over his defensive technique. He didn't even know if the Thilku had something that simply resembled his previous spell. Too many variables were at play there, and he couldn't be reckless when the Ilqiex's life was at stake.
Realistically speaking, Amox wouldn't use something with such destructive might near the Ilqiex. However, that slight doubt made Khan hesitate, which was enough for Amox since he had interrupted the offensive without using any mana.
"[Let's not do that again]," Khan eventually stated, and the two shared a meaningful stare before something else attracted his attention.
Khan glanced at the trees behind Amox, and the sound of tires soon followed. A few figures became visible among the trees, but crackling noises followed.
Amox sprinted ahead, trying to catch Khan by surprise. He interrupted his advance right before the Ilqiex, performing a piercing motion with his right arm. Yet, his hand only touched empty air. Khan had disappeared as soon as Amox had summoned his sparks.
The Thilku didn't even need to ask where Khan had gone. He turned toward the trees behind him and sprinted at full speed. Soon, a predictable scene appeared in his view, and he moved to stop it.
Khan knew dealing with Amox quickly was impossible, but the teams' arrival had opened a different path. He could give his companions an advantage if he reduced the number of opponents they would have to fight.
A series of vehicles appeared in Khan's view when he crossed a row of trees. The two teams had almost blended due to the equal starting point, but a few Thilku were in the lead due to their experience with those games.
Khan saw two Thilku bikes mere meters ahead. The one on the left was advancing in a straight line, but the other was busy dodging a trunk, and Khan didn't hesitate to go for it.
The Thilku on the bike noticed Khan, but avoiding him was impossible. She had already decelerated to dodge the tree, and pressing the brakes wouldn't help. Khan was faster than her anyway, and his leg was already aiming for the front tire.
However, a thunderous noise resounded before Khan could hit the bike. Amox appeared beside him, ready to stab his thick arm into his body. His hand had stretched to take the shape of a blade, and Khan knew that a direct impact would put his ribs in danger.
The rider almost froze in fear. She even forgot to press the brakes as her brain tried to understand what was happening. Yet, before her thoughts could reach a conclusion, Khan disappeared, leaving only her companion at her side.
"[Keep moving]!" Amox shouted as the bike ran past him. His companion searched for his face to understand how angry he was, but he didn't look at her even once. Amox's eyes had already returned to the trees to look for Khan's next appearance.
Khan flew through the crowns, sprinting through the branches to hide his figure. The symphony had already found a new worthy target, and he dived toward it as soon as the right moment arrived.
The new Thilku targeted by Khan was near the end of the two teams. He was riding a bike too, and his attention was on the woods due to the many trunks ahead. He didn't even notice Khan diving toward his front wheel.
However, the Thilku's eyes widened in surprise when thunder resounded at his side, revealing Amox. The latter was already swinging his right arm, and looking at its trajectory made the alien notice Khan.
Khan was upside down, pointing his glowing knife at the bike's front tire. His weapon could almost touch it, but Amox's reactions had been as incredible as always. If Khan completed the attack, Amox would hit him for sure.
'Screw it,' Khan thought, steeling his resolve and summoning the [Blood Shield], covering his left side as he continued to descend.
The Thilku on the bike was powerless. He could only watch as Khan's knife cut through the front tire and split it in half. Amox's blow landed on his side right afterward, flinging him away.
The bike's front dug into the terrain now that its tire was gone. The vehicle's back began to rise, threatening to send the Thilku on it flying. Yet, Amox caught him by his cape and pulled him away.
The Thilku's eyes remained on the damaged vehicle, which rolled on the ground before slamming on a trunk. Metal shards flew everywhere, and important pieces of the bike also fell off, making it useless from that point onward.
"[Go]," Amox ordered, putting his companion to the ground and slapping his shoulder. "[Go help the others]."
The Thilku only needed to look at Amox's serious face to nod and run after the teams. He had lost his ride, but his job wasn't over. His companions were busy capturing the Ilqiex, and he needed to help.
Amox immediately lost interest in his companion and focused on the woods. He had seen Khan slamming on a trunk and piercing through it. He was sure he had suffered some damage, but it was unclear whether he was out of combat yet.
The Thilku eventually decided to run without the help of his sparks. He dived through the trees, crossing the trunk broken by the previous attack. He almost expected the area to be empty, but the standing figure waiting for him told a different story.
Khan was there, lying on a trunk while his hand massaged his left side. He looked in pain, but Amox couldn't see any injury on his body. Khan also stretched his back, showing how the attack didn't affect his flexibility.
"[That hurt]," Khan complained, his back hurting due to the clash with the tree. He could have avoided it, but that development would make the rest of his plan more believable.
"[You are tough]," Amox praised, almost glad that Khan was still on his feet. "[Can you fight]?"
"[Can you]?" Khan asked, smirking and lifting his knife, which glowed with his mana.
All things considered, that was the best outcome for Khan. He had weakened the Thilku team and showed his prowess while removing himself from an active role in the [Hunt]. He knew Amox wanted to keep him there to avoid messing with his companions any further, which was perfect for him.
As Khan had predicted, Amox summoned his sparks to sprint forward. The Thilku teleported before Khan, and his right arm lunged ahead.
Khan was ready for that. He had actually started dodging before the attack could unfold, allowing him to half-crouch to his right when the arm tried to slam on his chest.
Amox's stretched hand dug into the trunk, and Khan lifted his knife to exploit that window. The weapon aimed for Amox's right elbow, but he employed his quick reactions to throw himself forward.
The Thilku's huge body slammed on Khan, interrupting his attack and sending him backward. He had retracted his head in time to avoid getting hit on the nose, but his chest felt the blow.
Nevertheless, Khan could easily endure those clumsy attacks. He never lost his balance but let himself fly backward for a few meters before sprinting. He used the trees to hinder Amox's vision, and the latter noticed him only when a powerful kick landed on his right side.
Amox grunted and bent. He could react to the pain inflicted by the knife, but the kick unleashed its full power in a single instant. That didn't give him a chance to dodge or run away before it was too late, but his body could endure that much.
Sparks left Amox's dark-red skin and accelerated his movements. Two steps brought him to Khan's left side, ready for a descending blow with two arms. Theoretically, his speed made his attack unavoidable, but his limbs only hit empty air.
Amox was genuinely confused. That wasn't the first time Khan had dodged his attacks, but he still couldn't explain how. He was faster than Khan, and those short exchanges couldn't give him a chance to react. However, the reality told a very different story. Amox had managed to hit Khan only when he decided to trade his body for a bike.
That confusion never waned, but Amox didn't have the time to think about it since his knee began to hurt. Khan had appeared under him, delivering a sneaky kick the Thilku couldn't hope to dodge.
Amox used his sparks to try to cut Khan's escape path and gain any form of initiative over him. Yet, Khan wasn't limited by gravity. Trapping him was simply impossible, and he continued to slip away right before Amox's attacks could land.
The Thilku couldn't possibly know that Khan had long since stopped reacting to his attacks. He wouldn't have the time to dodge if he waited to see what was coming after him. His only option was to predict his opponent's moves, and the mana helped him with that.
Khan began to escape as soon as Amox's mana tried to give birth to the sparks. That was the signal Khan used to remain one step ahead of his opponent, and that approach never failed him throughout the battle.
Amox and Khan exchanged blow after blow. The Thilku always failed to hit his opponent, but Khan was in a similar situation. He delivered kick after kick, targeting joints and weak spots, but Amox never fell or slowed down.
The Thilku showed the full might of his body in the battle, and Khan did the same with his superior prowess. The two never stopped fighting and always did their best to take each other down. Still, a loud siren eventually resounded, filling the woods with its deafening noise.
Khan was about to deliver a descending kick on Amox's left shoulder, but the arrival of the siren made him push himself away. He kept spinning until his leg slammed on the ground, dispersing his momentum and sending dirt everywhere.
Amox could use that chance to attack but remained still. He glanced at Khan before lifting his gaze to the sky. Khan did the same, and a buzzing noise eventually joined the siren. A camera descended between the two, stopping above them to convey a message both could understand.
"The [Hunt] is over," A robotic voice came out of the flat, circular machine. "[The Hunt is over]."