Akakios watched the pitiful moaning girl on the ground. So much for a good battle; while she had a good skill, she obviously had no interest to use it with a minimum of intelligence. He still wasn't sure what her special skill was, but her defense was abnormal. If a normal human had gone through the same treatment as Jacqui, their ankles would've gotten cut off, not just slightly cut and badly sprained. What a shame that such a useful skill was to be wasted on such a boastful, reckless, ignorant child.
He walked over to Jacqui and poked her with the blade-less tip of his scythe. She shot him a burning glare, unable to hide the pain she was bearing from the injuries she had gotten from him. He looked down at her calmly. "You have something good." He narrowed his eyes. "But you're painfully stupid." He lifted an eyebrow when Jacqui snarled furiously at him. "You defended yourself against my scythe with your hands. Had this been an ordinary scythe, you wouldn't have any cuts right now, if the scratches you have can even be called injuries. You boast and show off your ability. An ability that is worth showing. But you use it so stupidly that it's useless to you, or to anyone. Your personality is unbearable. If you were the smallest bit intelligent, you would've kept your guard up, and you wouldn't have attacked the way you did. Your skill is defense, and not offense."
With the tension down and the battle "won", Aiolos watched as Akakios calmly explained the situation to the irritated young girl. While he didn't agree with Akakios's blunt words and hurtful sayings, he had made valuable points: Jacqui was too impulsive and overconfident because of a skill she couldn't even use properly. If she had kept her ground and hadn't attacked, maybe she would've lasted longer than two hits. Aiolos almost felt pity for the young fighter, even if her ultimate goal was to kill the three of them. Every young member newly upgraded to a high rank would get overconfident because of their brand new skill; some certain they would be able to bring their enemies down in a single hit. Very few understood that the strength and efficiency of the skill came with how well you could use it and the way you use it. Jacqui could most likely get an impenetrable defense if she put some work and heart into training.
Akakios brought his scythe down around Jacqui's neck, and she could the cold blade against the nape of her neck. She shivered and winced. If he twisted the thing now... He looked up at Ukkres, whom was staring down with wide eyes. Apparently the defeat of his partner wasn't something he had seen often. "You, up above," Akakios called, raising his voice so the boy would hear him. "Release these two," he ordered with a flick of his head towards Navi and Aiolos, "or else I'll twist this girl's neck." He paused, and when Ukkres seemed reluctant, even slightly unbelieving, Akakios narrowed his eyes. "I think we both agree that I don't care what happens to her. Release these two, and I won't touch her. Think on it too long, and you may as well say you're the one who's murdered her."
Apparently his reply had been frightening enough to convince Ukkres to obey and release his hold on Navi and Aiolos. The blue electric chains that were wrapped around them simply vanished into thin air, and Ukkres slide down a few pillars until he got to the ground. He started to panic when Akakios wouldn't take his scythe away from Jacqui. "Let her go," he asked with a firm voice, although his panic couldn't be completely hidden. "I let them go... keep to your part." He really thought that Akakios was going to kill Jacqui here and there, since he still wasn't taking his scythe away. But after a few endless seconds, he finally removed the scythe away from Jacqui's neck, and Ukkres was immediately relieved. But as he thought about it, both he and Jacqui were now at the mercy of those three, and Jacqui couldn't fight anymore. Ukkres shot a few panicked looks at Akakios and Aiolos, and he took a few steps back. Jacqui had tried to kill them, and she'd failed miserably. Surely they wouldn't let Ukkres and Jacqui leave alive. This mission had been a failure.
And then outside, snow crumbled...
He walked over to Jacqui and poked her with the blade-less tip of his scythe. She shot him a burning glare, unable to hide the pain she was bearing from the injuries she had gotten from him. He looked down at her calmly. "You have something good." He narrowed his eyes. "But you're painfully stupid." He lifted an eyebrow when Jacqui snarled furiously at him. "You defended yourself against my scythe with your hands. Had this been an ordinary scythe, you wouldn't have any cuts right now, if the scratches you have can even be called injuries. You boast and show off your ability. An ability that is worth showing. But you use it so stupidly that it's useless to you, or to anyone. Your personality is unbearable. If you were the smallest bit intelligent, you would've kept your guard up, and you wouldn't have attacked the way you did. Your skill is defense, and not offense."
With the tension down and the battle "won", Aiolos watched as Akakios calmly explained the situation to the irritated young girl. While he didn't agree with Akakios's blunt words and hurtful sayings, he had made valuable points: Jacqui was too impulsive and overconfident because of a skill she couldn't even use properly. If she had kept her ground and hadn't attacked, maybe she would've lasted longer than two hits. Aiolos almost felt pity for the young fighter, even if her ultimate goal was to kill the three of them. Every young member newly upgraded to a high rank would get overconfident because of their brand new skill; some certain they would be able to bring their enemies down in a single hit. Very few understood that the strength and efficiency of the skill came with how well you could use it and the way you use it. Jacqui could most likely get an impenetrable defense if she put some work and heart into training.
Akakios brought his scythe down around Jacqui's neck, and she could the cold blade against the nape of her neck. She shivered and winced. If he twisted the thing now... He looked up at Ukkres, whom was staring down with wide eyes. Apparently the defeat of his partner wasn't something he had seen often. "You, up above," Akakios called, raising his voice so the boy would hear him. "Release these two," he ordered with a flick of his head towards Navi and Aiolos, "or else I'll twist this girl's neck." He paused, and when Ukkres seemed reluctant, even slightly unbelieving, Akakios narrowed his eyes. "I think we both agree that I don't care what happens to her. Release these two, and I won't touch her. Think on it too long, and you may as well say you're the one who's murdered her."
Apparently his reply had been frightening enough to convince Ukkres to obey and release his hold on Navi and Aiolos. The blue electric chains that were wrapped around them simply vanished into thin air, and Ukkres slide down a few pillars until he got to the ground. He started to panic when Akakios wouldn't take his scythe away from Jacqui. "Let her go," he asked with a firm voice, although his panic couldn't be completely hidden. "I let them go... keep to your part." He really thought that Akakios was going to kill Jacqui here and there, since he still wasn't taking his scythe away. But after a few endless seconds, he finally removed the scythe away from Jacqui's neck, and Ukkres was immediately relieved. But as he thought about it, both he and Jacqui were now at the mercy of those three, and Jacqui couldn't fight anymore. Ukkres shot a few panicked looks at Akakios and Aiolos, and he took a few steps back. Jacqui had tried to kill them, and she'd failed miserably. Surely they wouldn't let Ukkres and Jacqui leave alive. This mission had been a failure.
And then outside, snow crumbled...